While there are dozens of different types of chickens, selecting one to be a part of your flock can be challenging. First you'll want to consider the role of the chicken meaning, is it a pet, will it be bred for meat or an egg producer? There are lots of choices to make when selecting the right type of chicken.
Egg laying chickens come in a variety of breeds and their egg production will vary. The top egg laying chickens that produce white eggs are Ancona, Andalusian, Catalina, Hamburg, Holland, Lakenvelder, Leghorn, Minorca, and Redcap. Each chicken will have their own disposition as well from nervous to the wild, noisy or shy.
There are also chickens that lay brown eggs and they include Australorp, Java, Naked Neck Turkin, Plymouth Rock, Delaware, Dominique, Rhode Island, Sussex, and Wyandotte. Many of these chickens have good dispositions and are relatively mild mannered and good producers.
If you're interested in growing chickens for meat, you want to look for breeds that are able to gain weight within the first 4 months of life. The disposition of these types of chickens is less important than egg layers because they aren't expected to live for long. Meat producing breeds consist of Cornish and Cornish Cross.
Some hens of specific breeds can both be used as egg producers but also provide a good source of meat. These types of birds may be ideal. An example of these types of chickens includes Brahma, Buckeye, Catalina, Araucana, Australorp, Barnevelder, and many others already mentioned above.
Birds like the Cochin, Phoenix, and Showgirls are perhaps a bit more attractive than those chickens bred purely as a food source but whatever type of chicken you decide you'd like to breed or raise, it's good to do a little research based on your ultimate goals.
When we say cheap, not only does the chicken itself count but also the maintenance of it all. Compared to keeping a dog or a cat for a pet, it is much cheaper to take care of a number of chickens most likely because they are not choosy when it comes to food. You can feed them scraps and table leftovers and they will happily gobble it up. With as little as $2 a day, you can spend on a bunch of layer mash.
2. You can get something from them.
Eggs. Meat. Ornament. Who wouldn’t want it? In terms of eggs, it is seldom that you encounter a chicken that can’t lay eggs. It is a good source of iron, which is good for the brain. You could either sell these eggs or keep them in your fridge. With meat, every part of a chicken can be eaten. Yes, every. In cases of those who don’t want to see their chickens go bye-bye, they raise them as pets and for exhibition purposes.
3. Low maintenance.
Unlike dogs who need everyday grooming and cats who need your undivided attention, chickens need none of those. You don’t have to bring them to your vet every once in a while to take shots and doses of vaccines. All you have to do is feed them and supply clean water every day. Their coops must be cleaned at least once a week or twice every month depending on the number of chickens that you own.
4. Fertilizers for free and an instant pest control agent.
These are the two things that chicken raisers love about owning a chicken. When you allow your chickens to roam around your backyard, it is in their nature to peck on whatever it is that catches their interest and their hunger. Chickens love anything that came from the ground most especially the ones that are moving. They eat insects, bugs, worms and the like. For them, these are special treats. Furthermore, it is in their nature to eradicate their internal wastes anywhere they please. But their poops are considered as natural fertilizers that the ground needs to grow plants and root crops in a healthy state.
Cons
1. They are not the best guard pets to have.
While chickens can coo and make familiar sounds, it is not in their nature to bite or coo on anyone they see who looks suspicious. All they can do is grow, eat, and lay eggs. They are also not the ideal pets you would want to have especially if you need a response like waggling of the tail or a purring sound.
2. Chickens are messy.
Indeed. Plus, their poop smells terrible that it can reach certain areas in your house. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to go through enduring hours of cleaning, chickens aren’t really the pets for you.
3. One for all, all for one.
Well, in terms of getting sick this is a con. Because when one catches flu, everyone gets it too. And if one dies because of that flu, it is expected that every single chicken living with that infected chicken who also got that flu is also going to die after a few days.
You say you want to raise chickens? Well, good for you. More and more people are now raising chickens - even in their backyards - and for good reason. Chickens lay eggs, they make swell pets and, of course, you can eat them. However, if you have kids and treat your chickens as pets that might not be the best idea in the world.
The good news is that chickens are pretty hardy creatures and will eat practically anything, even including stuff we might not recognize as food. They are both carnivores and vegetarians. They'll forage and the food they eat may be even more nutritious than what you would feed them. They will eat bugs, ants, insects, fruit, bread, roaches, seeds, vegetables, leaves, leftovers that have been hiding in your refrigerator, and grass - in other words just about everything that doesn't include pebbles or coarse sand. They even love Italian and Chinese dishes.
They need a place to hang around
Chickens aren't very particular about where they live, either. All they really need is a place to roost and lay eggs that are safe from the elements and their natural enemies. Chickens are very sociable. They love to have another chicken for a company that they can huddle with from time to time, especially on rainy days and in the cold seasons. However, they are not always peace-loving. Chickens can get cranky and become irritated even at little things. When they do, you can forget about sociability. They'll pick a companion and if that companion does not pay an adequate amount of attention fast enough they might actually pick it to death.
Chicken coops
Most people who keep chickens in their backyards build or buy coops to keep them safe. A good chicken coop must have adequate ventilation, waste management, and an ample amount of space and good light. Chicken droppings contain ammonia and create dampness within the coop so your coop must allow for proper ventilation to make sure the air inside can circulate properly. You will need to allow 3 to 4 square feet of space for each of your chickens. This gives the chicken enough room to sort of mill about and will keep them more productive. As I mentioned in an earlier paragraph, chickens are very social. They like to have other chickens around them and when they are at their best behavior, they'll huddle together, scratch together and stay put when not feeding. It's also important that your coop provide an adequate amount of light. But all in all, chickens will be very happy if they have a clean place to a coop, good ventilation, an ample amount of space and clean and steady feed.
Speaking of feed
There are two types of feed for chickens when they are in their pens. The first and most important is corn mixed with other seeds. The second is pellets. Pellets come in three flavors. They are crumbled pellet, pellets and what's called layers mash. While these three variations have similar compositions, they are named differently to identify the grade of the milling. For example, layers mash is crushed to almost a powdery consistency to make it easier for chicks to digest. In comparison, crumble pellets are milled to a rough consistency and are good for young chickens. And regular pellets are best for full-grown chickens. Chickens can get along very well with one measure of pellets and one measure of mixed corn. You can throw in other food because they'll probably eat it too and if they do, don't worry. It's okay.
True grit
Chickens will also eat grit, too. They need it for their digestion. If you don't give them grit, they'll soon be pecking at pebbles. To prevent that, you can either purchase grit from a farm supply store or make it yourself. This is very easy - all you have to do is roast eggshells in your oven till they turn brown, pound them until they're not too powdery and mix the resulting grit with their regular feed.
Keeping your chicken safe
One of the biggest problems with keeping chickens is keeping them safe. If you're typical, you like to eat chicken and so do a lot of predators. To protect your chickens, you will need to have a sturdy coop that's free from gaps and holes. If your chicken house or coop has flooring made from slats, you will need to install wire fencing underneath to prevent predators from getting in that way. You will also need to cover any weak posts with wire to keep predators from biting through them. And most important of all, make sure you lock up the chicken hutch when the chickens are in their coops.
To discourage predators
The first step in discouraging predators is to find which ones live in your area. Different predators use different methods to get at your chickens so you need to know which ones are most likely to want to get in your coop. You can discuss this with animal control or other local authorities in your area. A really good investment is an electric chicken fence. You can also discourage predators by removing places and clearing spaces where they could hide. And finally, if you have dogs around, this will definitely discourage predators from getting near your chicken coop.
Chickens in the city
If you live in a city and want to keep chickens in your backyard, the first thing you need to do is check local ordinances. Many cities permit a certain number of chickens while others do not allow chickens at all. If yours is one that does permit chickens, you will need to decide which breed you want. Bantam chicken breeds are good as they are about one quarter the size of a regular chicken. In fact, a bantam chicken is a kind of like a toy dog breed. Other breeds that are good for pets are the Barred Plymouth Rock and the Road Island Red as they are usually very mild-mannered. If you would like a bantam chicken that lays well, you could choose a Cochin. The Bluff Orbington is a larger breed of Bantam that is also very friendly. These are just a few of the good breeds; you can find much more by surfing the Internet.
What are you waiting for?
If you're fortunate enough to live in an area that does permit chickens, what are you waiting for? They're fun, make good pets are low maintenance and will provide a steady supply of good, healthy and truly organic eggs.
