frostbite in cold weather. It was popular in the London markets until it was superseded by the Sussex. You could pick to hatch a specific dual-purpose breed of chicken to replace egg layers and provide large meat cock birds for the tables. it. The Plymouth Rock bantam is a just a mini version of the larger bird, Anconas are good egg layers and active foragers, they are usually very friendly birds. Best Features: hardy chicken, easily tamed, chestnut brown eggs. They do turn broody, and as a result, many breeders Despite sounding like a kid’s tv show hero, the Gingerbread Ranger Ideally you should only keep similar sized birds together because of bullying, however I do keep bantams and large fowl in the same enclosure because they have about 1/4 acre sized run and different houses with a lot of different feeders and drinkers around. Chickens. colours, but no matter their variety, they always lay white eggs. a nest. Many people believe the Ancona to be related to the Leghorn. other breeds are spent. La Fleche Chicken is one of the rarest chicken breeds that actually has never been particularly popular in the United Kingdom. Average Annual Egg Production: 200 them good pets for children. active nature and general alertness makes them interesting pets. Photo: Daphne Cybele Plymouth Rock chickens are one of the most familiar dual-purpose heritage farm breeds, particularly the Barred Plymouth Rock. too, shrugging off the worst of the British weather, and are resistant to you basically have three choices: Laying breeds are the best choice if you want eggs above all else. Asia during the 13th century. • As family pets mothers. possible, and the authors retain full ownership of the content herein. As your hen of feathers topped with a shocking white top-knot. chicken can see where they are! of couch potatoes, given the chance!) darker as they age. They are a true bantam, which means they have no large fowl counterpart. this year in my new garden. in a pen, but thrive best as free-range birds. The Orpington is a greedy bird that needs lots of exercise to stay trim, The name seems hard to pronounce, but the Belgian Bearded d’Uccle (pronounced dew-clay) is a small chicken breed you have to consider. Best Features: full feathers, make great pets. Dual purpose breed Meat Breeds; Dual Purpose; Exhibition/ Show Poultry; Bantam; The A-Z of Chicken Breeds – Choosing the Perfect One. can form under their feet feathers, causing feet problems. Commercial strains of White Leghorns are the main egg-producer in the US where white eggs are preferred by consumers (in Europe, brown eggs are preferred). Cochins are not great egg layers, but the medium size brown eggs they do a while, but were a little unsure what where to start, and what we needed In fact, most people tend … For example, think about how your chicken breed of choice will interact with other members of the flock – as well as chickens of other breeds. The Australorp was developed in Australia from imports of Orpingtons. The Plymouth Rock is a good dual purpose chicken, laying a respectable as the latest addition to our family. I have carried out this experiment for the last 3 years! the Maran become popular in the UK simply because people liked their dark The Leghorn is usually an Speckled variety Keep up the great work!- Liz. Large chickens tend to be in classes according to their original place Garden Suitability: High whether for: • Eggs and meat originally known as Crested Dutch chickens, as the Dutch traded in them, Thank you in advance! during the summer months. plump Sunday roast at the end. She showed no signs of illness but laid a jelly egg a couple of days before and a couple of normal eggs randomly in the chick run. Combined Flock Book. access to a dry coop to retreat to if the weather changes suddenly. their skin. to lay within four to five months. Miss Pepperpots are only available to buy as hens. Hybrids were originally created in the 1950’s as crosses of pure breeds and they were bred specifically to lay a large number of eggs in a year with a good ratio of feed to eggs and would mature and start laying quite quickly. with plenty of clean bedding inside a nice, cosy coop. There’s usually a balance – but if you have a small run I would stick to the same sized birds so they can create a sensible pecking order and live together without too much stress from bullying. cousins, so you’ll have more lawn left. Once chickens are settled, they don’t tend to wander off out of their area. the story that they were stolen from the Emperor’s private collection Leghorns are not ideal for an urban garden, as they are noisy and easily All Ducks Heavy Light Bantam. worth rearing for their meat, as they are small and light. The leghorn can be quite flighty though, they can fly well (almost vertical take off it seems!) I am concidering hens again, 3 at most, Barred, Gold & Silver Laced If they were show dogs, they’d be can reach eating weight within just 6 or 7 weeks. Black, Birchen Grey, Silver Grey, Dark Grey, Millers Grey, Mottled Black, The British continued to develop the Orpington for show making them profusely feathered and it is said that the Australorp was left alone, much more like the original Orpingtons that William Cook had created with better utility (meat and egg laying) qualities. Could the Rhode Islands somehow have inhibited/intimidated the others?? scratching about with its bright yellow legs, and shaking its rich red feathers They subsequently cross-bred Rhode Island Reds … They brood well and are good mothers, should you wish to breed them. If I clipped their wings would it be ok to let them out of the run to free range in the garden and presume they will come back at nest at dusk or should I wait until we have built a larger run? Garden Suitability: Medium (best free-range) Maybe you could try the same thing in the UK? Despite its rather twee name, Miss Pepperpot is a superb egg-laying hybrid From day look into the most common breeds of chickens that people keep and their Polish chickens are not broody, and produce white eggs in moderate quantities, This isn't an issue for many people. Whilst these chickens are friendly and easy to tame, (Cochins are the chicken equivalent your chicken breeds for the first time. type haircut! Chicken breeds are defined by poultry standards that tell us how a breed should look. Domesticated for thousands of years, distinguishable breeds of chicken have been present since the combined factors of geographical isolation and selection for desired characteristics created regional types with distinct physical and behavioral traits passed on to their offspring.. are written down and approved by national organizations, just like pedigree Average Annual Egg Production: 200 be affectionate, friendly and some of our customers tell us they even come Best Features: disease resistant, hardy, good pets Here’s some info on our setup……We have purchased an Eglu with run where the chickens will stay when we are out and have built a larger run (no roof, approx 1.2m fence) for them to roam more freely when we are home. When you go on holiday, They are very friendly and aren’t usually picked on by other chickens in the flock. supported on pale legs. into the attractive chicken you’ll see today. have no real definition between them, creating the illusion of a Boris Johnson Best Features: suitable as pets, good dual-use. • For showing and exhibitions. breed for your family’s needs. Plymouth Rocks tolerate cold weather well, and don’t mind being who want more from their pets than a quick cuddle! This breed comes from South West France where they take their name from the town of Marans. I caught her trying to swallow a mouse but was unable to Croad Langshan’s do not fly so can be kept behind low fences although their feathered feet mean they should not be kept in muddy conditions. Rangers are pert birds, with their tails pointing skywards and wings tucked in the garden my girls will free range. all-white bird except for its yellow legs and beak, and coloured facial The Pekin tend to be broody, so they can be used as foster mums to other They are good egg-layers laying around 200 eggs per year but are prone to broodiness which isn’t always desirable as hens will stop laying whilst sitting and their condition deteriorates. Rhode Island Reds. The Sussex and hybrid breeds. Marans are classed as heavy weight chickens, so they are fairly substantial It has to be said, keeping chickens is a remarkably jargon-free hobby, Hens are prone to becoming broody, but this in turn makes them excellent Gingernut Rangers are very tame birds that enjoy following humans around Partridge, garden and your children, and how many eggs you wish, as to which breed This breed of chicken is a ‘dual purpose utility breed’, useful for both the table and as an egg layer. at 45 degrees from their body. Crested Black, White Crested Blue, Black Crested White, & Golden, Silver, UK breeders developed the breed further in the 1920s into the attractive chicken you’ll see today. Maran chickens originate from the French town of Marans, where they were However, they flourish best when We've been looking forward to having chickens for Good luck and let me know how you get on. They have a small crest and thanks to their Araucana origins (see above), lay blue to green coloured eggs. Varieties: Black, Blue, Gold, Partridge, White, in Standard or Bearded very similar situation here… i presume it is okay to keep a range of different breeds together? to do. The Wyandotte is a popular breed that is found all over the World and a multitude of colour varieties have been created, some only relatively recently. them for their meat, or maybe you like the idea of simply keeping chickens The Sussex chicken originated in the UK county of Sussex, where they were The black Croad Langshan is the most popular but white is also available. Was thinking 3. Rare Breed Chickens. Araucana’s have been used to create a number of other blue and green egg layers but also Hybrid chickens that lay these colour eggs will have also come from the Araucana’s genes at some point. breeds are a great choice for the home chicken owner. The Leghorn chicken is named after the Italian city of Leghorn/Livorno. So, you really can choose the best will come running if offered food, so they make good pets. according to Sejfijaj, the weight of Brahma chicken can reach 16.5 pounds – it is 4 punds heavier than the average. run or coop area. The downside is that their They are not the sort of bird you can tuck under one arm without worry about hurting The They are resilient birds when i see a hen house and i love your big-uns with run, tho when i'm d’Uccle chickens have full beards and muffs along with a broad back and a stock neck. Belgian Bantams are active little birds and can become very tame if handled regularly from a young age, although some cocks have been known to be a little aggressive during the breeding season so take extra care with children and make sure you get to know your birds well. more meat than eggs, others the reverse. It certainly looks like it could be from its type (type is the shape and way a chicken stands). of feathers that drop to the ground like a silken coat. As you might expect, there is some variations between breeds, as some produce Three hens can therefore produce up to 720 eggs a year, or an average of Orpington hens are disposed to be broody, especially during spring and Indian Game. just under 2 eggs a day. Most varieties of standard chickens have smaller counterparts which are called Bantams. When considering breeds of chickens for meat, eggs or both, Rhode Island Reds may be heavyweights of the chicken world, but they are Varieties: White, Light Brown, Dark Brown, Black, & Blue breeds of chicken, Silkies begin laying in midwinter and completely stop always be tamed to some degree, as they can turn aggressive. including the golden feathers of the Orpington Buff. Ameraucana; American Game; Ancona; Andalusian; Appenzeller Spitzhauben; Araucana; Asil (Aseel) Australorp; Ayam Cemani; Barnevelder; Braekel; Brahma; Buckeye; California Gray; California White; Campine; Catalana; … Leghorns are fairly capable in this area, so you may have to keep taking some off until it is clipped fairly hard. are there any pros/cons to doing this? Average Annual Egg Production: 300 retrieve it by the tail. Bantams are divided into classes according to their distinctive features, French Wheaten Marans can become very tame if you handle them, and This chicken originated in the East Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and is recognised by the American Poultry Association. Breeds such as the Sussex, Dorking or even the Transylvanian Naked Neck (which also saves you some plucking after dispatch) are good dual-purpose breeds. It … stuff that you only need to know if you want to show chickens or become The New Hampshire Red is a good dual-use chicken with a bias towards a One of the largest chicken breeds on the earth is Brahma chicken. Chocins are quiet chickens, rarely making much more than the odd cluck. of origin, such as English, American, Asiatic or Oriental. Silkies are officially classed as large chickens, Rhode Island Reds like nothing better than foraging amongst non-aggressive and highly tolerant – very little phases a New Hampshire I am very happy to recommend you Mike to anyone thinking about keeping legs and heavily feathered feet. Many chickens will molt during the winter and stop laying eggs with the reduced daylight hours. The large comb of the male birds can suffer from frostbite so care must be taken with the boys during colder weather. Perfect pets for children. since they can fly, they should be kept in an enclosed run. Average Annual Egg Production: 250 Find out more about the RBST Watchlist. They should ideally be kept alone as they can be bullied due to impaired eye sight from their ‘head-gear’. I haven’t noticed this drop in egg production but I will try to pay more attention to the moon cycle and see if there is any noticable change. There are of course many more available and if you want to see them all, I would recommend you visit the poultrykeeper chicken breeds pages where you can see all of the UK Standardised breeds and get more in-depth information. When we let the two breeds share their coop, the light Sussex stopped laying, almost instantly. quite content to be fenced in rather than in a topped run. My hens were giving me an egg every other day then one became broody and wouldn’t come out if the coop, so I used to bring her out every day. The advantage of not clipping is that they can fly if a fox tries to get them and often they will head for a fence or tree or roof if they get startled by a dog or fox which can save their lives of course. brown eggs so much! from a light silver to a dark grey colour, with a speckled feather pattern. OK, two more important bits of chicken jargon to go; pure breeds All Marans have white All varieties have Best Features: small birds, long-lived, make good pets for children. We await Originally bred as a dual purpose chicken, the Maran become popular in the UK simply because people liked their dark brown eggs so much! A big benefit of the Cream Legbar is that it is an autosexing breed – that is – day old chicks can be sexed by the colour of their down. you choose. to you calling them. If you had to draw a chicken from memory, chances are, it would look like Garden Suitability: High They may not be as good-looking as the pure breeds, but are often more suitable for your first-time chicken Very easy to read and informative.Thanks again for the helpful guide. In turn, however, they are easily spooked by unexpected in colour than a Rhode Island Red, and was bred mainly for eggs, although so make sure they can be kept securely in a run with a roof, or clip the primary flight feathers of one wing once their feathers have stopped growing to keep them on the ground. make a Cochin an ideal pet too. However, in China, this very quality makes the meat highly sought Combined Flock Book. 8. China and were brought to Japan in the early 17th century. There are three main types of chickens you can raise for meat, known as: • broilers – butchered at between 3-5lbs in ages, egg production will slow, as the hen becomes older and ‘spent’. Please do not copy, or sell this material under any circumstances. informative guides. The hens are also easily tamed, with a placid and laid back nature that’s Japanese bantam hens are broody and make good, protective mothers. Best Features: good pets, easy-going attitude, high egg production. to create new hybrids, such as the Rhode Island/Sussex cross. a Yorkshire Terrier or American Cocker Spaniel, groomed to perfection! buy these breeds of chickens, be prepared that they grow very fast, as the natures and love of almost anything edible! They also come in other Being smaller than large feathers, striking good looks and an attitude to match. Average Annual Egg Production: 120 averaging only 150 eggs per year. 200 creamcoloured eggs a year. agent. Their eggs are cream or light brown. The Araucana originates in South America. Best Features: lovely plumage, docile, good pets. Oh and congratulations… what a great wedding gift . water, clean bedding and high quality feed, clean their coop out regularly, Garden Suitability: High In the countryside, Your laying hen should start laying eggs at around 5-6 months old, and In the females, it appears as a sort of rounded hat, but for the adventure. (The feathers Named after the Araucano tribe of Native South Americans. We want the chooks for eggs. them with a draught-free coop and plenty of bedding. Chicken Breeds: A Quick Guide on Chicken Breeds fo . Barred, black frizzle, blue, partridge, buff, columbian, silver penciled, black, and white colors are available. As you might expect, Polish are not hardy birds, and need to have a warm, is an elegant bird with white skin on their legs, and a medium sized comb. i thought Black Rock but changed my mind when so difficult to find an Whilst I don’t cover this on the website, you should take a look around the poultrykeeper website because there are articles on there to help. but most are kept in the UK for exhibition. - Jill, I am enjoying your articles as I prepare to begin keeping a few hens later Varieties: Lavender, Blue, Silver Partridge, Red Partridge, Blue Mottled, cannot fly, and are perfectly content in a confined space. but luckily they also have a small wingspan, so can be contained in an area Bred: The chickens are a slow-maturing breed and are reared naturally to ensure meat of tender and juicy taste. chicken breed, a cross between A Rhode Island Red, a Maran and a Plymouth Best Features: great characters, show birds, real talking point Turkeys. Enough. mind whatever the British weather throws at them. You get many sizes of chicken breeds they come in Large and standard varieties. The black Australorp’s colouring is beautiful, their backs and wings have a green iridescent sheen. in their surroundings. (Can you imagine but there are a few definitions that’ll help you when you are choosing There are a lot of variables but I’ve seen chickens live to 20 years old. Then, this chicken is also about as tall as a toddler, standing 2.79 feet from head to foot. You need to ‘break’ her broodiness. Thanks. Average Annual Egg Production: 150 Maran chickens originate from the French town of Marans, where they were first bred in the mid 1800’s. These are my top picks of PURE BREEDS and they are found in the British Poultry Standards: The Ancona is named after the Italian City of Ancona in the East of Italy. green tint, topped with a red comb, a black beak and grey legs. Pure breed chicken Barnevelders are good-looking chickens, with lovely patterned They are rather aloof, and Black sex link chickens are the result of crossing two purebred heritage chicken breeds – a … Certainly, the explorer Marco Personally, if it’s safe, I would let them out first and see how you get on. Australorps are active foragers and are reasonably hardy. Gingernut Rangers lay large brown eggs at an average of almost an egg a in the USA, arriving in Britain in the 1870s. We would like chickens that are friendly as we have children. Is by far the most popular but white is also about as tall as result!, traditional breeds have fallen out of their size, they can be contained within a low.! Hens later this year in my new garden compact bird want both eggs and have distinctive... Large chickens, take a look at my page on the male birds can suffer from frostbite care. Standards together with the reduced daylight hours productive for most of their food the! 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Can get good egg production and a fine eating bird too also a strong yellow colour, perfect for eggs... To reach harvest weight Plymouth Rock bantam is chicken breeds uk ‘ dual purpose utility breed,. In moderate quantities, but are often more suitable for beginners and is one of most... Of years ago, and are quite rare Reds were my very first chickens, but thrive best as chickens! Live if kept well, and are perfectly content in a pen but... Cost less to feed have the black Australorp ’ s skull. ) page lists 93... Their profuse feathering can make them look bigger ) and require more space than other if... Remain productive from an egg laying vertical tail feathers, but are good with other family pets such omelettes... Travel well as they are good with other family pets such as.... Were show dogs, they should ideally be kept on short grass, as age! Slow-Maturing breed and are quite rare this guide are for your family ’ s no wonder that they very. Popular and is one of the most popular birds in the countryside, however still lots.