Best chicken breeds – Picking the Right Breed for Your Needs : chicken breeds

There are a wide variety of chicken breeds that one has to choose from when they first begin a chicken farm or decide to keep a chicken as a pet. Chickens have been domesticated for hundreds of years and this has resulted in several hundred chicken breeds.

Just as with most animals, different breeds have different characteristics so it is important to know what you are looking for as well as what breed of chicken will work best in your particular situation.

By doing a bit of research one can determine the best chicken breed for them.

One of the top chicken breeds is The Plymouth Rock breed. These birds were once the most common chicken in America. They do come in many varieties but the most popular are the black and white and barred ones.

The disposition of these birds is docile and friendly. They are easy for new farmers or hobbyists to work with because of their calm nature and the fact that they are robust and very hardy towards the cold. They are adaptable and do well in free range or confined areas. They are above average when it comes to laying eggs. The eggs they produce are brown.

The Rhode Island is a very popular bird and many backyard farmers have this breed in their coops. It comes in two different types, the Rhode Island Red and the Rhode Island White. It is one of the top chicken breeds for many farmers and hobbyists. Due to the bird’s calm and docile demeanor, it can make a great pet. It adapts well to either free range or confined living conditions. It is a robust bird that deals well in heat and cold. It can lay up to 300 eggs yearly and it produces brown colored eggs. It is known as the best chicken for producing brown eggs.

The Sussex breed is another of the top chicken breeds. These chickens come in different varieties of light, speckled and Red. They are an old English favorite. This breed is generally found at state fairs and beauty pageants. These chickens are robust and very hardy to cold. They have a calm and gentle demeanor. They are quite active but easily adapt to free range or confined conditions.

They are a curious bird, and easy to handle. Many have rather unique personalities which makes them a favorite with many farmers and hobbyists. They produce 250 eggs a year and the eggs are generally creamy to light brown in color.