Keeping chickens at home for eggs
Which breed is best?
So congratulations on taking the plunge into getting a few chickens at home you can be sure that they will reward you with some fine entertainment and not to mention the great joy when they give you your first egg.
You will need to do a little research on what breeds to choose and the options are available. There are some key differences between the breeds. At first it may be a little bit daunting trying to decide what type of bird or birds you would need and deciphering the differences between them.
For example their egg laying abilities, the suitability for keeping at home, in and around children and whether you want the birds for eggs, showing all even they table qualities.
Fundamentally there are two types: There hybrid chickens and the pure bred chickens. Following sections briefly describe each of these.
| Most Aggressive Chickens | Game birds, eg, Old English Game, Calder Ranger Asil, Shamo, Sumatra, Indian Game, Malay. |
| Fairly Wild Chickens | Un-developed old breeds eg, Old English Pheasant Fowl, Derbyshire Redcap, Poland, Campine. |
| Fairly Docile Chickens | Utility light breeds, eg, Leghorn, Welsummer, Bovans White |
| More Docile Chickens | Utility heavy breeds, eg, RIR, Barnevelder, Plymouth Rock, Marans, Dorking |
| Most Docile Chickens | Hybrids, eg, Calder Ranger, Bovans Goldline & Nera, ISA Brown, Hisex Ranger, Speckledy Babcock 380 |
Hybrid chickens
A hybrid chicken is the product of the of of the early 1950s when there was an increasing commercial demand for both hen's eggs and their meat. In response to this the birds were adapted to increase their egg production to the order of 300 eggs per year. The conversion of the foods that they were given into eggs was also focus of this time. Around this time also saw the development of the Battery Cage system. Chickens were crossed in such a way to optimise their laying ability. Most of the hybrids today are derived from breeds which are well known for egg laying such as Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, or Marron's. In recent years there has been an increased focus on animal welfare and the quality of the foods that we are eating. As a result more more people are wanting to keep a few chickens at home for their own eggs.
This growth in domestic birds is promoting a further change in what were the traditional hybrids. Many of the commercial breeders are developing their stocks of hybrid birds to have a greater variety in both colour and name. Names such as Fenton blue, Bluebells and Speckled with colours such as black and silver, blue and champagne are becoming increasingly commonplace. There seems to be a never-ending choice. What is common between all hybrids however is their characteristics of a laying ability. Today you also have a choice in the colour of egg based on the particular hybrid in question. Fenton blue hens produce a blue egg while speckled hen's produce brown speckled eggs.
Many hybrids are hatched in commercial hatcheries and sold to be grown as day olds or point of lay (POL indicates that the hen will start to lay eggs). It normally takes between 18 to 24 weeks for a day old chick to be sold as a point of lay chicken. A popular outlet for these point of lay chickens is now garden centres who sell at the top end of the market with prices that vary from anything up to £20-£25 per bird.
So should you choose a hybrid chicken?
There's no fast rules on this. What it boils down to is a choice of colour of the bird and the eggs that they lay. Hybrids tend to be reliable in that they will produce a lot of eggs. Many have a calm nature and serve well as pets around the house. In addition they are relatively easy to look after. Other plus points include that they are available most of the year, they are vaccinated against disease, they are relatively easy to source and they will rarely go broody.
So what about pure breeds?
There are some great birds to be chosen amongst the pure breeds: Colourful and glamorous and in all shapes and sizes. Again the choice is vast. Some of the breeds have been with us for centuries. Some birds have been imported from overseas example China. Dorkings are an ancient breed from around the Roman times and named after the Kentish Town. Some breeds have now become rare like the Marsh Daisy. Indeed there is a rare breed club whose interests include the preservation of these birds.
So the plus points include the vast choice in size and colour. They tend to have more personality they lay for longer and more seasons then a hybrid chicken will. They are fun to own and show and you will be doing your bit for the conservation of the species. They can however be more expensive as you would expect and they can go broody. They are more difficult to source and you'll need to check whether or not they are vaccinated.
Whatever breed you choose, good luck and have fun with your chickens at home. Your comments are welcome.
