Anna studied psychology, law, English, and animal welfare in college. She is a mother of two and a 2019 bride!
Many birds that are bred to be good table birds will lay few eggs. Many hens haven't been bred for the purpose of egg-laying or providing a family with meat, especially now that chicken shows are becoming vastly popular. But dual-purpose chickens have been bred to produce the best quality of meat and eggs.
Families who can keep, raise, and harvest produce (whether animal or vegetable) off their own land can benefit from and enjoy many facets of the process. You can choose how your hens are fed and what life they lead, which means happier birds and better food for you! I never went back to shop-bought eggs—home-grown are always the best!
Light Sussex hens weigh around seven pounds and are renowned as excellent table birds as well as good egg-laying birds—typically laying around 250 medium-sized cream or light brown eggs a year.
They are usually white with black tails and some black feathering around their necks (although other colour varieties such as red are available).
This breed is also well-known for its hens being wonderful mothers who will raise as many chicks as they can at once.
Wyandottes are beautiful birds that will lay up to 240 brown eggs a year and, like the Light Sussex breed, were bred as dual-purpose chickens who make great table birds due to their flavour and size, which is typically around six pounds.
Buff Orpingtons are heavy birds, with the hens sometimes weighing over 10.5 pounds (more commonly weighing about 8.5 pounds).
They go broody often and make great mothers, however these hens will lay slightly fewer eggs than some of the other dual-purpose breeds, with 200 large brown eggs a year being average. This is because these chickens have been selectively bred for show rather than specifically for meat or egg-laying.
Plymouth Rocks are beautiful birds that are available in eight colours and lay roughly 260 large brown-pink eggs per year.
The hens weigh around 7 pounds and make excellent dual-purpose chickens.
This breed has influenced many others for its size, docile nature, and egg-laying capabilities.
Brahma chickens are one of the largest breeds in existence, with hens weighing around 10 pounds and cockerels about 12 pounds.
They lay around 200 brown each year and do very well in cold climates because of their size and heavy feathering. However, they do require extra care because of the feathering on their feet which needs to be kept clean or the chickens may lose nails and even toes, which can become infected and be fatal to the bird.
If you’re into homesteading and hobby farming, you’ve no doubt seen gorgeous photos of egg baskets overflowing with multicolored eggs. These enviable egg baskets are enough to get anyone interested in backyard chicken keeping, but do you know which breeds lay colorful eggs? There are several prominent chicken breeds that lay blue, green, dark brown and even pink eggs. Adding these chickens to your flock will make egg collecting a much more delightful chore. Chi
I’ve been raising various types of ducks alongside our chickens for years and have had ample opportunity to observe not only the interaction between the chickens and ducks, but also the differences between the different breeds of chickens and ducks. While chickens tend to have very different breed-specific personality traits, in general, I find all duck breeds to be friendly, active, mischievous and happy, regardless of breed. Maybe it’s because nearly all the domestic duck
Sometimes being a fancy chicken isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With showy poofs of feathers on their heads, crested chickens often encounter daily challenges other breeds do not. A chicken keeper that is aware of these potential challenges can make adjustments to improve their chicken’s quality of life and ensure flock harmony. Let’s take a look at some of those challenges and some simple accommodations that can help our feathered-hat-wearing friends.
Florida is full of hatcheries and farms that sell chicks, which is essentially an advantage, but it also means that you may find it challenging to narrow down your choices. For that reason, we’ve put together this list so that you can pick the best chicken hatchery in Florida. So, tag along if you don’t want to miss out!At a GlanceHappy feet Hatchery – Best OverallGreenfire Farms – Best for Rare BreedsHolloway’s Farm Supply – Most DiverseStellar Game Birds Pou