Chicken Choices - gilliescommunitycentre.com
Transcription
Chicken Choices - gilliescommunitycentre.com
Chicken Choices How to choose the right kind of chicken for you! Choosing the Right Breed • • • • • Why so many choices? History of Chicken breeding Hybrid or Heritage Production or Pets? Standard or Bantam • • • • • Temperament Rare & Endangered Space & Facilities Local options Other Sources The “Hen Craze” of the 1860s How Many Breeds? • The American Kennel Club recognizes 175 breeds of dogs. • My Pet Chicken website lists over 400 varieties of chickens! Hybrid Chickens • No hybrids until 1930s • Breeding for specific genetic mutations – obesity, early maturity, larger eggs, more eggs • Up to 10 or 20 crosses to produce the eggs that will hatch the desired traits • Hybrids eliminate hardiness, broodiness, longevity • If bred, offspring quickly show problems in just one or two generations • Profound changes in biological make-up, ie fattier, less nutritious meat Hybrids vs Heritage Breeds HYBRIDS • Grow faster • Yield more eggs/meat • Less likely to be broody • Less tolerant of heat/cold • Decreased ability to forage & protect themselves outdoors • Short life span HERITAGE • Slower to mature • More variety • More likely to hatch their own chicks • Breed true to form • Hardier • One flock feeds a family for years From Frey’s Hatchery website: Why is it More Difficult Each Year to Grow the White Rock Meat Bird? White Rock growth rates have changed dramatically over the years: • Average weight at 7 weeks of age in 1957 – 2 lbs. • Average weight at 7 weeks of age in 1986 – 4½ lbs. • Average weight at 7 weeks of age in 1999 – 6.3 lbs. • Average weight at 7 weeks of age in 2009 – 6.8 lbs. Result: increased incidence of “Flip Over Disease” and leg deformities Heritage Breed Examples • • • • • Plymouth Rock Rhode Island Red Sussex Chantecler Leghorn • • • • • Wyandotte Brahma Cochin Cornish Orpington Why do you want chickens? • Meat • Eggs • Pets • Exhibition • Conservation Standard or Bantam • Bantams are 1/3 the size or less • Some breeds come in both sizes • True bantam breeds have no large counterparts Bantam eggs ½ size Popular Bantam Breeds If Bigger is Better... Feather Types Colour Patterns Barred Light or Columbian Coronation Colour Types Partridge or Black/Red Silver Pencilled or Dark Silver Laced Golden Laced Blue Laced Red Temperament Breed Conservation – Rare Breeds Canada CRITICAL [< 100] ENDANGERED [100-499] VULNERABLE [500-999] AT RISK [1000+] Ancona Chantecler Black Jersey Giant Barred Plymouth Rock Houdan Shaver White Leghorn (2 strains) Minorca Silver Grey Dorking Columbian Rock New Hampshire Red White Wyandotte Hungarian Yellow Rhode Island Red Brown Leghorn Light Sussex Munro Leghorn White Jersey Giant Coloured Egg Layers • • • • • • Easter Eggers Cuckoo or Copper Marans Araucana Ameraucana Barnevelder Welsummer Coop Requirements • • • • • • Sufficient nests for layers Roosting space Feeder space important for meat birds Insulation or heat source for overwintering Safe outdoor space for foraging – chicken tractor option Breeding requires separate coops for selected pairs Cold-Hardy Features • Heavy feathering • Small comb • Feathered feet or legs Local Options Thunder Bay Feeds • 19-wk old brown egg layers Day old chicks: Meat Birds - Cornish cross broilers, Grazers Layers – Brown Egg Layers, Columbian Rock X Reds, Red Sex-Link, Black Sex-Link “Specialty” Breeds – Buff Orpingtons, Barred Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Red, Partridge Rocks, Assorted Brahmas, Assorted Bantams Kakabeka Depot: Meat Birds – White Rock Broiler (butcher at 8 weeks); Bonnies Heavy Red Grazer Layers – White Leghorn; ISA Brown Hybrid; Black Sex-Link; Barred Plymouth Rock; Rhode Island Red Thunder Bay Co-op: Meat Birds-- White Rock Cornish Cross; Special Slow Growth Meat Breed. Layers – White Leghorn, Red Sex-link; Black Sex-link; New Hampshire X; Columbian Rock Cross; Red Cross; Barred Plymouth Rock; Rhode Island Red More Options • • • • • Local breeders – watch Kijiji Hatching egg suppliers Rochester Hatchery – Alberta Performance Poultry – eastern Ontario Murray McMurray – U.S. – health papers req’d ($75) More Resources • Feathersite.com • My Pet Chicken breed finder • http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html • http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pickin-the-right- frickin-chicken-guide-to-picking-backyard-chicken-breeds Good Cluck! Questions?