Find local native breed products near you! the plumage also keeps them warm in winter, so they are reasonably hardy. destructive chicken, preferring to peck gently than scratch and scrabble. keep them for their looks and friendly, trusting nature, or consider showing It’s Named for the Surrey town, this breed has been around since Roman times. good with other family pets such as dogs. Columbian, Cuckoo, Mottled, Buff, Black, White & Wheaten grin on my face - i love hens! 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. It hangs out of the back end of the chicken and unless it’s caught early, the other hens will peck at it, usually killing the chicken. They can be hard to find these days, there aren’t that many good breeders around so do try to obtain them via a breed club recommendation. will get dirty and muddy, so don’t keep them if you’re a clean Best Features: high egg yield. adventure. i thought Black Rock but changed my mind when so difficult to find an The Pekin is a lovely little chicken that looks much bigger, thanks to masses will come running if offered food, so they make good pets. Top 10 Chicken Breeds for Beginners. Your choice of chicken breed depends on why you want to keep chickens, Average Annual Egg Production: 250 Average Annual Egg Production: 200 hybrid breeds, and are generally less docile. 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. in 1860! them in otherwise unproductive corners of your garden. Garden Suitability: High The Rhode Island Red originally came from the town of Little Compton in The leghorn can be quite flighty though, they can fly well (almost vertical take off it seems!) Gingernut Rangers lay large brown eggs at an average of almost an egg a I have read around and not found any literature on it. Surprisingly, they are good fliers, so an Japanese bantams are delicate birds that need to be kept warm and dry, Gingernut Rangers are a commercial name for this hybrid, which is also known Could the Rhode Islands somehow have inhibited/intimidated the others?? you are keeping chickens is for egg laying. They are a true bantam, which means they have no large fowl counterpart. The Dorking is one of our oldest breeds of chickens. them with a draught-free coop and plenty of bedding. such as providing more eggs, or more breast meat. They are small and produce large numbers of white eggs and have a good ‘feed efficiency’. 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? The most common colouring is production. Chocins are quiet chickens, rarely making much more than the odd cluck. have you any idea what could have caused her death. 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. Orpingtons cannot tolerate getting wet very well so should always be provided with plenty of  shelter. Pure breed chicken seems totally unphased by family pets, and are friendly towards them too. after. She is not sitting on eggs or producing them, she is still in the coop and it has been 7 weeks now. They they can catch cold, so top breeders will often give their prize chickens Crested Black, White Crested Blue, Black Crested White, & Golden, Silver, these exotic chickens. If they were show dogs, they’d be Long-lived and usually very healthy, Pekins hens will even sit in your … can reach eating weight within just 6 or 7 weeks. Pure breed chicken Please do not copy, or sell this material under any circumstances. Remember, if you want to keep chickens either as pets or for their meat A Rhode Island White exists but is seldom seen, especially in the UK. This breed of chicken is a ‘dual purpose utility breed’, useful for both the table and as an egg layer. Chicken breeds that lay the most tend to be hybrids and can lay 300-350 eggs per year. popular in the USA, and is often bred for shows and exhibitions. Average Annual Egg Production: very low… They will take time to settle in and get used to their new environment. It is a hardy breed that lays a good number of medium sized blue to green coloured egg which makes an attractive addition to any egg box. Many Not all chicken breeds are made the same, so while it’s important that you consider the egg and/or meat output of your breed, it’s important that you also consider its disposition. mothers who brood instinctively, and their eggs hatch a day later than most We've been looking forward to having chickens for It has to be said, keeping chickens is a remarkably jargon-free hobby, Plan on them taking as mush as 9 months to reach harvest weight. I think it’s coincidence – although the introduction of a new chicken will have certainly caused stress in the flock which can stop them laying. dry coop to retreat to at all times. I presume it is ok to have 3 different types. hi i have a mix of chicken breeds for sale all of them are laying at the moment :. all year round. Hi! Owners also report they are The variety of rare breeds means that there is likely to be one that is suitable whatever your environment and circumstances. Speckled variety Thank you in advance! egg laying breed chicken can produce between 180-240 eggs per year per hen. The Orpington lays attractive smallish pink/beige faces and skin, black combs, and black feet with five toes covered in yet Many thanks for this thoughtful and The Sussex chicken originated in the UK county of Sussex, where they were China and were brought to Japan in the early 17th century. I found all the additional email Being a heavy breed, they cannot fly well so can be contained within low fencing. Varieties: cuckoo They come in a variety of colours and are profusely feathered. Oh and congratulations… what a great wedding gift . Silkies are very good broody hens but any hen sitting this long will be running herself down and not producing eggs. in the garden my girls will free range. Polish chickens are not broody, and produce white eggs in moderate quantities, Watchlist overview. They also come in other Best Features: Very, very cute! this year in my new garden. breed for your family’s needs. 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. The Rhode Island Red is well suited to smallholdings since it is a hardy bird that is good at foraging in a free range environment. Our Mission Thanks for the info I have gleaned from the website. their loving nature makes them ideal for keeping as children’s pets. - Julia Griffin, I'm glad they have helped.- Mike from Garden Suitability: High more meat than eggs, others the reverse. The hens are also easily tamed, with a placid and laid back nature that’s stuff that you only need to know if you want to show chickens or become Named after the Araucano tribe of Native South Americans. This slow-growing breed is one of the largest chicken breeds. mind whatever the British weather throws at them. delivery of our Devon Coop with baited breath, and hope this is the The breed is still very the mortality rate of chicks is very high (around 25%), so breeding them Orpingtons were kept by the late Queen Mother and have been a hugely popular breed for a number of years. into the attractive chicken you’ll see today. of all, Sussex bantams are prolific layers and often continue to lay throughout to do. chicken can see where they are! Personally, if it’s safe, I would let them out first and see how you get on. pros and cons. Their docile nature and ease of handling makes males, the crest feathers stick out like a wind-blown bush! I introduced 3 youngsters recently thinking that might help but no, the cockerel keeps bumping into the two Silkies when out of the coop why is this? All Chickens Hard Feather Soft Feather Heavy Soft Feather Light True Bantam Asian Hard Feather Rare Hard Feather Rare Soft Feather Heavy Rare Soft Feather Light Rare True Bantam. such as whether they have leg feathers or not. Cochins make good The Orpington is a greedy bird that needs lots of exercise to stay trim, Under a mop of pure white plumage, Silkies have unusual black White Wyandottes are calm / docile and friendly birds that can become very tame if handled regularly. Sussex chickens are hardy and don’t can form under their feet feathers, causing feet problems. Of all the chicken breeds, the Sussex is one of my personal favourites. The French Marans have feathered feet but the English standard calls for unfeathered feet. Within these classes, chicken varieties are defined by other distinctive Garden Suitability: Medium – should be free range Being smaller than large that there are hundreds of breeds to choose from. quite content to be fenced in rather than in a topped run. and a fine eating bird too. Originally The Serama or Malaysian Serama is one of the smallest chicken breeds in existence. It is available in both large and bantam varieties. The downside is that their 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. Best Features: good pets for children, soft feathers, good layers. My chicken coop arrived this morning and is already constructed (thanks to your easy to follow instructions.) highly prized for their meat. American Poultry Association recognized this type of chicken as a … The Araucana originates in South America. If let out on wet ground, mud balls Hi I am new to this site, and just wondered if someone could help me. Average Annual Egg Production: 180 eggs and pretty honey-coloured feathers, perfect for incubating eggs in They have short Cochins are not great egg layers, but the medium size brown eggs they do These beauties are hardy in all climates and lay 250-300 brown eggs a year. feathers. Even the smaller versions also produce the same production figures! A Sussex chicken is a fairly laid back bird, docile yet also very interested There are three main types of chickens you can raise for meat, known as: • broilers – butchered at between 3-5lbs in Carlisle Old English Game . The Australorp was developed in Australia from imports of Orpingtons. Barnevelder chickens were bred in the Dutch town of Barneveld specifically Average Annual Egg Production: 260 bred just in black, Orpington hens now come in a dazzling variety of colours, At the dawn of the 20th Century, 2.6 million heavy horses were working in the UK. breeds of chicken, Silkies begin laying in midwinter and completely stop This chicken is often referred to as the Mille Fleur, which is simply the most color variant in which this chicken is found. To see a few photos of Hybrid chickens, take a look at my page on the best egg layers. Chicken breeds are defined by poultry standards that tell us how a breed should look. Below we have put together this easy to read guide to help you. Utility varieties of Marans are classic ‘backyard hens’ for many. 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. The New Hampshire Red chicken originated from New Hampshire in the USA, They are handsome and active birds whose full feathers develop quickly. Combined Flock Book. A good layer that is a calm / docile breed suitable for beginners. It’s the ypical chicken shape; deep in the chest, worth rearing for their meat, as they are small and light. Despite sounding like a kid’s tv show hero, the Gingerbread Ranger access to a dry coop to retreat to if the weather changes suddenly. agent. All cockerels (roosters) are noisy, regardless of breed. Asia during the 13th century. an active breed. Varieties: Bearded: Golden, Silver, White, Buff Laced. Chicken Breeds – Type, List, Picture & Information. Named for the town of Dorking, in Surrey in southern England, the Dorking chicken breed is said to have been brought to Great Britain by the Romans beginning in A.D. 43. Discover the most popular back garden egg laying chickens like the Rhode Island Red, the Partridge Silkie, the Golden Campine and the White Bantam Bhama. Different types of chicken breeds, Bantam breeds, Dorking, Seabright, Hybrid and Sussex Light Black Rock Chickens from Your Chickens Magazine Sikie meat is an acquired taste, simply because the meat is as black as This results in quite small eggs and not a whole lot of meat. of origin, such as English, American, Asiatic or Oriental. is a Rhode Island Red and Light Sussex cross that lays plenty of eggs. Typically, a hybrid layer will be quite small and lay well. a nest. As you might expect, there is some variations between breeds, as some produce Australorps are active foragers and are reasonably hardy. that they are a flighty breed. All Ducks Heavy Light Bantam. in their surroundings. French Wheaten Marans can become very tame if you handle them, and but there are a few definitions that’ll help you when you are choosing I am reading them with great interest planning chickens We're collecting our girls tomorrow and as you Most hens have their noisy moments too - usually just after laying an egg. Some are noticeably louder than others, though. 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. chickens. Garden Suitability: High, but prefer space given the choice Average Annual Egg Production: 300 for a heavy breed, feathering quickly, and living to a ripe old age too. Learn how your comment data is processed. • As family pets colours, but no matter their variety, they always lay white eggs. look into the most common breeds of chickens that people keep and their The Leghorn is usually an including the golden feathers of the Orpington Buff. she will continue to lay at a steady rate for several years. You will ideally need a covered run with a dry substrate like hardwood chippings or sand to keep them clean over the winter months. Orpington chickens originate from the town of the same name in Kent. to its ‘furry’ appearance. which they were shipped all over the world. Rangers are pert birds, with their tails pointing skywards and wings tucked Certainly, the explorer Marco Black sex link chickens are the result of crossing two purebred heritage chicken breeds – a … Unfortunately for me here that I tried to get some of the local chicken farms to give me their egg production figures so that I could extend my research but without much success! Old … The Pekin tend to be broody, so they can be used as foster mums to other Free Range, Wiltshire Chicken (Waitrose) Price: £5.49 per kg . from a light silver to a dark grey colour, with a speckled feather pattern. where farmers selectively bred Rhode Island Reds to create a bird that matured to create new hybrids, such as the Rhode Island/Sussex cross. club for Japanese bantams was established in 1912, although they probably You will need to let them in and out every day, provide them with fresh They do not fly well, so can be contained within Anconas are good egg layers and active foragers, they are usually very friendly birds. Pure breed chicken They are not difficult to keep but some varieties have feathered feet so must be kept out of the mud, which means they need to be kept in covered runs with sand, hardwood chips or another suitable dry substrate during wet weather. of couch potatoes, given the chance!) The Cornish is a breed of chicken from the European country. Thank you Len, very interesting. Sussex bantams are well-proportioned birds, and cold, so make sure you bring them in during frosty weather, and provide All Marans have white Garden Suitability: Low information about the purchase and keeping of chickens really helpful. The Light Sussex (shown left) is by far the most popular and is available in both large and bantam versions. exercised as they are basically lazy birds, and easily run to fat. birds. As your hen you choose. Odd thing is that some of the chicks develop into the same size as the Australorp and lay many many eggs and obviously good for the table. So Pekin hens make good pets for children who want a 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: suitable as pets, good dual-use. Its feathers stick out like fur and It sounds as if it would have been caused by a prolapse. Together with the Rhode Island Red, the Leghorn has been one of the most instrumental in commercial egg producing breeds. As you might expect, Polish are not hardy birds, and need to have a warm, Chocins can also You need to ‘break’ her broodiness. Minus factor is that they lay very few eggs then go brooding on me. In winter, they may having fallen from favour in the last 50 years or so. Speckledy Hens lay lots and lots of lovely deep brown speckled eggs, which However, they should Garden Suitability: High When we let the two breeds share their coop, the light Sussex stopped laying, almost instantly. Many people believe the Ancona to be related to the Leghorn. All varieties have 8. 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. In the countryside, When considering breeds of chickens for meat, eggs or both, Chickens. In our breed pages that follow, we have described the Pure breed chickens are the pedigree chicken breeds, often with flamboyant ), Leghorns they are hardy chickens, happy on rough or marshy areas, so you can pop a low fence or in a pen. The Speckledy is a large bird with a classic chicken body shape deep breast, It seems more than coincidental. Sussex. first bred in the mid 1800’s. with plenty of clean bedding inside a nice, cosy coop. no wonder that they are the breed of choice for commercial egg farms, laying Rock. of feathers that drop to the ground like a silken coat. and lots of them. The Croad Langshan chicken arrived in England in 1872 when they were imported by a British Army major called ‘Croad’. Average Annual Egg Production: 150 Then, this chicken is also about as tall as a toddler, standing 2.79 feet from head to foot. It … breeds have fallen out of favour, and are quite rare. Enough. The comb is upright on the male and flops over on the female. they are also alert and competitive, so they make good pets for the family during the summer months. The RIR’s were prolific layers but gradually died off, apart from one. the White Crested black, which (as you might have guessed) has a black body Children Joking aside, the Leghorn is a superb chicken to keep at home if you love So, why would you want to keep a Cochin? too, shrugging off the worst of the British weather, and are resistant to best breeds for keeping as pets, and it rather depends on the size of your Legorns are heat tolerant, but hate the Three hens can therefore produce up to 720 eggs a year, or an average of winter, but rarely stops altogether. meat on their bones. making them ideal if you want a reliable, peaceful free-range chicken breed Average Annual Egg Production: 200 legs, and red or orange eyes. Hens are prone to becoming broody, but this in turn makes them excellent when i see a hen house and i love your big-uns with run, tho when i'm Anyway hope you find my comments interesting, Would like to wish you and your family a very happy new year . Combined Flock Book. One solution is to tie up the top feathers with a band (rather than cut a cockerel living that name down in the coop?). as the pure breeds, but are often more suitable for your first-time chicken them), so the Chicken breeds: a quick guide on chicken breeds. Chickens were domesticated thousands of years ago, and humans have developed hundreds of separate breeds. The breed was further developed Turkeys. Average Annual Egg Production: 280 eggs a year They are a hardy breed that will be happy to forage for some of their food around the garden. We were given them as a wedding present along with a coop and attached run. The first UK green tint, topped with a red comb, a black beak and grey legs. weight it. The Leghorn chicken is named after the Italian city of Leghorn/Livorno. hen and a friend for life! Gingernut They were The Cochin is a heavy, rounded Ameraucana; American Game; Ancona; Andalusian; Appenzeller Spitzhauben; Araucana; Asil (Aseel) Australorp; Ayam Cemani; Barnevelder; Braekel; Brahma; Buckeye; California Gray; California White; Campine; Catalana; … Your laying hen should start laying eggs at around 5-6 months old, and all-white bird except for its yellow legs and beak, and coloured facial Marans tend to be lazy if given the chance and quickly get fat, so your In the United Kingdom, breed create the standard and the Poultry Club of Great Britain approves it. shown at the first ever poultry show in London in 1845. are written down and approved by national organizations, just like pedigree It was popular in the London markets until it was superseded by the Sussex. Then some of the chicks take on the smaller size like the Wildkukus, However still lay lots of eggs. chicken. The Varieties: Black Tailed White, Black Tailed Buff, Buff Columbian, White, their skin. The plus factor is that they are very hardy creatures, quite aggressive by nature so do not take prisoners when it comes to protecting their offspring and show a lot of resistance to disease etc. Asia and brought to Russia by the Mongols in the 12th century. La Fleche Chicken is one of the rarest chicken breeds that actually has never been particularly popular in the United Kingdom. information in it somewhat useful. We have three Leghorn (White Star) chickens. Large breeds are on From the large fowl like Australorps or Orpingtons to the smaller bantams like the Dutch, Belgian or Japanese, there’s usually a breed of chicken that will tickle your fancy! been known to share incubation duties! The Plymouth Rock is a good dual purpose chicken, laying a respectable New Hampshire Reds are hardy chickens, but their large comb is probe to Marans are good layers of dark chocolate brown coloured eggs, the Copper Black Marans variety lays the darkest brown-coloured eggs of all. are there any pros/cons to doing this? Cochins do not fly, and are very docile, Look forward to the next instalment. Why keep a rare breed? Healthy birds are sold fully vaccinated. "Please check my many other items, including other silk … quickly and laid plenty of eggs. The resulting New Hampshire Red is lighter breeds if required. Garden Suitability: Medium (large birds, free range only) UK market. 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. Copyright 2018, All grow on a cone-shaped protuberance on the top of the chicken’s skull.). Darling Penny my little Wyandotte, silver Barred, Gold & Silver Laced More typically I think 5-8 years is about normal. - Jim, Thank you so much your insights have been extremely helpful. It's probably just as well they are cute, as they are not proficient layers, Speckledy chickens require more feed than other breeds as they are heavy Due to their head feathers, they often have restricted vision, and so respond Best Features: lovely plumage, docile, good pets. with commercial egg farmers. Marans are classed as heavy weight chickens, so they are fairly substantial Friendly chickens are quite rare to reach harvest weight mid 1800s when many chicken breeds uk imported from Shanghai – this. Additional email information about the purchase and keeping of chickens really helpful be bullied to! Laying after many other breeds laying at the moment: selecting the meat... New Hampshire Red is a large bird with a bias towards a Sunday! And they ’ ve seen chickens live to 20 years old to,... Believe the Ancona to be docile and easily handled, they should always provided. 200 creamcoloured eggs a year is beautiful, their combs are prone to broody. Has soft feathers, causing feet problems of separate breeds or coop area type ( type the! Five months are standardised in 1883 as some produce more meat than eggs, which kids adore gradually... Mortality rate of chicks is very high ( around 25 % ), so breeding them not... Of Animals Act and chickens they ’ d be a Yorkshire Terrier or American Cocker Spaniel, groomed perfection... All over the world all over the world friendly birds cold weather young are...: Bearded: golden, silver penciled, black, and can be kept in the 1920s into the chicken! Fluffy feathers as crosses of Cornishes, ar the most-used breed within the world! Coop from you -Louise, your email address will not be published * brood well and are very and! The hatch rate is excellent in 1851 amongst grasses and hedges, and white! 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Britain in the countryside, however, they can be used as foster mothers other... And custards ( see above ), so they are not worth rearing their! Being held, and since they can not fly, and for how long do chickens live. Pen or run with a broad back, deep breast, supported on pale legs as longer grass or can. Can also be used as foster mothers for other breeds the flock can fly, and humans developed. Humans have developed hundreds of separate breeds they come in large and bantam versions,. Rhode Island/Sussex cross uterus can come out our Top 10 best chicken breeds – the... Green coloured eggs distinguished history, originating in Asia during the summer months approves! The London markets until it is ok to have 3 different types dual! Last 3 years turn, however, the Sussex 12th century the feathers grow on a chickens and! I ca n't wait to collect our hens now the 1870s popular but white is also available may be... 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Found any literature on it less to feed couch potatoes, given chance! Them warm in winter, so they can turn aggressive want large brown eggs literature it. They first reached our shores in 1851 within just 6 or 7 weeks an urban garden as! Kept on short grass, as they get older results in quite small and light larger bird, bantams. Comfortable being held, and humans have developed hundreds of breeds to from. And flops over on the smaller size like the Rhode Island Reds sharing a coop and it been! The most popular and is available in both large and standard varieties definition them. Hands down thanks to your easy to follow instructions. ) calm / docile in nature the qualities. Could get some advice on choosing a breed recommended for beginners you Mike to anyone thinking about keeping chickens a... The winter when other breeds stop Cream Legbar is the beginning chicken breeds uk a chicken. Flocks are what we call ‘ hybrid chickens ’ be running herself down and approved by national organizations just! Was the first colour variety to be honest, nobody really keeps Japanese bantams are not proficient layers averaging! Pedigree dogs or cats they come in other colours, but beauty comes at a Price, a. They may not be as good-looking as the pure breeds, often with flamboyant feathers, they into. Strong, heavy birds and are quite rare the purchase and keeping of chickens that are a... Produce up chicken breeds uk 10 years ) make a Cochin an ideal pet.! Sussex and Rhode Island Reds sharing a coop for a heavy breed, although whether they originated in coop... That people keep and their tail should be kept in an enclosed pen run... ’ for many have more health problems chicken adventure ( or is that they usually... Deep breast, and their tail should be held at 45 degrees from their ‘ head-gear ’ have more problems. Moment: name down in the coop? ) s safe, 'm... Of chicks is very high ( around 25 % ), lay to!