Chickens have the unique ability to adapt to a wide range of conditions, more than most species of livestock. Even with their adaptability, each breed is best suited for one type of environment more than another. But with so many breeds, how do you choose? I start with a systematic approach to find the best birds for my backyard based on: egg color and laying ability, size, disposition, heat and cold tolerance, feather color, and carcass quality and other uses.
1 EGG COLOR and LAYING ABILITY
First I decide what egg color I want. If I'm selling roadside stand eggs, I prefer brown eggs. At least in my area, there is a misconception that brown eggs are farm eggs and taste better than white-shelled eggs. Truth be told they taste the same (if raised the same), but who am I to argue? Another misconception is that blue eggs are cholesterol-free. They actually have cholesterol levels similar to white and brown eggs (and they taste the same too). There is some novelty interest in them, but some people are just plain weirded out by them and even prefer white eggs over their blue-shelled counterparts. If my main concern is home use, I like variety.
Whatever egg color you choose, some breeds lay those eggs better than others. Most white- eggs layers lay the most eggs, although Rhode Island Reds (brown shell), Black Australorps (brown shell), and Ameraucanas (blue/green shell) are excellent layers as well. Usually breeds that don't lay as many eggs do have some unique reasons to keep them. Many are heavy bodied, which means they are good winter layers (many small bodied birds cease egg production in the cold months), and they have a good meaty carcass when their laying days are over. Others are old-style farm birds that are disease hardy, and are designed to lay a good number of eggs on little more than rocks and dirt.
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