Chicken Breeders

Chicken breeders, just like breeders of purebred dogs and cats, should be chosen very carefully. There are many breeds of chickens designed for various purposes. Some of them are good at laying eggs; others grow fast and produce tasty meat; some breeds are very attractive and can be shown, kept as family companions and decorations of the yard. Some people raise chickens for preserving rare breeds and just for the enjoyment of watching their behavior. Hearing a rooster crow may be important for people who spend their childhood in the country.

Prior to looking for chicken breeders, decide for yourself, which type of poultry you need. Devoted breeders are always ready to help with a piece of advice, but it’s the future owner who is responsible for the choice of the breed. White Leghorns and Golden Comets are good layers of white and brown eggs correspondingly. Cornish Cross (a hybrid of White Cornish and White Plymouth Rock) is bred specially for meat production. Sussex, Plymouth Rocks, and Wyandottes are dual purpose breeds used for both meat and eggs. Bantams, Old English Game, Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds,

Black Australorps, Langshan, Ancona, Minorca, and Leghorns are popular show breeds. They are judged according to their correspondence to the official breed standard.

After you’ve made up your mind on the chicken breed you need, think about housing for your future chicks. Free-range poultry is the best choice for tasty organic products. Even a pair of chickens needs a coop and enough space for walking and grazing. Chicken breeders can help with finding the right solution. If you are going to keep them as family pets, make sure that it’s legal in your area.

Most chicken breeders offer poultry of several types. You can buy new-born chicks one day old, pullets of 4-5 months of age, cockerels, or adult roosters. If you live in a rural area, you have no problem with finding a reputable chicken breeder, but city dwellers have to look through magazines and websites to find a good breeder in the neighborhood. Most chicken breeders offer shipping their chicks and hens, but visiting a hatchery and seeing the birds with your own eyes will help avoid possible problems.