When buying chickens, there are so many different breeds to choose from that it can be difficult to know which best suit your needs. You can choose a breed that’s right for you by taking a few things into consideration.
First, think about why you are raising chickens in the first place. Is it for their eggs or meat, or do you primarily want them as pets?
Keep in mind that if you want to buy chicks at the best price straight from the hatchery, usually the smallest number you can buy at one time is 25.
If you want just a few birds, call up your local farm and garden store, and find out if they bring in live chicks in the spring. Otherwise, you can get on craigslist and see if someone is selling. Check out our article on buying chicks.
The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens
Thinking about getting your next flock of chickens?
Quit searching around the internet and take a look at our complete course to Raising Chickens.
Our instructor Wren gives you 22 key lessons over nearly 3 hours of videos covering everything you need to know to get started with your first flock, caring for chickens, keeping them healthy, diagnosing problems, and more.
Browse By Chicken Breed:
Which Chicken Breed Is Right For You?
Chickens As Meat
If the bird’s meat is your primary interest, your biggest question will be is raising heritage breeds important to you, or are you open to raising a modern breed?
Modern breeds of chicken are often times more efficient at producing eggs and grow faster than heritage breeds. For meat birds, modern breeds are selected to have larger breasts, which will result in a noticeably different food product than what a heritage breed will produce.
Related Post: Chicken Feed
Chickens As Pets
If you want chickens as pets, or if you have children who will be around chickens, your biggest questions will be what breeds have calm and gentle temperaments?
Every individual bird has unique traits, and the chicken breed doesn’t guarantee a temperament. However, part of the joy of raising animals is getting to know them as individuals.
Related Post: Best Chicken Breeds For City Living
Chickens As Egg Layers
If you are interested in eggs, your biggest question will be how often does a specific breed lay eggs? Some breeds lay more eggs than others.
Some breeds start laying younger than others. Different breeds produce different colored eggs. These are all details that can be make or break in choosing one breed from another.
Related Post: Raising Baby Chicks
