What type of bird will work best?
- Egg Layer: Most of the chicks ordered for our stores are reliable layers of eggs, and are well adapted to the Pacific Northwest climate. Sex Link chickens are a dependable type to make sure you only bring home pullets (young female chickens), without the risk of a rooster. A sex-link chicken is a hybrid cross of two breeds, which will produce male and female chicks that look different at hatching. Sex-Link choices include: Gold, Black, and Red sex links, Amber-links, ISA Browns, and Novogens.
- Dual Purpose: These chickens tend to be heavier in size to produce a fair amount of meat, but still lay a reliabe amount of eggs. Classic examples of these are Rhode Island Reds, Buckeyes, Australorps, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Sussex, Plymouth Rocks, Brahmas, Delawares, Naked-Neck Turkens.
- Bantam: For those with smaller properties and less available space for chickens, bantams are a great solution. While standard sized chickens need about 4 square feet per bird in a coop, bantams only need about 2 square feet per bird. They lay smaller eggs, but they’re just as delicious and nutritious as the big ones. They will need a bit more protection from predators because of their smaller size. Great choices are Bantam Brahmas, Sebrights, Dutch, and Bantam Ameraucanas (these will lay different colored eggs like blue, green, and pink).
- Flighty, Free Range Birds: While flighty chickens may not be as kid friendly as other heavier breeds, they do well in free range conditions where avoiding predators is necessary. They can not sustain flight, but they are light enough to be able to flutter a good distance (up to 6-8 feet) to avoid predation. They also tend toward the most productive laying breeds available. Flighty, high egg production breeds include Leghorns (silver, white, blue brown), Minorcas, Blue Andalusians, and Cream Legbars (these ones lay blue eggs).
- Meat Birds: There are specific types of chickens that are bred primarily for meat purposes. These chickens tend to be a heavier bird, that reach their mature weight sooner than other breeds. Cornish Cross chickens are the fastest maturing bird, reaching a butchering weight at 6-8 weeks. Heritage types of meat birds include Freedom Rangers, Red Broilers, and Black Broilers, reaching mature weight at around 12 weeks.
- Fancy Show Breeds: There are some beautiful chickens out there with fantastic plumage and colors. These chickens are fun to show at fair, but require a bit more protection from predators: fancy head-feathers do cut off peripheral vision. Types to consider for beauty are Polish (they come in silver laced, gold laced, buff, and white crested black, blue and splash), Mottled Houdan, and Sultans. Fancy Bantam choices include Silkies, Frizzles, and Japanese.
