Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chantecler.
The only truly Canadian breed, this endangered heritage breed was bred specifically
for cold tolerance. The minimal comb and wattles prevent frostbite damage and the hens lay well
through the winter months. Chantecler hens will lay around 120 to 180 eggs in a year and they
will be large eggs of a medium-brown hue. There is a white variety, and a partridge variety that was
bred to be better camouflaged while out foraging. The hens mature about 6
1
⁄
2
pounds and roosters
get to almost 9 pounds, making them a nice dual-purpose, cold-hardy breed for a backyard farmer
who wants to help preserve a heritage breed.
Wyandotte.
Bred in America in the late 1800s, the Wyandotte is a great dual-purpose breed
that does well in the backyard farm situation. They also tolerate confinement better than more
active breeds which makes them an excellent choice for a small-space flock in a city backyard.
Wyandottes are laying machines, averaging around 200 eggs per year. The hens mature to just
under 7 pounds and the roosters reach 8
1
⁄
2
pounds. Wyandottes have an interesting silhouette with
a deeply curved back and this, combined with the beautiful color variations, makes them a beauti-
ful breed to look at. Wyandottes are most commonly available in silver-laced, Columbian, white,
and golden-laced variations.
These are only a handful of the hundreds of breeds you would have access to for your backyard
farm. You can see more about the breeds I didn't cover here at BackyardFarmingGuide.com/
chickenbreeds.
Chicken Husbandry
Raising chickens on a backyard farm looks nothing like the commercial chicken houses. If you
have a picture in your mind of dusty, smelly, noxious conditions from when you've driven past
a rural chicken house, please realize that is an extreme example of overcrowded conditions and
should never be replicated on your homestead. The goal of a backyard farm is to manage all the
parts in a balance or harmony.
Chickens can be an easy-to-maintain part of the backyard farm. More than that, the chickens can
be huge contributors to the health of the backyard farm. Ours are rock stars in the backyard and
till our garden, control pests, feed the soil, and feed the family; they provide a great deal for us and
have our utmost respect in return.
On our quarter-acre lot we house our small flock in a wooden chicken coop house and a portable
chicken tractor or ark. This allows us to move the chickens around the yard (and keep them pro-
tected from dogs), while still giving them the freedom to forage for themselves. In the late fall we
turn the chickens (and the goats) loose through the garden area where they can turn in any of the
remaining plant materials, gobble up the grubs, and naturally fertilize the soil.
