Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The roosters weigh 7 to 8 pounds, and the hens weigh 6 to 7 pounds. Bantams are about 4
pounds. A healthy hen will produce about 170 brown eggs per year. The color of the eggs will
lighten as the hen gets older. The double-laced varieties are noted to be the prolific egg layers.
Barnevelders are quick growers, which means their frame and build fill out in a relatively
short time compared to other breeds, making them good to raise for meat. Their temperament
is docile and friendly. They are prone to bullying if living among other breeds. They do well
in confinement and are not prone to flying, so a low fence will keep them corralled.
Chantecler
This is the first chicken breed to originate from Canada. Developed from crossbreeding sever-
al other types of chickens, the Chantecler was created by a Trappist monk who realized that
Canada did not have a chicken to call its own. This is a large bird, with the males weighing 7
to 8 pounds and the females weighing 5 ½ to 6 ½ pounds. Bantams are about 2 pounds. They
come in two colors: white and partridge. Their skin is yellow, and their legs are clean with
four toes. Their wattles and pea combs are small and red. They were bred this way to help
them weather harsh Canadian winters because birds with larger wattles and pea combs are
more prone to frostbite. Smaller body parts are easier to keep warm and prevent from freez-
ing. Overall, a larger bird is hardier and can survive the severe weather.
Chanteclers are a quiet and docile breed. They are proficient egg layers, with hens laying
about 210 brown eggs per year. They are used for both meat and eggs. Although a hardy
breed, they are somewhat rare.
Java
Java chickens thrived in the United States between 1850 and 1890. They are an ideal farm
bird as the hens are ample layers, and the birds are tender and juicy table fare. Java chickens
come in black and mottled colors. They were popular in New York and New Jersey in the mid
to late 1800s because their black pinfeathers could easily show consumers if the birds had
been plucked correctly. As the chicken industry grew, chicken entrepreneurs decided they
could conceal white-feathered birds more easily if the plucking was sub-par. This practice
nearly caused the Java to be driven to extinction as there was not much demand for them any
longer, and larger chicken breeders stopped breeding the birds.
