Next: Which Chickens - Chick Days - page 20

CORNISH (White): This is the bird you'll find in the supermarket. Conveniently for
the meat industry, Cornish hens and roosters are almost the same in shape and size.
This breed is really just for meat or show and will reach butchering weight quickly
(eight to ten weeks). The hens are poor layers .
SUSSEX (Speckled): Before breeders developed the modern Cornish, the Sussex dom-
inated the English market for meat and eggs for almost a century. Like the Wyandotte,
the Sussex is both a prolific egg layer and a heavy bird perfect for the table .
BRAHMA
LIKE THE FAMED BRAHMA CATTLE native to India, Brahma chickens are big
and gentle. These large birds (hens weigh nearly 10 pounds!) have feathered feet, small
combs, and big hearts. They come in several colors, with buff, light, and dark being the
most common. These easy-to-care-for hens won't be carrying on at five o'clock in the
morning, they do marvelously in colder climates, and they get along swimmingly with
other breeds. Though happier as free-range chickens, they can make do in confinement