Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Bredas chickens are friendly, docile, and comical. They are clean birds, never needing baths
from their owners unless they get into something especially dirty. They work equally well
as free range birds or as confined birds. They provide an average number of medium white
eggs. They are calm and may be somewhat timid at times. These birds are quite sociable
and once they are used to their particular owner, they will think nothing of walking up hop-
ing for a treat although they tend to be shy around strangers. They are lower in the pecking
order and do not work well when combined with other breeds as they tend to get bullied,
which reduces their egg production. They average about six pounds and start laying eggs
at seven months old. The roosters only tend to be aggressive if there are other roosters
present; otherwise, they are content to let matters be and are very laid back.
Cochin chickens have feathered legs and feet, just like the Brahma chicken, but they are
fluffier, softer, and due to their excess meat, make incredibly tasty eating. Originally from
China, the roosters weigh in at 11 pounds and the hens at 8.5 pounds. They do not produce
many eggs, but they are hardy, do well as free range birds, and though they do not produce
many eggs at all, there is an increase in egg production in the spring time. They are docile
and quiet birds.
Cornish chickens, also known as Indian Game or Cornish Game chickens, first originated
in England. Their standard weight is 7.5 pounds for a rooster and 6 pounds for a hen. These
birds are loud and active but, in spite of this, do quite well in confinement. They are the
poorest for egg production, averaging only about 50 per year; however, they are incredibly
tasty birds. If you've ever gone to the grocery store to get a Cornish Game hen, this is the
type of bird you were eating. They are referred to as talkative birds and are quite curious
and very easily tamed. Many people opt to raise these birds to be “lap chickens;” however,
if you are looking to raise chickens for eating these are probably not the best kind for fam-
ilies with small children as these birds are likely to form attachments to specific humans,
and you don't want to have to explain to little Billy that the bird that was sitting on his lap
yesterday is on the table for dinner tonight.
Delaware chickens, unsurprisingly enough, originated in Delaware when some enterprising
farmer decided to breed a Plymouth Rock with a New Hampshire. Delaware chickens are
medium-sized birds, coming in at 8.5 pounds for the males and 6.5 pounds for the females.
They are considered to be quite docile, very friendly, and do well as free range birds. They
are good in both cold and heat and will produce slightly more than an average number of
eggs per year. This particular breed of chicken used to be a commercial meat breed until
the 1950s. These particular chickens' eggs are a nice light brown color.
The Faverolles chicken is a particularly awkward looking bird, with feathers that grow
in such a manner as to make the chicken look like it has a beard and a muff. Their feet
are feathered, and they have five toes on each foot; due to the unique feathering around
