Rare Chicken Breeds: 5 Stunning Varieties Worth Adding to Your Flock
I’ll be honest, when I first started raising backyard chickens, I was in it for the eggs I really didn’t care about color or kind or anything of the sort, until I got my hens Then I fell in love with the idea of different breeds and the gorgeous variety of egg colors they produce It has become such a fun hobby that my flock keeps growing If you’re drawn to the unusual and the beautiful, rare chicken breeds are where things get really exciting Did you know there are hundreds of chicken breeds in the world? According to
What Is a Chicken Breed? A Simple Guide for Backyard Flock Keepers
If you have ever flipped through a hatchery catalog and felt overwhelmed by the hundreds of options, you are not alone With so many feather patterns, comb shapes, and egg colors to choose from, a fair first question is simply this: what is a chicken breed, and why does it matter when you are building a flock? Understanding the answer makes picking your birds far less confusing and a whole lot more fun A breed is more than a label on a box of chicks It is a promise about how those birds will look, behave, and produce once
Choosing Chickens For Their Traits
In many ways chickens are like people Both species come in a dazzling array of sizes, body shapes and colors On top of easily seen features are less visible traits Chickens, like people, are individuals They have personalities Watch a flock and soon behavioral differences appear, and close observation makes keeping chickens fascinating Sometimes their antics are downright hilarious
Physical characteristics and behavioral traits are generally predictable by chicken breed Orpingtons, for example, are usually calm, quiet, and inquisitive, while leghorns excite easily and often make a racket They can also fly like a pheasant Yet