![]() ![]() They also come in a frizzle variety, in which their cover feathers curve up and out. Standard and bantam Cochins come in a wide range of color varieties including Buff, White, Black, Blue, Brown, Partridge, Silver Laced, Golden Laced and Barred. Standard Cochin roosters weigh around 11 pounds hens, 8½ pounds: They’re truly big, but their soft plumage makes them look bigger still. It’s a calm, sweet and cuddly breed that makes a wonderful pet, but it’s also a decent layer of as many as 150 to 180 large brown eggs per year. The cute, fluffy, feather-legged Cochin is an ancient breed with a huge modern following. One Nice Bird: Cochin Oregon Department of Agriculture/Flickr Sultans come in standard and bantam varieties and are listed in the Critical category of The Livestock Conservancy CPL. Their recognized color is White with slate blue shanks and toes, though blue and black varieties occur. Sultans are famous for friendliness and ultra-calm dispositions, making them wonderful pets. The Sultan is an ideal ornamental and exhibition chicken, and because it’s rare, raising Sultans helps preserve a classic breed. The critically endangered Sultan has more distinguishing features than any other breed, among them a V-shaped comb, a crest, a beard, muffs, feathered shanks and toes, and five toes on each foot. No Ordinary Ornamental: Sultan Natural Eye/Flickr They come in standard and bantam varieties, and they’re listed in the Watch category of The Livestock Conservancy CPL. Hens are better than average layers, producing 120 to 250 large brown eggs per year, laying even through the coldest winter months. They have frostbite-resistant combs and adapt well to winter confinement. Buckeyes are easy-to-raise, cold-hardy, extremely laid-back birds that are foraging mavens, able to rustle up much of their summer fare. They are, however, one of the fastest-maturing heritage breeds, and their succulent, tasty meat is worth the wait. If you don’t mind slower-growing birds, Buckeyes are a better bet for hassle-free broilers. As they reach greater sizes, their legs can give out, they easily overheat and they’re somewhat prone to heart failure, so you shouldn’t keep them beyond slaughtering age for breeding or as barnyard pets.īig-time Heritage Broiler: Buckeye Meryl/Flickr However, their astoundingly rapid growth comes at a price. Also known as Cornish Rocks, Cornish Xs and White Broilers, these huge, hybrid birds are ready for processing as fryers at 5 to 6 weeks of age and as meaty roasters by the time they’re 7 to 9 weeks old. If you want lots of meat, and you want it fast, try Cornish Crosses. Hamburgs are listed in the Watch category of The Livestock Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List.īig-time Broiler: Cornish Cross Cowgirl Jules/Flickr ![]() They come in an array of colors, in standard as well as bantam sizes. They’re strong flyers, alert and flighty, but they make up for this by being prolific layers of small to medium white eggs, averaging 200 to 220 per year, even through the cold winter months. ![]() These small, sprightly birds are avid foragers and need room to roam Hamburgs don’t fare well in confinement. If you need lots of eggs but prefer heritage breeds, think Hamburgs. Perfect Heritage Layer: Hamburg Shutterstock ![]() They’re calm, friendly birds and great free-rangers, but they adapt well Pullets begin laying sooner than heritage breeds, producing 250 to 320 large to extra-large brown eggs a year. Cinnamon Queens are also nonbroody, so they don’t take timeouts to raise chicks. Poultry Picks Perfect Nonheritage Layer: Cinnamon Queen JohnidaDockens/Flickr.jpgĬinnamon Queens are top-notch hybrid layers with two notable attributes: They’re meaty enough to raise as tasty, tender fryers or broilers, and they’re autosexing-meaning the sexes are easily discernible directly from the egg. We developed this guide to identify some great breeds for various jobs and situations. This makes it easy to select breeds suited for the needs of you and your farm. All breeds of livestock, including poultry, cattle, sheep, goats and hogs, were developed for specific purposes. ![]()
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