CHICKEN TALK | Guest blog Hans Krudde: Chicken matching
In a previous blog, we read that there are hundreds of chicken breeds, each with unique breed-specific characteristics. The art of matching is to find a chicken breed that combines all our wishes. If we are looking for a very calm (cuddly) chicken that lays at least 320 eggs per year and (therefore) does not go broody, while also having a spectacular appearance, we will be disappointed because that breed does not exist. We will have to compromise and prioritize the characteristics that we find most important, which will vary for each (aspiring) chicken keeper. It is great that there are so many different breeds, but at the same time, it makes choosing so difficult.
Chicken talk
23 June '23 • 2 min reading time
Cuddle Chickens
Actually, chickens are not real cuddle animals, but they do enjoy attention (and tasty treats like raisins or mealworms) and quickly accept being picked up and placed on laps. In general, the larger heavy breeds with a lot of fluff, resembling a football, are also calm, people-oriented chickens; they are trustworthy and therefore easy to tame. Moreover, these are poor flyers that stay well behind a low fence. The downside is that such breeds are not very good layers; they lay about half the number of eggs that a true laying hen produces. Additionally, they are often and easily broody (and not always easy to break from being broody), which can also be a plus for those who enjoy having chicks regularly; they are usually very good broodies. Breeds that meet these characteristics include Brahmas, Cochins, Wyandottes, and Orpingtons.
Dual Purpose
A large group of breeds represents the medium-heavy type. These are often breeds that were developed in the past as utility chickens, providing farmers with eggs and meat in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Examples include the Barnevelder, the Welsummer, the Twente hen, the North Holland hen, the Australorp, and the New Hampshire. They are calm, affectionate chickens with good production but are livelier and more active than the aforementioned 'pet' chickens.
Eggs
For those who are really focused on egg production, there is the Leghorn. This originally Italian breed is also the basis for the many laying hybrids that we find in laying farms today, making them eligible as well. These somewhat lighter chickens are very lively, can fly reasonably well, and do not go broody; with the necessary investments in time, patience, and mealworms, they can be made quite tame. These characteristics also apply to the land hens, although their egg production lags behind that of the Leghorn; they are true heritage breeds: hardy, somewhat shy, and in appearance, they still resemble their ancestor, the Bankiva. Examples include the Dutch hen, the Assendelft hen, the Lakenvelder, and the Frisian hen. Each of these breeds falls under the category of Rare domestic breeds and is therefore worth considering. Also included in our living heritage are the so-called Herenhoenders; old Dutch breeds that were once kept on stately estates and often have a beautiful appearance, such as the Kraaikop, the Uilebaard, and the Brabanter.
Spectacular
Knowing that we only mention a fraction of all chicken breeds, the Silkie should not go unmentioned. A lightweight breed with very special characteristics; they are hairy (a part of the feathers is missing, making them look like hair) and therefore can fly poorly, they have blue skin, blue meat, and blue head ornaments, as well as feathered legs, a beard, and a crest, and they have five toes. Their calm, affectionate, and curious nature makes them very suitable for children. Silkies (and their crosses) are often used as broodies (natural incubators) to hatch eggs from various chicken breeds and pheasants, as they are often broody and good mothers.
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