When you decide to keep chickens the first order of business is picking a chicken breed. You’ll need to consider egg production and your climate for sure. Then you can take into account the color of the eggs as well. If you consider all three then chicken keeping will be easy and rewarding.
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All the Chickens
When I am picking a chicken breed to add to my flock, I look almost exclusively at the color of the eggs they will produce. I’m hoping to have a basket full of rainbow eggs if my hens ever start laying. This method has led to some problems though. My Ameraucanas are not built for hot weather. Summers here in southwest Missouri are hot and dry. Most days are over 90 and we have several weeks over 100. Not to mention the humidity. It was a struggle to keep the birds cool, but now in the dead of winter with freezing temps they are doing just fine. Even with wind chills below 0.
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Picking a Chicken Breed for Your Climate
Warm Climate
If you live in a place with a warm climate then chickens with large combs, less feathers, light in color, and smaller bodies. These features will help them tolerate the heat better.
Leghorns
Andalusians
Rhode Island Red
Easter Egger
New Hampshire Red
Cold Climate
For areas with a colder climate, larger chickens with smaller combs will do better.
Barred Plymouth Rock
Buff Orpington
Ameraucanas
Brahma
Wyandottes
Picking a Chicken Breed for Egg Quantity
If your goal in picking a chicken breed is for egg production then you will be looking for the birds that lay roughly 5 eggs per week in the summer. No hen will lay 7 days a week year around.
Leghorns produce 280-320 eggs per year.
Rhode Island Reds lay 200-300 eggs per year.
Australorps give about 250 eggs per year.
Plymouth Rocks will produce around 200 eggs per year.
Buff Orpingtons can lay 200-280 eggs per year.
Picking a Chicken Breed for Egg Color
If you are looking at raising a rainbow of egg colors then you will need a variety of breeds. I enjoy the mixture of colors, so this is what I’ve chosen to do. When purchasing chicks, I am most concerned with the color of their eggs.
White Eggs
Leghorns lay snow white eggs.
Silkies will lay small white eggs.
Andalusians give white eggs.
Brown Eggs
Marans lay dark brown eggs.
Brahmas lay light brown eggs
Plymouth rocks give brown eggs similar in color to those found in stores.
Blue Eggs
Ameraucanas lay blue eggs.
Cream legbars give light blue eggs.
Azure Eggers lay light blue eggs.
Green Eggs
Olive Eggers lay olive green eggs.
Isbars give light green eggs.
Green Queens lay a variety of shades of green eggs.
Pink Eggs
Light Sussexs will lay pink eggs.
Australorps give pink eggs.
Faverolles lay pinkish brown eggs.
Speckled Eggs
Welsummers lay light brown eggs with dark brown speckles.
Barnevelders sometimes give brown speckled eggs.
Langshan chickens lay purplish eggs that can sometimes be speckled.
Easter Eggs
Easter eggers are special because they can lay a variety of colors. You won’t know what color egg a hen will produce until she starts laying. They could be pink, green, blue, or white.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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