When choosing a breed of chicken to keep, there are lots of considerations to make. But which qualities are most important? To find out, we ran a poll to discover the most important characteristics people look for when choosing a breed. So here are the top ten most important breed characteristics, as voted by our members here at BYC.
1. Temperament
Unsurprisingly, the number one characteristic people look for when choosing a breed for their flock is temperament. For a lot of people who keep backyard flocks, their hens are pets. So it makes sense that they would be looking for breeds with good temperament, such as friendly personalities, calm demeanors, and that are docile and easy to handle.
2. Egg Production
Most people, when getting chickens, are doing it for the eggs. So it comes as no surprise that the second most important breed characteristic would be egg production. People are looking to get away from supporting factory farming, and want to know where their food is coming from. They want to take advantage of the benefits of farm raised eggs over store bought eggs. Chickens that lay lots of eggs are a great addition to any flock.
3. Aesthetics/Looks
There are chicken breeds that come in all sizes and colors, and all of them are beautiful in their own way. Some have feathered legs. Some have crests. Some have muffs and beards. Some have feathers with lacing, speckles, polka dots, or an iridescent sheen. With all this variety, it's easy to find a breed that appeals to you.
4. Resistance to Diseases and Parasites (hardiness)
There are many diseases and pests that can affect chickens. Some breeds are known to be more resistant to these ills. When choosing breeds, it can be beneficial to pick one that might have fewer issues with pests or parasites that live in your area, or that might be more resistant to a disease that is prevalent in local chicken populations.
5. Cold Hardiness
Some breeds are better equipped to deal with cold weather than others. If you live in a climate that experiences long periods of cold, it is important that the breed(s) you choose can stand up to the weather. Chickens that are ill-equipped to deal with freezing temperatures can suffer issues like frostbite, which can lead to the loss of combs or even toes or feet. Cold hardiness is therefore an important consideration when choosing a breed in colder climates.
6. Heat Hardiness
Just as some breeds handle the cold better than others, some breeds handle heat better than others. This is an important consideration for those keeping a flock in hot climates. Chickens that aren't well-equipped for the heat may suffer from heat stroke in prolonged high temperatures. Some breeds are barely phased by the heat, and thus are a better choice for places with very hot climates.
7. Egg Color
Different breeds will lay eggs of different colors. There are breeds that lay white, brown, cream, chocolate, and even blue and green eggs. For those that want a colorful egg basket, the color egg that each breeds lays is an important consideration.
8. Heritage, Endangered, or Rare
There are some breeds that are rare and endangered, and help is needed to preserve them to keep them from vanishing completely. Some breeds are also considered heritage, which means they were accepted to the APA prior to the mid-twentieth century, that they can naturally mate, that they can live long, productive lives outdoors, and that they are slow-growing and won't reach a market weight until at least 16 weeks. In other words, these are not breeds that were created for commercial production, but are older breeds created before the advent of factory farming. For some, it is important that their flock is made up of such breeds, so that they can help preserve and propagate them.
9. Egg Size
When it comes to egg size, not all breeds are created equal. Some breeds routinely lay jumbo or extra large sized eggs, while others lay more of a small or medium sized egg. Bantam breeds, of course, lay the smallest eggs of all. If your goal with chicken keeping is to have lots of large eggs to eat or sell, what size egg your breed of choice lays will be important.
10. Size
Size can be an important breed characteristic too. Smaller chickens will eat less feed and cost less money to keep. They may also require less space to house. Larger chickens might be more resistant to predation, and will provide more meat if butchered. Depending on your needs and what you intend to keep chickens for, the size of your birds may be something to consider.
These are the Top 10 Most Important Breed Characteristics, as voted by the BYC Community on our Official BYC Poll What Breed Characteristics are Most Important to You?
If you liked this list, check out some of the other great lists we have here: BYC Top Lists!
1. Temperament
Unsurprisingly, the number one characteristic people look for when choosing a breed for their flock is temperament. For a lot of people who keep backyard flocks, their hens are pets. So it makes sense that they would be looking for breeds with good temperament, such as friendly personalities, calm demeanors, and that are docile and easy to handle.
2. Egg Production
Most people, when getting chickens, are doing it for the eggs. So it comes as no surprise that the second most important breed characteristic would be egg production. People are looking to get away from supporting factory farming, and want to know where their food is coming from. They want to take advantage of the benefits of farm raised eggs over store bought eggs. Chickens that lay lots of eggs are a great addition to any flock.
3. Aesthetics/Looks
There are chicken breeds that come in all sizes and colors, and all of them are beautiful in their own way. Some have feathered legs. Some have crests. Some have muffs and beards. Some have feathers with lacing, speckles, polka dots, or an iridescent sheen. With all this variety, it's easy to find a breed that appeals to you.
4. Resistance to Diseases and Parasites (hardiness)
There are many diseases and pests that can affect chickens. Some breeds are known to be more resistant to these ills. When choosing breeds, it can be beneficial to pick one that might have fewer issues with pests or parasites that live in your area, or that might be more resistant to a disease that is prevalent in local chicken populations.
5. Cold Hardiness
Some breeds are better equipped to deal with cold weather than others. If you live in a climate that experiences long periods of cold, it is important that the breed(s) you choose can stand up to the weather. Chickens that are ill-equipped to deal with freezing temperatures can suffer issues like frostbite, which can lead to the loss of combs or even toes or feet. Cold hardiness is therefore an important consideration when choosing a breed in colder climates.
6. Heat Hardiness
Just as some breeds handle the cold better than others, some breeds handle heat better than others. This is an important consideration for those keeping a flock in hot climates. Chickens that aren't well-equipped for the heat may suffer from heat stroke in prolonged high temperatures. Some breeds are barely phased by the heat, and thus are a better choice for places with very hot climates.
7. Egg Color
Different breeds will lay eggs of different colors. There are breeds that lay white, brown, cream, chocolate, and even blue and green eggs. For those that want a colorful egg basket, the color egg that each breeds lays is an important consideration.
8. Heritage, Endangered, or Rare
There are some breeds that are rare and endangered, and help is needed to preserve them to keep them from vanishing completely. Some breeds are also considered heritage, which means they were accepted to the APA prior to the mid-twentieth century, that they can naturally mate, that they can live long, productive lives outdoors, and that they are slow-growing and won't reach a market weight until at least 16 weeks. In other words, these are not breeds that were created for commercial production, but are older breeds created before the advent of factory farming. For some, it is important that their flock is made up of such breeds, so that they can help preserve and propagate them.
9. Egg Size
When it comes to egg size, not all breeds are created equal. Some breeds routinely lay jumbo or extra large sized eggs, while others lay more of a small or medium sized egg. Bantam breeds, of course, lay the smallest eggs of all. If your goal with chicken keeping is to have lots of large eggs to eat or sell, what size egg your breed of choice lays will be important.
10. Size
Size can be an important breed characteristic too. Smaller chickens will eat less feed and cost less money to keep. They may also require less space to house. Larger chickens might be more resistant to predation, and will provide more meat if butchered. Depending on your needs and what you intend to keep chickens for, the size of your birds may be something to consider.
These are the Top 10 Most Important Breed Characteristics, as voted by the BYC Community on our Official BYC Poll What Breed Characteristics are Most Important to You?
If you liked this list, check out some of the other great lists we have here: BYC Top Lists!
