Chicken Breeding

The important thing on chicken farm is the quality of DOC chicken. To have a good quality of chicken, a breeder can buy from chicken producer. They have select a good quality chicken and make a chicken hybrid from many kinds of chicken. Chicken breeder can not breed their own chicken producer because the chicken mains is a result of long experiment. Even many farmer already try from their own chicken to breed because DOC price too expensive for them.

A breed of chicken is a family of birds that have the same general size, shape and carriage. All birds in this family will share the same characteristics, i.e. skin color, plumage style, and number of toes. Breeds of chickens are divided into classes. Large fowl classes generally refer to their place of origin i.e. American, Asiatic, English, Mediterranean, and other. Bantam breeds are classified by characteristics, i.e. Game, comb style, leg feathering.

Layers

A smaller bird that will lay between 250 - 280 eggs per year. They will begin to produce at 5 months of age and will continue for ten to twelve years. In reality, the first year of production is the best and there is a decline in production after the first season. You can choose between brown and white egg layers. The Leghorn is the best of the white egg layers however they can flighty and high-strung. Other breeds laying white eggs include Minorcas, Anconas, and the California Whites. The Production Red is the best of the brown egg layers. This hybrid bird is a cross between Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire. Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires are good brown egg layers.

Meat Production Breeds

The Cornish Rock cross is the meat production bird. This breed is a cross between Cornish and Plymouth Rock. The Cornish Rock cross will consume two pounds of feed for each pound gained. Keep in mind that broilers/fryers are butchered at three and a half to five pounds and roasters are butchered at six to eight lbs. The quicker a bird makes the weight gain the more economical it is to raise. Other breeds that are considered meat production birds are Brahmas, Cochins, and Cornish.

Dual Purpose Breeds

These birds are a compromise between the egg layers and the meat producers. They generally don't put on weight as fast as the meat breeds nor do they lay as many eggs as the egg layers. They are the typical backyard flock type birds. You will have a nice supply of eggs and the excess roosters and older hens will provide a good chicken dinner. Dominiques, Plymouth Rocks, Sussex, Orpington, and Wyandottes are examples of dual purpose birds. Dual purpose birds are generally hardy and self-reliant. They lay brown eggs and will brood their chicks.

Those kind of chicken is taken from their chicken habitat, and select from a good quality. A good quality chicken is based on certain criterion that they already determine as their experience. From their founding, the chicken producer will sell all their chicken product to the chicken breeder.