Small Farm Poultry Breeds

Chickens are a valuable source of fresh eggs and meat. With over 500 chicken breeds throughout the world, farmers have plenty of options when choosing their chickens. Though chickens are the most common type of poultry, other options such as geese, ducks, guinea fowl, quail, and turkeys can be used for their eggs and meat as well. Your personal farming technique and experience will have an impact on how you raise your poultry, so be sure to consider that before choosing a breed. Other things to consider include the climate and environment, purpose for raising (eggs, meat, or both), and how they will be kept (free range or penned).

Poultry has been around for over 5000 years, roaming the world freely at first and now popular within farms. Not only do they lay eggs and provide meat, but they also eat bugs, provide organic manure, are easy to care for, and can provide a source of income. Most chickens require about 4 square feet of space and approximately ¼ pound of food a day. Poultry can be classified based on various factors such as size, colour, comb type, and class. Below are poultry breed classifications based on breeding purpose. This includes for eggs, meat, or both.

Dual Purpose Breeds

Dual Purpose poultry breeds are birds that will lay eggs and eventually grow large enough to be consumed. These birds are not suitable for commercial enterprises. Dual purpose breeds are the most common type seen in small farm environments, as they can lay eggs and provide good quality meat.

Plymouth Rock

The Plymouth Rock chicken averages around 200-250 eggs per year, averaging to roughly 4 eggs per week. They are known to continue laying eggs until there are 10 years of age, with the hens being good sitters. They are mellow birds and prefer a free-range environment to find morsels in the yard. The Plymouth Rock has fair egg production, a large egg size, brown egg colour, and a fair foraging ability. They weigh roughly 6-8 pounds and are tolerant in both the heat and cold.

Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Red is an American domestic chicken breed. They produce roughly 260 eggs annually and are known for their hardy temperament that thrives in any type of environment. They have good egg production, large brown eggs, and a fair foraging ability. They begin egg production at around 18-20 weeks and their eggs increase in size over the years. They will tolerate confinement but prefer to be let out in the yard and can be a little aggressive. The Rhode Island Red hen can reach an average of up to 6.5 pounds.

Dominique

The Dominique is America’s oldest chicken breed. Their feathers were used to stuff pillows and they were also used for eggs and meat. This breed is very friendly, dependable, and do well in confinement. The hens lay a brown, medium sized egg, roughly 4 times a week, averaging to roughly 230-270 eggs a year. Some of these birds may be aggressive or assertive, but they are a low maintenance and self-sufficient breed.

Other popular dual-purpose poultry breeds for small farms include the Delaware, Wyandotte, Brahma, and Orpington.

Egg Production Breeds

Poultry breeds for egg production are commonly not used for meat production due to their poor ability to convert feed into body mass. They are bread specifically to maximize egg production and are known as egg-laying birds.

Leghorn

The Leghorn comes in various colours, though white is the most common. They are an intelligent and resourceful breed who do well in free-range environments. They lay approximately 280-320 eggs annually, averaging over 4 eggs a week. The eggs are large, white, and are around 2 ounces each, getting larger as the hen ages. They are a very active breed and not broody.

Minorca

The Minorca chicken lays some of the largest eggs of all the breeds. They are white, very large, and the hen can produce approximately 120 eggs per year. This breed prefers warmer climates and has been considered a dual-purpose breed due to its high meat-to-bone ratio, though the meat is very dry. Minorca’s are active, not broody and have a good foraging ability.

Australorp

The Australorp breed does well in confinement but, enjoys free ranging to search for bugs and morsels in the yard. They are a calm breed with large brown eggs and can produce an average of 250 eggs annually. They are known for their excellent egg production and broodiness.

Other popular egg production poultry breeds for small farms include the Ancona, Ameraucana, Hamburg, Fayoumi, Maran and Sex-Link, whose eggs differ in size and colour.

Meat Production Breeds

Meat poultry breeds are usually very poor egg layers, so they are not kept for egg production. They are referred to as broiler breeds and are bred for their ability to quickly gain weight and achieve a substantial size for consumption. They are attempted to be fed as little as possible to save money. Though commercial breeds are typically hybrids due to their better feed conversion rate, many small farms choose non-hybrid alternatives and sacrifice size for hardiness and resilience.

Cornish

The Cornish is a meaty chicken that can weigh about 9 pounds, which is large enough to feed an entire family. Though they do lay eggs, they are bred for meat production due to their physique. They do well in warmer climates and are not meant to be kept during winter, as they’re growing will be stunted while they save their energy to keep warm, not build muscle. They have a yellow skin colour, a calm disposition, slow-medium growth rate, and a poor foraging ability.

Jersey Giant

The Jersey Giant is on average the largest chicken breed, with a rooster weighting approximately 13 pounds and hen weighing approximately 10 pounds. This breed is mellow, and though larger, are good with children. They lay approximately 150-200 eggs per year but are mostly used for meat production. They have a medium growth rate and mature at around 6 months. The Jersey Giant is a calm, yellow breed, with a poor foraging ability.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire is a fast-growing yellow breed, laying around 200 large eggs a year. A rooster will get to be about 8.5 pounds and a hen can reach 6.5 pounds. Ideally, they are ready for slaughter in 12-14 weeks, but many may take close to 16 weeks. Though they don’t grow as large as other breeds like the Cornish, they are excellent meat producers.

Other popular meat production poultry breeds for small farms include the Freedom Rangers who are a fast growing and calm breed.

There will be variations between individual birds regarding aggression or activity levels, egg production, and meat quality, but these guidelines will help you determine what poultry breed will best suit your needs and situation.