Egyptian Fayoumi : A Productive laying eggs Hen from Egypt

Egyptian Fayoumi is an Egyptian chicken breed. This chicken origin is Fayoumi Governorate, Southwest of Cairo. This chicken is tiny or small class breed. The roosters weigh only two kilos or (4.5 pound); while, the hen weighs 1.6 kilo (3.5 pound). Rosters have silver heads, neck, back and saddle. The rest color is black white barred.
It has moderately large single comb, red double wattles, and red earlobes. The feet are black in color and no feather. The bird is hardy. It can resist to viral and bacterial infection.
In my country, people called it as Arabian Chicken. The first people imported this chicken from Saudi Arabian. We use this chicken to produce egg only. They can produce eggs up to 250 like other commercial egg laying chicken. Unfortunately, the egg is small like their body. This bird cannot hatch the eggs to or they are not likely go broody. In my country, farmer care the chicken for organic eggs. They can live at free range area. They have reputation as good foragers. The farmer also crosses this chicken with other best laying chicken to increase the eggs production.
Even this bird is superior but this bird has been not recognized by American Poultry Association
read also
Campine Chicken
White Egg laying chicken
Famous domesticated layer hen

Pelung Chicken : The Chicken whose has beautiful crow

Anatomy

This chicken is the tallest chicken in Indonesia. Some Rooster tall can reach 75 cm. They have long shank and neck. The feather is thin unlike European or American Chicken breed which has thick.  The beak is so strong. It has strong feet too. The feet are clean and it has no feather. The feet color is various, such as yellow, black, white and khaki. The Rooster has spurs. The performance is so horrible but this chicken is very calm.

Skin

The Pelung's skin is yellow in color. Some roosters has red coloration in the chest.

Feathers

Most Pelung roosters are partridge in color. The other color variation is mottled, black-beetle, red-brown, and others. The hen color is partridge, red brown, or black-beetle in color.

As a Pets

Pelung is an exhibition chicken. Some municipal in West Java, Indonesia often organize Pelung exhibition. The best chicken is the chicken whose has long and beautifully melodies crow.

Before the exhibition, the owner feed human food to this chicken such as eggs, honey, eel, rice, and others. The owner thinks it can make the chicken strong.

Beside as pets, some farm raises this chicken for its meat. This chicken is very big. I have heard that the chicken weigh could reach 10 kilograms or 20 pounds. They cross the chicken with Bangkok Chicken, Indonesian Native Chicken, and Broiler.

Read Other Exhibition chicken:

American Game Fowl

Wyandotte Bantam Chicken

Kedu Chicken

Black Shumen Chicken

Old English game bantam

This bantam is domesticated in English and developed from English game that is a pit roosters.

According to Wikepedia, this is the smallest bantam in the world, weighing 650 gram.  Actually, there is the smallest bantam in the world, weighing less than 500 grams. The bantam is Serama Bantam from Malaysia. This is a hybrid bantam.

The chicken have so many color variations such as partridge, silver, gray, barred, Columbia, white, buff, black, duckwing, cuckoo, and others. Some Old English has frizzled feather.

Like other bantams, this chicken has short feet relative to its body. The bantam has single wide comb, double wattles, and white earlobes. Some Old English has rose comb that is uncommon in bantam variety.

This chicken is very tame like mostly bantam. In my opinion, English Old game fowl is similar to Dutch Bantam. Perhaps, it is a descent of Red Jungle Fowl.

Photo by : AlishaV

Read also:
Dutch Bantam
Nankin Bantam
Booted Bantam
Campine Chicken
Bantam Breeds
How to raise Bantam

Campine Chicken: Belgian Show Chicken

Campine is a chicken that comes from Campine region. Belgium. This is the exhibition chicken due its beautiful feather. The chicken has two color variations i.e. silver and golden. The silver has clean white silver color in neck, while the body color is black-green with silver hackles. The golden has similar pattern with the silver. The chicken is almost similar to Egyptian Fayoumi. The rooster feather is almost similar to hen. The rooster has saddle and longer tail feather.

This chicken is very nervous and it is difficult to hand the chicken. This is not good for backyard chicken.

This is a small chicken breed, weighing 2.7 kg for rosters and 2.3 for the hen in average. There is bantam type that is suitable for small cages. The bantam rooster is 680 gram in weigh and the hen is 570 gram.

Despite of its small body, this chicken lays many eggs. The hen can lays up to 250 eggs in a month. Unfortunately, the chicken eggs are not big as commercial chicken layer eggs.

Either the rooster or the hens have single wide color. It is uncommon for chicken because the comb reflects the masculine. Although it has wide comb, this chicken is hardy winter.  The chicken has double wattles and white earlobes. The pupil is dark in color. The feet are clean and dark in color.

Photo by : AlishaV

How to breed blue silky bantam

Blue silky bantam is the rarest silky bantam types. It is not easy to produce the chicken because it is not pure color. The Blue silky is derived from white silky and black silky. If you want produce blue silky chicken, you can do like this.

1. Prepare the coop that is suitable for some chicken. You need small coop, due the small body chicken. A Silkie need at least four square feet live spaces. Facilitate them with nest box

2. Find the mature rooster and hen of silkie bantam. The chicken must be health. Check the body of chicken whether it has defect that generate to the chick. If you want produce standard show silkie, you should find the standard

3. Feed them with poultry commercial food. You can also give them with cracked corn. Put the chicken food at food dishes

4. In couple month, the hen will lay the eggs. Silky has good reputation in hatching the eggs. you may lets the chicken hatch the eggs. Do not put more than seven eggs in a clutch because the hen is small and it could not hatch all the eggs. You can hatch the eggs with small incubator.

5. Separate the hen whose has chick from the rooster. You can also separate the chick from the mom if you want your hen lay the eggs again.

6. Clean the cage periodically to protect your chicken from disease.


Read also : Famous bantam heritage

Booted Bantam - Booted Dutch Bantam

As guess its name, the chicken has booted in their feet. The feather grows around the feet and shank. This ornamental or exhibition chicken comes from Netherland. That is why it is also called Booted Dutch Bantam. This chicken is related with Belgian Bantam. We can see both bantams have booted feet. The difference between two bantams is that The Belgian Bantam is rumples or tailless.
Weighing 850 grams for the male and 750 grams for the female, this chicken is classified as bantam class. Like other bantam, they have wide breast, downward pointing wing, and almost horizontal long tail.
It has single wide comb with five points, small earlobes, and double wattles. They have color variation such as : Millefleur, blue, black, barred, buff, cuckoo, Columbian, gray, Lemon millefleur, lavender, golden neck, porcelain, white and millefleur self.
This chicken is suitable for backyard pet, due its calm and tame behavior. The chicken is good foragers too and it can control the weed and grass population at the backyard. The hens are good mother. They can hatch the eggs. The hen lays small white or tinted egg.


read also :

Nankin Bantam
Wyandotte Bantam
Dutch Bantam
Famous Bantam Heritage
How to raise Bantam
Cochin Bantam
What is Bantam Chicken

Nankin Chicken - Chinese Bantam Chicken

It is a bantam type chicken from Chinese. The rooster weighs 608 grams and a hen wieghs 540 gram. Nanking is bantam only. As guess its name, this small chicken origin is Nankin, Chinese. It is imported in 16th centuries to Great Britain.

The chicken is blue in color. The beak and feet is blue in color. The comb type is single and rose. the single type comb nankin could not live at cold region because the frost bite may attack the single comb.

The chicken is a game bird or ornamental bird. This chicken is not good for meat production due to its size and carcass quality. The hen often go broody and is a good mother.  You can use this chicken to hatch other chicken eggs. This chicken is good to at your backyard.

Orloff chicken : Chicken From Russia

Orloff chicken is a Russian chicken that first appeared in Persian or Iran. This chicken is also called Russian Orloff or Simple Russian. This chicken was exported to British in 1920. This is a medium chicken type which weighs 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and hen weighs 6 pounds (3.6 kg). This chicken is suitable for meat production and ornamental bird. This bird has beautiful color such as black, cuckoo, spangled, mahogany, white, and red tail black.

This chicken looks like game bird. In 1925, German has succeeded to breed bantam version of this chicken. The head is small relative to its body. It has small walnut comb, small earlobes, and minicules wattles. This bird is good for pet due to its calm.

Photo by : gina pina

How to feed peacock

Peacock can live at your backyard as long you can provide comfort place and food. It is not difficult to feed the beautiful bird with long train. As a common fowl, the bird is omnivore so they can eat both meaty and vegetable.

In their habitat, this bird eats seed, grain, fruit, weed, grass, worm, lizards, snake, and more. In India, this bird eat very poisonous cobra snake. They can hit the cobra with their sharp beak. That is why Indian people do not want to catch or kill the bird. They let the bird at the backyard to control snake population.

Here are the steps to feed peacock.

1. Provide the federer and waterer inside the flock. You will need a wide federer or waterer like Turkey federer or waterer so the bird can eat from it.

2. Buy the game bird food for peacock at pet shop or online shop. You can also feed the peacock with other poultry food.

3. Give them some cracked corn and wheat. Perhaps they like those foods.

4. Fulfill the waterer with fresh water.

5. Give some green food such as vegetable and grass to this bird. In nature, they eat weed and grass.

6. This bird need calcium too so you can give them grit or mineral block.

Read also : How to raise peacock

How to raise peacock

Peacock is a beautiful green bird. This is a famous pet bird too. Some people are successful to raise this bird at their backyard. They raise the bird as a game bird. Some farmer also sells the beautiful feather.

To raise this bird, you can do like this:

1. Prepare a comfort flock for this bird. Provide large enough coop for this bird. The bird also needs space to roam.

2. Do not forget to put waterer and federer inside the coop and flock.

3. Feed the bird with game bird pellet or other poultry feed. You can also give them cracked corn and meat. Like other fowl, peacock also like green and chopped vegetables.

4. Clean the flock periodically.

Before raise this bird, you should consider:

1. The area should be large. A peacock needs larger spaces than a peahen due to its long tail. A narrow space can damage the long beautiful tail.

2. The peacock fowl should be far from noisy. This bird is anxious and is easy to stress.

Read also Vulturine Guinea Fowl

Guinea Fowl

source: infomatigue

How to select hatch egg

If you want to care chicken, you can hatch the egg chicken. Put some eggs in incubator for 21 days or three weeks and you will get some chick. Hatching eggs is cheaper than buying chick or chicken but you should work hard to hatch it.

Hatching egg is not easy especially for common people. They often face with fail. The egg will not hatching after 21 years weather the incubator work well. One factor of

The fail of hatching is the egg. The hatchery cannot select the good hatching eggs.

Therefore, a hatchery supposedly selects the good eggs for hatching. You can follow these steps:

1. The egg should be clean from manure

2. The egg should be oval round in shape. Do not select round egg or very oval egg. It is not good

3. The egg is not old than seven days or a week.

4. Be sure the egg come from a credible farmer.

5. The weight should be normal. The chicken eight weights depend on the breed or strain, ranging 25 gram to 60 gram.

6. The egg shield should be good. Check the egg shield of chicken first. Be sure there is no a crack at the egg shield. A disease or bacteria can enter through small crack and kill the chicken embryo.

7. Be sure that you hatch the right breed. For example, you want to hatch layer eggs so you should be sure the egg come from layer egg breed.

8. Be sure the eggs fertile. Ask the farmer whether the egg or fertile or not.

How to save chicken egg for hatching
How to hatch chicken egg
How to hatch duck egg

Marek's Disease or Paralaysis Disease, Kill Broiller fast

Marek's disease is the most dangerous disease for broiler farmer. This disease infects the chicken under 16 week’s age. Until now, there has yet no medicine for this disease. This medicine spread from saliva or respiratory system. The disease is easy to spread at a cage. It could kill all chicken in cage.

This disease caused by a herpes virus. It attacks the chicken nerve system.

The chicken that is infected by the virus will suffer paralysis. The chicken may die soon because they cannot reach the food and water. Some chicken that get acute Marek’s may not shown paralysis sign.

To prevent your chicken from Marek’s disease, you should clean the cage periodically. Remove the Marek's suspected chicken and you should eliminate it.

There are some signs that you can detect, such as:

1. Vision impairment
2. Loss of weight
3. Grey iris or irregular pupil
4. Paralysis of legs, weight, and neck
5. Skin around feather follicles raised and roughened.

Read Also : How to raise broiler chicken
source : Marek's Disease 

How to save chicken eggs for hatching

Before a chicken hatch the eggs, they should lay all the eggs first. A hen can lays 15 eggs in a period. I always keep the egg before the chicken lay egg. It is too risky to let the chicken at the nest. The hen may break the eggs or other chicken may break the eggs. Therefore, you need to save the eggs before hatching it.

You can do like this:

1. Collect the eggs everyday in morning early. You can feed them the chicken so the hen can leave the nest. Take the egg when the hen eats the feed.

2. Clean the eggs with soft cloth gently. Do not break the egg shield. 

3. Save the eggs at dry and safe place. You can use egg carton to save the eggs.

Notice: You can save the eggs for 7 days. Do not save the eggs for more than seven days because the egg will be not hatched.

photo by: grendelkhan

read also: how to hatch eggs 

How to hatch duck eggs 

Pros and Cons Hatching eggs use Chicken Hen

Langshan: Great Chicken From China

Langshans is a chicken breed from China. Langshan is an ancestor of Orpington chicken, Bernevelders, and Marans. As guest its name,the origin of this chicken is Langshan, near Yang-Tze River, China. Now the breed is spreaded to the world. First time who introduced Langshan to British is Major Croad.

The chicken is a heavy breed chicken due its size. The rooster weighs 9.5 pounds (4.25 kg) and the hen weighs 7.5 pounds (3.5 kg). The body is big with deep and long breast. The tail is short. Some Langshan has no feather tail or rumpless.  The comb is red single with upward point. The head is proportional with its big body.  The back shape is U shape. The feet and the shanks has feather. German Langshan which is also Langshan descendent has no feather in legg or clean legged. This breed has long leg. The beak, feet and shank are black-yellow in color.

This bird is suitable for backyard pen because it is docile and friendly to the people. The bird does not like fly to so they safe in a large rank.

The hen has ability in sitter and broody. We can use the chicken to hatch other chicken eggs. It can lay in winter too. The hen can lay 140-150 dark brown eggs in a year. The egg is very big or weighs 58 gram.

This bird is a dual purpose chicken. It can produce much delicious meat that texture is fine and excellent.  

The origin color of the bird is black with a brilliant green sheen. It is recognize by American Poultry Association (APA). America is success to develop white Langshan from Black Langshan. There are also blue Langshan but it is rare. The Blue is the crossbreed of white and black Langshan. It is difficult to get the blue because the breed of white and black Langshan does not always result blue Langshan. Langshan is used as a parent chickens.

Read also dual purpose Chicken
Photo by: VangieAdH

Barnevelder – double laced feather chicken from Netherland

Barnevelder is a chicken breed from Netherland. Weighing 6-7 pounds, it is heavy chicken class. Netherland breeder has bred this chicken from various chicken breed such as Brahma, Cochin, and Croad Langshan. Some breeder also breeds with other chicken breed to produce various chickens.
This chicken is very beautiful. Some Barnevelder has double laced feather that is very rare. There are other variations color such as, blue, double laced blue, white, brown, partridge, and other. The chicken has single medium comb. The feet are yellow in color and have no feather.
This chicken is for exhibition. The chicken also produces good carcass and eggs. The hen lays dark brown eggs. The hen lay in winter too. The hen can produce approximately 180-200 eggs per year.
The chicken is a good forager so it can be good at your backyard. The chicken is also hardy in winter so this chicken can live at your backyard.

Chantecler: A Various Cross Chicken from Canada

Chantecler is a chicken breed from Canada. The name was taken from French pet Rostand’s fable hero. The name Chantecler was also taken from two French words, “chanter” – “to sing” and “clair” – “bright” .It looks fat like American Class Chicken. This chicken is derived from so many chickens, such as, Dark Cornish, White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, White Plymouth Rocks and White Wyandotte. Not surprisingly, the chicken can lays egg much and produce good carcass. This chicken is produced for dual purpose chicken. The breeder also develops the egg production. A good Chantecler strain hen can lays up to 210 eggs a year. The skin of the egg is light brown in color and weighs 58 to 60 grams.
The production of the chicken has begun in 1907 in Canada. In 1930, the breeder developed a new Chantecler that is adaptable with free range. The breeder cross Partridge Wyandotte, Partridge Cochin, Dark Cornish, and Brown leghorn whose has Rose comb.
This chicken has heavy weigh body. The rooster’s weight could reach 8.5 pound or 3.9 kg; while, the hen weighs 6.5-7.5 pound (3 – 3.4 kg). Chantecler also has bantam version too which weigh is less than a kilogram. It is white in color. The skin, beak, and the feet are yellow in color. There is no feather in feet or clean feet. It has small cushion combs and wattles so frostbite cannot attack this chicken.
This chicken is suitable for free range chicken. This chicken is tame and gentle. This chicken is adaptable with North America weather too. This chicken can stand with cold climate.

Black Shumen Chicken

Black Shumen Chicken is an old breed from Bulgaria. It has been developed in Bulgaria for centuries ago. The farmer often crossed the chicken with White leghorn or Rhode Island Red In 18th century. This bird looks proportional. The rooster weighs 2 kg (4.4 pound) and the female weighs 1.5 kg (3.3 kg). It is black green in color. It has wide single comb with double wattles, and white earlobes. The feet and the beak color are black. The skin of this chicken is white.
This chicken is laying chicken type. The hen lays big egg which weigh is 50-52 gram. Like other chicken whose has white earlobes, this chicken also lays white eggs. The egg production is good enough, ranging 150-165 eggs. The amount of egg production is not enough for commercial purpose. That is why some breeder crosses this chicken with other good chicken.

This chicken is suitable for backyard chicken. This chicken is good foragers so it can control grass or bugs in your backyard. 

Photo : dr_lukanov, dr_lukanov

Read Also : How to open Egg Layer business

New Hampshire Red, Orpington, Leghorn, Plymouth Rock

Dorking Chicken : Ancient Rome Chicken

Dorking is a British chicken breed. Unlike other British class this chicken looks slim, weighing 9 pounds. The hen weighs 8 pounds. They have color variation such as, silver gray, dark, cuckoo, colored and red. The chicken is similar to Mediterranean chicken class. The chicken has been developed in Julius Caesar era. British people brought this chicken. They are showed in Chicken Exhibition in 1845 for the first time. This chicken is very rare but some breeder farm uses this chicken to produce Sussex and feverolles.

There are two types of chicken comb: single and rose. The rooster has bigger comb than the hen. The feet and beak is yellow in color. This chicken has unique five toes like Silky Bantam.

The hen lays white or cream eggs (depend on hen). The hen with white earlobes usually lay white eggs. The hen does not like go broody. This chicken is similar to laying chicken types that do not like hatch the eggs. To hatch their eggs, you need use other hen or incubator machine.

The chicken is very docile and it is good for backyard or pets. Unfortunately, this chicken cannot stand with hard winter climate. The winter may attack the wide comb.

How to stop Broody hen

Most hens will lay the egg when they stop to lay. They sit on the eggs up to 21 days or three week. After 21 days, the hen raises the chick until the chick independent.

Some people prefer to hatch the egg with hatch machine. They do not want the hen hatch the egg because it is not effective. The egg production will decrease and it is not good for business. If the flock owner want to produce more eggs, they should stop broody the chicken.

You can also stop the broody eggs like this.

1. Grab the eggs once the hen lay the eggs. The hen will not sit on the nest again.

2. Bath the hen after lay the eggs. It will decrease the heat of hen so the hen does not want to go broody again.

3. This is an ultimate way. Give a quarter Paracetamol to the hen. It will decrease the heat of the chicken.  I do not think it is good.

Photo By : Rhian vK

Sultan Chicken : Chicken wear Turban

Sultan Chicken is a chicken breed from Turkey. This chicken has been cared by Turkey Sultan or Ottoman Sultna. The chicken lived at Sultan's palace. This chicken is unique because it has round crested which similar to Turkey Sultan turban. This chicken is included exhibition chicken or show chicken.  This chicken has been recognized by American Poultry Association in 1874.
Weighing 2.7 kilo, this chicken is a mid size chicken. The hen weighs 2 kilos. There is also bantam type of this chicken. The chicken looks slim and high. In front of head, there is a small V-shape comb like horn. The crested also cover the chicken eye like Polish Chicken. Beside the unique crest the chicken has five toes like Silky Bantam. The feet have long feathers. This chicken has “feather shoes”. That is why you should keep the cage clean. The chicken also has unique plumage below the beak like beard.
 Sultan has three color variations: black, blue and white. The white is the most famous sultan color.
The chicken is docile and friendly. It is suitable for backyard pet too. You are better to keep this chicken with other tame chicken because an aggressive chicken may bully this peaceful chicken.

Naked Neck Chicken : Bald Chicken whose has good carcass

Black Naked Neck Cockerel

Naked Neck as guest its name the chicken has no feather in neck. There are still few feathe at the top of head or near the comb. I said this bird like a rocker. The bird neck is almost similar with turkey neck. That is some people call turkey neck chicken.

The naked neck is a dominant gen. You can cross the chicken with other chicken breed. I have cared
This bird is heavy too and has good carcass. The chicken has been recognized by American Poultry Association in 1965. This chicken origin is Central Europe. They have so many color variations but only certain color have been recognized. American recognizes naked neck color, such as, buff, black, red, and white. Recognized color in England is more various, such as, white, cuckoo, buff, red, blue, and black.

Buff Naked Neck pullet

This chicken has wide and heavy body. The plumage is thin so it is well-adapt with hot climate. It has single wide comb with two wide wattles and red earlobes. The skin is red blood in color. The numbers of chicken toes are four. It has no feather in shanks. It is black in color.

The bird is good for your backyard due its reputation as good forager. They can control the grass and bugs. The chicken is also docile and friendly.

Photo by : Alisha V
Photo by : Sid Vicious

Delaware Chicken : Plymouth Rock - New Hampshire Crossed

Delaware is a chicken breed from American. This chicken was named Indian river. The chicken was crossed of Barred Plymouth Rock Roosters and New Hampshire Hens to produce broiler chicken or utility chicken. In Mid 1950s, the breeder use white Cornish rock to produce a better Delaware.

Delaware Columbian

The roosters weigh 8.5 pound or 3.9 kilo and hens weigh 6.5 pound or 3 kilos. It is a mid size chicken. There is a Delaware bantam type but it is rare. 
Due to its size, this chicken is good for utility chicken. The production of the egg is quite high too.

The dominant color of the chicken is white. There are black barring color at the end of hackle, wing and tail. The skin is yellow and the carcass is good. It has medium size single comb with double wattles and red earlobes. The feet are clean or have no feather and yellow in color. 

The chicken is docile and tame. It is good for backyard pet. They can cut your grass in your backyard or free range area.

photo by :rjl20

New Hampshire Red: The brother of Rhode Island Red

New Hampshire red is a famous dual purpose chicken. It is almost similar with Rhode Island Red.  The cock is 9.5 pound in weight. The female is smaller which is 6.5 pound in weight. The cockerel weighs 7.5 pound and the pullet weighs 5.5 pound. The color of the fowl is brown to red. It often fades in the sunshine. It has blood red single comb, which the cock is bigger than the hen. There are some point at the edge of comb. The beak and the shanks are yellow in color. The skin of the chicken is red.


This chicken is developed from Rhode Island Red. Before 1935, American breeder Association did not recognize this chicken strain. People are difficult to distinguish New Hampshire to The Rhode Island. The aim of the bird development is to provide the fast meat. 

The chicken is the prolific layer. The hen can lay at six month age. The productive layer up to two years. The layer can lay up to 220  eggs in a year. Like the Rhode, They lay brown eggs, or even darker brown  ones. The female of New Hampshire is also good mother, meaning the hen can hatch its eggs. The owners do not have to provide incubator to hatch its egg. 

The male chicken has many meats. It can provide the meat fast. Some breeder company use this chicken as broiler parent. They cross New Hampshire with other best chicken.

It is characterized by the brood body then the ancestor red jungle fowl or Gallus bankiva. The tail is short relative to its body. It is black beetle in color. Once light shine the tail, the color looks green and purple. 

This chicken is aggressive so you should be careful with this chicken and the roster is also territorial. You should not raise two or more rosters in a flock.

 image by : Sr.M.Jutta by Pixabay

Australorp : Dual Purpose chicken from Australia

Australorp is a chicken breed from Australia. Australorp is the abbreviation for “Australian Laying Orpington”. The breeder has aim to produce a native Australia laying egg chicken but they breed the heavy chicken too. As guest its name, this bird is descendant of Orpington Chicken. The breeder was imported the Orpington from British. 

Black Austrolorp with New Hampshire Red

Australorp is a dual purpose chicken breed that can produce meat and egg well. The chicken is heavy which weighs 7-8 pounds. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. The egg is light-brown in color. A record notes that a Australorp hen can lays 364 eggs in a year. The chicken is able to lays in winter. They are well-adaptable with subtropics climate.

The hen is likely to go broody or sit on the eggs. It is good to hatch the eggs due to its thick feather. This bird is also good for backyard chicken or pets because it is docile. The chicken is also calm and friendly.

The chicken is black green sheen like their ancestors, Orpington. The beak and the feet is black to grey. It has single comb moderately medium size with five points, two witted and red earlobes.
Some flock owner also cross this chicken with other chicken breed such as, leghorn, Langshan, Plymouth rock, Minorca and others. That is why the Australorp have different performance. Some chicken are generated male parents and some other are generated female parents. For example, Some Australorp is slim which is generated from the white leghorn hen. They cross The chicken to produce utility chicken or laying chicken. 

Photo by : Rachel Tayse

American Game Fowl

American game fowl is a famous American show chicken. This bird was beard as cock fighting or pit cock. The people have stopped use the bird for fighting since most states in US forbids cock fighting in 1800s.

The bird has small oval head like egg. The cock tail is so long and wide, relative to its body. This bird character looks like a fighter. Today, People care this bird for exhibition or show only.

This chicken is descendant of various game fowls, such as, Oriental game fowl, Irish game fowl, Spanish, Old, English and Sumatra. They have color variations such as white, dark brown, wheaten, red partridge, silver duckwing, golden duckwing and many more. The comb is red pea, small double witted and red earlobes.

The bird character is aggressive as their ancestors but it can be tame in hand owner. You should not care the game rooster with other rooster. The game rooster will bully the other rooster.

The chicken is well-adapt with cold climate or heat climate. They have high intelligent. They can survive in new environment. In Hawaii, Guam, and Keywest this chicken is becoming wild chicken that lives in street or woods. The egg production is medium (we do not the exactly). It lays white egg. The hens will go broody.

Plymouth Rock Chicken Profile

Plymouth Rock Hen

Plymouth rock is a dual purpose chicken from United States. It means we can raise this chicken for meat or eggs. Most people recognize Plymouth rock barred. I thought Plymouth Rock was barred in color too because my lecture said so. Actually, there are other color variation such as white, silver, silver pencil, buff, columbian, and others.

The ancestor of the chicken is unclear, but, several individuals claim that this chicken ancestors are Malays, Dorking, Cochins, Black Java, Cochins.

Like other American class chicken breed, the rock looks fat. It has long body, full breast, and broad back. The plumage is thick. It has red blood comb, double whittle, and red earlobes. Plymouth rock weighs 9 half pounds like Rhode Island Red; while, the female weighs 6 pounds. The male can provide much meat. The hen can lays up to 200 eggs a year. They can lay in winter or bad weather. The chicken is well-adapted with winter.

Plymouth Rock Rooster

The beak, shank and toes are yellow in color. It has clean shank or no one feather in its feet. The tail is short like other American class.

This bird is docile and it is suitable for backyard pet. The bird can be tamed easily. The hen is broody too so the hen can hatch the eggs.

Photo by: Just Chaos
Photo by: Carly and Art

Tips on how to select egg-laying chicken breed

To produce more eggs in your backyard, you have to select the right chicken. There are so many chicken breeds that you can choose. You can consider some factors before buying the hen. Here are the things that you should consider:

1. Dual purpose or layer
Some dual purpose can lay many eggs, such as, Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire Red, and Rhode Island Red The rooster has good meat and you can sell the meat. After retired from laying, you can sell the old hen.

2. The egg shield
Most chicken lay brown shielded eggs. If you want other color shield, you should raise certain chicken breed. To produce white eggs, you can raise chicken breed, such as, Catalana, Leghorn, and more. If you want produce blue eggs or Easter eggs, you can raise Araucana and Ameraucana. Some hen lay green egg too.
Egg shield color does not represent the nutrition content.

3. Winter layer
In winter, most chicken does not lay. They rest during the winter. However, some breed can lay in winter, such as, Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire red, and Rhode Island Red. The chicken breed give you benefit even in winter.

4. The potential egg
Some chicken breed can lay up to 300 eggs such as, white leghorn. The dual purpose also lay over 250 eggs in a year.

5. The weigh eggs
Some chicken breeds lay big eggs but some other lay small eggs.

6. The conversion rate
The conversion rate is the ability of the hen to convert the chicken feed to the eggs. The efficient chicken which can produce more eggs with fewer chicken feed is very good.

How to keep your hen laying in winter

In cold winter, hen is difficult to lay. Some chicken cannot lay in winter like Mediterranean class or Asia Class. Naturally, a hen will stop laying in winter. They need to rest their body that it is important for the body. For backyard chicken, you have better to rest your chicken rather than forcing it to lay.

If you have a flock for business, you can "force" the eggs to lay. It is because you will lose if they take the rest. They still must pay for chicken food, human, electric, and others.

If you still want to produce eggs in winter, you can do like this:

1. Add additional light in the cage. It can reduce their cold suffered in winter.

2. Provide warm water. Do not let the water frozen. Lack of water can make the chicken stop to lay. You can put electric dog bowl that keep the water frozen. You can replace the water often.

3. Food the chicken food with high protein. They need consumption for carbohydrate to warm their body.  They also need protein and calcium that is very important for egg production. Some article suggest kitchen chow and grind with cracked corn. I think it is not good because kitten chow can affect the taste of egg. You should buy the food at poultry shop or you can mix high protein chicken food. The protein for food is: soy, meat powder, fish powder, and more.

4. The air circulation must be good. Make a good ventilation system so the hen can breath well. Do not close the coop so the air cannot in or out.

5. Put hay inside the coop so the hen can lay in it. It can make the chicken warm.

Notice: Force your hen lay in winter could be loss you. To make the hen lays in winter, you need to provide additional food, light and human power. You must pay more for labor too because only few people who want works in winter. Therefore, you need to calculate the benefit of laying eggs in winter. Compare the cost with the egg prices.

Broiler Chicken : provide chicken meat in 60 days

Broiler is the chicken raised for meat production. The chicken growth is very fast. Most farmers use this commercial chicken. The broiler has been developed from Cornish rock or Cornish chicken which has wide breast. The breeder tries hard to find efficient broiler that can convert the feed efficient. The aim is to raise the farmer benefit. With high conversion rate, the farmer can retrench the feed.
The feed of the broiler is commercial food from feed mill. The commercial food contains seed, grain, concentrate, vitamin, mineral, and others. Some food contain hazardous chemical like hormone that can disturb the people who eat the meat. To produce organic chicken, some farmer buys the organic chicken feed or they mix the natural chicken feed. The farmer also raises the chicken above the grassland or pasture. The meat of broiler in pasture is more health than common broiler. The chicken eats the grass, weed, bugs, insects and other.
Broiler is white in color. It has middles single comb with double witted and white earlobes. The beak and the shank are white in color. The skin of the chicken is yellow.
The farmer harvests the chicken at 60 days age. At the time, the chicken weighs 2 kilograms. In my country, the farmer harvests the broiler in 40 days age. The consumer does not like heavy chicken. They likes small broiler which weighs only 1.3 to 1.6 kilogram. The farmer also like to harvest early because they will get benefit fast. Beside produce carcass, the broiler farm also produces manure and feather.

see also : how to raise broiler

How to tame chicken

Some chicken is afraid to the owner. We are difficult to hand the chicken. When we need to cure them, we should catch it hardly. They will run when we try close them.

1. Raise the chicken since young. The chicken will recognize you well and it will not afraid to you. Hand the chicken when it is young.

2. Feed them with your hand. You can put some grain in your hand. The chicken will approach you. They will eat the seed from your hand. They will recognize you.

3. Do not release the chicken at free range. The chicken are easy to wild like their ancestor.

NB: Some chicken is difficult to tame such as sicilian buttercup, jungle fowl and other. You should hard work to do it.

Brahma Chicken Profile

Brahma Chicken is a Asiatic Chicken Breed from India. As guess its name, the Bird origin is in the Brahmaputra region, India. This is the biggest breed among Asiatic breed. The rooster weighs up to 12 pounds; while the hen weighs 9 pounds. The cockerel weighs 10 pounds and the pullet weighs 8 pounds.

The chicken has pea comb, double witted, and red earlobes. It has thick feather so it is good to hatch the eggs. This chicken has good reputation as good setters and good mother. You can trust them to raise their chick. It has feather in shanks, The tail feather is short. Most tail the feather is black in color. rooster has imperfect feather tail. Some chicken has no tail (rumpless).

Beside the weighs, the bird can lay many eggs too. It can lay three eggs a week. The chicken also tolerate with winter.

This breed has been imported 1846 in America. The breed has been recognized by American Poultry Association (APA). Brahma Chicken have color variation; light, dark, and buff.

This bird is very tame and docile. The roosters is very tame and not aggressive to human. The bird is not easy to scared. That is why people raise this bird as pet. There are bantam version of this chicken.

Photo By : Ripperda

How to hatch chicken eggs in incubator

Some hen has no ability to hatch their own eggs such Sebright Bantam or Polish. Therefore, you can hatch the eggs with incubator. This tool can hatch many eggs.
Most farm use this tool because it is very efficient. The hen doe not need to hatch and broody the chick. The hen can lay again and produce more eggs.

If you want use machine for hatching chicken eggs, you can do like this.

1. Provide the incubator. There are two kids of incubator machine such as still-air incubator and forced-air incubator. Forced-air incubator can hatch many eggs; on the other hen, the still-air just hatch fewer eggs. Most chicken farm use forced air incubator. Be sure the incubator is clean. You can clean the incubator after it has been used.
2. Turn on the incubator for 24 hours. You can check the temperature and the humidity. Set the temperature 102 degree Fahrenheit if you use still-air incubator. For forced-air incubator, set the temperature 100 degree Fahrenheit.
3. Put the eggs in incubator. Be sure you put fertile eggs in the incubator. It is better to put mid size eggs. You can get the eggs at poultry farming. Alternatively, you can buy it through Amazon. There are some
4. Turn about a half the eggs. You can do this for four or six times a day. Turning the eggs is important so all of chicken eggs can get the heat. You can sign the egg shields with pencil so you will not forget to turn the eggs. Some modern incubator can turn the eggs especially the huge incubator. If the hen hatches the egg, they often turn the eggs warm.
5. Set the humidity to 45%-55%. Increase when the chicken starts to hatch or nearly hatch. The humidity is important for the chicken. The lower or higher humidity can cause the eggs fail to hatch.
6. When the egg shield broken, you should wait the chicken to hatch. Do not assist them by opening the shield.
7. Let the chicken stay one day in incubator. After 24 hours, you can remove the chicks to brooder cage.

How to select the right pen for your fowl

To raise fowl, you need a good pen. It is a place that protects the fowl from bad weather, bad predator or even bad people. Some people can build a pen because it is cheaper than buying at poultry store or order through online.



There is some condition for a good pen:

1. The construction should be strong so the predator cannot enter the pen easily. 
2. The pen should be safe for the fowl. Some pen can harm to the fowl. For example, there is some nail inside the pen. It can injure the fowl.
3. If the fowl need stand. It should soft so it will no harm the fowl toes.
4. The pen is wide enough. Do not put the fowl at small pen because it will torture the fowl.The fowl may hit the head to the pen. It can be a seriously injured.
5. The pen has feeder and waterer.
6. The pen is easy to clean. The good pen has a base below the cage. We can pull it and clean it.
7. The roof should be able to cover from heat and rain.Be Sure there is no hole in the roof.

How to cut nail bird

I had a hen that could not brood the chicken. In few weeks, her chicken must be died. I had seen the chicken suffered before died. The eye is infected. Finally, I know that the hen hurt the chicken. I tried cutting the nail but it was not enough. She still injured the chick. Finally we slaughter the chicken.
Nail is important for the bird. It helps bird to find diet in nature. In nature, a bird does not need to cut the nail because the nail cannot longer because they scratch to ground.
In the cage, a bird nail can increase. As I mention above, the long nail can hurt other chicken. It could hurt its chicken too. Therefore, you need to cut the nail. Here are some steps:
1. Catch the bird gently. Do not make the bird or chicken afraid. You can touch the head so the bird calm. You have better ask your friend to hold the bird.
2. Cut the nail with nail cut. Be careful. Do not cut the nail near the finger. It is harm to the bird.
3. After cutting, you can release the bird the cage.
4. Disinfectant the tools or nail scissors. 
You need to prepare cutting nail, antiseptic, and others. If the nail hurt you can give the chicken antiseptic

Orpington Chicken Profile

Orpington Chicken is a fat look chicken with thick plumage from Orpington, London. This chicken is more fat than New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red. This breed is viable as meat producer. Some source also said this breed is good for layer too. The chicken weighs around 7-10 pounds. The plumage is thick and cover the chicken shank and feet. The body is round. I think this chicken is similar to football.  The feather tail is short flowing. It has single red comb and double red witted.

Orpigton is a hybrid of various chicken breed such as Langshans, Minorca, and Plymouth rocks. Not surprising, this chicken almost similar to fat Langshans from China. I think the fat body is generated from Langshans. The body is similar to Langshans. William Cook, the breeder, cross bred Orpington in 1880. They have so may color variation like blue, black, buff white, porcelain, mottled, birchen, and red.

Due to its thick plumage, this chicken can stand with cold weather. The hen still lays the eggs in winter. The hen is also good for hatch the eggs.

This breed is good for layer too. The hen can lay 200 brown light eggs. The hen started laying at 6 month age like New Hampshire red. The hen will hatch the eggs with its tick plumage. An Orpington hen can broody four times in a year. This bird is friendly with other people so you can raise this chicken at backyard as meat producer and layer.

The Orpington has bantam breed too. Herman Kuhn, a Germany breeder, has succeeded to breed Orpington bantam whose have various coloru like birchen, buff, columbian, blue laced, buff black laced, white, black, barred, buff, and red. Photo by:Carly and Art

How to protect Chicken from Predator

Raising chicken in backyard is risky too. Some predator could kill the chicken especially the chick because it is weak. A chick cannot run out from the predator.



The examples of chicken predator are eagle, hawk, falcon, raccoon, fox, coyote, opossums, wolf, bad people, cat, and others. If you live at small town, you must often see the animal.



In my country, bad people often steal chicken. They bake the chicken or sell it to market. If they are caught, they will get in the neck by the citizen. For your information, a chicken thief sentence longer than a corrupter. It is because the thief cannot hire a good lawyer. To protect your chicken, you can do like this:


1. Construct a strong pen or buy a strong pen that can protect your pet from predator. Some rat can bite the wood and finally eat the chick.



2. Fence the free range is with strong enough wire. It can bar the predator enter to your pen.



3. Use the roof fence or canopy. Unfortunately, it must be expensive.



4. Build small a fan tower. In my country, it is useful to expel the hawk or eagle.People use it from plastic or bamboo.



5. Do not put the chicken food in anywhere because it will invite the rat. Finally they eat the chicken. Save the chicken feed at dirty place.



6. Use Broody chicken pen to raise the chick. If your house environment has so many predators, you need to make it.



7. Lock the pen so the bad people cannot steal your chicken. Be sure the pen is clocked in the night.


8. Trap the predator. It is easy to trap mouse. You can try other traps. I do not whether United States allows the chicken owner to trap coyote or fox. 

I am a chicken expert. I have write hundreds article about chicken and bird. Visit my blog http://backyardpen.blogspot.com and http://hubpages.com/profile/Chapter

Aracauna : Chicken breed form Chile, South American

Aracauna is native South American Chicken or Chile. As guest its name, Aracauna Indian tribe is the first man who breed this chicken breed. The breed is descendant of two breed chicken i.e: Quetrro and Collonca. The origin of this bird is debatable. Did Colombus bring the chicken? or, The chicken is Polynesian native chicken.

This chicken is medium size. It is not fat like American breed chicken. This chicken is slim. It has pea comb, double wattled, and read earlobes. The unique characterized of the bird is ear-tuft and rump-less ( no feather tail). Aracauna is the blue egg shield layer or egg easter like indian runner egg. You should know that blue shield eggs is not more nutrious than brown eggs or white eggs. They have many color variation like black, white, cucko, red, silver, lavender, and else.

British has developed this bird too. American has been success to make a new breed from this chicken. It is called Ameraucana or American and Auracana.

Photo by: jackberry