Now that you have decided to raise some chickens, how do you know what to look for and which ones to purchase? It is imperative that you know at least the basics when it comes to choosing the best birds for your coop whether they are laying hens or broilers and fryers.
Purchasing chicks is one way of getting a head start on giving your birds the healthiest diet and raising possible for the best egg production or meat consumption.
With so many different breeds and types to choose from, knowing a little bit about them is necessary to make the best decisions possible.
There are numerous websites that are excellent sources of information on many of the different breeds of chickens and which ones are the best for the purposes you are raising them.
Depending on your intentions you may need to purchase one specific breed over another to best suit your plans.
Finding information about the main types of chickens and what breed is good for either egg laying or meal production will benefit you when the time comes to actually purchase your chickens.
If gathering eggs for your personal use or for selling is your main goal for raising chickens, you will need to consider the best breeds for that type of production.
Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds are most often preferred for excellent egg production, and the laying hens do their job well.
Acquiring a rooster is not imperative to the egg laying production unless you desire fertilized eggs for hatching.
If not, opting to fore go purchasing a rooster will save you time, money and hassle.
When choosing a good laying hen, watch for signs of bad health.
The eyes should be bright, and alert with the chickens moving around frequently.
Their feathers should be in good condition with excellent color and definition.
Avoid purchasing laying hens that tend to sit still frequently, or do not walk in the usual peppy manner known to chickens.
When choosing chickens primarily for meals and meat consumption, the most common breeds that provide excellent quality meat are Ross, Arbor Acres, and Peterson chickens.
These three breeds are the most commonly preferred for their meatiness and provide proper amounts of nutrients as well.
Purchasing these chickens requires a good eye for healthy specimens or good quality chicks from healthy laying hens that are able to be raised healthy to produce the best quality meat when the time arrives.
Saving money is a good notion, but buying the cheapest chicks, laying hens, broilers, or fryers is not always the best idea.
Sometimes those cheap chickens are cheap for a reason and that reason could be an un-noticed disease or a sickly bird that could infect an entire coop, leaving you with dead or damaged chickens.
If you find a good supplier that produces top quality specimens, sticking with them would be wise and perhaps working out variations of deals or payments can be made with consent to continue purchasing from them exclusively.
Finding a supplier is not difficult, but finding a trustworthy and excellent one can be.
Trust your instincts and for the rest you don't know -- research is the key.