From big to small, we feed them all!

Chicken Breeds

Here are some of the popular breeds that we offer -

 

Araucana 

The Araucana is a breed of domestic chicken from Chile. Its name derives from the Araucania region of Chile where it is believed to have originated. It lays blue-shelled eggs, one of very few breeds that do so.

Breed standards for the Araucana vary from country to country. It may have unusual tufts of feathers on the ears, and may be rumples, without a tail and tail-bone; in the United States it may for this reason be known as the South American Rumpless. Both ear-tufts and rumplessness are caused by lethal genes, so not all birds display these traits. The Ameraucana breed and "Easter-Egger" hybrids of the United States, which also lay blue or green eggs, both derive from the Araucana.

Poultry Show Class: No Show Class at this time

 Barred Rock

Recognized by the American Standard of Perfection as a distinct pure chicken breed in 1874 and known as "the kind of chickens that "Grandma use to raise." This is one of the color varieties of the Plymouth Rock chicken family and an excellent winter/summer brown egg layer. The Barred Standard Plymouth Rock Chicken is a great back yard poultry for production and very kid friendly chicken. Most people call these "Barred Rocks” which is a short name for the Barred Plymouth Rock chicken. Some people confuse the Barred Rock chicken with the Dominique chicken breed. The Barred Rock has a single comb (straight comb) and has more of a straight pattern in the barred feathers. The Dominique chicken has a rose comb and a slight v pattern in the barring of the feathers. Both make for good chickens in the winter and good pet chickens.

Poultry Show Class:  American Class

Black Sex Link

The Sex Link Hybrid is the result of crossing two heritage purebred poultry standard chicken breeds together. They take a Rhode Island Red chicken rooster and a Barred Rock chicken hen and cross them to give you this outstanding brown egg laying hen offspring. The baby chicks for sale from this original cross are color sexable chicks- the grown roosters have faded barred with light colored neck hackle feathers, grown pullets or hens are black with red mixed in their neck hackle feathers. This hybrid chicken breed makes for very vigorous chicks, rugged brown egg laying hens and good cockerel chicken fryers. Although not a show chicken, they are great for raising hens for eggs and pet chickens for the backyard or farm. Many customers like the Black Sex Link chicken for raising free range chicken eggs or organic free range chickens.

Poultry Show Class: No official Show Class at this time

 Buff Orpington

Buff Orpington chickens originated in England, and were recognized by the APA as a pure chicken breed in 1902. These "Golden Chicken Beauties" are a large, stately chicken with a quiet disposition. Buff Orpington chickens are one of the best chickens for eggs and for meat. They are white skinned, plump, and juicy for a great dressed out chicken. The Buff Orpington is one of the best chickens for sale online for dual egg and meat purposes. Many will put their 2 year old chickens in the stew pot and retain the 1 year old hens for laying eggs.  This accomplishes the most efficient cost to feed ratio to raise chickens. Most chicken breed charts will list the Buff Orpington chicken as a dual purpose bird that lay a medium brown egg. Even though the Buff Orpington chicken is a very heavy and large bird, this does not always mean the bigger the hen the larger the egg. Buff Orpingtons make excellent broody mothers for baby chicks.

 

Poultry Show Class: English Class

 Golden Comet

The Golden Comet chickens are known for their fast body development, fast egg production and rich brown egg shell color. The parent stock is made from a strain of the Cherry Egger male and the Rhode Island White female. 

This strain will start to lay eggs at a younger age than most standard breeds and produce large to extra large brown eggs. They are also color sexable as chicks for the first generation which are the chicks you receive. Chicks from the second generation will not be color sexable and will come in multiple colors. As chicks the cockerels are white and the pullets are more brownish red in color. Leg color is mostly yellow but will get some greenish. Hens feathering color varies with brownish feathers and white feathers. Adult rooster feathering color varies from totally white to white with light to dark red feathers on shoulder feathers.

Poultry Show Class: No official Show Class at this time

Rhode Island Red

Originated in Rhode Island, it is the state bird of Rhode Island and recognized as a distinct pure chicken breed in 1904 by the American Standard of Perfection. The Single Comb Rhode Island Red chicken is our most popular breed for brown egg laying production. They are a popular chicken choice for backyard chicken flocks because of their egg laying abilities and hardiness. Rhode Island Red chicks are a good choice for raising baby chickens naturally and raising baby chickens for eggs. Non-industrial strains of the Rhode Island Red are listed as recovering by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.  The Rhode Island Red is a true heritage chicken breed picked as a great choice for egg production. Many breeders breed the Rhode Island Red chicken for show, these are a little darker red and do not produce as many eggs. The Roosters usually weigh in at 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg), The Hens weigh slightly less at 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg), cockerel at 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg), and pullets at 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). Developed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, early flocks often had both single and rose combed individuals because of the influence of Malay blood.

Poultry Show Class: American Class 

 Silver Laced Wyandotte

Admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1883. These originated in New York State and are the parent variety of the all of the other Wyandottes. The Black Laced Silver Wyandotte chickens are a docile bird with clean legs and mostly black laced silvery white feathers and black tail. They have a red rose comb, earlobes and wattles. They will on occasion go broody and they make excellent mothers. They work well in confinement or free range and are a great back yard chicken.

Poultry Show Class: American

 White Leghorn

White Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320. They were admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and originates from Italy, Denmark, and England. This breed is very athletic, hardy, non-sitters and lay very nice large/X large white eggs. They have a good feed-to-egg conversion ratio, needing around 125 grams per day of feed. This chicken breed is great for free range chicken farming or organic free range chicken eggs.  Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying. The Leghorn is a light breed that matures quickly and is not considered a viable meat producer. Leghorns are active and efficient foragers and are one of the best for free range chickens that can avoid predators. However, the white variety of the leghorn might be easily seen by predators. They typically avoid human contact and tend to be nervous and flighty.

Poultry Show Class: Mediterranean Class

White Rock

The White Plymouth Rock chicken was recognized as a distinct chicken breed and admitted to the American Standard of Perfection as a pure breed chicken in 1888. The White Plymouth Rock chicken is a good dual purpose chicken, a good pet chicken, a member of the Plymouth Rock family and known by their short name as a white rock chicken. A great American poultry heritage chicken breed that grandma and grandpa would have on the farm. They lay large to extra large brown eggs and the cockerels make very good fryers. White Rocks hens have similar characteristics as the Barred Rocks, except they are pure white in color. As chicks, however the chick fuzz can be white to all shades of dark smoky color turning to white feathers as new juvenile feathers emerge. As adults they will have yellow legs, however as young chicks and juvenile chickens some will have darker leg color. They are graceful, inquisitive, friendly and easy to manage. White Rocks hens are not as popular as the Barred Rocks, they have soft feathers and a dawn like undercoat, making them very cold hardy. White Rocks are great chickens to have in a backyard flock. White Rocks hens start laying eggs on average at about 5 months after hatching and are among some of the earliest maturing laying hens. White Rock hens, like most laying hens, will go through a period of chicken feather molting, usually after laying for several months. During the molting period the hens won't lay eggs and their pelvic bones will become not as wide. They may lose feathers and get pretty rough looking. Their faces will turn from a bright red to a pale pinkish color and it may take several weeks (4-8 weeks) to be done with the molting. When their face, comb and wattles become red again and the hens begin to sing you will know they are about to resume laying eggs. The White Rock chicken continues to be used as the female breeding side of the commercial Cornish Broiler Cross chicken.

Poultry Show Class: American Class

 

 

 
 

Please contact us for more information. (508)821-3704 or info@baystatepet.com