If you have already decided on setting up your backyard for raising chickens, one of your primary concerns would be to select what breed of chicken you would want to have.  One thing to remember when raising backyard chickens is that you cannot simply go out and get any chicken available. This is because there are a plethora of breeds to choose from.

The different breeds of chickens would usually correspond to the different needs that you have depending on what kind of products you want to reap from raising them. There are usually two main options when you decide to raise backyard chickens, you could decide to sell or use their eggs for a profit, or you can sell the chicken themselves as meat. You should probably decide between the two as you would probably need different breeds of chickens to match either need.

For raising chickens for eggs:

The best breeds would usually be those that are able to lay large, beautiful brown eggs. This is because these kinds of eggs are the type that a lot of people would use and therefore purchase from you.

For this need you may want to select a chicken that comes from the Barred Rock, Black Australorps, or Rhode Island Reds breeds. These are the breeds that are generally famous for the ability of the chickens to produce good eggs.

For raising chickens for their meats

You may want chickens that are generally heavyset and larger framed than others. This is because these are the types that would be able to cook well and sell well in the market.

The breeds that would provide you with this kind of chickens are usually the Orpingtons, Cornish, or Giants. Chickens from these breeds are usually great for roasting, broiling, or frying.

Can a breed do both?

Some people may want to hit two birds with one stone and want the chickens that they raise in their backyards to do both the laying of eggs and giving meat. However, they are wary of having plenty of breeds as they have heard that it is a bad idea to mix breeds in a single coop.

For these people, perhaps the best option would be to select a chicken that is not necessarily great in laying eggs or providing meat, but is not poor in both either. Some breeds that are able to do this are the aforementioned Orpingtons.

Chickens from the Orpington breed would usually be able to add a nice brown egg to complement the meat that it would also be able to provide you.

Now that you are aware of the different breeds of chickens that you could use for your own backyard raising experience, you may want to consider your needs so that you would be able to select one that perfectly suits it.

When you decide you’re going to raise chickens, you’ve got to decide if you’re raising chickens for eggs, meat and/or to have as pets.

Some of the most common egg layers are the White Leghorn and the Hubbard Isa Brown.  For meat chickens, the Cornish X Rock Hybrids and the Jersey Giants are favorites.

If you’re just looking for a pet – take a look at the Silky Bantams and the Japanese Bantams – they’re shockingly adorable and have incredibly fun personalities!

To learn more about other chicken breeds, check out http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html for a free chicken breed chart authored by John Henderson on Ithaca College’s website.