![]() In my backyard flock, I want chickens who are prolific foragers, who can withstand the heat and cold climates, who are smart enough to hide from predators and will pass those characteristics down to their offspring. Peresonally, I’ve found heritage breeds to be hardier and just simply better-bred. Heritage meat chicken breeds include brahmas, Australorps and Dominique. Heritage chicken breeds for eggs include Rhode island reds, Australorps, Orpingtons and barred rocks. The Livestock Conservancy of the United States tracks the status of heritage chicken breeds as far as heritage egg production and meat production and dual-purpose breeds.īuying and breeding heritage birds supports their conservation, promotes awareness of the different breeds of chicken, and hopefully continues the genetic diversity of chickens in general. In fact, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy says that over 36 breeds of chicken are in danger of extinction. Since factory-farms account for well over 90% of the chickens in America (9 billion chickens are slaughtered a year for meat, while an additional 300 million are kept for eggs), the genetic diversity of chickens is under threat. ![]() The chickens used in modern industrialized farms are hybrid chickens, selected for rapid growth and size. Today, chickens weight double that in just six weeks!” – ASPCA “In 1925, it took 16 weeks to raise a chicken to 2.5 pounds. Laying chickens are bred to lay large, often flavorless eggs, as quickly and as often as possible. Meat breeds are bred to grow as large as possible, as fast as possible, so farmers can butcher them quickly, and are a single breed: the cornish cross. Most chickens bred for commercial operations these days are not bred for sustainability. Our ancestors wanted a healthy, long-lived, prolific chicken, suitable for life outdoors, that could serve as an egg producer and also a broiler chicken. Chickens have been a staple to the American diet since Jamestown.
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