Hybrid Or Heritage?

Battery Hens...

Battery hens are sometimes available and can be purchased for very little. They initial come in a scruffy state because they are disposed of by the farmers just before they come in to moult. At this time, usually before 72 weeks of age the egg laying ability will drop making the birds uneconomical to keep. The conditions they are kept in will also result in untidy feathering but the feathering will recover in time.

The breeds most commonly used are ISA brown and Lohmanns, the colouring of these breeds is plain and boring and by the time they are sold their best year of laying has already passed. Due to their upbringing and breeding their hardiness and durability for free range use may be questionable. For people just getting into the hobby they are good value to gain experience but new comers to poultry keeping will soon realise there are better options available.

Modern Table Birds...

The supermarket chicken is a fast growing bird that can be oven ready within 8 weeks dependent on the strain.  In comparison traditional breeds will take over 20 weeks to be useable, and most breeds may require 1-2 years worth of growth to attain a suitable weight. Modern table birds have various downfalls including leg problems that are common among these hybrids as the birds often struggle to support their own weight when young.

The extra weight often causes deformities or heart attacks that can lead to early mortality, so these birds should be avoided by amateur poultry keepers. If the back garden poultry keeper wishes to keep these birds, they ideally need specialist management involving plenty of running space, low stocking densities and limited and controlled feeding to develop at a healthier rate. Deformed and limping birds should be culled. The leading brands in modern table birds include Cobb, Sasso and Hubbard.

Modern Hybrids...

A hybrid for egg production is the offspring from crossing two different breeds with desirable egg producing abilities. They are created to fulfil a business-orientated purpose for high egg laying ability or egg colour. These hybrids have been developed for free range rearing and come in a wider selection of colours and varieties than battery hybrids but the colouring usually varies and birds are generally poorly marked.

Modern hybrids can typically lay between 300 and 340 eggs per year which is greater than any traditional chicken breed. There is a relatively limited selection of breeds when compared with standardised traditional breeds. Beneficially modern hybrids are often vaccinated against Mareks and Infectious Bronchitis (IB) which rarely, if ever occurs with traditional breeds as vaccinating small numbers is expensive. Egg colours from some hybrids, such as the Maran Noire (pictured) are not as dark or even coloured as their traditional counterparts, but eggs are off a good size and shell quality.

 

Heritage Breeds...

Traditional breeds typically lay between 150 and 250 eggs per year and sizes vary greatly dependant on the breed, from very small to large. There is a vast selection of breed types, colours, egg colours and unusual breed features such as feathered legs and comb types. Traditional breeds typically have breed standards of perfection to maintain well defined colouring and consistency throughout. Importantly the traditional breeds have a heritage value making them important to preserve. Due to their breeding and history many of these breeds exceed hybrids for hardiness, attractiveness and free ranging ability. They usually require no extra attention than hybrids and are equally as suitable for amateur poultry keepers.

Where hybrids have only good egg laying or good table properties, many traditional breeds have dual purpose uses for both eggs and meat and along with hardiness, free ranging ability, attractiveness and conservation value they make a good buy. Hybrids are generally slightly cheaper often being sold for around £15 at Point Of Lay (POL). The price for traditional breeds vary greatly dependant on the breed, quality and source. Common traditional breeds may sell for similar prices to hybrids but exhibition and endangered breeds can sell for more than double the price at POL.

Sourcing Poultry

Birds can be sourced via www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk the Poultry Shop breeder directory and the CountrySmallholding, Smallholder and Practical Poultry magazines. Each magazine contains a breeders directory.  Practical poultry contains the largest most appropriate directory that is appropriately divided by country and county to make it easy to find breeders in your area. There are generally a greater number of breeders supplying traditional breeds r than hybrids but the few that do supply hybrids are usually larger companies that have greater numbers of birds for sale.