With many people reverting back to the good old days of growing your own veg and keeping your own chickens for eggs, some folks are asking me "what types of chickens can I keep that my children will be safe with and will make good pets"
It is a sure fact that some breeds of hen are not suitable for keeping as both pets and for eggs however, there is one breed that is both full of charater and will keep you in eggs throughout the year.
Rhode Island Reds are a good breed to choose if you want to keep a small flock of dual-purpose chickens. They are great for both egg production and also as pets.
The average hen lays large brown eggs and is also very freiendly so long as they are given teh chance to get to know you. Once you have them used to you they will let you stroke them, pick them up and generally fuss over them - in fact they love to have their feathers stroked.
The hens lay an average of about 260 eggs per year which is an ample amount to keep you in a small business if you have more than a couple of them. The Cock is NOT suitable - only hens as the Cock will be aggressive and noisy (and obviously does not lay eggs).
The Rhode Island Red is one of the most popular breeds but it is also one of the more recently developed breeds as well. It got its name from being bred and developed in Rhode Island in the 1830s but it was also developed in Massachusetts. It’s breeding is a combination of Brown Leghorns, Cochins and Malays. It gets it’s deep rich red color from the Malay influence in its breeding.
You can get more information about keeping chickens from www.chickenkeepers.co.uk
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