Chickens - Raising, Eggs, Cooking (recipes)

Having mastered the backyard garden, most people wishing to grow or raise more of their own food, add a few chickens to the mix.

The chicken is one of the most common and widespread domestic animals. With over24 billion chickens in the world, there are more chickens than any other bird. People keep chickens primarily as a source of food, consuming both their meat and their eggs.

Chickens are bred for a purpose - either meet production (broilers) or for eggs (layers). There are a few varieties that work well for both.

Broilers

The Cornish Cross is bred specifically for meat production, with an emphasis placed on the ratio of feed to meat produced by the animal. The most common breeds of chicken consumed in the US are Cornish and White Rock. Capons (castrated rosters) produce more and fattier meat.

Layers

For white eggs, the Leghorn is a very popular bred. Minorcas, Anconas, and the California Whites are also good white egg layers. The Production Red is the most popular of the brown egg layers. This bird is a cross between Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire. Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires are also very good brown egg layers.

Chicken Coop

Of course you'll need a place to keep your small chicken flock. A good option is to make your own chicken coop. This way it will be the correct size and have all the features to want. Commercial chicken coops are available just the same.

A chicken coop, also called a chicken house or hen house, will protect your chickens from weather and predators. You’ll need about 3 sq. ft. of floor space inside the chicken coop, for each hen and another 5 sq. ft. of space outside the chicken coop or hen house. Inside the chicken coop you will need nesting boxes, a watering device (waterer) and something for feeding your chickens.

We a variety of chicken coop or hen house plans you may want to look over: Chicken Coops

Chicken Recipes

Chicken is one of the most popular meat items around the world because it's so easy to raise a few chickens in the year. Virtually all cultures have multiple chicken and egg recipes. Of course, chicken can be prepared as a main dish on it's own - fried chicken, grilled chicken, etc. There are also countless recipes where chicken is just one of the ingredients - chicken salad, stir fry's, rice and chicken, etc. For a free options, why not browse or list of chicken recipes.