We’ve talked about this on our blog in the past, but starting your own chicken or egg production business can be daunting. Whether you’re looking to do something small out of your backyard or you’re thinking about expanding to a large facility, there are a lot of factors to consider.
Like the age-old question of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” you may be asking yourself a similar question. We’re here to tell you that it’s the chickens that arrive first, but you’ll have to start by choosing the best egg-laying chickens for your flock. Not all chickens produce the same amount of eggs or meat, which is why you need to research which egg-layers will be right for your backyard flock.
So you’re selecting the types of chickens you want to raise—that’s great! We have a few tips for beginners, but these are just some general guidelines anyone in the chicken business should follow.
Before you make any decisions, be sure you understand your business goals. Do you plan to keep your business confined to your backyard? Do you just want a few egg-laying chickens for you and your family? Or maybe you’re ready for your business to grow into something more sustainable?
No matter what you choose, it’s essential to understand how many eggs you want to produce. The number of eggs you want your birds to lay over the span of a week can determine how many and what type of birds you may want or need.
Depending on the size of your outdoor space or chicken coop, a smaller breed of chicken may be more practical for your business. Most chickens prefer to be free-range, but if the outdoor space isn’t large enough, your birds may be uncomfortable and develop some potential health issues.
Surprisingly enough, different breeds of chickens tend towards specific temperament characteristics. If you plan on choosing the best egg-laying chickens for your backyard flock, having birds that are calm and friendly in nature can make a big difference.
While heritage breeds tend to lay less initially, they will lay better over a longer period of time. They are also heavier and heartier birds because of their added fat reserves. Hybrids, such as the Novogen, will lay more and have better feed conversion but generally lay well for a shorter period. As well, Novogens are lighter birds.
Here at Freedom Ranger Hatchery, we pride ourselves in not only providing the best possible birds to our customers but also in sharing our years of knowledge with you. Choosing the best egg-laying chickens doesn’t have to be difficult because we have all of the birds you could need right here at our hatchery.
Here are just a few of our favorite chicken breeds for sale and why you may want to use them as egg-layers:
If so, Freedom Ranger has all of these chickens for sale—and more! Our egg-layers are some of the top breeds available, so getting productive chickens from Freedom Ranger won’t be difficult. We are always selling the best!
Check out and purchase our products online, or contact us if you have any questions and would like to learn more.