Do you need some good commercial chicken breeds? If so, this guide can help you pick one.
Chickens are very useful because they can give eggs, meat, and even pets. Commercial chickens are breeds raised mostly for business.
They are very important for the poultry industry and help the economy a lot. Commercial chicken breeds are chosen based on how productive they are and how well they do on farms.
The choice is made carefully, looking at how fast they grow, how many eggs they lay, how well they use food, and if they resist diseases. But the breed also depends on if you want eggs, meat, or pets.
The commercial chicken breeding business changes to meet new market needs and what people want.
As you learn more about this interesting world, understanding the different breeds and what makes them special will help you make good choices for your chicken business.
What Are Commercial Chicken Breeds?
There are many kinds of chickens used for business. Each type is special and different from others. Some commercial chicken breeds lay a lot of eggs each year.
Other commercial chickens grow quickly and give a lot of meat. Some people keep certain chickens as pets because they are friendly and look nice.
It is important to understand the types of chickens used for business. The type you pick will impact how much money your business makes. This is because eggs, meat, and pet chickens have different prices.
You should also think about if the chicken can live well in your area’s weather. And if it can fight off common chicken sicknesses. Plus, having chickens for business is a long-term job.
Chickens can live for 3 to 12 years, or even longer for some types. So, picking the right type of commercial chicken breed needs careful research and thought. You must look at all the details before choosing a chicken for your business.
Benefits of Starting A Chicken Business For Eggs, Meat, and Pets
Raising chickens can make good money if you really like growing birds. People always need eggs, meat, and other birds. This gives you a solid group to sell to.
Also, chickens are not too hard to breed and care for. This makes them a smart choice for those just starting out.
A chicken business has several good points. First, it brings in steady cash. You can always find peoples who want to buy eggs, meat, or pet birds.
Second, it is a lasting kind of work. Chickens make many new chicks, so you’ll always have new birds. Third, it is a flexible business. You can start small and grow your flock as business picks up.
However, like all businesses, raising chickens has challenges too. Things like changing markets, bird sickness, and high costs can make things rough.
But if you plan right, learn all you can, and stick with it, you can get past the hard parts. Then you’ll reap all the rewards of your chicken business.
Best-Selling Commercial Chicken Breeds for Egg Business
When it comes to the egg production business, certain breeds outshine the rest. These breeds are known for their high egg yield, laying an impressive number of eggs annually.
Let’s take a closer look at these top performers.
White Leghorn
The White Leghorn is a chicken breed that lays many eggs. It can give around 280 to 320 eggs each year. The eggs are big and white, weighing about 2 ounces each.
Leghorn hens start laying eggs when it is young, around 4 to 5 months old. It can keep laying eggs for 4 to 6 years. This breed usually lives for 5 to 7 years.
The cost of White Leghorn eggs in the United States markets depends on where you live and the time of year. But it is often around $3 to $4 for a dozen eggs.
White Leghorn chickens are some of the best chickens to have for a business that sells eggs. My uncle had a small farm with these chickens.
He would collect the eggs every day and sell them at the local market. The customers loved the fresh, white eggs from his healthy chickens.
Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red is a chicken breed from the United States. It has dark red feathers and is strong.
RIR chickens lay 250 to 300 light-brown eggs each year. Their eggs are large in size. These chickens are great for farms that want many eggs for business.
Rhode Island Red hens start laying eggs when they are 18 to 20 weeks old. They lay eggs well for the first 3 to 4 years of their lives.
After that time, the hens lay fewer eggs little by little. Finally, they stop laying eggs at all. Rhode Island Red chickens usually live for 7 to 8 years.
In the United States, a dozen Rhode Island Red eggs typically costs around $4.50. But the price may change based on the place, season, and how many people want to buy eggs.
Barred Plymouth Rock
The Barred Plymouth Rock is a chicken breed that gives both eggs and meat. It is a strong and friendly commercial chicken breed that can live in many climates and places.
The hens of this breed lays medium to large brown eggs that many people in the United States want. Each egg weighs about 2.3 ounces. This chicken lays around 200 to 280 eggs per year.
The Barred Plymouth Rock starts laying eggs at around five months old. It can keep laying eggs for up to four years, but will lay fewer eggs as it gets older.
With good care, the Barred Plymouth Rock can live for about 7 to 8 years. The price of Barred Plymouth Rock eggs changes based on the market. But, the eggs cost more than other breeds because the eggs are good quality and size.
Sussex
The Sussex chicken is a well-known bird. It comes from Britain from a long time ago. The most common kind has feathers of brown and white.
This chicken breed is known for being friendly, able to stand cold weather, and laying many eggs.
On average, the hens lay about 180 to 200 eggs each year. But some lay even more – as many as 220 to 250 eggs. They are one of the best commercial chicken breeds for eggs.
The eggs are big and creamy to light brown in color. The hens start laying eggs when they are around four months old. They keep laying for one to one and a half years.
The Sussex chicken lives for about eight to ten years. The price of a speckled Sussex chick can be low, around $2.75, from hatcheries.
Australorp
The Australorp chicken is a well-known breed that came from Australia. It was made from the English Orpington chicken. It is one of the best commercial chicken breeds that can be used for both meat and eggs. It is known for being friendly and calm.
A female Australorp chicken can lay around 280 to 300 eggs each year. The eggs are light brown and big in size. They are one of the best breeds for laying lots of eggs for business.
The Australorp chicken starts laying eggs when it is between 16 and 20 weeks old. It can keep laying eggs for many years, but the number of eggs will go down as it gets older.
Australorps usually lives for 6 to 10 years. In the United States, one Australorp egg costs about 25 cents on average, based on a report from the USDA.
Golden Comet
The Golden Comet is a lovely commercial chicken breed. It was made to lay lots of eggs. It came from mixing a New Hampshire rooster with a White Rock hen.
You can tell if the chick is a male or a female by its color. The girl chicks are reddish-brown with some white feathers. The boy chicks are mostly white with some red feathers.
The hens lay medium to large light brown eggs. They start laying eggs when they are about 4 months old. Each hen can lay up to 330 eggs in one year! That’s a lot of eggs.
Golden Comet chickens live for 4 to 5 years. In the United States, one Golden Comet egg costs about 25 cents. That’s a good price for such a hardy chicken breed for business!
ISA Brown
The ISA Brown is a lovely chicken for business. It lays a lot of eggs. An ISA Brown chicken can lay around 300 eggs every year. It starts laying eggs when it is about 22 weeks old.
The eggs are brown in color. They are big to extra big in size. On average, each egg weighs about 63 grams. The ISA Brown chicken lives for around 3 years. But it may not lay as many eggs after the first year.
In the United States, an ISA Brown egg costs around $0.25. The price may change based on where you buy it from and how good it is. Many people keep this chicken to make money all over the world.
Best Commercial Chicken Breeds for Meat Production
When it comes to meat production, certain breeds are superior. These breeds are known for their rapid growth, impressive weight, and excellent meat quality.
Let’s delve into these top performers.
Cornish Cross
Cornish Cross chickens are birds made by mixing Cornish and White Plymouth Rock types. They grow big fast and have lots of breast meat. That’s why people use them most for meat purpose.
These are the chickens found in most stores and markets in the U.S. The roosters can weigh up to 9 pounds, while the hens get up to 7 pounds. The meat is soft, juicy, and tasty. It has a nice texture and more white meat than dark.
Freedom Ranger
Freedom Ranger chickens are a type of chicken raised for delicious meat. They have feathers in shades of red-brown or three colors, skin and legs of yellow hue, and earlobes that are white in color.
They grow at a moderate rate, reaching around 5 to 6 pounds in 9 to 11 weeks. These birds are calm and friendly. They enjoy roaming freely, scratching the ground, and taking dust baths.
Their meat is tender, juicy, and flavorful. It has more healthy yellow omega-3 fat and less unhealthy saturated fat than faster-growing chicken breeds.
Freedom Ranger chickens can also lay brown eggs at a rate of 3 to 4 per week. Freedom Ranger Hatchery, Inc., a family-owned business in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, sells these special chickens.
The price of an adult Freedom Ranger chicken varies based on its gender and whether it is non-GMO. The cost of the meat depends on market prices and processing fees, but it is generally higher than conventional broiler chicken meat. However, the flavorful and healthier meat makes the higher cost worthwhile.
American Bresse
The American Bresse chicken is a lovely from France. It has tasty meat with lots of flavor. The meat also has a nice texture.
Meat of this chicken is so good that it can cost a lot of money in France, up to $200 for one bird. This chicken looks different from other chickens. It has white feathers, a red comb and wattles, and blue legs.
The roosters can weigh up to 7 pounds, while the hens can weigh up to 5 pounds. Hens of this breed lay around 250 cream-colored eggs each year.
The American Bresse chicken does not live very long. They are usually slaughtered for meat when they are 16 to 20 weeks old.
In the United States, the price of adult American Bresse chickens and their meat changes based on how many are available and how good they are. But they generally cost more than other chicken breeds.
White Plymouth Rock
The White Plymouth Rock chicken is a dual-purpose bird. It was first raised in Massachusetts, USA. It is a type of Plymouth Rock chicken, but with white feathers.
This chicken is big and white. It has a red comb on its head and yellow legs. It is known for laying many eggs. It can lay around 200 large brown eggs each year, even during winter.
The White Plymouth Rock is also good for meat. At full size, it weighs about 8 pounds. However, I will not talk about how the meat tastes or feels. That would be unkind to these birds and their lives.
With good care and a safe place to live, these chickens can live for 6 to 8 years. A grown White Plymouth Rock chicken costs around $20 to buy. If you want to buy the meat, it costs around $4 per pound in the USA.
Orpington
The Orpington chicken comes from England. It was made in the late 1800s by William Cook in Orpington, Kent. Cook wanted a calm bird that was good for meat and eggs, as well as good-looking.
Orpingtons have a medium to large size and a round, feathery body. They have a wide, deep chest, short legs, and a low body.
Their feathers are soft and thick. They come in colors like black, blue, buff, and lavender. The most well-known is the Buff Orpington with pretty golden-buff feathers.
Orpingtons are known for being friendly and calm. They are gentle birds that often like being around people. They are usually easy to handle, making them great pets for families with kids.
They are medium to large birds. Roosters often weigh between 8-10 lbs, while hens weigh 7-8 lbs. Orpingtons are good for eggs and meat. Their meat is well-marbled and tasty, so they are popular for meat chickens.
An Orpington chicken usually lives for 8 to 10 years, but it depends on how well they are cared for and where they live.
Delaware
Delaware chickens are a medium chicken breed. They started in the state of Delaware in the U.S. They are one of the best commercial chicken breeds.
They have white feathers with black marks on the neck, wings, and tail. The roosters weigh around 8.5 lbs. The hens weigh about 6.5 lbs.
The Delaware hens lay big brown eggs and can sit on eggs to hatch them. Delawares are tough and calm birds. They do well in free-range farms. They are one of the best breeds for business.
The usual lifespan of a Delaware chicken is 6 to 8 years. An adult chicken costs around $25. The meat costs around $4 per pound in the United States.
Jersey Giant
The Jersey Giant chicken is a big type of chicken. It comes from New Jersey in the United States. People made it by mixing black Javas, black Langshans, and dark Brahmas. They wanted a chicken for its meat that was as big as a turkey.
The Jersey Giant is one of the heaviest chicken breeds used for commercial purpose. The roosters can weigh up to 15 pounds. The hens can weigh up to 11 pounds.
The meat of the Jersey Giant is tender and tasty. It has a fine texture and a medium amount of fat. The hens lay huge brown eggs. They are good at laying eggs in the winter.
A Jersey Giant chicken usually lives for about 6 to 8 years. The adult chicken costs between $10 and $30. This cost depends on the color and quality of the chicken. The meat costs about $4 to $6 per pound in the United States.
Best Selling Commercial Chicken Breeds for Pets
Some chicken breeds make excellent pets, thanks to their friendly nature, attractive appearance, and manageable size. Let’s explore these popular choices.
Silkie
Silkie chickens are a type of chicken that came from Asia. They first appeared in China in the 6th century. People thought that Kublai Khan gifted them to the Chinese rulers in 1299.
The chickens have very fluffy feathers that look like silk or satin. They also have some strange features. Their skin and bones are black.
Their earlobes are blue. And they have five toes on each foot instead of four like most chickens.
Silkie chickens are calm and gentle. This makes them easy to care for. They are also tough and don’t need a lot of room to wander around.
They can handle cold weather well. And they do okay living inside a cage or small space. Silkie chickens make great pets, especially for children.
Usually, silkie chickens live for 7 to 9 years. But some people say their pet silkies lived for over 15 years.
Frizzle
Frizzle chickens look quite special. Their feathers curl in a funny way! This bird belongs to many breeds. Some have names like Pekin and Polish. Frizzle is also its own breed in some places like Europe and Australia.
The curly feathers make these chickens seem like a feather duster with a beak! They have a striking look. But their shape and genes come from other breeds like Cochins or Silkies.
Frizzle chickens are tough birds that grow fast. They have a gentle nature. The hens lay good amounts of eggs. Their eggs can be white or tinted. The hens often get broody too.
Not only do Frizzles look sweet, they are sweet! They have a kind, friendly way about them. These chickens are calm and quiet. They don’t mind being handled much.
Many Frizzles become lap chickens and live a pampered life. These cute little birds love to hang out and cuddle with their owners. They make great pets for families who want some feathery friends!
Brahma
The Brahma chicken is an old breed that was made in the United States. It got its name from the Brahmaputra River in India, but people thought it was from there at first.
It was made by mixing giant chickens from China with other breeds. People worked on it over time to make the Brahma chicken we know today.
Brahmas are one of the biggest chicken breeds. They have a distinct look: big, square bodies, full chests, and they stand up a bit tall. Their most striking feature is their heavily feathered legs and feet, covered in soft, fluffy feathers.
They have a pea comb, small wattles, and a single comb. Brahmas come in different colors like light, dark, and tan, with nice patterns on their feathers.
Brahmas are true giants among chickens. The roosters can weigh around 10-12 pounds, while the hens usually weigh between 8-10 pounds.
They have a reputation for being gentle giants. They are known for being calm and friendly, which is great for families and backyard flocks.
They are usually gentle, easy to handle, and okay with being around people and other pets. Because they are so easygoing, they are a popular choice for people who want pet chickens.
Brahmas are excellent choices for keeping as pet chickens. Their calm behavior and friendly personality make them easy to care for and fun to interact with. On average, they can live up to 6-8 years.
Big dogs are nice with kids. Their large size makes them less jumpy than small dogs. So, having them as pets in the yard is easier.
Sebright
Sebright chickens come from the UK. Sir John Saunders Sebright made this breed in the early 1800s. They are one of the best pet type commercial chicken breeds.
This breed has special feathers that look laced. Sebrights are one of the smallest chicken breeds. Many people keep them as pretty birds, not for eggs.
Sebright chickens are friendly and curious. They move around a lot. Hens do not lay many eggs, but they are beautiful and fun birds.
These chickens live about 5 to 8 years. They need extra care in cold weather as they are not hardy. Predators can easily catch Sebrights since they are so small.
Many people keep Sebright chickens just to look at their laced feathers and tiny size. They have friendly, curious personalities and move around actively.
The hens do not lay a lot of eggs. But they make up for it with their beauty and fun nature. Sebrights are easy to handle and make great pets.
Wyandotte
The Wyandotte chicken is a type of bird that came from America. It was made in the 1860s for meat and eggs. The name Wyandotte comes from a Native American group called the Wyandotte Nation.
This chicken looks special. It has a rose comb, yellow legs, and different colors and patterns like silver laced, golden laced, blue laced red, and more.
Wyandottes are strong and healthy. It can handle cold weather and doesn’t get sick easily. These chickens usually live for 6 to 12 years.
The Wyandotte chicken is calm and friendly. But it can also be the boss in the chicken group. This chicken talks a lot and is nice, but it doesn’t like to cuddle.
Wyandotte chicken is one of the best chickens for people who keep chickens at home. It is a good-looking bird and gives meat and eggs.
The hens lay about four medium to large brown eggs each week. The Wyandotte rooster can grow up to nine pounds.
Wyandotte chicken is famous for shows because it has beautiful feathers and a strong body. This chicken is useful and valuable. It can make any group of chickens better.
Polish
Polish chickens are a cute breed from Europe that people can keep to sell eggs or meat. They have funky feathers sticking up from their heads.
People think this breed started in Spain and was later bred well by chicken farmers in the Netherlands. These small, light-weight, colorful birds are often kept as pets or for fun.
Polish chickens are calm and friendly with people. They don’t mind being held and make good pets for kids.
But, the feathers on their heads can block some of their vision. So they can get spooked easily. They may need extra shelter from predators or mean chickens pecking at their head feathers.
These chickens are good layers, giving around 150 to 200 medium or large white eggs each year. They rarely want to sit on eggs though, so they aren’t great mom chickens.
With good care, Polish chickens can live 8 years or more. Their funky looks and chill personalities make them an appealing breed to keep as pets.
Easter Egger
Easter Egger hens are lovely commercial chicken breeds. They come from a mix of chicken breeds that can lay eggs in many colors.
These hens have parents that are Araucana or Ameraucana chickens. Those birds have a gene that lets them lay blue eggs.
Easter Eggers are not a single breed. They are a mix of different chickens. Their eggs can be blue, green, olive, pink, or yellow. It’s fun to see all the colors!
These hens look quite different from each other. They have feathers in many shades and patterns.
Some have tufts of feathers by their ears, or fluffy cheeks. Others may not have a tail, or have a fancy tail. Their eyes can be many colors too.
Easter Egger chickens make great pets. They are friendly birds that do well in backyards. They are tough and can live in different places.
These chickens usually live 5 to 8 years. They weigh around 4 to 5 pounds when full grown.
Current Situation of Raising Chickens For Business
Lots of people want chicken products. That keeps the chicken business popular. They want eggs, meat, or pet chickens. But chicken businesses face some big problems too.
The prices for chickens can change a lot. Chicken diseases can spread easily. Running a chicken farm costs a lot of money. These are the challenges for chicken businesses today.
More and more people care about being nice to animals. They want chickens to be treated well. Chicken farmers must use farming methods that are good for the chickens.
Even with these challenges, many chicken farmers still succeed. They are strong and find smart ways to farm chickens well.
The Future of Commercial Chicken Breeders
The chicken breeding business looks good as more people want chicken products. New ways for breeding, fighting disease, and farming better will help the business grow.
But the future will also have tough times. Climate change, more rules, and people wanting different things will make breeders adapt and find new ideas.
If breeders plan well and keep trying, they can get through the hard times. This will help the chicken business keep growing and doing well.
Rooster Sperm for Sale: A Look into the Business Aspect
Selling rooster sperm may seem odd. But it’s a growing business in the poultry industry. Breeders sell rooster sperm to other breeders. They want to improve their flock’s genetic mix without buying new roosters.
This part of the business needs careful planning. It also needs deep knowledge of chicken genetics. It’s not for everyone, but it can be profitable. Those who understand it well can make money from it.
Hatching Eggs as a Business (Bonus In Poultry Business)
Getting chicks is a way to earn money with chickens. You can let hens hatch eggs in a nest. Or you can use an incubator to hatch eggs. Selling chicks can bring in cash.
But there are rules about hatching eggs. The rules change in different places. You must follow the rules to run your business legally and ethically.
If you want to hatch eggs, check out some good chicken breeds. Sussex, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rock breeds are known for hatching lots of eggs. They do well hatching eggs naturally or in an incubator.
I hope learning about these top commercial chicken breeds helps you pick a good one. Having the right chickens is key for starting your poultry business.
