Instructions
Determine the size of the chicken. Bantam or miniature chickens are approximately one-fourth the size of standard chickens. Some breeds have both standard and bantam-size chickens.
Find the use for the chicken breed. Chickens are raised for egg or meat production. Some are raised for their color and form rather than the products they produce. These chickens are raised for exhibition at fairs and shows.
Identify fast-growing, meaty chickens. These are the meat chicken breeds. One of the most popular is the Cornish Cross, a cross between the White Cornish and the White Plymouth Rock. Cornish crosses have a rapid growth rate.
Examine the egg color. Hens produce white, brown or blue-green tinted eggs. Often white-colored hens produce white eggs while brown or black chickens lay brown eggs. White Leghorns lay white eggs while Black Australorps lay brown eggs. Araucana and Ameraucana chickens lay tinted eggs.
Find chickens that are efficient egg layers and large enough to produce quality meat. These are dual-purpose breeds of chickens. Well-known, dual-purpose brown-egg layers are the Rhode Island Red and Barred Plymouth Rock breeds.
Locate chickens with interesting characteristics. Polish chickens, for example, have a crest of feathers on their heads. Dorkings have five toes while Turkens have no feathers on their necks.
Examine the comb. The comb is a characteristic of the breed. There are single, rose, pea and "V"-shaped combs.
Check the legs. Some breeds, such as the Cochin, have feathers on their legs. Other breeds, such as the Leghorn, are clean-legged. The color of the legs varies among the breeds.
Find the country of origin to identify the chicken breed class. Dual-purpose chickens for farm use are classified as American. Asiatic chickens have feathered feet while the English breeds have white skin. Continental chicken breeds originated in Europe while the flighty Mediterranean breeds lay white eggs.
How to Search for Chicken Breeds by Characteristics
Some chickens have feathered feet and rose combs while others are miniatures that produce brown eggs. Some chicken breeds excel in producing tender meat while other breeds are popular for show. Chickens represent a wide array of colors, sizes, features and products. There are hundreds of chicken breeds and varieties, originating in different parts of the world. By grouping chickens with similar characteristics, searches for chicken breeds are more efficient.