Types of Baby Chickens

The chicken is a domesticated subspecies of the red jungle fowl. There are more than 200 breeds of chicken in existence today. Each type of chicken has its own unique features and functions. Baby chickens don't look like adults, but they too have different looks depending on the breed. People choose a type of baby chicken based on aesthetics and function.

  1. Ameraucanas

    • Ameraucana chickens are an American breed of chicken. They have small pea combs, fluff around their ears and lay blue eggs. They are considered a medium breed of chicken and weigh an average of 7 to 8 pounds when fully grown. They are mainly used for egg production. Ameraucana chicks have noticeable fluff around the beard and cheek area, which distinguishes them from other breeds. They come in a variety of colors and can be black, reddish brown, blue, buff, wheaten, silver and white.

    Houdans

    • Houdan chickens are a large French breed of chicken. Specimens weighing more than 8 pounds are common.They have extremely fluffy heads, V-shaped combs and five toes. Houdans come in two colors, white and mottled. The mottled variety is more common. Most Houdan chicks are a mottled black and light yellow. By three weeks of age, the chicks already have prominant tufts of fluffy hair on top of their heads, which easily sets them apart from other breeds. Houdans are mostly kept for decorative and aesthetic purposes.

    Malays

    • The Malay chicken is the tallest of the chicken breeds. Males easily reach more than 3 feet in height. It is also one of the most aggressive, which makes it less popular than others. Malays have long legs, sleek bodies and red strawberry combs. They come in black-breasted red, pure black, spangled, red pyle, white and wheaten varieties. The chicks have long legs and relatively sleek bodies at birth. At three weeks, Malays are noticeably lean and long.

    New Hampshire Reds

    • New Hampshire Reds are a common American breed of chicken that is used for both egg and meat production. They are medium in size and come in only one color, reddish brown. They have large single combs, rotund bodies and a large amount of feathers. New Hampshire Red chicks have a brownish coloring on the head and back, and a very light yellow coloring on the chest and abdomen.