What are the Top 5 Super Chicken Breeds you want to consider for raising chickens in SW Washington State?
In the original article that follows, we try our best to answer that question based on our own experience raising organic and free range chickens. For your further reference, our farm about 18 miles Southwest of the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, WA. Our hardiness zone ranges from 8A to 8B and we see frosts more frequently which have dropped to as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit while we have in our experience.
“Top 5 Super Chicken Breeds for Southwest WA Climate”
Before we can get into the experience we have had and can share that information with you the would be chicken rancher, you need to think about your goals in raising chickens.
Do you want to raise meat birds, egg layers or both?
Do you want to sell rare heritage chicken and fowl breeds as chicks or mated pairs?
Are you a small homestead that wants a few birds for your own needs and if so how much meat or eggs will you need?
Do you want fun and friendly pet chicken type breed that follows you around and wants your attention and love all the time?
Do you want the best mousing chicken and super bug eaters?
Will you be free ranging them and are you in a predator rich environment?
We can tell you we found no articles online we read really answered that question for area based on real world trial and error in the Southwest WA area. So we did what any adventurous organic based homesteader might do and tried about a dozen breeds out in pairs in our own coop. Did we learn some things? We really did and we have some regrets about the mistakes we made and we have seen some “Super Chicken Breeds” stand out in that learning process.
“Super Chicken Breeds” are what we think that we have found that have several of the best chicken traits while being hardy for the frost and snow of winter in the Pacific Northwest. If you are not the diligent type or researcher right now your about to think “So just tell me what they are already and why.” I promise Im getting there but because these little guys lives might depend on you understanding the behaviors of different chicken breeds if you read on you will not only get our “Super Chicken Breeds” secrets but also you will learn what it takes to make sure they thrive!
Some chickens love to be out of the coop. Other chicken breeds won’t leave the coop most of the time and remain in the nest box acting broody wanting chicks to raise. Specific chicken breeds behavior make them vulnerable to predators, dehydration, and even attack from other chickens breeds or what we call “flock shunning.” Knowing about these behaviors and relating that to your needs in raising chickens will make you a successful and humane chicken rancher.