Do you know what White Leghorn, Red Sex Link, Cornish, and Plymouth mean? Don’t worry, neither had I until I decided to do some research and guess what I discovered? These aren’t the names of characters from a video game or an online game, but chickens! Chickens are something you and I like to eat in a number of ways, but we don’t know much about them. As a result, I chose to take the chicken lane and become “Chicken Smart.” Here’s a rundown of everything we didn’t know about our favourite cuisine — it’s all wonderful, healthy chicken!
Types of Chicken Breeds & More
Chicken is one of the most widely consumed poultry species on the planet. White Leghorn, Red Sex Link, Wyandotte, Orphington, and Australorp are just a few of the chicken varieties that are raised in poultry farms for a specific reason, whether it’s for meat, eggs, or both.
As a result, chicken farming may be divided into three categories: egg production, meat production, and dual-purpose production.
Egg-laying breeds are bred only for the purpose of producing eggs for human use. Popular egg-producing breeds include the White Leghorn, Black Sex Link, and Red Sex Link. During their first year, when they are 16 to 20 weeks old, these chickens lay between 20 and 23 eggs. These chickens lay bigger but fewer eggs after moulting, averaging 16-18 dozens each year. When the chickens begin to shed their feathers, they are said to be moulting. There is no egg production at this time.
Did you know that India is the world’s third-largest egg and fourth-largest chicken producer? Amazingly, egg output has increased to 70 billion eggs and broiler production has increased to 3.8 million tonnes in just two decades. India has its own indigenous breeds, such as the Aseel, Naked Neck, Kadaknath, and a few more, that are hardy and have survived difficult climes. On average, these breeds produce 92-110 eggs each year when they reach maturity.
Varna, B-77, Caribro-91, and Caribro Multicolored are some of the commercial meat chicken breeds in India. Broilers, fryers, roasters, and other meat-producing chicken breeds are particularly efficient at turning feed to meat. The Cornish is a prominent meat-producing breed. Broilers and fryers are turned to meat when they reach a weight of 12 to 2 kgs, whereas roasters are ideal when they reach a weight of 3 kgs or more.
The traditional backyard chicken breeds are dual-purpose birds. These breeds are tough, self-sufficient, and have a huge body size. The majority of them lay big brown shelled eggs. Rhode Island Red and New Hamshire breeds are two popular examples.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about chicken, but our journey comes to a conclusion today. I hope you now know more about chicken than you did before, allowing you to make an informed decision about the sort of chicken or eggs you want to eat. You can’t go wrong with this bird because it’s loaded with critical minerals and vitamins and has a slew of health advantages. So eat chicken and live a long and healthy life!