HERITAGE CHICKEN MANUAL

Chicken Assessment for Improving Productivity

The information for selecting desirable production traits in heritage chickens was developed as part of a Livestock Conservancy pilot project to recover breed production characteristics in endangered poultry. These guidelines were developed using the well-established evaluation parameters developed by “old school” poultrymen and described in early-to-mid-20th century poultry texts. Once commonly known, these practices have been lost as many modern chicken farmers find it easier to purchase chicks from large hatcheries.

The Livestock Conservancy offers this information for free download in an effort to support small-scale poultry keeping.

Additional useful forms:

To purchase a print-out click here.

Additional Resources:

Hatching for Success (PowerPoint slides in .pdf format)

Chicken Breeder Selection article (1929) (.pdf)