Chicken

Easter Egger

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An Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the "blue egg" gene, but doesn't fully meet any breed description as defined in the American Poultry Association (APA) and/or the American Bantam Association (ABA) standards. The name derives from the resemblance of their colorful eggs to Easter eggs. Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers are descended from the same founder stock that spread around the world from Chile and the Falklands. Three main founder breeds were involved in the creation of what we today call Araucanas, Ameraucanas, British tailed Araucanas, and the Easter Eggers. These would be the Quechua, the Quetro, and the Colloncas. In about 1976 some Chilean Araucanas were imported to the United States and are still here today unchanged. They appear except for color to be Ameraucanas or British tailed Araucanas. Some Easter Eggers breed true to type and color over fifty percent of the time. Molecular data retrieved from specimens of known provenance in the Falklands, United Kingdom, Shetland Isles, and Canada proved to be closely related. Consequently, the Ameraucana is probably closer genetically to the South American founders than the North American Araucana. None of these, Araucana, Ameraucana, or British tailed Araucanas were actually a breed in South America.

Often confused with the rare, pure breeds of Araucana and the not so rare Ameraucana, the majority of chickens in laying flocks that lay blue or green eggs are Easter Eggers. Even if a bird meets an APA or ABA Standard of Perfection breed description, but doesn't meet a variety description, or breed true at least fifty percent of the time, it is technically considered an Easter Egger. These chickens also may exhibit the muffs and beards similar to the Araucana and Ameraucana.

Wyandotte (chicken)

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The Wyandotte is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. The first examples of the breed appeared in 1870s. Wyandottes are a docile, dual-purpose breed kept for both eggs (Wyandottes are brown egg layers) and meat. They also appear in a wide variety of color patterns, and are popular show birds.

Appearance

The Wyandotte is a medium sized breast with a rose comb and clean legs. The chicken feathers are broad and loosely fitting. The area around the vent is very fluffy. The legs are yellow, although some silver laced may have grey.

Colors

There are eight colors recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) which are golden laced, silver laced, white, black, buff, Columbian, partridge and silver penciled. In bantams there is also buff Columbian, black breasted red, blue red, lemon blue, barred,brown red, and birchen that are recognized by the American Bantam Association. However, there are more colors than that which are either recognised by similar organisations in other countries like the PCGB (Poultry Club of Great Britain). These colors include blue laced red and buff laced. Overall there are 17 colors.

Characteristics

The Wyandotte is a breed that suits both free range and confinement in a run. They occasionally go broody. They tend to be quite friendly, and not flighty, and so make good pets for people. They are also very vocal, uttering soft clucks on a regular basis.

Utility aspects

The hens (females) will lay around 200 eggs a year with an exceptional hen laying around 240 eggs a year. The eggs are brown or tinted. The hens weigh around 6 pounds and the cocks weigh around 8 1/2 pounds. The hens also make great setters. It is sometimes difficult for natural insemination to occur, due to the number and thickness of feathers in the tail area. For the same reason, they are prone to accumulation of feces on vent-area feathers that needs to be regularly washed off, or the vent could become clogged.

Variations

Silver Laced: The silver laced wyandotte has white feathers with black edges to every feather, an effect called lacing. The tail is black and they should have yellow legs. The silver laced was developed in New York state in the early 1870s and was admitted to the standard in 1883. The silver laced wyandotte was the base for all other colors.

Golden Laced: The golden laced wyandotte is a golden color with black around the edge of every feather and black tail. Joseph McKeen of Wisconsin was the originator of the Golden Laced Wyandotte. In 1880 he crossed Silver Laced Wyandotte females with a large "Black Red" patterned fowl of unknown origin called the Winnebago. The variety was admitted to the American Standard in 1888.

Blue Laced Red: The blue laced red is a buff/red color with a blue that looks just like grey around the edge of every feather.

Buff Laced: The buff laced is buff but with white around the edge of the feathers.

White: The white is white all over. The whites are the rarest color in the UK.

Black: The black is black all over.

Buff: The buff is a buff color all over. A buff is like a ginger orange color.

Columbian: Columbian is white, but with a black tail, black wing tips and the neck is mainly black with some white.

Partridge: A red color but with three black stripes, meeting at the middle of the feather and then going outwards at an angle in the hen, and the cock looks like a typical farmyard cock.

Silver Pencilled: Like the partridge, but with a silver undercolor in the hen and the cock is a white color but with bits of black in there until the tail and the wing which are black.

Blue: The hen is blue all over but the cock is black with the tail and wing blue on some birds.

Barred: The barred, in both genders, has feathers which have black and white stripes across the width of the feather, all over the body.

Mille Fleur: The mille fleur wyandotte is a dark brown color with black crescents with white spots on the tips.

Buff Columbian: Like the Columbian except buff.

Red: The red wyandotte is a dark red/brown all over.

Dominique (chicken)

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The Dominique, also known as the Dominicker, is a breed of chicken originating in the United Kingdom. It is considered America's oldest breed of chicken, having been brought to New England from southern England during colonial times. By the 19th century, they were widely popular and were raised in many parts of the country. Dominiques are a dual purpose breed, being valued for their meat as well as for their brown eggs. They weigh 6 to 8 pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg) at maturity. In earlier times, their feathers were much sought after as stuffing for pillows and mattresses.

Appearance

Dominiques, sometimes called Dominickers, are quite distinctive in appearance, having a rose comb and a heavy plumage of irregularly striped black-and-white feathers (a pattern called "barring" or sometimes "hawk coloring"). The breed matures quickly, producing eggs at about six months of age.

At first glance, Dominiques and Barred Rocks appear strikingly similar, often leading to confusion when discerning a particular breed. The strongest indicators are the Comb,Plumage and Colour

Comb

Dominiques possess a rose comb while Barred Rocks possess a single comb.

Plumage

Dominiques exhibit staggered barring in their plumage, lending to a somewhat mottled appearance. Barred Rocks exhibit crisp, parallel barring.

Colour

Dominiques exhibit a softer contrast of "not quite black on not quite white", while Barred Rocks exhibit a high-contrast black-on-white color.

Disposition and Behavior

Dominique hens tend to be calm, personable birds (a desirable trait in an egg production bird). Their calm, steady demeanor makes them successful as show birds or family pets. However, some Dominique roosters tend to be aggressive.

The hens tend to be good mothers, brooding and raising chicks with a high rate of success.

The Dominique is hardy and a good forager, traits which are attributed to the harsh conditions in which the breed first developed.

History

After the Plymouth Rock breed was developed from the Dominiques in the 1870s, the Dominiques' popularity declined, until by 1950 they were so rare as to be considered nearly extinct. During the 1970s, Dominiques were listed in "Critical" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, with fewer than 500 breeding birds in North America. However, due to a revival of interest in them and other rare breeds, the Dominiques have made a comeback and are now listed on the "Watch" list, indicating lesser danger of extinction.

Rhode Island Red

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The Rhode Island Red is a breed of chicken. They are a utility bird, raised for meat and eggs, and also as show birds. They are a popular choice for backyard flocks because of their egg laying abilities and hardiness. Non-industrial strains of the Rhode Island Red are listed as recovering by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. It is the state bird of Rhode Island.

Appearance

The bird's feathers are rust-colored, but darker shades are known, including maroon bordering on black. Their eyes are red-orange and they have yellow feet, with reddish-brown beaks. Chicks are a light red to tan color with two dark brown bars running down their backs. The Roosters usually weigh in at 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg), the Hens slightly less at 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg), cockerel at 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg), and pullets at 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg).

History

Developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, early flocks often had both single and rose combed individuals because of the influence of Malay blood. It was from the Malay that the Rhode Island Red got its deep color, strong constitution, and relatively hard feathers.

The Rhode Island Red was originally bred in Adamsville, a village which is part of Little Compton, Rhode Island. One of the foundation sires of the breed was a black-breasted red Malay cock which was imported from England. This cock is on display at the Smithsonian Institution as the father of the Rhode Island Red breed.

In 1925, the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for an elegant monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville, near the baseball field and across the street from what used to be Abraham Manchester's restaurant. (The monument is now on the National Register of Historic Places.) A competing monument to the Rhode Island Red, claiming its creation not for the poultry fanciers, but for the farmers who grew them commercially in great numbers in Little Compton, was erected by the state in 1954 a mile or so (about two kilometers) south of Adamsville.

Rhode Island Reds and Sussex are also used for many modern hybrid breeds. Many modern hybrid hens have Rhode Island Red fathers, mainly due to the prolific egg laying characteristic of the Rhode Island Red, which is passed down through the males.^{[citation needed]}

Characteristics

The Reds are friendly chickens with a good nature. They are very good pets for children, but they can get angry when annoyed.

Rhode Island Reds are tough birds, resistant to illness, good at foraging and free ranging, and typically docile, quiet, and friendly. Although they are widely known as good layers through cold periods, if the coop temperature drops below freezing (0 °C (32 °F)), their output drops considerably, and the tips of their combs become very susceptible to frostbite.

Although usually friendly, Rhode Island Red roosters, and sometimes hens, can be quite aggressive towards young children and adults. Most roosters will also attack strangers (humans or animals) if they feel nervous or have never seen the intruder. They are usually friendlier with familiar people, such as those responsible for feeding. Both hens and roosters are known to be aggressive with other chickens, especially in confinement.

Eggs

Rhode Island Reds are excellent egg layers. Although they can sometimes be stubborn, they can end up producing up to 250 to 300 large, light to dark brown eggs per year. When free ranged, their first year eggs can be too large to fit comfortably in a standard or medium egg carton. Nine hens can lay up to 6-7 eggs per day depending on their conditions of care and treatment.

Delaware (chicken)

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The Delaware is a breed of chicken originating in the U.S. state of Delaware. It was once of relative importance to the U.S. chicken industry, but today is critically endangered. It is primarily suited to meat production but also lays reasonably well. It has plumage of a unique pattern, and is accepted in to poultry standards for showing.

Characteristics

With males weighing 8.5 pounds (3.9 kilos) and hens 6.5 pounds (3 kilos), the Delaware is a medium sized breed. They have rather large, bright red colored single combs and wattles. Delawares appear in a single color type: a white body and breast, with light black barring on the ends of the hackle, wings and tails. It is similar to the Columbian color seen in some breeds, but has barring in the dark portions, rather than uniform black. Also of note is that all feathers have a white quill and shaft, which, combined with yellow skin, makes for a cleaner appearing carcass. Like most standard breeds of chicken, the Delaware has a miniaturized bantam version; however, these are rarely seen.

Delawares are hardy birds that mature quickly. Hens are good layers of large to jumbo brown eggs and will go broody. Unlike the most common commercial meat birds in use today, the Delaware does well in free range operations. In temperament, it is a calm and friendly breed.

History

In the early 20th century, crosses of Barred Plymouth Rock roosters on New Hampshire hens was a common choice for producing broilers. Occasionally, this mating produces sports with light coloration. By breeding these white (genetically silver) sports intentionally, George Ellis of Delaware created the breed in 1940. He first chose to call them Indian Rivers, but later the name was switched to match its state of origin. At the time, the Delmarva Peninsula, where the breed was created, supplied chicken to the entirety of the East Coast of the United States through companies such as Perdue Farms. The Delaware rapidly became the premiere broiler fowl in use in the region, thus affecting the industry at large. In 1952, it was recognized for exhibition by acceptance in to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection.

Beginning in the mid-1950s, commercial farms began to use the White Cornish-Rock cross that would come to dominate the chicken industry into the next century. The speedy adoption of the Cornish-Rock saw the decline of the Delaware, though it persisted in some areas into the 1960s. In the 21st century, the Delaware is considered a critically endangered breed by organizations such as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. It is also included in Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste, a list of heritage foods in danger of extinction.

Plymouth Rock (chicken)

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The Plymouth Rock, often called simply Rocks or Barred Rocks (after their most popular color), is a chicken breed that originated in the United States. The Plymouth Rock is a dual-purpose, cold-hardy bird and therefore makes a great breed for the small farm or backyard flock owner. These chickens are often called Plymouth Rocks, but this title correctly belongs to the entire breed, not just the Barred variety. There are seven varieties of Plymouth Rock chickens: barred, blue, buff, Columbian, partridge, silver-penciled and white.

Origin

The Plymouth Rock was developed in New England in the middle of the 19th century and was first exhibited as a breed in 1869. Several individuals claimed its invention, using crosses of Dominiques, Black Javas, Cochins, and perhaps Malays and Dorkings. John C. Bennett (1804-1867) has been credited with either creating or popularizing the breed. Plymouth Rocks were bred as a dual-purpose fowl, meaning that they were valued both for their meat and for the hens' egg-laying ability. The first Plymouth Rock was barred and other varieties were developed later. The breed became popular very rapidly, and in fact, until World War II, no breed was ever kept and bred as extensively in the United States as the Barred Plymouth Rock. Its popularity came from its qualities as an outstanding farm chicken: hardiness, docility, broodiness, and excellent production of both eggs and meat.

Most of the other varieties were developed from crosses containing some of the same ancestral background as the barred variety. Early in its development, the name Plymouth Rock implied a barred bird, but as more varieties were developed, it became the designation for the breed. The Barred Plymouth Rock was one of the foundation breeds for the broiler industry in the 1920s, and the White Rock continues to be used as the female side of the commercial broiler cross.

Characteristics

Plymouth Rocks are large, long-lived chickens. Some varieties are good layers while others are bred principally for meat. They possess a long, broad back; a moderately deep, full breast; and yellow skin and legs. The hens have a deep, full abdomen, which is a sign of a good layer. The face of a Plymouth Rock is red with red ear lobes, a bright yellow beak, bay-colored eyes, and a single comb of moderate size. Their feathers are fairly loosely held but not so long as to easily tangle.

Generally, Plymouth Rocks are not aggressive, and tame quite easily. They are docile and may show broodiness. The hens usually make good mothers. However, some males and females are big and active enough to be quite a problem if they become aggressive.

Breeders should be aware of the standard weights and not select small or narrow birds for the breeding pen. Common faults include a shallow breast, high tails, narrow bodies and small size. Friendly and curious.

Varieties

The varieties of Plymouth Rocks refer to differences in feather markings.

Barred
White
Buff
Partridge
Silver Penciled (or Silver Laced)
Blue
Columbian
Black

Eggs

Plymouth Rocks lay a large egg that varies in color from light to medium brown, sometimes with a touch of pink. The birds continue laying all through the winter with decreased production. On average, each hen will lay around 200 eggs per year.

Weight

The standard weights for Plymouth Rocks, as established by the American Poultry Association, are as follows: cock - 9-1/2 pounds; hen - 7-1/2 pounds; cockerel - 8 pounds; and pullet - 5-6 pounds.

Use

Choice among families who choose to raise chickens at home as pets. The birds are well-adaptable to confinement or free range, are docile, friendly, and easily-handled.

New Hampshire (chicken)

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The New Hampshire breed of chicken originated in the state of New Hampshire in the United States. Poultry farmers, starting with Rhode Island Reds and performing generation after generation of selective breeding, intensified the characteristics of early maturity, rapid full feathering, and production of large brown eggs. One New Hampshire breeder described his birds as being especially endowed with "spizzerinktum"; they were unusually handsome and vigorous^{[citation needed]}. The mature birds are a rich chestnut red, of a somewhat lighter and more even shade than the Rhode Island Reds. The baby chicks are also a lighter red.

Standard weights

Cock: 8-1/2 pounds; hen: 6-1/2 pounds; cockerel: 7-1/2 pounds; pullet: 5-1/2 pounds.

Skin Color

Red

Egg Shell Color

Light Brown

Use

A dual purpose chicken, selected more for meat production than egg production. Medium heavy in weight, it dresses a nice, plump carcass as either a broiler or a roaster.

Origin

New Hampshires are a relatively new breed, having been admitted to the Standard in 1935. They represent a specialized selection out of the Rhode Island Red breed. By intensive selection for rapid growth, fast feathering, early maturity and vigor, a different breed gradually emerged. This took place in the New England states, chiefly in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, from which it takes its name.

Characteristics

They possess a deep, broad body, grow feathers very rapidly, are prone to go broody and make good mothers. Most pin feathers are a reddish buff in color and, therefore, do not detract from the carcass appearance very much. The color is a medium to light red and often fades in the sunshine. The comb is single and medium to large in size; in the females it often lops over a bit. These good, medium-sized meat chickens have fair egg-laying ability. Some strains lay eggs of a dark brown shell color. New Hampshires are competitive and aggressive. They were initially used in the Chicken of Tomorrow contests, which led the way for the modern broiler industry.

Buckeye (chicken)

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The Buckeye is a breed of chicken originating in the U.S. state of Ohio. Created in the late 19th century, Buckeyes are the only breed of American chicken known to have been created by a woman, and the only one to have a small "pea" comb. As of 2008, Buckeyes are extremely rare, and breed conservation organizations have recognized them as critically endangered. The breed's name is derived from Ohio's nickname of "Buckeye state", and their mahogany color is said ideally to resemble the seeds of the Ohio Buckeye plant. They are a dual-purpose chicken that have a decent laying ability and strong meat production characteristics. Buckeyes are yellow skinned chickens who lay brown eggs.

Characteristics

The Buckeye male weighs an average of 9 lbs (4.1 kg), and the hen 6.5 lbs (3 kg). The breed has yellow skin and lays brown eggs. Its primary color is a mahogany red with black tails; sometimes males have other dark feathering. According to the breed standard, a Buckeye's plumage should ideally resemble the hue of an Ohio Buckeye's seeds. Especially in the hen, the breed is very similar in appearance to the Rhode Island Red, although can be differentiated by a bar of slate color on the back feathers close to the body; the body is also much more compact, with a short, yet broad, back.

The Buckeye is the only purely American breed to sport a pea comb, and this, combined with its stocky build, makes it a supremely cold hardy chicken. Other breeds of fowl developed in the U.S. (such as the Ameraucana) may sport pea combs, but these chickens were primarily created from foreign birds. It also bears some traits of Game fowl in frame and disposition, being assertive in character and a very good forager. Generally calm, the cock birds in rare cases may become aggressive. Despite its game heritage, it tolerates confinement well, although it will be much happier and produce better if allowed to range on grass. The Buckeye is said by breeders to be disinclined towards feather picking. A good meat producer and layer of between 150 to 200 eggs per year, the Buckeye is a dual purpose chicken well–suited to small farmyard and backyard flocks

Brahma (chicken)

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Brahmas are an Asiatic breed of chicken, originating in the Brahmaputra region in India where they were known as "Gray Chittagongs." Their heritage is unclear, but they are believed to be closely related to the Jungle Fowl (Gallus Gigantus) and the Cochin (chicken).

The first Brahmas were brought to the U.S. from India in 1846, and were used as a utility fowl for their edibility and generous egg laying and hardiness even during the winter months, although today they are kept mainly for ornamental purposes as selection for utility has taken a back seat to selection for appearance. Some of the earliest imports to the U.S. reached weights of nearly 14 pounds, but rarely is such massive size seen today: standard weight for a cock is 11 pounds; hens are 8.5 pounds. By the 1870s Brahmas had become so popular that they were admitted into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection.

Temperament

Brahmas are calm, friendly birds that make good pets or exhibition fowl. Males are calm and generally not aggressive towards humans. They are not skittish or easily scared, making them a popular choice for families with children. Due to their docile demeanor, Brahmas can be easily trained so that they can be handled by almost anyone. They should be hand trained when young because their large size makes them difficult to control in the early stages of training if they are full grown.

Appearance

Brahmas are massive in appearance, in part due to profuse, loose feathering and feathered legs and toes. Approximate weights:

Cock - 12 pounds (5.443 Kg)
Cockerel - 10 pounds (4.536 Kg)
Hen - 9 pounds
Pullet - 8 pounds

Recognized varieties

The American Standard of Perfection recognizes three Brahma varieties: light, dark, and buff. The light Brahma has a base color of white, with black hackles edged in white and a black tail. The cocks' saddle feathers in a light Brahma are striped with black. The dark Brahma has the most notable difference between cock and hen.

The hen has a dark gray and black penciled coloration with the same hackle as the light whereas the cock has black and white hackles and saddle feathers, and a black base and tail. The wings of a dark Brahma are white-shouldered and the primary feathers (remiges) are edged with white. Buff Brahmas have the same pattern of black as light Brahmas, except with a golden buff base color instead of white.

Blue Hen of Delaware

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The Blue Hen of Delaware is a variety of chicken that was adopted on April 14, 1939 as the state bird of Delaware. The University of Delaware mascot, known as YoUDee, is also modeled after the bird.

While it is not a currently recognized chicken breed, the fame of the Blue Hen can be traced back to the Revolutionary War. On December 9, 1775, the Continental Congress resolved that a military battalion was to be raised from Delaware, then known as the Lower Counties on the Delaware. Thus, the Delaware regiment was born - a group composed of eight companies representing New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties.

The second company was composed of men from Kent County and was under the command of Capt. John Caldwell, who was an avid fan and owner of gamecocks. The troops often amused themselves by staging cock fights with a breed known as the Kent County Blue Hen, recognizable for its blue plumage.

The renown of these chickens spread rapidly during the time when cock fighting was a popular form of amusement, and the "Blue Hens' Chickens" developed quite a reputation for ferocity and fighting success. Capt. Caldwell's company likewise acquired a considerable reputation for its own fighting prowess, in engagements with the British at Long Island, White Plains, Trenton and Princeton, and soon it was nicknamed "Caldwell's Gamecocks."

Capt. Caldwell's company was part of Col. John Haslet's first Delaware regiment that reported for duty near the outset of the American Revolution in January 1776. In August 1781, remnants of the regiment were still battling at Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. Although often referred to as "The Fighting Delawares," Haslet's regiment also won the nickname, "The Blue Hens' Chickens," and that name was formally adopted by the Delaware General Assembly in 1939 when the Blue Hen Chicken was named the official state bird. It is one of only three US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.

The University of Delaware's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources maintains a breeding group of the Blue Hen Chicken on the campus farm.

American Game (chicken)

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The American Game is a game breed originating in the United States. It's colors come widely in range due to them being bred for the pit instead of color. Though the most common are Black breasted red (called reds, or by strain name), Wheaten (called reds, or strain name.), Silver duckwings (Called greys), Golden duckwings (called greys), White, black, brownred, red quil, blue (in various forms, this includes splash, blue wheaten, blue reds, etc.), and gold or pumpkin. The American gamefowl should not be confused with Old English Games, another breed once bred for the pit though now is an exhibition bird.

History

American gamefowl is a breed of poultry which were once bred for cockfighting, they played a big role in American history as they were bred, fought, and raised by many of our political leaders in the past. And contributed to Abraham Lincoln's nickname honest Abe as he was a cockfighting referee.

Most American gamefowl lines (or strains) consist of Irish, Old English, and Oriental Gamefowl. However many others contain Spanish, along with gamefowl from other places including the Sumatra breed. The American gamefowl is now becoming popular as a show breed since cockfighting has been outlawed.

The American gamefowl are truly an amazing breed, they're some of the most beautiful birds you will ever see and are extremely cold and heat resistant, they are intelligent, and can survive on their own if given the chance. Many places have gamefowl crosses running among the streets/woods, Key west, Guam, and Hawaii are some of the main places known for Spanish crosses running around (some being Americans as well. Along with various places throughout the states have American games running the yards because of escaping from or being let out by the owners.

American games in poultry shows

In the past, game fowl were primarily used for sport purposes. Recent changes in the political atmosphere have brought admirers of this unique poultry strain to follow the footsteps of European counterparts and display their fowl in the show ring. Game fowl are now shown and considered top competitors in poultry shows across the United States and Europe. There is even an on-line game fowl monthly photo contest for showing gamefowl. The fowl are judged using the American Game Fowl Standards - AGFS.

American Game Bantam

There is also a bantam variety of this breed, they were bred down from the large fowl. However like the Old English Game bantams they are not game, and have been crossed with a few other breeds to add feather length and kill gameness. One breed known in this cross is Jungle fowl. American game bantam should not be confused with miniature gamefowl which are pit (game) quality as well as exhibition quality since being selected and not being crossed with other breeds.

Ameraucana

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The Ameraucana is a breed of chicken developed in the United States. The name is a portmanteau term of American and Araucana (a related breed). Ameraucanas come in both a large and bantam variety. Eight colors are officially recognized for poultry shows by the American Poultry Association: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White.

Characteristics

Ameraucanas are similar to Araucana chickens because both have pea combs and lay blue shelled eggs, but they have many differences and are completely different breeds. Some other Ameraucana traits include full tails, muffs and slate or black legs depending on the variety. Bantam cocks weigh 30 ounces and bantam hens weigh 26 ounces while large fowl cocks weigh 6 1/2 pounds and large fowl hens weigh 5 1/2 pounds.

They also are friendly and quite curious and tame but sometime they get picky of their egg laying spot because it's probably not comfortable they sometimes need more bedding for their spot.

Confusion with Easter Egg chickens

The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken, or Easter Egger, as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed description as defined in the APA standards. Further, even if a bird (that possesses the blue egg gene) meets an APA standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken. The American Poultry Association's American Standard of Perfection contains breed and variety descriptions of all recognized standard bred poultry in North America.

In other words, most Easter Egg chickens are "mutts" which happen to carry the blue egg gene. True Ameraucanas are rare.

Also, when they are mating the rooster will pull out the back feathers of the hen.

History

Ameraucanas were bred from Easter Eggers, a mixed non-standard breed derived from breeding the native South American Araucana with Old World varieties. The APA officially accepted Ameraucana as standard breeds in 1984.

The characteristic muff and beard of the Ameraucana are present in U.K. Araucana as these traits are present in the Mapuche and Quechua de Artes founder stock imported into Europe from the Falkland Islands. The fully feathered faces of the founder stock are of vital importance as they insulate the birds against the frigid cold of southern coastal South America. Winds from Antarctica bring the temperatures to below zero for months at a time. Blue egg laying chickens brought to the Falklands by Argentinians, traded from Mapuche and Quechua speaking Indians, were later exported from the Falkland Islands by British guano and fishing fleets. The Ameraucana is descended of U.K. Araucanas brought into North America during the World Fair in Toronto and Montreal's 1967 Expo. Molecular data retrieved from specimens of known provenance in the Falklands, U.K., Shetland Isles and Canada, proved to be closely related. Consequently, the Ameraucana is probably closer genetically to the South American founders than the North American Araucana. In about 1976 a group of prople imported some Chilean Araucanas. At least one of these people kept his flock breeding only among themselves. Chicks from their blue eggs looked similar to the British tailed Araucanas and the Ameraucanas. However most do not meet the standards of those breeds. They look a lot like the falkland island birds in some photos and are decendents of the founder birds of Chile. They come in shades of red, mixed with black, blue, and gold.

Sussex (chicken)

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The Sussex chicken is a dual purpose breed that is a popular backyard chicken in many countries. They come in eight colours (with a couple more being developed) and have a bantam

version at 1/4 size; the bantams may be any of the eight colours. The Sussex breed club was formed in 1903.

Appearance

The colours found in Sussex chickens are: Brown, Buff, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White and Coronation. The Sussex chicken, whatever colour, should be graceful with a long, broad, flat back and a rectangular build, the tail should be at a 45 degree angle from the body. The eyes should be red in the darker varieties but orange in the lighter one and they sport a medium sized, single, erect comb. The earlobes are red and the legs and skin white in every variety. Cocks should weigh approx 9 lbs, and the hens (females) 7 lbs. The Brown and red varieties are rare but the others are more common.

Brown and Red

In the brown variety, the cocks are dark brown with black points and the hens have a slightly paler shade of brown. the Red Sussex is the same only it has a richer, more vibrant colour.

Light, Buff and Silver

The light Sussex has a white body with a black tail and black wing tips. Its neck is white, striped with black and has a very striking appearance. The buff is ginger where the light is white. If showing the bird, a person must be careful to keep it out of strong sunlight, as the colour will fade. The Silver Sussex has a similar neck to the previous two variants, except that the body is black and the majority of the feathers on the body have silver lacing.

White

The White is beautiful - pure white throughout and is very rare.

Speckled

The feathers of the Speckled variety all have a mix of mahogany and black with white tips. Sometimes the amount of white increases as the bird moults each year. This is the most common variety in the US. However, the Light is far more common in the UK.

Coronation and Lavender

The Coronation sussex is essentially the same as the light, but the black markings are replaced by pigeon grey/blue. There is a buff coronation, but it is quite rare and not recognised.

It should be mentioned that pure sussex will sometimes throw offspring, with white Colombian patterns replacing the black.

The Lavender sussex is the same but a bit lighter and no buff.

Golden

The Golden sussex can be found in Australia. It is like the light sussex but where the light sussex is white the golden sussex is a light brown colour and has black on the top of its back and the same places as the light sussex.

Characteristics

The Sussex chicken is an alert, docile breed that can adapt to any surrounding, they are comfortable in both free range or confined spaces. The breed sometimes (but not very often) goes broody, the speckled version is most likely to do so. They are good foragers.

Utility aspects

Eggs

The Sussex was bred to be a dual purpose bird and is one of the most productive breeds of poultry. They lay large eggs that are cream to light brown in colour. A person owning a hen of this breed should expect approximately 240 to 260 eggs a year, although the light and white varieties are the best choice for layers. Recently there has been an olive green coloured egg introduced to some Light Sussex breeds, although these green egg layers are very rare.

Meat

It is a good producer of meat and all of the varieties are a good choice to have for this purpose. The chicks mature quickly for heavy breed but the speckled is slowest to mature.

History

The Sussex chicken was created over a century ago in the county of Sussex, England. The original colours were the Brown, Red and Speckled, and the Silver is the latest variety. The breed was prized as table fowl more than one-hundred years ago and, more recently, the Light Sussex was very popular for the laying trials of the 30's. Today they are a popular breed for exhibitions as well as a backyard breed. The breed has made a huge contribution to the poultry industry and is even an ancestor to the modern broiler. Sussex is one of the oldest breeds of chicken that still exists today. The Coronation Sussex was bred to celebrate the coronation of King George, but is now an extremely rare breed.

Sebright (chicken)

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The Sebright is a breed of chicken named after its developer, Sir John Saunders Sebright. Created in the 19th century through a selective breeding program designed to produce an ornamental breed, the Sebright is a true bantam, meaning it is a miniature bird with no corresponding large fowl to which it is related.

The first poultry breed to have its own specialist club for enthusiasts, Sebrights were admitted to poultry exhibition standards not long after their establishment. Today, they are among the most popular of bantam breeds. Despite their popularity, Sebrights are often difficult to breed, and the inheritance of certain unique characteristics the breed carries has been studied scientifically. As a largely ornamental chicken, they lay tiny, white eggs and are not kept for meat production.

Background

Sir John Saunders Sebright (1767-1846) was the 7th Sebright Baronet, and a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire. In addition to breeding chickens, cattle and other animals, Sir John wrote several influential pamphlets on animal keeping and breeding: The Art of Improving the Breeds of Domestic Animals (1809), Observations upon Hawking (1826), and Observations upon the Instinct of Animals (1836).

Charles Darwin read Sir John's 1809 pamphlet, and was impressed with a passage that elaborated on how "the weak and the unhealthy do not live to propagate their infirmities". These writings, along with Darwin's correspondence via their mutual friend William Yarrell, aided Darwin in the inception of Darwin's theory of natural selection. Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species, first published in 1859, cited Sir John's experiments in pigeon breeding, and recalled "That most skilful breeder, Sir John Sebright, used to say, with respect to pigeons, that 'he would produce any given feather in three years, but it would take him six years to obtain head and beak.'" Darwin also cited Sir John extensively regarding the Sebright bantam, as well as pigeon and dog breeding, in his 1868 work Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication, his 1871 The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, and his book on Natural Selection (which was not published in his lifetime).

Development

With the breed that carries his name, John Sebright intentionally set out to create a very small bantam chicken with laced plumage similar to the laced variety of Polish chickens. Although the exact makeup of the breed is uncertain, he is thought to have crossed British, Hamburgh, Nankin and Polish birds with a base of Rosecombs before achieving a laced chicken that would breed true. After the breed's establishment circa 1810, Sebright founded The Sebright Bantam Club, which was the very first individual breed association for chickens. The breed has appeared in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection since the first edition in 1874. Today, the breed is one of the ten most popular bantam chickens, according to the American Bantam Association.

Characteristics

In accordance with the intentions of their creator, the Sebright is an ornamental chicken, and is common in competitive poultry showing. As a true bantam, all Sebrights are very small in stature; males weigh an average of 22 ounces (625 grams) and females 20 oz (570 g). Their short backs, proportionally large breasts, and downward–pointing wings combine to create an angular, jaunty look.

All Sebrights have plumage that is laced around the edges evenly with black, on a base of either dark gold or whitish silver. Sebrights have unfeathered legs with slate–blue skin, and their beaks are ideally a dark horn color. Sebright roosters carry a rose comb covered with fine points, and a small spike that sweeps back from the head (called a leader). Combs, earlobes and wattles were originally a purplish color, but today are often bright red. Some breeders consider hen feathering to have an adverse effect on the fertility of male Sebrights, and may use roosters that don't carry the trait for breeding purposes, despite their automatic disqualification in shows.

Characteristically, Sebrights are only one of a few chicken breeds in which the roosters are hen feathered, meaning they have none of the long, sickle–shaped feathers common in most roosters that appear in the tail, neck and saddle. Due to the unique characteristic hen feathering, molecular biologists have found the Sebright bantam a useful model organism in the study of sex hormones.^[12] This is because they carry a mutation that causes the tissues of their skin to convert an unusually large amount of male sex hormones (androgens) into female sex hormones (estrogens).

Husbandry

Sebrights are neither prolific egg layers, nor outstanding meat birds. They can be difficult to raise, especially for the beginner. Hens rarely go broody and chicks usually have high mortality rates. Adults are generally hardy birds, but are especially susceptible to Marek's disease. In temperament, Sebrights are friendly, but very active birds. Males are not known to be aggressive, but Sebrights in general are, like most small chickens, somewhat skittish birds. Due to their small size and relatively large wings, they are one of a minority of chicken breeds that retains a strong flying ability. Thus, most keepers keep Sebrights in confinement rather than allowing them to free range.

Muffed Old English Game

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The Muffed Old English Game fowl is the original jungle fowl Gallus bankiva or red jungle fowl imported to England during the spice trade era of early European navigation. They are the originators of many breeds including the fighting games, broad breasted English games and are very similar to the Dutch Kraienkoppe.

Characteristics

The Muffed Old English Game fowl is a varied breed in color. It being probably the most ancient of varieties it does not have a great deal of set definitions and is not standardized by the America Poultry Breeders.

The characteristic which sets this original breed off is it is muffed or bearded on its cheeks making it a most handsome bird and hardy. That is what is noted in this variety in its jungle fowl heritage is that it is a most thrifty bird, broods eggs wonderfully, is able to care for itself in most primitive conditions in eating insects, grasses, weed seeds and worms all the while raising a brood of chicks in a most protective manner.

The coloration is typical in Kraienkoppe trends as all the jungle fowl were most colorful in reds to the duckwing which is silver. The hens can be hen pheasant in beautiful tan. Size is of a medium build and this breed was termed with the bantams, although it is much larger than the 20 ounce banties in being Leghorn in type in 6 pound roosters and 4 pound hens.

They lay very well in seasonal trends a nice cream colored egg of a small 21 ounce size.

In being such an ancient breed many local variations have developed across the globe. There are English versions, Latin versions and American versions which show up in remote areas and are termed "chickens", because locally they do not fit any definite groups of poultry.

Scots Grey

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The Scots Grey is a breed of chicken originating in Scotland. It is so named because of its striped plumage, which is called either Barred or Cuckoo by poultry enthusiasts. Though superficially similar to breeds such as the Cuckoo Marans and Barred Plymouth Rock, the Scots Grey's feathers have a less distinct pattern with a steel-gray base. It can also be sexually differentiated based on color of the adult birds, as hens usually have a noticeably darker hue. Scots Grey are relatively heavy chickens, with hens weighing 7-9 pounds (3.2-4 kilos), and roosters weighing 9-11 pounds (4-5 kilos).

In body type, Scots Grey are tall, upright chickens. Though they share a place of origin and often color with the Scots Dumpy, this height can be used to set the two apart. Scots Grey have white skin, a single comb, and red earlobes.

They are considered to be dual-purpose, laying both a good amount of white eggs and producing wholesome meat. In temperament, they are active birds that do best under free range conditions, and may develop destructive habits when confined. They are hardy, and can forage well. Hens are not generally inclined to go broody.

History

Scots Grey have been known in their country since the 16th century, and were developed as barnyard fowl for small farms and crofts. Breeds which are thought to have influenced their development include Dorkings and Malays. Though they have been popular among poultry fanciers for exhibition, and have their own breed club, they are classed as an endangered breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Modern Game

2010-02-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

The Modern Game is a breed of a chicken originating in England in the latter half of the 19th century. Purely an exhibition bird, Modern Game were developed to epitomize the visual appeal of the gamecock. After the outlawing of cockfights in the U.K. in the mid 19th century, many cockfighting enthusiasts turned to breeding for shows as an alternative poultry hobby, and the Modern Game was developed from crosses of Old English Games and Malays. Despite being classified as game chickens (i.e. of cockfighting derivation) in breed standards, Modern Game were not bred to fight.

Today, the ideal show bird should have a body shaped like a flat iron when seen from above, a relatively short back, fine tail, hard feathering, and a very upright carriage. The breed appears in more than a dozen colour variations. The most common being black red, birchen, brown red, duckwing and pyle. The colours can be broadly divided into two groups; those with willow-coloured legs and red eyes, and those with black legs and dark eyes.

Like many breeds, Modern Game comes in both a standard large size and a bantam version; according to the British Poultry Standards large fowl should weigh 5- 9 pounds (2.25-4.10 kilos) and bantams 16-22 ounces (450-620 grams). Today, the bantam version is the most popular among poultry fanciers. The colour of their skin, comb, and wattles varies from red to mulberry depending on variety, but all have a small single comb. Combs and wattles are required to be dubbed (cut off) to compete in showing in some countries, which reflects their descent from fighting birds.

Modern Game are neither good egg layers nor are they valued for meat production. Admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection upon the first edition in 1874, they are almost exclusively kept by competitive breeders. In temperament, they are friendly and curious towards people, and are easily tamed.

Orpington (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Orpington is a breed of chicken named after the village of Orpington in Kent county England, which was made famous in part by this breed. Belonging to the English class of chickens, it was bred to be an excellent layer with good meat quality. Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive, and as such its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Being rather heavy, they are unable to fly, so they work well as backyard birds. Due to their build they do well in very cold climates. The fluff of their feathers allow rain water to penetrate their feathers, so they must be kept out of the rain.

History

The original Black Orpington was bred by William Cook in 1886 by crossing Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid bird. Cook selected a black bird that would exhibit well by hiding the dirt and soot of London. The first Orpingtons looked very much like the Langshan. According to the British Poultry Standards, the White was bred in 1889, the Buff in 1894, and the Blue in 1905. When the breed was shown in Madison Square Gardens in 1895, its popularity soared.

Besides the original colors (black, white, buff, blue), many other varieties exist today, such as porcelain (Jubilee, speckled), red, mottled and birchen. Although there are many additional varieties recognized throughout the world, only the original colors are recognized by the American Standard, and the Buff is the most common. In the beginning of the twentieth Century Herman Kuhn of Germany developed a Bantam variety. The Bantam retains the large appearance, but in a smaller size. Like the Standard varieties, there is a large variety of colors in the Bantam version (i.e. black, blue laced, white, buff, red, buff black laced, barred, buff columbian, and birchen.) The Bantam retains the friendly personality of the Standard breed, and seldom or never flies, so it too makes for a good backyard breed.

Appearance

The Orpington has a heavy, broad body with a low stance, and the down from their body covers most of their legs.

Some characteristics of an Orpington are:

Heavy weight (7 to 10 pounds),
Soft, profuse feathering, which almost hides the legs of the bird,
Curvy shape with a short back and U-shaped underline,
A small head with a medium single comb.
Large and usually easily tamed
Fluffy feathers making it look distinctively large.

Productivity

Orpingtons lay about 200 medium to large light-brown eggs a year. They do not stop laying in the winter.

It was said to at one time lay as many as 340 eggs per year. This decline in production was due to breeders selecting for looks over utility

Cornish (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Cornish, known as the Indian Game in its native country of England, is a breed of chicken originating in the county of Cornwall. Cornish chickens, as well as crosses of Cornishes, are the most-used breed in the chicken meat industry. They are heavy, muscular birds that lay eggs poorly, and require substantial amounts of feed.

It is a large, stocky breed, and is often crossed with other breeds to enhance meat production. There are two varieties, the Cornish Game and the Jubilee Cornish Game. The Cornish Game is dark blue - green in color, with brown patterning on the hens. Jubilee Cornish Game are much lighter, and less stocky than their counterparts. They are usually light wheaten in color, with light brown patterning.

The Indian game, also known as Cornish, is sometimes called the bulldog among chickens; you can actually see the roast chicken shape in it. It was created because people wanted to cross the Asian game breeds with old English game to create a fantastic fighter. However what they got (though not the right build for fighting) was a fantastic meat bird. It comes in many colors and is quite a popular show bird, though it has a tendency for bad legs due to widely spaced hips. It is also when crossed with a Sussex or a Dorking, an excellent backyard meat bird.

Dorking (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

The Dorking is a breed of chicken that is believed to have originated in Italy during the period of the Roman Empire. One of the earliest known mentions of this breed was by the Roman writer Columella during the reign of Julius Caesar. In his text, Rei rusticae libri, he described the breed as, "square-framed, large and broad-breasted, with big heads and small upright combs...the purest breed being five-clawed". From there it was introduced to Great Britain by the Romans at an early date where much of its development continued to take place. They appeared in the first British poultry show in 1845. They were later used to produce the Sussex and Faverolles

breeds.

Characteristics

The Dorking has a rectangular body with very short, five-toed legs. Due to its relatively large comb it generally requires protection in cold weather. Dorkings are also well known for their versatility as a breed for both egg and meat production. It is one of the few breeds with red earlobes that produces a white-shelled egg. The skin colour beneath the feathers is white. The standard weight is 9 pounds for a cock, 8 pounds for a cockerel, 7 pounds for a hen, and 6 pounds for a pullet. Furthermore, the breed is very docile. The bird has five recognized varieties: White, Silver-grey, Red, Dark and Cuckoo.

They are noted for being exceptionally broody at times in entire flocks refusing to lay and preferring to set on eggs to incubate them.

Glenn Drowns flock from Sand Hills Preservation Center in Iowa is recorded to be exceptional layers and being hardy even at temperatures of 25 below zero. (1) "Poultry for anyone" by Victoria Roberts BVSc, MRCVS, Hon. Sec. of the Dorking breeds club.

Old English Game

2010-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Old English Game Fowl is a breed of chicken. Pure English Game Fowls are prized among Poultry breeders and thus fetch a high sale price. one of the type oxford english large were originally bred for cockfighting. Old english should not be confused with American games nor should American games be confused with old english. There are two different types of Old english, the Oxford type which is more "intact" and bred for show as well as bred to maintain their gameness and the Carlisle type which is purely exhibition.

Characteristics

Purebred English Game Fowl tend to have long legs and be muscular and full breasted. The cocks are colourful and have many long tail feathers. The hens look similar to the males except they don't have the large tail feathers and typically show less colour. There are more than 40 colour varieties of the bird today.

Old English Game Fowl were bred as active birds. They need plenty of room or space. The females will often become broody and according to poultry breeders, they make excellent mothers.

The Old English Game tends to have a long lifespan of 12 to 16 years, which is more than most other chicken breeds.

Muffed Old English Game

The Old English Game comes in wide range of domestic fowls. One being the Muffed Old English Game which is noted for muffs or light delicate frizzled feathers on their cheeks. The Black Breasted Red Old English is the basis for many modern fowls in the Brown Leghorn color pattern.

Bantam version

The Old English Game Bantam is the bantam version of this breed, it is one of the smallest chicken breeds, weighing about 22 oz (650 grams) when they are fully grown. The Old English Game Bantam is one of the most popular bantam breeds. This is especially the case in the United Kingdom, where it has its own specialist shows. The Old English Bantam is similar to the Old English Game in that it has long legs and it is fairly muscular. they are a great pet for children. The bantam was not developed from the larger sized old English but rather from other barnyard bantams of the same area. This explains their lack of length in the sickle feathers that you see in the standard sized O.E.G. The American old english game bantams contain blood from Dutch, and Rosecombs plus other breeds to add feather length and more colors like the silver laced varieties developed from sebrights.

colors of the Old English Game Bantams

Barred
Birchen
Black
Black Breasted Red
Black Tailed Red
Black Tailed White
Blue
Blue Brassyback
Blue Breasted Red
Blue Golden Duckwing
Blue Mille Fleur
Blue Quail
Blue Red
Blue Silver Duckwing
Blue Wheaten

Brassyback
Brown Red
Buff
Columbian
Crele
Cuckoo
Fawn
Fawn Breasted Red
Fawn Silver Duckwing
Ginger Red
Golden Duckwing
Lemon Blue
Mealy Gray
Mille Fleur
Mottled

Porcelain
Quail
Red
Red Pyle
Red Quill
Self Blue
Silver Blue
Silver Duckwing
Silver Quill
Spangled
Splash
Wheaten
White
Muffed White
normal pile

Domestication

The oxford English game fowl can be an aggressive bird toward other birds of any sex . It is only recommended for experienced poultry keepers and enthusiasts. keepers should learn how to properly handle and care for oxford English Game Cocks. Keepers should always separate the males; roosters should never be able to have contact or even see each other.

Mostly the breed is not suitable for integration with other flocks, both the males and females are more aggressive than their counterpart breeds and could attack. It is suitable to keep Oxford English game fowl separate from other breeds, with a few females for each male. Making sure that flocks can not see each other is also important as Old English game will fight with other chickens even through wire. They are an active bird and need plenty of space and should not be kept in crowded areas.

English Game Cocks will attack if their flock is threatened and they do not take exception to humans. The breed can be aggressive and not timid, some birds will grab on to limbs of there Human keepers.

The Oxford English Game are not laying birds, hens only lay ~130 eggs a year. They are a reasonable eating bird, being culled at about 5 months old. However, because of their high value (US$:40-250) per bird, many choose not to eat them.

History

The English Game Fowl is one of the oldest strains of poultry breeds that have been used for fighting purposes. Through the Middle Ages the breed was developed by the English Nobility into many varying colors, traits desirable for cockfighting were chosen by breeders. Cockfighting became illegal in Britain and Australia in the 1850s and English game fowl are usually kept just by poultry enthusiasts. Many of the original strains have died out, however many varieties remain.

Because cockfighting is illegal in many countries, the Old English game have little use and are not kept by many people. Their aggressive nature means that most backyard chicken keepers are put off. Today the breeds are used at poultry exhibitions and breeders try to develop stock that will win prizes. Exhibition bred cocks can fetch amounts over US$ 600. Breeders aim to preserve the present strains of this species, as many have already died out.

Derbyshire Redcap

2010-02-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

The Derbyshire Redcap is a breed of chicken originating in the English county of Derbyshire. The name "Redcap" derives from the breed's unusually large Rose-type comb. British breed standards dictate a length of more than 7 centimeters (3 inches) of length for a Redcap comb. It is covered in small, fleshy points, and has a distinct spike pointing backwards called a "leader". Combs, wattles and earlobes are all ideally bright red.

Characteristics

Redcaps are classified as a light fowl, with roosters weighing approximately 3.4 kilos (7.5 pounds), and hens 2.75 kilos (6 pounds). Redcaps can be differentiated from similar looking breeds, especially the more popular Hamburgs, by their red earlobes and larger comb. Beaks are horn colored. Combs which hang to either side of the face, white earlobes, or a lack of points on the comb are undesirable traits according to the breed standards, and result in disqualification from poultry shows. The breed appears in a single variety of plumage, with various dark hues of red, brown and black. Roosters display a greater diversity of color, but both males and females have black tails and a crescent shape of black on the edge of most body feathers.

Derbyshire Redcaps are a hardy, active breed of chicken that does well in free range conditions. They are well suited for dual-purpose farm flocks, being used for both meat and egg production in addition to their ornamental qualities. Hens do not usually go broody, and lay a good amount of large, white colored eggs.

History

Redcaps are a native English bird that have been written about since at least the early 1800s. The exact breeds that contributed to the creation of the Redcap are unknown, but Golden Spangled Hamburgs, Dorkings, Old English Pheasant Fowl and Black-Breasted Red Games may have been involved. The breed is also very similar in conformation to now-extinct chickens such as the Yorkshire Pheasant and the Lancashire Moonie.

Derbyshire Redcaps were common on British farms until the middle of the 20th century, particularly around the southern Pennines. They have never been preferred by intensive farms or commercial operations, and have always been primarily a barnyard fowl. In the 21st century, they are a very rare chicken, with the largest numbers still residing in their home country. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust of the U.K. lists them as Vulnerable on their watch list. Abroad, Redcaps were admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1888, and are listed as Critical on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy watchlist.

Poltava (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

The Poltava is an old Ukrainian dual-purpose breed of chicken named after the Ukrainian city of Poltava. It includes three color varieties: Clay, Cuckoo, and Black.

Ukrainian Names: полтавська (глиняста, зозуляста, чорна)
English Names: Poltava (Clay, Cuckoo, Black)
Russian Names: полтавская (глинистая, зозулястая, черная)

Appenzeller (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Appenzeller is a breed of chicken originating in Appenzell region of Switzerland. The Appenzeller comes in two varieties. The Spitzhauben, meaning "pointed hood", has a V-comb and feather crests in males and females. The Barthuhner ("bearded hen") has a rose comb and no crest. Both types appear in either black, golden spangled and silver spangled plumage.

Today the breed is largely an ornamental one kept for showing, but it lays also a respectable quantity of white eggs. It is a light chicken, with hens weighing an average of 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) and roosters 4.5 lbs (2 kg). Behaviorally, it is a flighty breed that doesn't do well in confinement, can forage well, and will roost in trees if given the opportunity. In North America, it is very rare and is recognized officially by neither the American Poultry Association or other breed registries. The silver spangled Spitzhauben is the most common variety found abroad.

Minorca (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

The Minorca is a breed of chicken originating in Spain. They are classified in the Mediterranean class by the American Poultry Association. They lay white eggs. Color varieties include buff, black, white with the British recognizing a blue phase. Minorcas mature quickly and begin crowing sooner than other breeds. It closely related to White-faced Black Spanish and Castilian Black. Minorcas tend to be very flighty.

Characteristics

The Minorca is the largest of the Mediterranean class of fowl in roosters weighing 9 pounds and hens 7 1/2 pounds. They are utility fowl and were once in the class of widespread large flocks for laying and meat production like the Leghorn breed which is the smallest of this class. The distinction of the Minorca is its rather large white ear patch much like the White Faced Black Spanish, another of this class which makes it recognizable at a distance.

The white phase of this breed which once numbered in the thousands is thought now to only have 100 chickens in all of the United States. The breed was developed in England from imported Castilian fowl of Spain. Another of this Minorca group is the Blue Andalusian noted for its equally Minorca large-sized comb which limits this breed from the frigid northern areas of the United States and Canada where comb frostbite is a problem for these birds.

In Popular Culture

In George Orwell's 1945 novell Animal Farm, three Black Minorca hens are mentioned rebelling against Napoleon's regime on the farm.

Penedesenca

2010-02-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

The Penedesenca is a breed of chicken originating in the Spanish province of Catalonia, in the area around Vilafranca del Penedès, which is the main town in the region known as "Penedès". It was developed in the first half of the 20th century from native barnyard chickens, and today is noted for producing copious amounts of very dark brown eggs, said to be among the darkest of any breed of chicken.

The earliest variety was the Black Penedesenca, which became standardized in 1946, when it was better known as the Vilafranca chicken. Today, Black, Crele, Partridge, and Wheaten colors exist (the Crele variety shows sexual differentiation at hatching, the males being light ash-grey and the females nut-brown in color). However, no variety has been accepted in to poultry standards. All members of the breed possess red earlobes with a white center, red wattles, and an unusual red comb. Called the king's comb or carnation comb, it is similar to a common single comb but has several lobes at the rear. The breed is rare among poultry fanciers in North America, but is a common breed in Central and South America.

Yurlov Crower

2010-02-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

The Yurlov Crower is an old Russian breed of chicken primarily selected and used for long crowing cock contests in Russia.

Russian Name: юрловская голосистая.
Other Names: Yurlovo Crower, Yurlov Vociferous (English), Jurlower Kräher (German), Yurlow kraaier (Dutch), Canterino di Yurlov (Italian).

Breed History

The Yurlov Crower breed was presumably created in the second half of 19th century by crossing Chinese meat-type breeds, fighting cocks and landraces, but doubtfully with the direct influence of the Malay breed. According to Moiseyeva (1992), the known breed’s plumage color variants are white, silver, scarlet, black with light yellow, or golden, hackle (most of all), and black.

The breed was a subject of interest among fancy, commercial and state breeders in Russia and Ukraine for a long time in the 20th century. It has been preserved and studied at few state poultry collection farms since 1970s-1980s. The Geflügel-Börse magazine articles published by two German writers, Rüdiger Wandelt in 1993 and Wolfgang Vits in 1994, introduced the breed to poultry fanciers in Germany. However, the breed was not well known until recent time to a broad community of Western poultry breeders. The continued contacts between German and Russian poultry breeders in 1990s and 2000s led to the import of the Yurlov Crower breed to Western Europe and growth of its popularity first in Germany and then in other European countries.

According to the USSR Central Statistic Administration, there were only 200 Yurlov chickens registered in the entire Soviet Union by 1985 (Moiseyeva, 1992). After the USSR disintegration, the breed population in independent Russian Federation, Ukraine and other republics dramatically declined. Based on the data collected in 1993, a Ukrainian strain of Yurlov Crowers (line 92) was included in the second edition of the FAO's World Watch List in 1995 (Scherf, 1995). The breed and line 92 data were also summarized in the third edition of the WWL in 2000 (Scherf, 2000), in which, as of 1993, only 205 Yurlov birds (line 92) kept in Kharkov Region of Ukraine were mentioned and the population status was endangered. The current population of the Yurlov Crower chickens in Russia and Ukraine may be several thousands including both state farms and fanciers. However, bird influenza may represent a serious threat to and decrease numbers of pure chicken breeds (including Yurlovs) in these countries to a large extent.

Naked Neck

2010-02-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Naked Neck is a breed of chicken that is naturally devoid of feathers on its neck and vent. The breed is also called the Transylvanian Naked Neck, as well as the Turken. Originally from Central Europe, it originated in Hungary and was largely developed in Germany. The name "Turken" arose from the mistaken idea that the bird was a hybrid of a chicken and the domestic turkey. Naked Necks are fairly common in Europe today, but are rare in North America. The trait for a naked neck is a dominant one controlled by one gene and is fairly easy to introduce into other breeds, however these are hybrids rather than true Naked Necks, which is a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association since 1965, it was introduced in the Britain in the 1920's.

Characteristics

Despite its highly unusual appearance, the breed is not particularly known as an exhibition bird, and is a dual-purpose utility chicken. They lay a respectable number of light brown eggs, and are considered desirable for meat production because they need less plucking and they have a meaty body. They are very good foragers and are immune to most diseases. The breed is also reasonably cold hardy despite its lack of feathers. Naked Neck roosters carry a single comb, and the neck and head often become very bright red from increased sun exposure. This breed has approximately half the feathers of other chickens, making it resistant to hot weather and easier to pluck.

Recognized color varieties include: black, white, cuckoo, buff, red, and blue in the United Kingdom and Black, White, Buff, and Red in the United States.

Naked Neck trait

The naked neck trait which this breed is controlled by an incompletely dominant allele (Na) located near the middle of Chromosome 3. Since this allele is dominant individuals which are either homozygous dominant (Na/Na) or heterozygous (Na/na+) will exhibit the naked neck characteristic though the heterozygous individual will exhibit less reduction in feathering - true breeding members of the breed must then be homozygous dominant, and all individuals in the recognized breed must be also. Individuals which are homozygous recessive (or wild type feathered) (na+/na+) would not exhibit any feather reduction characteristics of the Naked Necks and, baring mutation, would be unable to pass that trait down.

Scientific studies have indicated that the naked neck gene (Na) improves breast size and reduces heat stress in chickens of non-broiler breeds which are homozygous for the trait. Additionally, in tropical climates if the naked neck trait (Na) is breed into broiler strains it has been shown to facilitate lower body temperature, increased body weight gain, better Feed conversion ratios and carcass traits compared to normally feathered broilers.

Welsummer

2010-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Welsummer is a chicken breed originally from the small village of Welsum, in the east part of The Netherlands.

It was bred from local fowls of mixed origin, Rhode Island Reds, Barnevelders, Partridge Leghorns, Cochins, and Wyandottes at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1922-23 steps were taken to fix a standard after the birds began to show a good deal of uniformity. The eggs were originally exported for the commercial egg trade where they were an instant hit. Soon after stock was imported into England. The breed was added to the British Standard in 1930.

It is a light, docile breed, with rustic-red and orange colour. Representations of cockerels in the media are often based upon the "classic" Welsummer look. The most common example of this would be the Kelloggs Cornflakes rooster. Its eggs are dark-brown and spotty. There are three variations of the standard Welsummer, these are the Partrige, Silver Duckwing and the Gold Duckwing. There is also a Bantam Welsummer breed which is similar but lays light brown eggs. Bantams exist in both Partrige and Silver Duckwing colours. The Welsummer hens usually have gold hair-like feathers on their necks, as the cocks have a rusty-red on their necks.

Dutch Bantam

2010-02-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Dutch Bantam is a breed of chicken originating in the Netherlands. It is also one of the true bantam breeds, meaning it is a naturally small bird with no related large fowl from which it was miniaturized. Dutch Bantams have many color variations, and have grown in popularity as exhibition poultry worldwide. They are also practical chickens, being especially good layers for their size.

History

Diminutive chickens of similar coloration to today's Dutch Bantams have been seen in the Netherlands for hundreds of years, but the exact origin of the breed is unclear. It is likely that the ancestors of the Dutch Bantam were Southeast Asian bantams brought back by sailors from the Dutch East Indies. Historically, it is supposed that these tiny chickens were selectively bred because only small eggs could be kept by peasant farmers, while larger ones were required to be sent to the kitchens of the landed gentry. The first written referring to Dutch Bantams (as a distinct breed) is from a Hague zoo record dated to 1882, and the Dutch Poultry Club recognized the breed by 1906.

The first transatlantic export of Dutch Bantams was to the United States after World War II; they were first shown in the country in the early 1950s. This initial overseas population died out due to lack of interest from breeders, and the next exportation, to both the United Kingdom and the U.S., was not until the 1970s. The British Dutch Bantam Club was formed in 1982, and 13 colors are standardized. The American Poultry Association accepted the breed in the show ring in 1992, and the Standard of Perfection describes ten color varieties.

Characteristics

Dutch Bantams are the smallest breed of bantam currently recognized by the American Poultry Association, and are among the smallest chickens worldwide. Males weigh no more than 20 ounces (567 grams), and females 16 ounces (454 grams). Due to their light weight and relatively large wings, Dutch Bantams fly well for chickens. The original type of plumage for Dutch Bantams was a partridge pattern sometimes called bankiva. Today, there are dozens of colors, though only some are accepted in showing. All varieties possess single combs, white earlobes, slate blue shanks, and white skin.

The breed is friendly in temperament, but somewhat flighty. Their small size and comb type makes them not especially cold hardy, but they bear confinement well. Dutch Bantam hens make good mothers and will readily go broody. Uniquely for bantams, and especially ones popular in showing, Dutch Bantams lay well; they can produce 160 cream or light brown eggs in a year, though the size of the egg is much smaller than commercial layers. Due to their friendly character and egg laying ability, the breed is well suited to hobbyists and backyard keepers needing a bantam bird.

Polish (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Polish is a European breed of chicken known for its crest of feathers. The English language name of these birds is a misnomer, as they do not originate in the country of Poland. Instead, the oldest accounts of crested chickens comes from the Netherlands. In addition to combs, their heads are adorned with large crests due to a cone (called a protuberance) on the top of their skull. The crests cover almost their entire heads.

Polish chickens are bred primarily as a show bird, but were originally egg layers. Accordingly, Polish do not go broody and are noted for their white eggs. They may be bearded or non-bearded. Hens weigh around 4.5 pounds, and roosters 6 pounds.

History

Polish or Poland were brought from Asia in to which is now southern Russia and Ukraine in 12th and 13th century by Mongols and other invading tribes under their rule. They were then brought in to Poland especially after Union of Lublin in 1569 when Magnates rose to power, created enormous wealth and residences in eastern Poland now Ukraine. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest and wealthiest unions in Europe during those times often dealing with Tatars and trading goods brought by them from far east. Wealthy nobles traveled on vacations to Italy and send their sons to two best European university's at that time, in Bologna and Padua. Because of technical difficulty's the travels took long and nobles traveled with all they needed and could even animals. In 1700 Magnates had their own small army made up of foreign mercenaries, upon return to their homeland after time served, mercenaries brought back with them what they amassed during their campaign. During that time market exchange was booming and was lead by Dutch. Chickens were popular in villages and at manors of Polish nobles, also around 1600 they were distributed on mass scale further in to western Europe, Germany, Holland, England and Italy's Padua city, by Germans who lived and worked in Poland.

Breed standardization was mainly done in Holland also England and Germany, the name change took place in 1869 Germany, Dresden at a convention of Poultry breeders to German, Paduaner after Italy's Padua city (Polish Padewski or Padwy). During that time Poland was torn by civil unrest, had been partitioned out by war and was gone from the map. Polish breeders persisted in having the name changed back, although there are still breeds that are called Padewski or Padwy in Poland. Thanks to Dutchman Arie Boland and his pursuit of saving Polish they are now found in many colors, which he helped to preserve and popularize.

Bearded

Golden: orange-brown with black lacing
Silver: white with black lacing
White: pure white
Buff Laced: tan with off-white lacing

Non-bearded

White Crested Black: black with a white crest
White Crested Blue: gray with black lacing and a white crest
Black Crested White: white with a black crest
Golden, Silver, White, and Buff Laced: similar to the corresponding bearded varieties

Feeding and Activity

January - May (Egg laying)

Granulate, shell grit, curd(Cottage cheese), Celery, grain sprouts

February - July (Brooding)

Grain, egg, curd, greens, fruits

August - December (quiet, calm down)

Greens, fruits, vegetables, some granulate, seed mix, grit

Booted Bantam

2010-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Booted Bantam, also called the Dutch Booted Bantam, is a bantam breed of chicken. Its name is derived from the bird's extravagant feathering on the feet and hock joints, which are called vulture hocks or "sabels" in Dutch. With no large fowl counterpart from which it was miniaturized, the Booted is one of the true bantams. Males usually weigh in at around 850 grams (30 ounces) and females 750 grams (27 ounces). American standards dictate a smaller ideal size of 740 grams (26 ounces) for males, and 625 (22 ounces) for females.

Characteristics

Booted Bantams are angular birds with profuse plumage. They have broad backs, breasts carried well forward, and relatively large, downward-pointing wings following the line of the vulture hocks. They do not quite reach the floor though. Booted Bantams have a single upright comb with five points, horn-colored beaks, red wattles, and red earlobes. Almost exclusively an exhibition chicken raised by poultry fanciers, they appear in more than a twenty colour varieties. Colours accepted in shows include: Barred, Black, Blue, Buff, Cuckoo, Columbian, Gray, Golden Neck, Millefleur (the most common), Mottled, Partridge, Lavender, Lemon Millefleur, Porcelain, Self Blue, Silver Millefleur and White.

Long kept as pets in addition to being shown, Booted Bantams are usually friendly and calm. They are good foragers, and are said to do less damage to garden plants because of their heavily feathered feet. However, most breeders keep their Booted Bantams confined and on soft bedding in order to maintain these feathers. Hens readily go broody, and lay very small eggs that are white or tinted in color. Their egg production is respectable for bantams, especially in summer.

History

The Booted Bantam is closely related to the Belgian Bearded d'Uccle. The most significant differences in conformation between the two are the d'Uccle's feather beard and the greater height of the Booted. Some sources assert the two breeds share a singular point of origin, with a Belgian breeder around the beginning of the 20th century. Other sources point to a clearly documented presence in the Netherlands since the 16th century, and note that the Booted Bantam is known to this day in the Netherlands, as the Nederlandse Sabelpootkriel (Dutch, Dutch saber-legged bantam). Whatever their exact relation, Booted Bantams and Bearded d'Uccles are only two of a handful of chicken breeds to possess vulture hocks, (Sultans do too).

Popular across Europe for hundreds of years, the Booted Bantam was imported to North America from Germany in the early 20th century. It was officially recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1914. It is also recognized by the American Bantam Association, and is classed in the Feather Legged group.

Booted Bantams in the UK

Booted Bantams in the UK are catered for by the Rare Poultry Society(RPS). The breed has 11 colours accepted by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. These are black, black mottled, blue, buff mottled, cuckoo, lavender, lemon millefleur, millefleur, porcelain, silver millefleur, white. The black and white Booted Bantams were created in the UK and have been here for over 100 years. In recent years more colours have been imported into the UK from mainland Europe and the most popular colour by far is the Lemon Millefleur Booted Bantam. Although not shown in large numbers at present they are a very popular pet and are becoming more common in people's back gardens. They are a breed that can be susceptible to a form of Mareks Disease although this can be bred out within a few years.

Barnevelder

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The Barnevelder is a medium heavy breed of chicken named after the Dutch town of Barneveld. It is a cross of 19th century Dutch landrace chickens with Asian breeds imported to Europe in the mid-late 19th century such as the Brahma, Cochin, Croad Langshan and Malay.

Characteristics

Today, Barnevelders are bred both as a utility breed and a show breed. They are medium heavy dual-purpose chickens laying a good number of eggs but also yielding a reasonable carcass. They are hardy birds and good foragers. While they became famous for their dark brown eggs in the first half of the 20th century most birds now appear to be in the hands of show breeders and not much attention has been given to maintaining the dark brown egg colour or to productivity with the focus being on external characteristics instead. Many flocks now lay eggs of a much lighter brown than before and are sometimes not quite as productive as befits their reputation. They are good winter layers and have a quiet disposition.

Varieties

The original and most well known Barnevelder is the double laced variety with a single vertical comb and yellow legs, but white, black, brown, partridge, blue and double laced blue varieties also exist. Not all countries recognize all these varieties in their Poultry Standards. There are large fowl as well as bantam versions of most of the different colours.

Double-laced (large fowl) Late 19th/early 20th century. Bred in Barneveld, Netherlands. History as above.

Double-laced (Bantam) Recognized in 1931 in Germany. Bred from a 'petite' double-laced hen and a Bantam Rhode Island Red cock, followed by crossings with Bantam Golden-laced Wyandottes, Bantam German Langshan, and Bantam Indian Game (Cornish).

Black (large fowl) 1920s. Black came as a sport from the partridge. Black Plymouth Rock and Black Wyandottes were crossed in to achieve pure black.

Black (Bantam) Recognized in 1954 in Germany. Bred from Black Barnevelders and Bantam Black Wyandottes in Germany.

White (large fowl) 1934. Occasionally occurring recessive white birds were crossed with white Plymouth Rocks and White Leghorn to produce White Barnevelders.

White (Bantam) Recognized in 1960 in Germany. Bred from Black Barnevelders and Bantam White Wyandottes in Germany.

Autosexing barred (large fowl) 1930-1939. Produced by Haagedorn. Don't seem to have persisted.

Autosexing barred (Bantam) Recognized in Germany in 1988. Bred in Germany with the aid of autosexing Bantam Bielefelder. Bantam Niederrheiner and Bantam Italiener (German-type Leghorn) were also crossed in.

Dark brown (large fowl) 1978? Recognized in 1982 in Germany. Bred from Black Barnevelders, Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires in Germany.

Dark brown (Bantam) Recognized in 1987 in Germany. Bred from Bantam Black Barnevelders, Bantam Rhode Island Reds and Bantam New Hampshires in Germany.

Partridge (large fowl) Partridge Barnevelders are still kept in Britain in the 1990s, possibly still derived from early imports.

Double-laced Blue (large fowl) [info needed]

Double-laced Blue (Bantam) Originally bred in the Netherlands. Bred again in Germany from a Bantam double-laced Barnevelder cock and a Bantam blue-laced Wyandotte hen; recognized in 1987.

Blue (large fowl) Recognized in Germany in 1997. Bred from Black Barnevelder and Blue Niederrheiner. Not recognized in the Netherlands.

Silver (large fowl) Appears to be a recognised variety in the British & Australian Poultry Standards. Single-laced.

Silver-black double-laced (Bantam) Developed in the first years of the new millennium by Dutch breeder Bert Beugelsdijk from crosses of double-laced Barnevelder bantams and Silver-pencilled Wyandotte bantams. Not yet recognized.

The double-laced pattern

In 1930, C. S. Th. Van Gink, Vice-President of the World’s Poultry Science Association, Voorburg, The Netherlands, wrote the following:

When in 1921 the Barnevelders were exhibited at the First World’s Poultry Exhibition at the Hague a number of visitors from abroad saw this breed, which was then just acquiring its definite type of colouring and marking, and suggested verbally and in print its relationship to the Indian Games. Why? Just because the double-laced marking of the female’s feathers supported this opinion! This conclusion was wrong, and there was little or no excuse for the error made, as with the exception of the resemblance in markings there was no other point that could suggest a relationship between these two breeds. How could there be, as there is no blood of the Indian Games in the Barnevelders? For years and years they were within certain limits variable in colouring and marking until here and there a female appeared with markings which were more or less like the double-laced pattern as we know it in the Indian Games. The appearance of these double-laced females remained fairly well unnoticed by the breeders of the Barnevelders, but we happened to see these birds and suggested, - where the breeders were looking for a suitable colour-type of which both standard-marked males and females could be bred from the same breeding pen, - that this type of marking be given a fair chance, as it had proved in another breed to fulfil these requirements. Since then this colour-type has been adopted in Holland and it will in the future safeguard the breed against otherwise perhaps unnoticed crosses, as no cross can possibly be found that will not upset the adopted colour-markings in some respect."

Genetically, the double-laced feather pattern phenotype has been shown to depend upon homozygosity of both the linked eumelanin extension melanotic (Ml/Ml) and the feather pattern arranging gene (Pg/Pg). In the Barnevelder (large fowl), the pattern is expressed on a brown (e^b/e^b) background. Only the females express the double-laced pattern, whereas the males are melanized black-breasted reds.

Saipan Jungle Fowl

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The Saipan Jungle Fowl is a breed of domestic chicken. Not a true jungle fowl, it was found on the island of Saipan. It is thought to have been brought into The United States of America by returning American servicemen at the end of World War II including B. W. Saylor, who wrote "The Saipan Jungle Fowl" in 1977. Although the birds encountered at that time were both domesticated and wild on Saipan, it is thought that the wild ones were feral and descended from those brought in by the original human inhabitants. An alternative theory is that they were brought in by the Japanese as occurred in other locations such as Taiwan during the Japanese colonial occupation.

The Saipan Junglefowl was likely introduced to the island of Saipan by Austronesians seafarers. Many vertebrate paleontologists believe that giant gamefowl like the Saipan are living remnants of an extinct Comoros Island Junglefowl Gallus giganteus which was introduced to Madagascar and Reunion Islands by Austronesians who also carried these naturally tame birds back to South East Asia and Oceania as long ago as the Neolithic period.

There were also feral junglefowl introduced to the Solomon Islands which are descended of normally proportioned, wild birds imported from Indonesia and beyond. The combination of the Comoros Island Giant Junglefowl and the domestic descendants of the Red Junglefowl produced the Saipan, Shamo, Malay, Koeyoshi and Asil.

Because of its unique genetics and consequent hard-wired instincts to scavenge shorelines for stranded sea life, the Saipan does not thrive on the soy/grain-based diets of typical domestic fowl. In order to reproduce successfully, its diet must be supplemented with fat (rendered beef suet); crab meal, and or a fish based dry cat food. Ready access to fruit and vegetables are also suggested so that it ingests enough dietary fiber.

The "Saipan" bird is tall and upright, resembling the Malay, the Shamo, the Asil, or other oriental gamefowl, that are Asian in origin. The Saipan is either pea combed or flat combed and is absent of wattles, having a simple dewlap instead. The rooster is most often Black Breasted Red and the hen Wheaten in color, but there are variations such as white and other color combinations. The hens make excellent mothers, with a strong tendency towards broodiness. Often hens that were raised by the same mother will communally hatch and raise chicks together. Though quite tame, intelligent and non-flighty, they are very alert and survive very well in situations where animal predation is a significant barrier to raising chickens. They lay a limited number of cream colored eggs yearly, though Saipan jungle fowl are relatively long lived and fecund. Saipan jungle fowl are known to have been used in cockfighting and are often bred into strains of gamefowl to enhance size and ability for naked-heel (fighting without artificial spurs) cock fighting competitions. Both the cocks and hens tend to be aggressive with other poultry, as well as towards two and four legged intruders that they do not recognize.

Serama

2010-02-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Serama also called the Malaysian Serama is a bantam breed of chicken originating in Malaysia. They are relatively new outside Malaysia, having been recently imported to North America.

Characteristics

They are the lightest chicken in the world. The Serama are characterized by their vertical tail feathers, near-vertical wings, full breast, and short legs. Seramas are not yet recognized as a breed by the American Poultry Association or the American Bantam Association, but enthusiasts are working on making this so. Serama in the U.S. have been the subject of controversy with regard to what ideal type/standard should be pursued. As a result two schools of thought have emerged, the original Malaysian Standard proposed by the U.S. Serama Club, and the American standard proposed by the Serama Council of North America.

Malay (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Malay is a breed of chicken originating in Asia, most likely in northern India. It is unknown why they were called Malay, but perhaps because of a mistake by the former East India Company, when they introduced that exotic new breed around 1570. In Asia, the Malay chicken is usually found only in rural areas and villages.

Today, in the West the Malay is mainly kept for participation in poultry shows by breeders. It is considered a hard-feathered, gamefowl breed. The Malay has an upright stance, a well muscled form and a large skull with a cruel expression. Nowadays they are selected to be better egg-layers than in the 1970's with 70 to 120 eggs annually for a young hen and older hens laying only 30 to 55 eggs.

As food

Malay Chicken is a tougher meat than many other breeds. Because of this, the Malay chicken is often double boiled in herbs, or is stewed. Recipes for it often call for curry, garlic, cumin, turmeric, etc.. The Malay carcass may be hung in kitchen at room temperature for 12 or 24 hours or meat cubes be soaked in buttermilk. In both cases milk acid helps to cut the fibrilles in the meat. The shorter muscle fibres are becoming soft again like in a young cockerel.

In the Borneo region of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, the Malay chicken is called Sigun. The Malay Chicken is sometimes used as a combatant for betting in a game called Sabong.

Phoenix (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix is one of many breeds of chicken that belong to the long-tail fowl bred in Japan for a thousand years. Phoenix are noted for extreme tail growth on the cocks(males) and has been known to exceed twenty feet in length. Phoenix male chickens do not molt their sickle feathers while female Phoenix moult normally.

Japanese breeders through the centuries have gone to great pains in the creation and perpetuation of the species. Breeders provide special hutches with perches well above the ground where the tails are kept clean and in good condition. The Phoenix breed was accepted into the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection in 1974 with the Gold and Silver varieties. Recently the Black Breasted Red variety has also been included.

Shamo (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

Shamo or Ko-Shamo is a breed of chicken of Japan which was originated in Thailand. The name "Shamo" was a corruption of "Siam" during the early Edo period but has been selectively bred for several hundred years and is very different from the original stock. This breed is used for naked heeled cockboxing in Japan cockfight, where it is still legal. It is also bred all over the world for its show quality.

Japanese Bantam

2010-02-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

The Japanese Bantam, also known in many parts of the world as Chabo, is a breed of chicken originating in Japan. They are a bantam breed, with large upright tails that often reach over the chicken's head. The wings angle down and to the back along the sides.

History

The Chabo has graced the gardens of the Japanese aristocracy for well over 350 years. Historical evidence suggests that the Japanese Bantam originated in Southeast Asia, where it is still raised today. They enjoy a high degree of popularity in Malaysia, and are very common in Java, which is now part of Indonesia.

Japanese Bantams began to appear in Japanese art around the year 1635, right about the time Japan closed its shores to outside trade. It also appears in Dutch art of the same era. This suggests that Dutch spice traders probably carried the Chabo as gifts to the Japanese from the Asian spice ports, such as Hoi An (Vietnam) and likely from Java, which part of Dutch colonial area on that time. The very word "chabo" originates in Java as chabol (Cebol) , where it means "dwarf" and applies both to humans, and to the short-legged Chabo chicken. In Japan, the word would drop the "L," as no speaker of Japanese would be inclined to pronounce it.

Characteristics

They have friendly personalities, and will ride on shoulders and allow themselves to be petted and held. Japanese Bantams are also good foragers, and will feed themselves if they have a large enough area to do so.

Variations

There are different kinds of Japanese Bantams which include Black-Tailed-White, White, Buff, Black-Tailed-Buff, Gray, Blue, Barred, Black Breasted Red, Black, and many more. These are usually referred to BTW, BTB, etc. These chickens have been known to live for up to 13 years with proper care. As with most other chickens, even though the birds are very docile and friendly, do not put too many males together or they will fight.

Genetics

One unusual characteristic of Japanese bantams is extremely short legs. The trait is mainly caused by a single lethal gene, and all Japanese bantams are heterozygous. When the bantams are bred, 25% of the embryos receive two mutant alleles and die before hatching. 50% of the embryos receive one mutant allele and one wild type allele and are short-legged. The remaining 25% receive two wild type alleles and have legs that are longer than what most breeders want. When the long-legged birds are bred together, they never produce offspring with short legs.

Sicilian Buttercup (chicken)

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The Sicilian Buttercup is a breed of domestic chicken from the island of Sicily. The breed was imported from the island of Sicily over 100 years ago and is another member of the Mediterranean class. It has attracted widespread interest over the country because of its unique beauty. The golden color and cup-shaped comb are the basis for the very descriptive name. The comb is a cup-shaped crown with a complete circle of medium sized regular points. The male and female do not look alike in coloring.

The males are a rich, brilliant orange red with some black spangles in the feather of the body fluff and cape feathers at the base of the hackle; with lustrous, greenish black tail. The base color of the female is buff with all feathers on the body marked by parallel rows of black elongated spangles, giving the hen an appearance of being beautifully spotted and suggesting a ringneck pheasant hen. Skin color is yellow and shanks and toes are a willow green. Eggs are small and can be colored anywhere from white to heavily tinted. They are good fliers and free-ranging Buttercups will often be seen perching in elevated areas such as fencetops, haylofts, trees, and arbors.

Leghorn (chicken)

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The Leghorn is a breed of chicken with origins in Tuscany, central Italy. The first birds imported to North America in 1853 were called Italians. By 1865 the breed was named named after the Italian city of Livorno, on the western edge of Tuscany, which in English is also known as Leghorn.

White Leghorns are among the most popular commercial strains of layer chickens worldwide. Pure bred Leghorn varieties are less common. Both the American Poultry Association (APA) and the American Bantam Association (ABA) recognize a number of Leghorn varieties including white, red, black tailed red, light brown, dark brown, black, blue, buff, Columbian, buff Columbian, barred, exchequer and silver. Most have single combs but there are several color varieties that have rose combs.

Leghorns are excellent layers of white eggs (around 280 per year) with a superior feed-to-egg conversion ratio. Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying. The Leghorn is a light breed that matures quickly to only 3 or 4 lbs and is not considered a viable meat producer. Leghorns are active and efficient foragers. They typically avoid human contact and tend to be nervous and flighty.

Due to their prolific egg-laying, they are preferred by laboratories for embryonic and avian biological research as well as being the number one breed used for large-scale commercial egg production in the United States.

Leghorns are noisy birds, and somewhat smaller than other breeds. However, they are larger in size than the Bantam.

Sumatra (chicken)

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The Sumatra is a breed of chicken native of the island of Sumatra. Chickens were originally imported from Sumatra in 1847 to the U.S. and Europe for the purpose of cockfighting, but today the breed is primarily kept for exhibition. 1883 is the year the Black Sumatra was first inducted into the American Standard of Perfection.

Characteristics

Black Sumatras are pitch black with a green sheen throughout the body and tail. Black is the most common variety, but it additionally comes in blue and white varieties. Males usually weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, and females weigh between 3 1/2 and 4 pounds. Hens lay about 100 white eggs a year.

Both males and females have no wattles, and males often have multiple spurs. The breed is considered a primitive one; the Sumatra retains a strong flying ability, unlike most modern chicken breeds. The males will fight for dominance, but unlike most breeds, these do not fight to the death, but some are just stubborn and they actually will fight to the death.

Asil (chicken)

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The Asil or Aseel is a breed of chicken originating in India. Similar fowl are found throughout Southeast Asia.

Asils were first used for cock fighting. Aseel is noted for its pugnacity. The chicks often fight when they are just a few weeks old and mature roosters will fight to the death. Hens can also be very aggressive towards each other.

Towards humans Asil are generally very tame and trusting. There are anecdotes where they have come to their keepers for other things than food, for example to get the keeper to open the door to the coop so they can get to roost.

The hens are not good layers, but are excellent sitters. Laying depends on the Asil variety, the small Asil are known to be very poor layers, sometimes laying just 6 eggs a year, whereas larger Asil can lay around 40 eggs a year.

In the U.S., the breed is listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Aseel breed is found in almost all states of India, but abundant in Andhra Pradesh.

Breed Standard

The Asil has a distinctive upright stance, drooping tail, and well-defined musculature. The comb and wattles are much smaller than in most other breeds. The color ranges from white to black with black breasted red being the most common.

Asil head

The ideal Asil head is more or less round-shaped and broad, the eyes pearl white and protected by protuberant eyebrows and cheekbones, a small low set pea or walnut comb (except the single-combed bhaingam variety) with a relative short and thick beak. The color of the face is generally red. Asil with a dark-colored face are seen on South Indian Asil. Wattles should be absent only rudimentary presence is allowed.

Asil comb types

Asil show a variation in comb types and beak shapes. In generally we can say that North Indian Asil types such as the Reza Asil have (triple) peacombs only. The South Indian varieties such as the Malay and the Madras Asil show (triple) peacombs as well as walnut combs.

Asil beak types

North Indian type Asil have (triple) peacombs and a fairly large beak with the shape similar to an eagle. The birds from Southern India generally show a short but massive triangle shaped beak.

Asil eyes

All Asil must show a pearl-white colored eye. Red or orange-colored eyes are a fault. Pale yellow-colored eyes can be seen in young birds which lighten with age into a pearl-white colour. Sometimes pearl-white colored eyes are seen showing tiny blood veins running in the eyes, so called "bloodshot" eyes. In some areas these are regarded as a sign of vitality.

Asil legs

The main leg colors within the Asil breed are ivory white, yellow, black,grey and blue. The dark-colored leg colors are generally seen on the South Indian Asil. Some Asil show very rough scales pointing a little bit outwards. The shape of an Asil leg should not be round but angular.

Asil body description

The Asil should have broad shoulders and wings are carried against the body. The body of an Asil is very muscular but also compact.

Varieties

There are many varieties of Asil, some are standardized for shows such as the Reza Asil in the UK, some are simply named after the area where they are bred such as the Mianwali Asil from Pakistan or the colour, red/wheaten Asil are generally knows as "Sonatol".

There are also hen-feathered Asil knows as "Madaroo" these are found in various colours, but the cocks come with feathers in hen colour, don't have sickle feathers in the tails and miss the large hanging feathers on the saddle. This variety is very rare.

Asil with feather beards under their beaks known as "muffed" and with tufts on the top of their heads known as "tasseled" are also seen, but are very rare especially outside India/Pakistan.

Bhaingam Asil variety have a have a large single comb but confirm to all the other Asil standards.

Broadly speaking, Asil in Europe are categorized and shown under these three types:

Reza Asil

Height: Up to 50 cms tall. Weight: Maximum weight for the hens is 1.8 kg, max weight for the cocks is 2.7 kg.

This type is standardized by the Asian Hardfeather Society in the UK and is seen at shows throughout the UK, but is quite rare.

This group of Asil reached worldwide popularity due to books and articles written by gamefowl experts such as Herbert Atkinson, Siran and Paul Deraniyagala from Sri Lanka and Carlos Finsterbusch from Chile. The Reza Asil family according the old (Western) gamefowl literature is subdivided into following strains: (Amir) Ghan (Dark-Red), Sonatol(Light-Red), (Siyah) Rampur(Black), Kalkatiya (Kaptan)(Speckled-Reds) and Jawa(Duckwing). All these strains are identified by their specific color, these colors do not necessarily correspond with the area where the birds come from.

In colonial times other colors such as whites, spangles, golden etc. were regarded as inferior. At present day the "classic" strains and names given mentioned by Atkinson are more or less forgotten. The native people in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only know the Reza-type Asil by their local names.

Kulang Asil

Height: Up to 75 cms tall. Weight: 5 to 7 kg.

The large Asil are divided into sub-varieties : North Indian, South Indian and Madras type. The North and South Indian varieties don't differ much. Only type of comb, shape of the beak and body shape are different. For example : Northern type = slender, Southern type = heavier build. The Madras Asil however is significantly different. They have a lower station, are heavier build and stronger boned. These birds often come in a bluish colour. This variety is found in the deep south of India, the Tamil Nadu state.

Bantam Asil

Weight: Up to 0.75 kg.

Bantam Asil have been created at the end of the 19th century by an English breeder named William Flamank Entwisle. The breed got very popular after its creation but after a couple of decades interest in this variety slowly died out. Until the beginning of the 1980's nothing was heard about these little Asil. A Belgian breeder named Willy Coppens created them again using Shamo_(chicken), Indian_Game and Reza Asil. The breed was also introduced again in Holland and United Kingdom. At present day Bantam Asil are quite popular and they are bred in various colors.

Lakenvelder (chicken)

2010-02-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

Lakenvelders or Lakenfelders are a breed of chicken developed in the 1830’s in Germany despite their Dutch name. Characteristics of the breed are black head, collar, and tail, white body, white skin and slate colored legs. The Lakenvelder is a flighty breed that is a good forager if allowed to free range. While it does well on range, it also bears confinement well. It has a small 4-5 pound body and is a good layer of small to medium a white or cream eggs, but is a non-setter.

Breed origin

The Lakenvelder originated in the Levant from Egyptian Fayoumi and Persian progenitors. It was developed as its own breed for centuries in Palestine where it was known as the Tel Megiddo (Hebrew) or Tell al-Mutesellim (Arabic) fowl. Roman Jewish immigrants brought this ancient breed to the Westfalen area of Germany during the Roman era around 1 A.d.. Westphalian Jews refined and conserved this breed for centuries before it was widely known to non-Jewish Europeans. The Lakenvelder's eggs were used primarily in baking.

It was admitted to the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1939. They are in the Continental class for American Poultry Association showing purposes and are listed as threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Hamburg (chicken)

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The Hamburg or Hamburgh in Britain, is a type of chicken developed in Germany and Holland prior to 1700. It is comparatively rare, with less than 1000 registered in North America each year.

Appearance and behavior

It is a small breed—cocks tend to weigh only 5 pounds and hens about 4 lb (2.25 and 1.75 kg) with slender legs and a neat rose comb. The bird comes in more than ten different varieties, including: Silver-Spangled, Golden-Spangled, Golden-Penciled, Silver-Penciled, White, and Black. Penciled breeds are smallest and self-colored birds are largest. There are also bantam Hamburgs, which weigh about 1.5 pounds. Hamburgs are hardy, active birds who are capable of flight and often jumpy around humans.

Eggs

Hamburgs mature quickly and are considered good egg producers. Their eggs are rather small with white, glossy shells.

Famous Hamburgs

Perhaps the most famous devotee of the Hamburg chicken was L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books. He began a monthly trade journal in 1880 and in 1886, published his first and only book on the subject, The Book of the Hamburgs: A Brief Treatise upon the Mating, Rearing, and Management of the Different Varieties of Hamburgs.

In Baum's third Oz book, Ozma of Oz, he introduces Dorothy Gale's chicken, Billina. He must have drawn on his experience in breeding Hamburgs when creating her character, as she is appropriately spirited and active.

Marans

2010-02-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Marans is a breed of chicken originating in France. It is a medium breed compared to others, popular for poultry shows and is a dual purpose fowl known both for its extremely dark eggs as well as for its very fine meat qualities.

Appearance

There are 9 recognized colors in the French Standard: Cuckoo, Golden Cuckoo, Black, Birchen, Black Copper, Wheaton, Black-tailed Buff, White and Columbian; other colours not officially recognized (such as Blue Copper) also exist. Black Copper and Cuckoo are the most common of these.

All have red or orange eyes and white feet. They are in the medium weight class about the same size as the more common Rhode Island Red.

The original Marans have feathered legs but this has been bred out by many UK breeders.

Characteristics

Marans are quiet, docile,but can be quite wild gentle birds, but they are quite active, taking well to free ranging in rough terrain and are also tough and disease-resistant. They were originally bred in the marshy areas of France and can cope with damper conditions.

Eggs

Marans lay around 150 dark brown eggs each year.

Meat

Marans are an historically great dual-purpose bird, prized not only for their dark eggs but for their table qualities as well.

History

The Marans originate from France, and were imported into the United Kingdom in the 1930s.

Faverolles (chicken)

2010-02-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Faverolles is a French breed of chicken. Faverolles were originally bred in France as a utility fowl, but are now primarily raised for exhibition. The Faverolles is relatively large and has a beard, muffs, feathered feet, and five toes per foot. The most common color is Salmon. The plumage of salmon females is mainly brown and creamy white.

The males are darker, with black, brown, and straw-colored feathers. Other varieties, including white, black, cuckoo, splash, and blue, also exist. Hens are good winter layers of medium-sized, light brown to pinkish eggs. The Favorolle was questioned for Kashruth because of its differences from the regular chicken

La Flèche (chicken)

2010-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

La Flèche is a very rare breed of chicken originating in France. Their main distinguishing feature is their unusual V-shaped comb. They are of medium size, with males usually weighing between 8 and 10 lb (3.6 to 4.5 kg) and females weighing between 6 and 8 lb (2.7 to 3.6 kg). They are usually used as ornamental birds and have white eggs.

Crèvecœur (chicken)

2010-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Crèvecœur is a rare breed of chicken originating in France. Named after the town of Crèvecœur in Normandy, it is one of the oldest French chicken breeds, and may be the progenitor of the La Flèche. They have uniformly black plumage, a V-shaped comb and large crests, similar in this last regard to the Houdan and Polish breeds. Their legs are a dark blue–gray. They were first kept in France as dual–purpose chickens, valued for both their white eggs and meat. Abroad in the U.S. and the U.K., where consumers prefer table birds with light-colored legs, Crèvecœurs are primarily bred for poultry exhibition. They were admitted in to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874.

Bresse (chicken)

2010-02-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

The birds are highly valued for their rich, gamey depth of flavour, yet with fine, tender flesh and delicious, clean-flowing fat. Roughly 1.2 million are raised annually, but such is the demand inside France that few birds make it out of the country. As a premium product, they sell at a premium price: Poulet de Bresse command around 15 euro ($21) per kilo at fine food markets.

The most typical examples, known as Bény, have a distinctive red crown, white feathers and blue feet, making up the colours of the french flag or tricolore, making it an ideal national mascot. Black (Bourg) and grey (Louhans) feather varieties are also quite common. When butchered, the chickens have a clear reddish-pink tone to the flesh and pronounced yellowish fat. Bones are surprisingly light for sturdy, outdoor-raised birds.

Poulet de Bresse are reared to exacting standards by small farms in a small designated area around the city, protected under French and European law since 1957 - the first livestock to be granted such protection. AOC status was granted based on the unique characteristics of flavour given by local soil and grain, as well as the dedication of the local farmer's association to protecting quality. For example, stocks are limited by the size of the farm - with a minimum allocation of ten square meters for each bird. Diet and slaughter times are also strictly controlled.

Bresse is fiercely proud of its chickens and the emblematic bird adorns a vast range of local produce and merchandise. Famous non-French fans include molecular gastronomist Heston Blumenthal, who pronounced the Bresse chicken a clear winner in terms of taste and texture during controlled research for his BBC series In Search Of Perfection.

An American variety, the blue foot chicken, was developed from French stock in the 1980s and is raised along similar lines. It has become equally highly prized in the USA, commanding many times the price per kilo of an equivalent free range chicken from lesser stock.

Egyptian Fayoumi

2010-02-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Fayoumi is a breed of chicken originating in Egypt. Fayoumis are a very old breed in their native region, and are named for the Faiyum Governorate southwest of Cairo and west of the Nile. They have been present in the West since at least the 1940s, when they were imported from Egypt by an Iowa State University Dean of Agriculture. However, they are not officially recognized for exhibition by the American Poultry Association, and are not included in the Standard of Perfection.

Fayoumis have been described as "jaunty" in appearance; with their upright tails and forward jutting breast and neck, they are sometimes likened to a roadrunners. They are a light-weight fowl, with roosters weighing in around 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) and hens 1.6 kilos (3.5 pounds). They appear in a single variety: in roosters, the plumage is silver-white on the head, neck, back and saddle, with the rest in a black and white barring. Hens have heads and necks in the silver-white hue, with the rest barred. Fayoumis have a single comb, earlobes, and wattles are red and moderately large, with a white spot in the earlobes. They have dark horn colored beaks, and slate blue skin. Their appearance is remarkably similar to the Silver variety of the Campine breed of Belgium, and the Campine may be descended from a Fayoumi-like chicken brought north in Europe by the Romans.

Fayoumis are a hardy breed, and particularly well suited to hot climates. The breed, through poultry genetics research and anecdotal reports, is thought to be especially resistant to viral and bacterial infections. They are also very good foragers, and if left to their own devices on a free range basis they can fend for themselves in a nearly feral manner. Fayoumi hens are good layers of small, off-white eggs. They are not given to broodiness as pullets, but can be when they reach two or three years of age. The breed is fast to mature, with hens laying by four and half months, and cockerels crowing at five or six weeks.

Cubalaya

2010-01-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Cubalaya is a breed of chicken originating in Cuba. The distinguishing trait of this breed is their long, broad tail—called a lobster tail—carried at a downward angle. In the United States and Europe they are now primarily kept as ornamental and exhibition poultry.

History

In the middle 19th century, the Spaniards brought to Havana, Cuba, several varieties of Asiatic game fowl that originated in the Philippine Islands. The Cubans crossed the Asiatic breeds, and subsequently re-crossed them with birds of European origin.

These birds were then selectively bred for wide, extended tails and a curving beak, fierce eyes, and a courageous expression. In this manner the Cubalaya was created, independent from any scientific control. In 1935, the Asociacion Nacional de Avicultura (Cuban National Poultry Association) approved the breed. Their name was chosen in honor of the Republic of Cuba, which had patronized and refined them.

First shown in the U.S. at the International Poultry Exhibition in 1939, the Cubalaya breed is currently recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) and the American Bantam Association (ABA).

Characteristics

Cubalayas are characterized by their stately carriage; pea comb; abundant, flowing hackle feathers and long, well-spread tail carried about 20 degrees below the horizontal. They possess a friendly, curious disposition, are very heat tolerant and make excellent foragers when allowed to range. The hens lay small eggs and are good brooders.

The breed has been developed in standard and bantam size. Standard males weigh 4.5 to 5 pounds at maturity, with bantam roosters weighing around 26 ounces. The females are somewhat smaller.

Colors accepted by both the APA and the ABA are limited to black; black breasted red and white, though an array of other colors is found in the U.S.

Silkie Chicken Information

2010-01-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Silkie (sometimes spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as dark blue flesh and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot (most chickens only have four). They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and come in several colors.

In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament. Among the most docile of poultry, Silkies are considered an ideal pet. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and make good mothers. Though they are fair layers themselves, only laying about three eggs a week. They are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species.

Silkies most likely originate in China, but other Southeast Asian countries are also sometimes proposed. The first written account of the breed by a white European comes from Marco Polo, who mentioned chickens with fur-like plumage in his Asian travelogues in the 13th century. The Renaissance author Ulisse Aldrovandi also spoke of chickens akin to Silkies. Today, the breed is recognized for exhibition, and is fairly common in the poultry world.

History

Silkies are one of the oldest breeds of chicken. It is unknown exactly where or when fowl with their singular combination of attributes first appeared, but the most well documented point of origin is China. Other places in Southeast Asia have been named as possibilities, such as India and Java. The earliest surviving written account of Silkies comes from Marco Polo, who wrote of a furry chicken in the 13th century, during his travels in Asia. In 1599, Ulisse Aldrovandi, a writer and naturalist at the university of Bologna, Italy published a comprehensive treatise on chickens which is still read and admired today. In it, he spoke on "wool-bearing chickens" and ones "clothed with hair like that of a black cat".

Silkies most likely made their way to the West via the Silk Route and maritime trade. The breed was recognized officially in the North America via acceptance in to the Standard of Perfection in 1874 (the first year of publication). Once Silkies became more common in the West, many myths were perpetuated about them. Early Dutch breeders told buyers they were the offspring of chickens and rabbits, while sideshows promoted them as having actual mammalian fur.

In the 21st century, Silkies are one of the most popular and ubiquitous ornamental breeds of chicken. They are often kept as ornamental or pet chickens by backyard keepers and in zoos, and are also often used to incubate and raise the offspring of other poultry (including waterfowl like ducks and geese) and game birds such as quail and pheasants.

Characteristics

Silkies are often considered a bantam breed, but this varies according to region, and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl. Almost all North American strains of the breed are bantam sized, but in Europe the large is the original version. However, even "large" Silkies are relatively small chickens, with standard size males weighing only four pounds (1.8 kilos), and females weigh three pounds (1.36 kilos). The American Standard of Perfection calls for males that are 36 ounces (1 kilo), and females that are 32 ounces (910 grams).

Silkie plumage is unique among chicken breeds; Silkie-like feathering may appear as a recessive mutation in individuals of other varieties, but no other true breed has it. It has been compared to silk,^[10] and to fur. Their feathers lack functioning barbicels, and are thus similar to down on other birds. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance.

Silkies appear in two distinct varieties: Bearded and Non-bearded. Bearded Silkies have an extra muff of feathers under the beak area that covers the earlobes. They also are separated according to color. Colors of Silkie recognized for competitive showing include Black, Blue, Buff, Gray, Partridge, Splash and White. Alternative hues, such as Cuckoo, Red, and Lavender, also exist. All Silkies have a small Walnut-type comb, dark wattles, and turquoise blue earlobes. In addition these defining characteristics, Silkies have five toes on each foot. Other breeds which exhibit this rare trait include the Dorking, Faverolles, and Sultan.

All Silkies have black skin, bones and grayish-black meat; their Chinese language name is wu gu ji (烏骨鷂, literally "crow boned chicken"), meaning "black-boned chicken". Melanism which extends beyond the skin into an animal's connective tissue is a rare trait, and the Silkie is one of only a handful of chickens to exhibit it. Disregarding color, the breed does not generally produce as much as the more common meat breeds of chicken.

Silkies lay a fair number of cream-colored eggs, but production is often interrupted due to their extreme tendency to go broody; a hen will produce 100 eggs in an ideal year. Their capacity for incubation, which has been selectively bred out of most egg-laying fowl, is often exploited by poultry keepers by allowing Silkies to raise the offspring of other birds. In addition to being good mothers, Silkies are universally renowned for their calm, friendly temperament. They do well in confinement, and interact very well with children. This docility can cause Silkies to be bullied by more active or aggressive birds when kept in mixed flocks.

Pekin (chicken)

2010-01-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Pekin is a breed of bantam chicken. Shorter than the ordinary bantam, they are often only 20-30 centimeters tall (with head upright) and their feet and legs are completely covered by their feathers.

Characteristics

Pekin bantams are round, and their carriage tilts forward, with the head slightly closer to the ground than their elaborate tail feathers. This 'tilt' is a key characteristic of the pekin bantam. They have sometimes been described as looking like little walking teacosies, or feathery footballs. The cockerels often have longer feathers that protrude outwards from their feet. The range of pekin colours is extensive, including black, white, buff, lavender, mottled and red. Rarer colours are in great demand, and many breeders spend years perfecting new lines of colours in their birds.

Pekin Bantams are very docile, and with careful and regular handling they will be happy to sit on their owner's lap to be stroked and petted. They make ideal pets for families with younger children for this reason. However, the Pekin bantam cockerels can still be aggressive and defensive of their territory and mates once they reach sexual maturity, but are generally gentle natured and have been known to share incubation of the eggs.

The hens are regularly broody and are known to be good sitters.

History

The first Pekins are alleged to have been looted from the private collection of the Emperor of China at Peking (former name of Beijing) towards the end of the Opium Wars around 1860. However, some sources suggest that a consignment of birds from China around 1835 were given to Queen Victoria, assuming the name of 'Shanghais' and that these birds were bred with further imports and were developed into the breed we know today as Pekin Bantams. They are known in America and Canada as Cochins. It should be noted that this is the subject of some debate within the pekin/cochin breeders community.

Croad Langshan

2010-01-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Croad Langshan is an old, heavy, soft-feathered chicken breed which probably originated in China. The first recorded imports came from the Langshan ('Wolf Mountain') District (called after a small hill in the outskirts of Nantong, just north of the lower reaches of the Yangtse-Kiang River in China) in 1872 and were undertaken by Major F.T. Croad who imported the breed into Britain. Major Croad’s niece, Miss A. C. Croad, has been credited with establishing the breed in Britain. The Croad Langshan Club was formed in Britain in 1904. The name ‘Croad’ distinguishes the original type of Langshan, imported by Major Croad, which were a utility fowl of great merit, from the tall Modern Langshans which have been developed for the show pen. As with many other breeds, numbers declined after the Second World War and eventually the breed was left without a breed club in the UK. It was rescued by the Rare Poultry Society until in 1979 the club was reformed.

Langshans were also imported to North America in 1878 and admitted to the standard in 1883. White Langshans were admitted to the standard ten years later in 1893. There are three varieties of Langshans that have been accepted to the US standard - Black, White, and Blue. The latter was not accepted to the standard until 1987.

In 1879 the breed was brought to Germany. The German Langshans were derived from these and soon replaced them. After the Second World War Croad Langshans were reintroduced to Germany from the USA.

The original Croad Langshans were black with a brilliant green sheen and that is still the main colour kept today.

The Croad Langshan is large in body, has a deep and long breast which is carried well forward; the back is rather long and sloping with the tail rising sharply from the back, giving the characteristic 'U' shape. The head is small compared to the body size, the beak is light to dark horn in colour; the comb is medium-sized, single and carried upright in both sexes. The shanks and outer toes are slightly feathered. In the original birds the males topped 10lb/4.5 kg; today cocks weigh c. 3.75-4.25 kg and hens c. 3-3.5 kg. Hatching eggs should weigh at least 58g.

In the early 20th century Croad Langshans became a popular utility breed, doing well in laying trials. The hens lay 140-150 eggs a year and are good winter layers; the eggs are brown with a plum-coloured bloom. The hens are excellent sitters and mothers. Croad Langshans are easily tamed and adapt well to both confinement and free range. They do well in sheltered conditions and dry soils but are not well suited to very exposed conditions. Under suitable conditions they thrive well and are very productive. Their flesh is fine in texture and of excellent quality.

Many other breeds were created using Langshan blood in the foundation matings. These include, for example, Barnevelders, Black Orpingtons, and Marans. Langshans still exist in China today.

Cochin (chicken)

2010-01-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

The Cochin or Cochin China, originally known as the Chinese Shanghai, is a breed of chicken. The name Cochin came from the original Chinese name 九斤黄(in pinyin: jiujin huang, pronounced joo-chin hwong), meaning nine jin yellow, erroneously conflated with the then-current names for what are now parts of southern India and Vietnam, where jin is a traditional Chinese measurement of weight. In China itself, the name 九斤黄 is actually used for any large chicken or even a dish made from one.

History

This chicken was originally bred in China and later exported to Britain and America in the mid 19th century. As a very distinctive breed of chicken, it apparently created a bit of a craze among poultry lovers in the English-speaking world, effectively launching poultry fancy as we know it today.^[1] Not only was this breed one of the largest seen, with cocks weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kg), but also the soft and plentiful plumage makes the bird quite conspicuous by exaggerating its already large size. Once in the United States, the breed underwent considerable development into its current state. There is also a bantam version, which is often called the "Pekin bantam", but should not be confused with the separate true Pekin bantam.great brooder and mother(can be used as foster parent)

Characteristics

As above, the most distinctive feature of the Cochin is the excessive plumage that covers leg and foot. The skin beneath the feathers is yellow and the egg colour is brown. Eggs are also medium in size. Standard weight is 11 pounds (5 kg) for a cock, 9 pounds (4 kg) for a cockerel, 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg) for a hen, and 7 pounds (3.2 kg) for a pullet. Colour varieties include buff, black, partridge, blue, silver laced, splash, golden laced, and white. Cochins also come in a variety called frizzled, in which the feathers are turned outward. Cochins are well known as good mothers, even as foster mothers for other breeds, and they can lay many eggs, but usually not for extended periods of time.

Araucana

2010-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

The Araucana, also known in the USA as a South American Rumpless, is a breed of chicken originating in Chile. The Araucana is often confused with other fowl, especially the Ameraucana and Easter Egger chickens, but has several unusual characteristics which distinguish it. They lay blue eggs, have feather tufts near their ears, and a tail. To comply with the north American standard they must have no tail and are rumpless.

Ancestors

The ancestors of the modern Araucana chicken were purportedly first bred by the Araucanians Indians of Chile -- hence the name "Araucana." The Araucana as we know it today is a hybrid of two South American breeds: the Collonca (a naturally blue-egg laying, rumpless, clean-faced chicken) and the Quetro (a pinkish-brown egg layer that is tailed and has ear-tufts). The Collonca male and female are very similar, with very few secondary sexual characteristics like comb, wattles or tail coverts to distinguish them. Naturally, after centuries of introgression with other South American races, for example, Quechua, Huapi, Ona and Mapuche, South American Indian villages Colloncas are more often than not, composites. The Quetro or Quetero is also nearly combless but the sexes are markedly dichromatic. The male of both Colloncas and Quetero have unusual voices. The Quetero has a multi-syllabilic laughing crow. Colloncas have a slightly musical crow. Muffs and beards are present in most South American domestic fowl. The European equivalent of the North American show standard variety Araucana is what one comes across in South American villages. Quechua and Mapuche do not have tufts and resemble the Ameraucana. The Quechua is larger, and more powerfully built. It is shaped more like a game fowl than the Mapuche which is smaller, lighter and less domesticated in the sense that it is a semi-feral bird while the Quechua is a domestic bird reared for meat and eggs. The Mapuche is also known as the Chilean Passion Fowl and the Aymara Fire Fowl. Mapuche are generally crested and exhibit markedly colorful plumage in both sexes. The Quechua is unremarkable in plumage, closely resembling the North American standard Ameraucana. a composite between many of the South American domestic fowl races is known as the Falklands Isles Hen. These birds are descended from many different strains of birds purchased from Indian villages on the eastern coast of South America. The Falkland Isles hen is the progenitor of the Shetland Isles hen, U.K. Araucana and Ameraucana.

The current world wide Araucana Standard (except North America) indicates a medium to large sized chicken with a tail that lays bluish-green eggs. Specific features are feather ear tufts, muffs and beards, with a very much reduced comb, a small feather crest and a complete absence of wattles. The current North American standard calls for a chicken that is rumpless (missing their last vertebrae and lacking a tail), possesses ear-tufts (feathers that grow out from near the birds' ears), and lays blue eggs. In the United States and Canada, muffs, beards, and tails are all disqualifications.

Araucanas are often confused with two other types of colored-egg-laying chickens: Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers.

The Ameraucana should also lay blue eggs, but unlike the Araucana it has a tail and possesses muffs and a beard, which are quite different from the tufts of the Araucana, and no feather crest. Muffs and beards provide insulation against the cold. They are downy filoplumes that grow on the face below the eyes, extending to beyond the ears as well as the throat. Earrings or "Tufts" as they are known in Western countries are actual feathers that grow from fleshy lobes called peduncles on either side of the birds' face. Quetero are prominently tufted but many females have only small earrings or lack them altogether. Tufts are associated with a lethal gene, which makes them difficult to attain.

The Easter Egg Chicken is not an actual breed; the term refers to any bird that lays colored eggs. The vast majority of birds sold as "Araucanas" or "Ameraucanas" are actually neither. Instead, they are mixed breeds with no APA (American Poultry Association) Standard that lay colored eggs, ranging from bluish and greenish to pinkish-brown, and sometimes even tan, gray or white.

The Araucana's eggs are not more nutritious than eggs of other colors (despite popular myth), but the birds are reliable layers of medium-sized eggs. Because of the Araucanas' capacity to forage for much their own food, the egg yolks tend to be more nutritious than those of large standard breeds that prove to be less efficient forages. The Araucana, if hand-raised specifically, is extremely well-tempered, calm and trusting.

Suggested Polynesian origin

There has long been debate whether araucanas were bred from chickens brought by Europeans to South America after Columbus or rather arose from chickens brought directly over the Pacific Ocean from someplace nearer to all chickens' presumed ancestral home in Southeast Asia. If araucanas predate the Europeans in South America, their presence implies pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contacts between Asia and South America. In 2007, an international team of scientists reported the results of analysis of chicken bones found on the Arauco Peninsula in south central Chile, and their results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. This initial report suggested a Polynesian pre-Columbian origin. However, a later report looking at the same specimens concluded:

A published, apparently pre-Columbian, Chilean specimen and six pre-European Polynesian specimens also cluster with the same European/Indian subcontinental/Southeast Asian sequences, providing no support for a Polynesian introduction of chickens to South America. In contrast, sequences from two archaeological sites on Easter Island group with an uncommon haplogroup from Indonesia, Japan, and China and may represent a genetic signature of an early Polynesian dispersal. Modeling of the potential marine carbon contribution to the Chilean archaeological specimen casts further doubt on claims for pre-Columbian chickens, and definitive proof will require further analyses of ancient DNA sequences and radiocarbon and stable isotope data from archaeological excavations within both Chile and Polynesia.

Recognized breeds

The APA Araucana belong to the following Poultry Class AOSB "All Other Standard Breed " while the ABA belongs to the following class "All Other Comb Clean Leg". In Great Britain, the PCGB (Poultry Club of Great Britain) classifies it as Light, Soft Feather.

The colours recognized by the APA/ABA/PCGB are :

The APA recognizes 5 colors "Black , White , Black Breasted Red , Silver Duckwing , Golden Duckwing "

The ABA recognizes 6 colors " Black , White , Black Breasted Red , Blue , Buff , Silver"

The PCGB recognizes 12 colors " Lavender, Blue, Black/Red, Silver Duckwing, Golden Duckwing, Blue/Red, Pyle, Crele, Spangled, Cuckoo, Black and White.

Araucana, Ameraucana or Easter Egger?

When the Araucana was first introduced to breeders worldwide, in the mid-20th century, it was quickly realized that the genetics that produced tufts also caused chick mortality. As it turns out, two copies of the gene causes nearly 100% mortality shortly before hatching. One copy causes about 20% mortality. The tufted gene is dominant however. Because no living araucana possesses two copies of the tufted gene, breeding any two tufted birds leads to half of the resulting brood being tufted with one copy of the gene, a quarter being clean faced with no copy of the gene, and a quarter of the brood dead in the shell having received two copies of the gene.

An Araucana egg (left) with white and brown eggs for comparison.

In the decades to follow, most breeders took one of two tactics - either to preserve the old style of bird, or to breed out the tufts while increasing productivity.

In 1976, the first standards for the breed were accepted by the APA, conforming to the traditional style. This was followed, in 1984, by a second standard for the "improved" variety.

The gene for blue eggs is dominant, so the term "Easter Egger" is used to describe birds of mixed breeding that produce such eggs. Unfortunately, these mixed breeds are often incorrectly labeled as Araucanas or Ameraucanas, and marketed to backyard poultry hobbyists who are not aware of the difference.

In short, the differences are as follows:

USA & Canada Araucana – Tufts (lethal allele), rumpless, blue eggs, green legs and yellow skin (with exceptions).
US Ameraucana – Beards and muffs (NO lethal gene), with tail feathers, blue eggs, blue legs and white skin.
British, Irish, New Zealand, Asian, Japanese, Russian, Dutch, French, Spanish, Bellarus, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Argentinian, Chilean, South African, Pacific Islands, Brazilian, Mexican, Peruvian, Arabic Nations, Indian, Pakistan, Nepalese and Australian Araucana – Beards, muffs and crest, with tail feathers, blue eggs, slate legs and grey/white skin.
Easter Egger – Variable traits.

Black Shumen chicken

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Black Shumen/Shumenska chicken Origin: old breeds from Bulgaria. A small black chicken developed in Bulgaria centuries ago. The name is thought to derive from the lace bonnets of the Shumen region. In the middle of the twentieth century Black Shumen/Shumenska chickens were crossed with black Minorca and Rhode Island red.

Varieties: black; Type: Layer;Fancy; Egg color: white; Productivity: 150-160 eggs; Egg size: 50-52 g; Skin color: white; Earlobes: red; Comb: single; Maturing: early maturing; Weight: rooster-2,0 kg (4,4 pounds), hen-1,5 kg (3,3 pounds). These interesting chicken breed is husbandring only in "Hibrid center of Poultry Institute"- Stara Zagora and a few Bulgarian breeders for now.

Braekel

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The Braekel or Brakel is one of the older European chicken breeds. Its history dates back to 1416, when is was mentioned as a successful poultry breed of the Brakel region, Belgium. Two distinct types were recognized in the past: the large type living on rich clay soiled Flanders, and a light-weight type from the less fertile region the Kempen. Due to crossbreeding between the different types, this distinction vanished, resulting in one single type.

In the UK, USA and Australia, however, one can still find descendants of the Kempische Brakel under its old name 'Campine'. The Campine has evolved different from the Brakel. The most noticeable difference being the hen-feathering of the rooster and the lower weight.

The Brakel is not cultivated for its meat, but merely for its egg laying qualities. The breed is capable of producing 180 to 200 white eggs a year. Characteristic for the brakel is the straight banding pattern of the feathers and the uniform, plain neck colour. Several colour variants exist, with the gold and the silver variant being the most common.

Old names for the breed are "The Everyday Layer", "The Grey White Neck" and "The Nuns Hen".

The brakel population declined during and after the Second World War and is a rare breed.

Campine (chicken)

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The Campine is a breed of chicken originating in Belgium's Campine region. They are a fairly small breed in Silver and Gold varieties, with solid white or golden hackles and iridescent black-green barred bodies. Hens and roosters are nearly identical in feather coloration. They will lay a fair number of white-shelled eggs, but are largely kept for showing today.

Belgian d'Everberg

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The Belgian d'Everberg is a breed of bantam chicken from the Belgian village of Everberg in the Kortenberg municipality. Called the Barbu d'Everberg in the original French, it is a tailless variant of the Belgian Bearded d'Uccle. A rare breed even in its home country, and was developed in 1906. It is a true bantam, with no large counterpart, and weighs an average of 600-700 grams (1.5 pounds).

Belgian Bearded d'Uccle

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The Breed came into being in the early 20th Century, and was created by a Belgian man by the name of Michael Van Gelder. Most sources maintain that it originated from crosses of the Antwerp Belgian and the Nederlandse Sabelpootkriel which is known today as the Booted Bantam, and raised as a closely related but separated breed.

Appearance

Barbu d'Uccles have a low posture, a short but well developed neck and a rather open tail-feathering. D'Uccles have a single comb, different from its rose combed relative the d'Anvers. The weight of a cock is around 26 ounces and a hen weighs roughly 22 ounces. D'Uccles come in the following recognized colors: Mille Fleur, Porcelain, Black, White, Gold Neck, Mottled and Self Blue.

Characteristics

The Belgian Bearded D'Uccle is renowned for being a calm bird. Bearded d'Uccle eggs are notably small and are coated with creamy or tinted coloring. The breed is known for being very broody, and a typical hen can lay her eggs over a two-week period, though others have taken as long as three weeks (21 days).

Belgian Bearded d'Anvers

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The Bearded d'Anvers is a breed of bantam chicken from Belgium. Also called the Antwerp Belgian, both names refer to the breed's origin in Antwerp (the French version being Anvers). The d'Anvers is a true bantam, having no large counterpart from which it was miniaturized. Males weigh 740 grams (26 ounces), and hens weigh 625 grams (22 ounces).

The Bearded d'Anvers is closely related to, and may the be the predecessor of, the Belgian Bearded d'Uccle. The exact time of origin for the breed is unknown, but it is likely that it has existed since at least the 17th century. By the middle of the 19th century, several color varieties were in development. The early 20th century saw a considerable surge in interest by breeders, and it was exported to the U.S. and other places abroad in the first of that century. It was first accepted in to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1949. Also accepted by the American Bantam Association, it is classed as one of the Rose Comb, Clean Legged bantams.

The Bearded d'Anvers is a purely ornamental breed, kept either as pets or by poultry fanciers for showing. The hens of the breed are very friendly to humans, however the roosters may be aggressive to people. Most Bearded D'Anvers live longer and healthier if keep free-range or in an open space with no crowding. Its plumage can by one of fourteen varieties recognized in competition, ranging from Porcelain to Quail (one of the more common for the breed). It is a diminutive bird with a large, round breast that juts forward and an arching tail. As its name implies, the d'Anvers has a profuse beard of feathers that covers the earlobes. It has a small rose comb and small or nonexistent wattles. Temperamentally, the breed is very amicable, and bears confinement well. Hens lay small white eggs and will go broody.

Australorp Information

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The Australorp is an Australian chicken breed. It is a large, soft-feathered bird with glossy black feathers and a lustrous green sheen. It is hardy, docile and a good egg-layer as well as meat bird. The bird's single comb is moderately large and upright, with five distinct points.

Eggs

It was the egg laying performance of Australorps which attracted world attention when in 1922-23 a team of six hens set a world record of 1857 eggs at an average of 309.5 eggs per hen for a 365 consecutive day trial. It must be remembered that these figures were achieved without the lighting regimes of the modern intensive shed. Such performances had importation orders flooding in from England, United States of America, South Africa, Canada and Mexico. Well looked after Australorps lay approximately 250 light-brown eggs per year. A new record was set when a hen laid 364 eggs in 365 days.