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Chicken Breeds
Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) are domesticated birds that are raised for meat and eggs. There are over 24 billion chickens worldwide. Raising chickens is relatively inexpensive. Because of the low cost, chicken meat (also called "chicken") is one of the most common kinds of meat in the world.
Breeds of Chickens
There are the following breeds of Chickens:
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 Ameraucana
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Ameraucanarnchickens are an American breed first established as a breed in 1984. Like the raucanas, the Ameraucana lays eggs in shades of light blue, however the meraucana does not have the low fertility that its parent breed, the Araucana has. The birds themselves have a hefty build are black and shades of grey. Thernbreed boasts a snazzy beard, ear muffs and a tail.
Ameraucanasrnand Araucanas share many characteristics, however due to different countriesrnaround the world namely the USA and UK, there are some disputes about thernbreeds. In the USA, Araucanas and Ameraucanas are similar but different breeds while in other countries like the UK, Araucanas and Ameraucanas are consideredrnthe same. The key differences that separate th
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Ancona |
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Anconarnchickens are beautiful birds, best known for their speckled feathers and proudrncomb. First bred in the 1850''s in the Italian city of Ancona, but later bredrnmainly in the United Kingdom and eventually in the United States. Ironicallyrnthey are not very popular in Italy and attempts to bring them back to Italyrnhave been going on since the early 2000''s. They are well known as foragers good egg producers, and as show birds. The ncona''s color is a deep green or beetle green with white speckles at the tiprnof each feather. They have a medium sized comb and can have a rose comb orrnsingle comb. Until recently they couldrnonly have a large single comb in shows, but now rose comb varieties arernacceptable. Anconas are one
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Andalusian |
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Andalusianrnchickens are blue feathered birds originally from Spain. Their origin is notrnentirely known, but the earliest records of it date back to the 1840''s.Theirrndeep blue feathers make them very easy to spot in a crowd. Andalusians like tornexplore and dislike fences and cages, they are able to fly over fences over sixrnfeet tall. They are good foragers, explorers, flyers, egg layers, and are veryrnrobust winter birds.
Theirrnunique blue feathers are what really distinguish them from other breeds. The feathersrnare an almost grey blue laced with streams of dark blue throughout everyrnfeather. Andalusian chickens are odd because not all of their hatchlings havernblue feathers only around fifty percent will be blue. So
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Appenzeller Barthuhner |
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Appenzeller arthuhner originated in the North-eastern Appenzell canton of Switzerland. Theyrnhave a rose comb and a small beard covered wattles; their name, Barthuhner, literallyrntranslates to ''Bearded Hen''. It was a farmer in the region who created thernbreed to be able to lay large numbers of eggs on little additional feedingrnwhilst being able to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the area.
They are arnvery active and superb forager, so they are best suited to a free range system.rnUnlike the other breed from the Appenzell canton the Barthuhner they are not arnflighty breed and are fairly calm although males can be aggressive during thernbreeding season.
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Appenzeller Spitzhauben |
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Appenzeller Spitzhaubens are the national chicken ofrnSwitzerland. They have a rugged physiology and personality suited to thernmountains from which they came. Although rangy and independent, they canrnprovide 150 medium, orange-yolked, eggs a year. Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickensrnsleep in the trees if allowed and will only return to the coop for feeding.rnThey thrive in cold weather.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens display entertainingrnpersonalities highlighted in their outrageous appearance and heightened byrntheir free-spirited lifestyle. They derive pleasure through their unrelentingrnpursuit of bugs. Long-time owners have nicknamed the breed “Spitzâ€--a namernwhich captures the spunk of this rangy chicken f
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Araucana |
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Araucanarnchickens are a South American bird originally from chile. They are best knownrnfor being the progenitor of the Ameraucana and Easter Egger. Araucanas are arnfairly rare bird due to a genetic deformity that causes many to die duringrnincubation. The Araucana has a beard, ear tufts, and can have a tail or notrntail. They lay a large number of eggs in various shades of light blue.
Araucanasrnare grouped into two categories, the United States and the United Kingdom. ThernUnited States group describes the Araucana as having a variety of colors, earrntufts and is tailless. The second group which is in the United Kingdomrndescribes them as having a beard, ear tufts, and can have a tail. Bothrncategories have a small pea comb.&nb
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Aseel |
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Aseel, or Asil chickens originated from the South Punjab / Sindh area of Pakistan and India. Theyrnare found throughout Southeast Asia, such as Shamo and Thai Game. They are generallyrnunstandardized in South Asia and India, but popularity has increased in thernwestern world in recent times with the breed standardized in the British, ustralian, and American standards.
Aseel Chickensrnmature slowly but develop into stocky fowl. With a stout constitution, naturalrnintelligence, and enduring physiology they survive well in free-rangernconditions. Aseel’s are broody and some farmers use them to hatch eggs for lessrnbroody breeds. They bear confinement well as long as that confinement alsornincludes same sex isolation. Aseel hen
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Astralorp |
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Australorps are the Australian take on the Orpington breed.rnThey are calm and friendly, and excellent layers of light brown eggs. The ustralorp''s exceptionally soft, shiny black plumage has hints of green andrnpurple in the sunlight. Peaceful and dignified, Australorps are an absolutelyrndelightful bird which we highly recommend to anyone who wants a pet chickenrnthat lays dependably. This breed originated in Australia developed from BlackrnOrpingtons imported from England; and the emphasis of the breeding program wasrnon egg production without sacrificing too much in size and meat quality. Somernsensational results were made in the Australian program, and one hen set arnlaying reco
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Ayam Cemani |
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Ayam Cemani is an uncommon and relatively modern breed ofrnchicken from Indonesia. Ayam means "chicken"" in Bahasa Indonesia.rnCemani refers to the village on the island of Java this breed originates. Theyrnhave probably been used for centuries for religious and mystical purpose. Theyrnwere first described by Dutch colonial settlers and first imported to Europe inrn1998 by the Dutch breeder Jan Steverink.
Their beak and tongue, black comb and wattles; even theirrnmeat, bones, and organs appear black. However, their blood is normally colored.rnThe birds'' black color occurs as a result of excess pigmentation of therntissues, caused by a genetic condition known as fibromelanosis. This gene isrnalso found in some other black fowl bree
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Barnevelder |
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Barnevelderrnchickens are named for the town of Barneveld in central Netherlands. They arerngood layers of large brown eggs and, unlike some other breeds, continue to liernwell during winter.
In the 1850s sian chickens began to arrive in Europe, where they were at first known asrn"Shanghai" chickens. These were initially cross-bred among them, andrnonly later developed into breeds such as the Brahma, the Cochin and the Croad Liangshan.rnFrom about 1865, some of these Shanghai chickens were cross-bred with localrnfarmyard chickens in the area of Barneveld. Towards the end of the nineteenthrncentury there may also have been some breeding with a type called AmerikaansernNuthoenders which served as utility birds that showed some similar
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Belgian Bantam |
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Antwerp elgian Bantam chickens, also known as Quail Bantam or Bearded D''Anvers, are similarrnto Belgian Bearded d''Uccle Bantams, but they are clean-legged and have a roserncomb instead of a single comb. They are tiny bantams are very friendly and quick to catch the eye.
They have a uniquernquail color pattern. Their body is a brownish-black and is slightly tinged withrna straw color. Their breast is bay and their head is black with a bay coloredrnbeard and muff.
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Bianca di Saluzzo |
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The breedsrntraditionally reared in Piedmont were tw the Bionda Piemontese and the Biancarndi Saluzzo (or Bianca di Cavour).
Those two breedsrncurrently count a few hundreds animals, bred by a few local agricoltural highrnschools that took the initiative to revive and preserve the original type sincern1999. Fertilized eggs, chicks, pullets and breeders can be bought fromrnInstitute of Verzuolo.
Pullets startrnlaying from 6-7th month. Eggs have white shell and the mean weight is 50 g. Thernegg laying is higher in spring and summer with a mean production of 180 units.rnThe rate of hatching is high.
The quality ofrnthe meat, depending on the rearing techniques and feeding, is high.
The typicalrnproductions are t
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Bionda Piemontese |
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The breedsrntraditionally reared in Piedmont were tw the Bionda Piemontese and the Biancarndi Saluzzo (or Bianca di Cavour).
Those two breedsrncurrently count a few hundreds animals, reared by a few local agricultural highrnschools (Institute of Verzuolo, Cuneo) that took the initiative to revive andrnpreserve the original type since 1999.
The BiondarnPiemontese is very rustic and resistant to many diseases. The growth is rapidrnand the production of meat is valuable. The animals are reared out door andrnslaughtered at 112 days: typical productions can also be obtained at 70 days with mean weight of approximately 1.5 kg. The killing percentage is high andrnthe quality of meat is excellent also when extensive rearing and feed
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Booted Bantam |
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Booted Bantamsrnare ornamental chickens with over twenty different plumages; they often stealrnthe show in exhibition. They are small, easily tamed, hardy, and friendly; theyrnmake good pets.
Booted Bantamsrnare friendly, easily tamed, and easily handled. They like to forage in therngarden for bugs and seed and do so without the damaging plants and soil as wouldrnother breeds. The hens brood a couple times a year. They make good mothers. ooted Bantams bear both individual and group confinement well. Small, clean and entertaining they have all the qualifications for a good pet and showrnanimal for enthusiasts.
They have arnsingle comb with five point, red wattles, and matching earlobes. The mostrnwidely recognized variati
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Braekel (Brakel) |
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Braekelrnchickens are one of the older European chicken breeds. Their history dates backrnto 1416. They were even mentioned as a successful poultry breed of Belgium.rnThere is a miniature version of the Braekel.Two distinct types of Braekelrnwere recognized in the past: the large type living on rich clay soil Flanders and a light-weight type from the less fertile region, the Kempen. Due to crossbreeding between the different types, this distinction vanished, resultingrnin a single type. In thernUK, USA, and Australia, however, one can still find descendants of the Kempische rakel under its old name “Campineâ€. Campines has evolved differently from the rakel. Theirrnmost noticeable difference is the hen-feathering of th
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Brahma |
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Brahma chickensrnare a large breed of chicken developed in the United States from very largernbirds imported from Shanghai. Brahma was the principal chicken used for meat inrnthe US from the 1850s until about 1930.
There has beenrnconsiderable controversy over the origin of the Brahma. It appears to haverndeveloped in the United States from birds imported from Shanghai. Limitedrncross-breeding with Chittagong chickens from Bangladesh is likely what gave the rahma the distinctive characteristics of head shape and the pea comb thatrndistinguish them from the Cochin (another breed that derives from comonrnancestors).Brahmas were first exported to England in December 1852 when George urnham sent nine "Gray Shanghaes" to Queen Victoria a
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Buckeye |
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Buckeye chickens originatingrnin the U.S. state of Ohio. Ohio is known as "the Buckeye state";rnwhich were they got their name. They were first bred and developed in 1896, byrna Warren, Ohio resident named Nettie Metcalf. Nettie Metcalf crossbred BarredrnPlymouth Rocks, Buff Cochins, and some black breasted red games to produce the uckeye. Her goal was a functional breed that could produce well in the bitterrnMidwest winters.
Buckeye chickens arerna calm dual-purpose chicken that have a decent laying ability (between 150 andrn200 eggs per year) and strong meat production characteristics. Buckeyes arernyellow skinned chickens that lay brown eggs. They are the only purely American chickenrnbreed to sport a pea comb, and this, combine
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California Gray |
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California Grayrnchickens are an American breed developed by James Dryden during the 1930s. Theyrnare a dual-purpose chicken: they are good for meat production and egg laying.
First the CaliforniarnWhite breed was developed with a White Leghorn rooster bred to three BarredrnPlymouth Rock hens. Then a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster was bred to CaliforniarnWhite Leghorn hens to make the California Gray.
Barred PlymouthrnRock chickens are a very popular and heavy dual purpose breed with alternatingrnblack and white stripes. On the other hand, White Leghorn chickens are white small in size and excellent white eggs layer. The result was a naturallyrnautosexing breed with gray barred plumage. They are not as large as the Ba
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Campine |
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Campine Chickens'' intelligent nature, upright carriage, andrnstunning plumage make them a show favorite. They are rare in America, but theyrnenjoy popularity in Northern Europe. They are an active breed, and they dornbetter as show birds and layers than as pets. They weigh only four to fivernpounds, but they produce an average of three, medium-white eggs a week onrnmodest feed.
Although of docile temperament, detractors of the breedrnlabel them "wild." Campines like their freedom and will chafe at confinement inrngood weather. Like many foragers they have an inherent intelligence necessaryrnfor free-range chickens. The term "cocky" applies to the Campine demeanor. Theyrnstrut with the spirit of a fowlish thoroughbred. As a group t
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Catalana |
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Catalanas are a dual-purpose chicken that are both good asrnegg layers and meat animals. They lay four eggs a week in white, cream, or pinkrncolors. The standard size Catalana makes a good meat production fowl. Catalanasrnhandle extreme heat well- a fact which accounts for their popularity in Spainrnand Latin America. They like to forage, brood just a little, and generallyrnexercise their independence. Many breeders value Catalanas, especially thernbantam size, as ornamentals more than egg or meat producers. They are lively active, flighty, seldom friendly; and do best under free-range conditions.
Catalanas usually display a basic light buff plumage withrnreddish buff hackles. All varieties have a greenish-black tail. They stand onr
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Chantecler |
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Chantecler chickensrnwere developed in Canada. They can handle cold well; but have little tolerancernto heat. They have a tight feathered plumage with a thick under layer of down.
They are arndual-purpose chicken. They lay four to seven medium, brown eggs a week and arernlarge enough to be suitable for good meat production. They mature quickly andrnlay consistently far into the cold months producing as many as 210 eggs a year.
Chanteclersrnreflect their environment. Hardy, rugged, and ready to face the cold, theyrnprefer the outdoors to confinement. A little high strung, they will toleraternthe coop but will grow temperamental when confined for long periods of time.rnOwners rate Chanteclers as non-aggressive toward human
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Cochin |
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Cochin Chickensrneat just about anything and suffer from the resultant obesity. However, if onernwants a chicken to love, choose a Cochin.
Their large size full plumage and heat-producing appetites equips them for the cold weather.rnCochins only lay an average of two, medium brown eggs per week or 120 perrnannum. Cochins seldom fly or wander and forage little. Overall, they producernpoorly in every category. They lay few eggs, mature slowly as a meat fowl, andrnsuccumb to metabolism, heart, liver, and fertility disease. However, what theyrnlack in production, they make up in personality.
Cochin arernpeaceful, friendly, quiet, and easily handled. They seemingly like confinementrnand make themselves comfortable in any envir
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Cornish (a.k.a. Indian Game) |
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Cornish, alsornknown as Indian Game, Chickens are bred specifically for meat production. Theyrnproduce meat more efficiently than any other chicken. They reach a dressingrnweight of five pounds at five weeks. Cornish chickens lack the typical hairyrnfeathers left over after plucking other breeds - a fact which saves processorsrnthe energy and time of singeing the carcass prior to butchering. They showrnlittle desire to forage and generally handles confinement well.
They arernconsidered loud and intractable. The roosters readily show aggression and Cornishrnchicks at times show cannibalism. Health problems associated with their rapidrngrowth prevent the kind of activity common to most chickens. The high feedrnconversion ratios give
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Crevecoeur |
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Crevecoeur chickens are a dual-purpose bird; but they servernmainly as an ornamental show bird today. They do, however, lay 120 medium eggsrnper annum and matures into a meaty fowl in a reasonable amount of time. Crevecoeurrnchickens boast a short grained, extremely white meat on small boned skeleton.rnThey have a high percentage of meat to total carcass weight.
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has listed thernCrevecoeur as endangered worldwide. The US has less than 500 Crevecoeur breedingrnchickens.
Although described as an active breed, Crevecouers bearrnconfinement well and rarely go broody in the coop. Owners characterize them asrncalm, friendly, and easy to handle. However, some Crevecoeur breeders
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Cubalaya |
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Cubalaya chickens are classified as game birds and come fromrnfighting stock. Although more aggressive than the common breed of chicken, theyrndisplay less aggression than most game birds. Cubalayas do surprisingly well asrnegg layers and meat producers. They lay four or five medium-sized, tan eggs arnweek. As a table bird they have a fine grained white meat. Cubalayas can takernup to three years to fully mature; however, most can reproduce at six months ofrnage. Cubalayas tolerate both heat and humidity well. Cuba uses Cubalayas forrnmeat and eggs while the US recognizes them primarily as ornamentals.
First time owners express surprise at the friendliness andrncuriosity of Cubalayas. Chicks will eat from human hands at birth. They
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Delaware |
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Delaware Chickensrnwere originally developed for commercial, dual-purpose use but later they werernreplaced by hybrids. Delawares today make excellent backyard chickens. Theyrntypically lay four, large, brown eggs a week far into the winter months.rnDelawares mature quickly and produce a clean, white-meat table fowl. Chicksrndevelop feathers quicker than most breeds. They handle both cold and heat well.rnUnlike present day commercial breeds, they do well as a free-range, foragingrnchicken. Delawares have dwindled to a few hundred birds. Many breeders keeprnthem today with the goal of preserving the Delaware as one of America''srnheritage breeds.
Delawares bearrnconfinement well. Generally a docile breed, Delawares get along with e
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Derbyshire Redcap |
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Derbyshire Redcapsrnarea a breed of chicken originating in Derbyshire, England. They have an unusuallyrnlarge Rose-type comb which is where they got the name "Redcap". It isrncovered in small, fleshy points, and has a distinct spike pointing backwardsrncalled a "leader". Their combs, wattles and earlobes are all brightrnred.
Redcaps are arnnative English bird that have been written about since at least the early 19thrncentury. Most likely they were derived from Golden Spangled Hamburgs, Dorkings Old English Pheasant Fowl, and Black-Breasted Red Games.
DerbyshirernRedcaps were common on British farms until the middle of the 20th century particularly around the southe ennines. They have never been preferred byrnintensive far
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Dominique |
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DominiquernChickens are dual purpose birds. They excel in egg production and lay a steadyrnthree, large, brown eggs a week long into the winter months. Hardy survivors the Dominique can survive a cold winter or a hot, humid summer. Dominiquesrnmature quickly. A medium size fowl dresses out as an acceptable three-poundrntable bird.
Dominiques chickensrngrew up with America. In colonial days the Dominique fended for themselves asrnforagers of seeds, insects, and plants. Colonial America valued the Dominique''srnfeathers as fill for their pillows and mattresses.
Broody Dominiquernhens make good mothers and pets. The hens have exceptional success and lowrnmortality rates raising their brood. The hens have a calm, friendly de
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Dorking |
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DorkingrnChickens excel as quality-meat producers. Dorkings have a tender fine-textured, flavorful white meat. They are tolerable egg layers and producern140 eggs a year with maximum outlay during spring and summer. Dorkings have thernunique distinction of existing as one of a few fowl with red earlobes that laysrnwhite eggs; most red ear lobe chickens lay brown eggs. A hardy breed, thernDorking tolerates cold and will work well in the northern latitudes.
Dorkingsrnhave an exceptional, often irritating, brooding instinct. They like to sit onrneggs. Entire flocks have gone on strike preferring to sit on eggs rather thanrnlay them. Of course, their broodiness also translates into good motheringrndispositions. Dorkings have a calm and
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Dutch Bantam |
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Dutch Bantamrnchickens are one of the few true bantams (naturally small - and not originating from Large Fowl). Plus BantamrnIsland in the Dutch East Indies is the original homeland of these docile, proudrnlittle birds. Dutch Bantams, in their gold partridge form, are about as closernas you can get visually to the ancestor of all chickens: the red Jungle Fowl.
Dutch Bantamsrnare hardy, active, and lively little birds and come in many beautiful colorsrnand patterns. They weigh between 0.45Kg and 0.55Kg (1lb to 1lb-3ozs) makingrnthem one of the smallest bantams. They are easy and straightforward to maintain.rnThey are short bodied with a medium to high carriage. They have blue legs white earlobes, and a single upright we
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Easter Egger |
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Easter Eggersrnare not technically a breed per se, but a variety of chickens that do notrnconform to any breed standard but lay large to extra-large eggs that vary inrnshade from blue to green to olive to aqua and sometimes even pinkish. EasterrnEggers vary widely in color and conformation, and are exceptionally friendlyrnand hardy. Since they are usually quite friendly to children and humans inrngeneral, they are a great choice for a family flock. Most hatcheries mistakenlyrnlabel their Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas or Araucanas. Easter Eggers do notrnqualify to be shown, since they do not conform to a breed standard.
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Egyptian Fayoumi |
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EgyptianrnFayoumis are an ancient Chicken that originated in the Nile Valley. They have arernpretty and unique appearance. They hold their tails upright--nearlyrnvertical--and have especially long, graceful necks. They are decent layers ofrnsmallish, cream, or tinted eggs.
EgyptianrnFayoumis are one of the most early maturing of chicken breeds: hens can beginrnlaying eggs as early as 4-1/2 or 5 months. Fayoumis are known to be naturallyrnresistant to Marek''s Disease and to many other illnesses. However, they arernnormally fairly nervous in temperament, and can be feather pickers if theyrndon''t have enough room to roam. They can be territorial about their favoriternnesting spots, and roosters are noisy. They are also fliers
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Ermellinata di Rovigo |
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The selection work startedrnin 1959 (and completed in 1965) at the Experimental Poultry Station in Rovigo a city in Northern Italy. The Sussex and Rhode Island Red contributed to itsrncreation. The aim of the selection was to obtain a good producer of valuablernmeat and good layer.
They are arndouble-purpose breed (meat and eggs), with good precocity. Also the hens can bernused in the interbreeding for the production of autosexing chicks.
The chicks are yellowrnwith light-grey wings. Adults have a "ermellinato" livery: white Columbian orrnlight (white livery with dark neck hackles and main tail feathers). Singlerncomb, red earlobes. Yellow skin and shanks. At 120 days, cockerels and pulletsrnreach the weight of 1.7-1.
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Faverolles |
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Faverolles Chickensrnare a utility fowl from France. The French crossed several breeds to creaternthem. They mature early, produce a fine textured meat, and lay four eggs a weekrnor 170 medium-sized, creamy or salmon colored eggs per year. They lay well inrnthe winter months. Their downy feathers equip them to endure cold. Faverolles chickensrnseldom go broody. Owners report that Faverolles roosters rank as some of thernmost docile cocks in poultry world. Both hen and rooster make ideal pets.
Faverolles arernsweet, docile, and personable. In a mixed flock Faverolles chickens usuallyrnappear at the bottom of the pecking order. Their non-aggressive manner carriesrnover to people as well. Faverolles chickens accept a newcomer to the
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Fayoumi |
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Fayoumi Chickens are used as a research subject andrnornamental. They lay two small cream colored eggs a week starting as early asrnfour months of age. Fayoumi chickens mature quickly but only reach four poundsrnat full maturity. They show remarkable resistance to viral and bacterialrndisease and infection. Owners refer to the Fayoumi chicken as the "escapernartist." They can really fly and love to forage when on the lam. Nearly wild the Fayoumi goes feral if left too long on the range. They prefer to gatherrnmost of their own food. As pullets they have little broodiness, but arntwo-year-old hen will act quite broody. Tough, independent, and rangy thernFayoumi has little to recommend it as a domestic foul.
Fayoumi chickens fail to f
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Friesian |
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Friesians are arnDutch chicken that originated on the Friesian Islands. They are a very oldrnbreed and excavation on the Islands have shown that they have been around forrnover 1000 years ago.
They are a small chickenrnbut also a very good layer. They can produce around 230 eggs per year.
They are goldrnpencilled, silver pencilled and chamois pencilled. The chamois is the mostrnunusual color and perhaps the most attractive. They are different shades ofrnyellow and buff and have a pattern that runs through each of its body feathers;rnthis is not found in any other breed of chicken. All of the color varietiesrnhave eyes that are orange, earlobes that are white, and legs that are slaternblue.
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Frizzle |
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Frizzle chickensrnhave feathers that curl outwards, rather than laying flat as in most chickens.rnWhile many consider the Frizzle to be an entirely separate breed, chickens fromrnall breeds may have a frizzled appearance.
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| There are no Chicken breeds that start with the letter G. |
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Hamburg |
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Hamburg chickens lay four small, white, flavor-packed eggs arnweek. What they lack in egg size, they make up in longevity. Hamburgsrnconsistently lay for many years. In fact, the Dutch called them "everlayers." Hamburg hens mature early and start laying at four months of age. The chicksrnhave a delicate constitution, but once established, the breed proves quiternrobust. Hamburgs like to forage and will fly the coop to do so. Fortunately they tolerate cold and can endure a night away from the coop. They are anrnactive breed and they often refuse to sit long enough to hatch their brood.
Hamburgs have a wild disposition. They like to fly, forage and roost in trees. Owners have awoken to find their whole flock in the trees.rnHumans easi
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Holland |
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Holland chickensrnare dual purpose birds developed at the Rutgers Breeding Farms in NewrnJersey,US. They were created with birds imported from Holland crossed withrnWhite Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, and Lamonas, which createdrnthe White Hollands. Another cross included White Leghorns, Barred PlymouthrnRocks, Australorps and Brown Leghorns that produced the barred variety ofrnHollands. Both were accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1949.
White Hollandsrnhave pure white plumage without any other colors. Barred Hollands have blackrnand white barred feathers covering the entire chicken. Holland hens have arndarker plumage than the roosters. Roosters weigh eight pounds, and the hensrnweight six. Holland have
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Houdan |
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Houdans arerndual-purpose chicken. In France they have a reputation as a high class tablernfowl. Houdans produce a juicy, white meat with fine bones. They are also fairrnegg producers: they lay two eggs a week for eight to ten years. Chicks maturernquickly without issues. They handle confinement; although, they preferrnforaging. Houdans can live on any soil type and secure most of their food byrntheir own efforts. The ornamental Houdan does better in warm, dry climates.rnTheir heavy head feathering freezes when cold and wet. Houdans produce lessrnoffal than other breeds resulting in fewer parasites in the soils under them.
Houdans enjoyrnhuman interaction. If handled early, the hens make great pets for children.rnHoudan roosters ha
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Iowa Blue |
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The Iowa Bluernwas developed in the early 1900''s near Decorah, Iowa. A folk legend tells thernstory of a white Plymouth Rock hen emerging from under a building with a clutchrnof chicks colored solid chestnut to striped. Old-timers tell the tale that thernchicks were sired by a pheasant. The breed was carried by several Iowarnhatcheries through the 1960s, but was nearly lost when the hatcheries went outrnof business. The breed was rescued from near extinction and has been bred andrnpreserved through the efforts of a few breeders since the late 1980s. The Iowa lue grew in popularity in 2011 with a group of dedicated breeders working tornpreserve and return the breed to its original type and purpose.
With itsrnplucky attitude a
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Italian Naked-Neck |
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Italian Naked Neck, or Collo nudo italiana, chickens comes from Veneto (North-East ofrnItaly). They probably originally came from Africa.
The hens are excellent layers and the eggs are large and white 160-180 eggs a year, 58-62 g each). Their meat is delicate with thin skin.rnTheir subcutaneous and abdominal fat is nearly absent.
They are very rustic and perfect for outdoor rearing, but poorly adapted tornindustrial production.
In the US the “Padovana riccia†is known as Polish Frizzle and the liveries are the same of the Polish. recently they have been re-imported to Italy from the U.S. Content Source: Agraria.org |
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Italian Polish |
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Italian Polish or padovana, chickens are an ancient breed with uncertain origins. According tornDarwin, it came from Poland. It probably arrived in Italy in XIV century brought by Giovanni Dondi dell''Orologio, nobleman from Padua, eminent doctorrnand astronomer, fascinated by the beauty of those chickens.
The origin isrnanyway confused, mingling with the origin of the Polish and the Dutch, which isrntuffled but not bearded. Many quotations of XVI century talk about arnparticularly famous and productive chicken in Padua county. The Padovana dalrnGran Ciuffo has been described in the work Ornithologiae by Ulisse Aldovrandi 1600).
The decline ofrnPadovana begun in XIX century. At the beginning of 1900 there still were
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Ixworth |
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Ixworthrnchickens were developed by Reginald Appleyard in 1932 in the East Anglianrncounty of Suffolk, England, in the village of Ixworth. Mr. Appleyard (therninventor of the Appleyard Duck) was looking to create the ideal dual-purposernchicken. His aim was to create a fast-growing table chicken, with respectablernlaying ability. Development involved white Sussex, white Minorca, whiternOrpington, Jubilee, and Indian Game.
The Ixworthrnwas a hit in the British poultry markets in the mid 1930''s-1940''s. In itsrnheyday, Ixworth chickens fetched a top price for their premium meat. Howeverrnits popularity flared quickly, and within a decade, the demand for them drasticallyrndeclined.
At about samerntime that the American poult
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Japanese Bantam |
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Japanese antams are show birds and pets. Technically a bantam is not a miniaturernversion of a standard bird. A true bantam, for example, the Japanese Bantam hasrnbut one size.
They are warm-weatherrnfowl, they function best in warm, clean confinement. They love to forage in thernlawn and do so without damaging the garden or yard. They help rid the soil ofrninsects and weed seeds. Although small, Japanese Bantams have all the characterrnand color of a standard size fowl. Japanese Bantams also has a voice equal to arnstandard chicken. The rooster can make a very loud and shrill noise. Japanese antams can live thirteen years and will give a family many years of fun filledrnenjoyment.
Japanese antams have a calm,
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Java |
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Javas are dual-purposernchickens. They excel in meat production and Java hens lays two, medium brownrneggs a week. By commercial standards they mature slowly; however, theirrnmaturation rates prove sufficient for the small scale farmer. Given their largernsize, the backyard farmer can butcher a young cockerel and still have arnrespectable-size, table bird for a family. Their black pin feathers serve asrnquality control indicators over the plucking process by showing missedrnfeathers.
They do bestrnin warm weather. In colder climates they need a well-insulated coop. Javas meetrnfifty percent of their nutrition needs by foraging which makes them anrneconomical fowl to rise.
They are a largernfowl breed plus doci
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Jersey Giant |
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JerseyrnGiant weighs in as the largest purebred chicken in the world. The weight of maturernroosters is 11 to 15 pounds and they are usually 22 to 26 inches tall. Mature hens 9 to 11 pounds and usually 16 to 20 inches tall - however; the image shown here is very inaccurate.
Unfortunately, it takes six months for the Jersey Giant to grow itsrngiant skeleton and another three months before it has sufficient bulk forrnbutchering. Their slow maturation rate makes them unviable for commercial meatrnproduction. Jersey Giants lay three extra-large, brown eggs a week. They willrnbrood chicks; however, their massive size often leads to crushed eggs orrnchicks. In spite of their size, Jersey Giants fit well into a small
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Kraienköppe (Twentse) |
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Kraienkopp (inrngerman), or Twents Hoen (in Dutch), chickens originated on the border regionrnbetween Germany and the Netherlands. They were developed in the late nineteenthrncentury with crosses of local chickens with Malays, and later with SilverrnDuckwing Leghorns.
They werernfirst shown in the Netherlands in 1920, and were shown in Germany in 1925. Theyrnare rare today, and are best known as a layer and show birds. Hens lay a fairrnnumber of off-white eggs, and will go broody. They are an active bird withrnexcellent foraging abilities.
Kraienkoppsrnappears in two color varieties: Black-breasted Red and Silver. Males weigh 2.75rnkilos (6 pounds), and females weigh 1.8 kilos (4 pounds). They have yellow skinrnand a
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La Fleche (A.K.A. "The Devil Bird") |
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La Fleche which is French for the "the Arrow") chickens have the nickname of "the Devil ird" because they have a large red V comb that looks like the classic redrnhorns associated with the Devil.
La Fleche chickensrnare a dual purpose bird. They lay three large, extra-large, white eggs a weekrnfrom March to October averaging 180 per annum. However, La Fleches stand out asrna meat foul. They seemingly distribute their fat to create an enviable juicinessrnin all parts of the carcass. La Fleche chicks grow slowly but make up for it inrnflavor and in their high dressed ratio (dressed weight/live weight) atrnbutchering time.
La Fleche chickensrnwill adapt to confinement but prefer foraging over roosting or
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Lakenvelder |
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Lakenvelders chickens originate from the Middle East and arernbred primarily for egg production. The hens lay three medium, porcelain whiterneggs as week. They are an active breed and they have little time for broodingrnand they will seldom sit in a nest. They enjoy foraging and will cover a largernarea if allowed to do so. With adequate space they gather most of their ownrnfood. They have delicious, white meat, albeit, minimal in quantity.
Lakenvelders adapts well to their environment. Their originsrnfrom the Middle East might lead one to assume that Lakenvelders could onlyrnsurvive in warmer climates. However, they have thrived in Europe for decadesrnand adapt to a wide range of weather.
Lakenvelder chickens have many of
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Langshan |
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Langshan, also known as Croad Langshan, hensrnlay three medium to large brown eggs a week. They lay into the winter monthsrnand usually average 150 eggs per annum. Langshans mature slowly as layers andrnmeat producers. At twenty four weeks they dress out at seven pounds. Theyrnproduce a good quality meat, but their shape lends itself more to a roasterrnthan a fryer. Langshans can easily clear a six foot fence. They toleraternextremes in temperature from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to subzero.
Langshansrnoften surprise first-time owners. For a large fowl they prove quite active.rnFortunately, Langshans also possess a docile, calm, and friendly disposition.rnThey tame easily and live long. Langshans make a good family pet. Thernadap
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Legbar |
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Legbars werernthe second autosexing chickens (Autosexing is when day old chicks can be sexedrnby their different appearances when they have hatched) that were ever created.rnThey were developed at Cambridge University in England.
The GoldrnLegbar variety was first developed and was developed from a brown Legho rooster and Barred Plymouth Rock Hens, both from utility strains which werernused in the first mating. The second mating took two of the male offspring mating them with brown Leghorn hens. After producing many hundreds of chicks selection was performed and then these birds were mated and from theirrnoffspring, light colored males with two barring genes were kept together withrnthe Creem colored females. Silver Legbars w
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Leghorn |
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The breed Livornornor "Italian chicken" is known as "Leghorn" all over the world. The origin isrnnot so clear, probably from Central Italy, obtained from the selection of lightrnchicken reared in Tuscany countryside. The name comes from the harbour fromrnwhich, in 1828, some flocks have been sent to North America. (In the worldrnthere are many stocks of Leghorn: Italian L., Dutch L., English L., Danish L. German Italiener, American L., Canadian L.)
In 1874 was addedrnto the American Standard of Perfection in its white, black and brown livery.rnThe white specimen was most of all selected as layer. Later on, the Legho came back to Europe from America, landing at U.K. in 1870 and back to Italyrnagain. In England they still have a stand
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Lincolnshire Buff |
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Lincolnshire uff chickens were bred in significant numbers on Lincolnshire farms to supplyrnthe London markets between the 1850''s and early 1900''s. The start of this traderncoincides with the development of the railway network that linked the smallrnmarket towns with the capital and its opportunities for business. Lincolnshire uffs were a fast growing, hardy bird that had excellent table qualities. Atrnthe time, buff was a popular color for table birds since they provided whiterntable birds that when plucked left a clean carcass without leaving dark featherrnstubs.
During thern1850''s, Dorking chickens were common on most farms and it is thought that Lincolnshire uffs were created from crosses between the recently imported buff Co
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Malay |
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Malay chickens can stand over three feet tall. Bredrnoriginally for cockfighting, owners today keep them primarily for exhibition.rnThey lay one egg a week. At best an older hen may lay fifty eggs a year. Malaysrnhave a lean, tough carcass that usually requires special cooking preparation. lthough a rangy, aggressive fowl, they lack hardiness. Malays do poorly inrnconfinement. Breeders have used them quite effectively for regenerating andrnimproving other Asian fowl.
Raised to fight, the Malay chicken displays a fiercernaggressiveness. A Malayan hen will kill chicks from other hens if they come tornclose to hers. Of course, the roosters will always fight given the opportunity.rnIf an owner has too many Malay chickens in confinement
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Malaysian Serama Bantam |
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MalaysianrnSerama Bantams are the smallest breed of chicken in the world, weighing lessrnthan 500g. They are only 15-25 cm tall (a standard can of soda is 11.5 cm tall)rnand are the result of crossing Japanese bantams with Malaysian bantams.
They originated in Malaysiarnand the birds we see today were developed from crosses of Ayam Kapans and Japanese Bantams in the 1970''s and 80''s by Wee Yean Een. They are supposedly named after thernThai king, Raja Sri Rama, who, like these little birds, was renowned for hisrnmajestic appearance and proud carriage.
There are 3rncategories for this breed and they are graded according to their weight withrnthe smallest and most desirable weighing just 350g. They are very uprightrnlittle
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Marans |
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Marans layrnthree eggs a week. Marans are prized for dark brown or chocolate colored eggs.rnIan Fleming, the creator of the James Bond novels helped popularize the eggsrnand the breed by making their eggs the favorite of 007. Raised in a damp regionrnof France, Marans tolerate wet conditions well. However, they run the risk ofrnfrostbite as do all breeds with large comb or wattles. The poultry world oftenrnoverlooks the meat producing capabilities of the Marans. Marans grow quicklyrnand produce a succulent, fine-textured, white meat.
Marans arernquiet, friendly, and docile. They make a great pet or 4H fowl for young people.rnOne breeder who had raised hundreds of Marans roosters claimed that he hadrnnever had an aggressive Ma
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Marsh Daisy |
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Marsh Daisysrnare a rare breed of chicken originating in Lancashire, England. Their name mayrnbe related to its origin in a marsh-like area, or that its large rose combrnresembles the flower of the Marsh Daisy.
Beginning in thern1880s in Southport, Lancashire, Old English Game, roosters were crossed withrnMalay hens to create the foundation for the breed. Black Hamburgs, WhiternLeghorns, and Sicilian Buttercups were also added to complete itsrncharacteristics. They become a proper, defined breed in England in 1913.
Marsh Daisyrnchickens are a hardy, economical barnyard chicken, but they are slow to mature.rnThey are a lightweight breed of standard fowl, with males at a maximum of 2.95rnkilos (6.5 pounds) and females
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Mericanel della Brianza |
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Mericanelrndella Brianza Chickens are a antam breed which originally came from Lombardia, Italy. They are the only antam breed officially recognized in Italy. They are good brooding hens andrnare able to brood eggs of games or from other breeds.
Content and photornsource: Agraria.org
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Millefiori di Lonigo |
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Millefiorirndi Lonigo chickens were shownrnfor the first time in 1934 at the Sixteenth Padua Trade Fair by the ItinerantrnLonigo Centre for Agricultural Research.
Some Millefiori di Lonigo chickens have been found in a traditional farm inrnSouth-Veneto, Italy, and they have been studied for two years in order tornunderstand their real nature. Afterwards, the ri-selection of an ancient breedrnstarted: the Millefiori di Lonigo.
The most commonrnproblems were: rose eggs, red-veined earlobes, erect comb in female.
rnMany years of disorderly crossbreeding have partly distort the breed, butrnhopefully the old progeny has not been completely lost.
Typical are thernlate feathering, similar to Valdarnese, and the rotation
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Millefiori Piemontese |
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The Millefiori Piemontese is currently extinct, however according to local experts, it seems to have still existed in the beginning ofrnthe 1990''s although genetically altered by out-crossing. According to thernavailable description, it seems to have been quite similar to the Ancona breed exchequer), heavily built and with red earlobes but still quite similar to therntypical homosomic Mediterranean chickens.
The possiblity of surviving of few relict MillefiorirnPiemontese chicken can''t be excluded, so who knows? They may come back.
Content and photornsource: Agraria.org
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Minorca |
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Minorca Chickensrnwere developed to be an egg laying bird. While their egg-laying has slowedrnsince there original conception, they''re still exceptional layers. While notrnspecifically bred to be dinner birds, you can still get a decent meal out ofrnthem. There is also a small version of the Minorcas that tends to be morernpopular within the show circuit. Minorcas arernknown to be flighty birds that don''t generally make great pets. In addition the males are typically fairly aggressive and can''t be kept together withoutrnfighting. This is only really with other chickens though, so don''t worry aboutrnhandling them too much. They don''t particularly like being confined, so a largernrun would be a great for their active natu
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Modenese |
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The Modenese hasrnbeen described as a local breed by some authors. According to some others, thernModenese should be the result of crossbreeding among Padovana Comune (ImprovedrnMagiarola), White Livorno, and Black Red Livorno.
Because of thernpredominant black red variety wheaten, it was called Buff of Modena. ThernModenese chicken appears in some paintings by Gaetano Chierici, an artist fromrnEmilia-Romagna. A breeding of Modenese has been recently discovered and thernUniversity of Parma is carrying out the productivity tests.
A small stock isrnbred by the University of Parma, in the Veterinary Faculty.There also is arnconservation project carried out by the Province of Parma and the AnimalrnProduction Department of Veteri
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Modern Game |
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Modern Gamesrnchickens are prized almost entirely for their abilities as show chickens.rnThey are very easy to tame and make for a simple but elegant breed, popularrnwith most fanciers. They aren''t very well-suited for laying eggs though. Theyrnare also not the best meat birds as they are so small to begin with and skinny.rn
Modern Gamesrnare known to be extremely aggressive, so extra care should be taken whenrninteracting with Roosters. Even the hens have aggressive tendencies at times.rnThey don''t like being confined for very long, but they can be trained to bernfriendly toward their owners.
Everythingrnabout them is upright, so they stand tall and carry their short tails high.rnTheir shoulders are distinguishable as the
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Mugellese |
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Mugellese also known as Mugginese, are a rustic dual-purpose bantam from Tuscany, inrncentral Italy. They get their name from the Mugello, an area to the north-eastrnof Florence. They were common until the 1950''s, but became rare in the second half of the 20th century.rnThey are now in a phase of recovery, selection, and improvement. Mugellese hensrnare broody. The capons are used to raise the chicks immediately after thernbirth. They are a very lively chicken, very active, even if mild. They are darkrngolden (partridge) and hens may also be wheaten buff. Their skin is white and their legsrnare pale or flesh-colored. They have a single comb is with 4-6 points. Their ear-lobesrnrange from red to white. Their average
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Naked-Neck |
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Naked Neckrnchickens (also known as Transylvanian Naked Necks or Turken) are a breed ofrnchicken that is naturally devoid of feathers on its neck and vent. They originallyrnare from Transylvania and were largely developed in Germany.
They are oftenrnreferred to as Turkens because of the mistaken idea that they were a hybrid ofrna chicken and a turkey. Naked Neck chickens are fairly common in Europe today but are rare in North America and very common in South American.
The naked neckrntrait is dominant and is fairly easy to introduce into other breeds. There arernother breeds of naked necked chicken, such as the French naked neck or ItalianrnNaked neck, which is often confused with the Transylvanian.
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Nankin Bantams |
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Nankin Bantams, or just Nankins, are a British bantamrnchicken. They are a true bantam, a naturally small breed with no largerncounterpart from which it was miniaturized. They yellowish buff colored, andrnthe name is thought to derive from the color of Nankeen cotton from China.
There are two varieties of Nankin chickens, differentiatedrnby comb type; the single comb Nankin has a large comb with five points, and thernrose comb has a medium size one ending in a single point. All Nankins come in arnsingle color, with buff on the body and black tails. The golden hue is deeperrnand more lustrous in males, and they have the longer sickle feathers common inrncocks. Their beaks are a light horn color, and legs are slate blue.
They
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New Hampshire |
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New Hampshire or New Hampshire Red, chickens were developed to be quick with eggs and heavyrnwith meat. They tend to produce quite a lot of brown eggs each year. Theyrnmature quickly, meaning they can be fattened up and cooked much sooner thanrnother breeds. New HampshirernReds are very easy to tame and are generally very friendly. They are laid backrnand content to just lay eggs and be raised for dinner. Despite being sornrelaxed, they are quite active and do well in a nice open space where they canrnrun about and forage. When kept with their same breed, the issue of aggressionrndoesn''t generally come up. New HampshirernReds are big birds with their distinctive red color with bluish or blackrnfeathers on t
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Norfolk Grey |
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Norfolk Greyrnchickens are a dual-purpose that originated in Norfolk, England, around 1910.
They werernoriginally created by Frederick W Myhill of Hethel, Wymondham under the name lack Maria. It is believed that he used Birchen English Game and possiblyrnDuckwing Leghorns. The game inclusion would account for the excellent meat abilityrnand the Leghorn for the laying ability. During thernFirst World War, they were allowed to free range while Myhill had departed forrnmilitary service. On his return, he discovered that the birds had cross bredrnwith other breeds and the strain had to be recreated. In 1925, Myhill appliedrnto the Poultry Club of Great Britain in 1925 to have the name changed tornNorfolk Grey a
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Norwegian Jaerhone |
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Norwegian Jaerhones are auto-sexing chickens developed in the 1920s from local breeds in the Jaeren district of Norway.
Jaerhons were the principal chicken breed of Norway until imports of foreign breeds began in the nineteenth century. They were selectively bred at the state-controlled breeding station at Bryne in Jaeren from its establishment in 1916 until it closed in 1973. Breeding stock were then transferred to the state agricultural college at Hvam, Nes.
They come in tworncolor varieties: dark brown and yellow, and light brown and yellow. They have arnsingle comb and their beak and legs are bright yellow.
A miniature version with the same two color varieties was approved in 1994.
Jaerhons hens lay appro
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Old English Game |
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Old EnglishrnGame are one of the most popular show chickens with fanciers, which isrnfortunate because they don''t provide a lot of meat and they aren''t very goodrnlayers.
Old EnglishrnGames are quick to be trained to their handlers, becoming friendly and calmrnalmost instantly, making them a wonderful choice to have around children.rnYounger roosters will fight once in a while, but this is common with most anyrnbreed. In addition, the hens are so tolerant that they have no problem sharingrnspace with even hens of other breeds. They are perfectly fine with little spacernand keep fairly quiet, so they are a good choice for a residential area.
Despite beingrna bantam and therefore small, Old English Game
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Orloff |
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Orloff, alsornknown as Russian Orloff, chickens are named after Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov, arnRussian Count. For most of its history, the Orloff was considered to be arnproduct of Russia and Orlov, but modern research has discovered that the breedrnfirst appeared in Persia, and was distributed across Europe and Asia by the 17thrncentury. However, Count Orlov was a key promoter of the breed in the 19thrncentury, and the breed became known in the West following his efforts.
Orloffs werernfirst introduced to Great Britain in the 1920s, and were also refined a goodrndeal in Germany; Germans created the first miniaturized Orloff by 1925. Theyrnwere once included in the American Poultry Association''s breed standard, thernStandard of Perfe
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Orpington |
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Orpingtons arernall around great birds. They can lay up to 200 eggs in a year, are thick andrnmeaty birds for cooking, and are easily relaxed for showing. They tend to be arngood choice for any chicken enthusiast just getting into the hobby or for anyrnfarmer needing a top-notch reliable chicken around the yard.
Orpingtons arernfriendly and relaxed, so much so that they can be training to feed from thernhand. They are perfectly content in confinement, which goes along with why theyrnmake such good show chickens. They''re very active and like to explore, yet theyrnaren''t too concerned when there isn''t too much space to do so. They tend tornlike each other and don''t get into arguments or squabbles either.
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Pekin Bantam |
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Pekin bantamsrnare a Chinese True bantam, a breed of miniature chicken which has no large version.rnThe first Pekins are believedrnto have been taken from the private collection of the Emperor of China atrnPeking (now known as Beijing) by British soldiers towards around 1860. However some sources suggest that a consignment of birds from China around 1835 wererngiven to Queen Victoria, and that these birds were bred with further importsrnand were developed into the breed we know today as Pekin Chickens.
Pekin bantam lookrnlike a miniature version of Cochin chickens and are often known in the UnitedrnStates and Canada as Cochin Bantams. However, they are unrealted.
Pekin bantams possess a wealth of feathering about the
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Penedesenca |
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Penedesencasrnare Spanish chickens that are best known for laying large qualities of brownrneggs. In fact, no other breed can produce eggs as dark as the Penedesenca can.rnThey are a rare breed, though they still work well as a meat bird due to theirrnhearty build.
They have arnvery unique comb that starts as a single comb but splits into multiple combsrnnear the back of the head. They have red ear-lobes with white centers despiternlaying brown eggs, red combs, and red wattles. There are four varieties, thernWheaten, the Partridge, the Crele, and the Black, each with slightly differentrncolor schemes, all with black beaks and legs, save for the Crele which hasrnwhite beaks and legs.
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Pepoi |
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Bantam breed very common in Veneto and Friuli (North-East Italy). It''s probably the only antam rustic breed, used for production. The Pepoi can be easily reared andrnit''s a good solution for the production of portion chicken. The breast has goodrnpectoral muscles, excellent for the spit; the meat is very tasty.
Mean laying:rn160-180 (rose shell, 40-45 g).Great broodiness and aptitude to chicks care.
Content and photornsource: Agraria.org
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Phoenix |
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Phoenixes arerna show bird more than anything; they are extremely poor egg layers and theirrnbody structure doesn''t make them very good fryers. Phoenix Chickens are bestrnknown for their tail, which can grow to almost absurd proportions. They have anrnaverage-sized single comb and medium length wattle, both a light red color.rnTheir colorings can various wildly from silver to black to gold to red tornbrown. Their legs and beak are typically a light gray color. Phoenixes dornwell in confinement, which is good because they''ll need lots of codling due torntheir tail feathers. Their attitudes range from shy and calm to aggressive andrnin-your-face. Generally though they aren''t very friendly and don''t like to bernpeste
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Pita Pinta Austuriana |
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Pita Pinta Austurianarnchickens, also known as Asturian Painted Hen belongs to the Atlantic branch of domestic chickens and has common ancestryrnwith other breeds in northern Spain, such as the Euskal Oiloa of the BasquernCountry. Their name comesrnfrom the Asturian language, in which pita means "hen" and pintarnmeaning "painted" or "mottled".
With thernindustrialization of egg production in Asturias in the 1950s and 1960s, thernnumber of Pita Pinta Austuriana chickens dropped dramatically, almost to thernpoint of extinction. They started to recover between 1980 and 1990. A breeders''rnassociation, the Asociación de Criadores de la Pita Pinta Asturiana, wasrnfounded in 2003; its 52 members have a total of 1842 birds. In 2005 the nu
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Plymouth Rock |
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PlymouthrnRock chickens were developed in New England in the middle of the 19th centuryrnas a dual-purpose fowl, meaning that they are valued both for their meat andrnfor the hens'' egg-laying ability. The first Plymouth Rock was barred and otherrnvarieties were developed later.
PlymouthrnRock chickens were first exhibited as a breed in 1849. Several people claimedrnits invention, using crosses of Dominiques, Black Javas, Cochins, and perhapsrnMalays and Dorkings. John C. Bennett (1804-1867) has been credited with eitherrncreating or popularizing the breed.
PlymouthrnRock chickens became popular very rapidly, and until World War II no breed wasrnas popular in the United States as the Barred Plymouth Rock. They became sornwi
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Polish |
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Polish (also known as Padovana of Chili or Polish Frizzles), chickens have a hugernbouffant crest of feathers and a v-shaped comb.
Though the derivation ofrnthe Polish breed is unclear, one theory suggests that their ancestors werernbrought by Asian Mongols to Eastern Europe during medieval times, and thus could have originated in Poland. It is also believed that immigrants could havernbrought the breed''s predecessors from Spain or Italy in the late 16th century.rnThe Polish was standardized in the Netherlands and declared a thoroughbred inrnthe 16th century. Chickens bearing a strong resemblance to the Polish can bernseen in paintings from the 15th century, and they were extensively portrayed inrnDutch and Italian paintings from
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Poltava |
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Poltavas arernan old Ukrainian dual-purpose chicken named after the Ukrainian city ofrnPoltava. It is believed that they were developedrnfrom local chicken breeds.
They are foundrnin Clay (the most common), Cuckoo, and Black. Therntips of their flight feathers are black and their tail is brown-black. Roostersrnhave a lighter neck than hens. Chicks are covered in light brown fuzz. They arernvery resistant and adapt easily to any conditions. The rooster weighs about 3rnkg, and hens weigh about 2 kg. They lay around 160-215 brown eggs per year.
They arernmainly used small ranches since their egg product and size is not attractivernfor commercial use. rn
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Polverara |
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Ancient Italianrnbreed which took origin in Polverara, a village in the county of Padua. Sincern1400, it''s known as "Padovana di Polverara", "Schiatta di Polverara" or "Schiatta". According to some authors, the breed is the ancestor of Padovana.rnOn the contrary, some others assert that the Polverara came from the Padovana.
The breed hasrnnearly disappeared. It''s reared for its tasty meat and for the fair productionrnof eggs. Nowadays there is a project for the recover of the breed and it''srnincluded in the list of "traditional products" of Italian Department of griculture and Forestry. Officially recognized in Italy.
Egg: minimum 50rng, whitish shell.
The trunk is wellrnshaped, of medium size. The head is big wit
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| There are no Chicken breeds that start with the letter Q. |
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Red Shaver |
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Red Shaversrnare a sex linked dual-purpose chicken developed in Canada. They are used mostrnfrequently on small farms.
Their pulletsrnare reddish-brown with white under feathers, while males are white with a fewrnred markings on their feathers. They are a quiet breed.
Red Shaverrnhens lay from 305 to 315 large brown eggs a year. One four-year-old Red Shaverrnchicken in Ottawa was credited with laying an egg with a mass of 143 grams which is almost three times the size of a standard medium egg (Typically arnmedium egg is 49 g, a jumbo egg is 70 g).
They weight atrn18 weeks about 3?1/2 lbs., and after one year of laying weight between 4?1/2 torn5 lbs. They dress out between 3 and 5 lbs.
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Redcap |
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Redcaprnchickens are excellent layers. They can''t really be used for meat as they''rernconsidered an endangered breed, and they hate confinement so much that they arernincredibly difficult to show.
Redcaps lookrnvery similar to their cousins the Hamburgs, but they have larger red combs andrnear-lobes. They have only one variety of plumage, appearing with dark reds browns, and blacks with a black tail and commonly a black crescent shape on thernside of the body.
They needrnplenty of open space to wander and forage, otherwise they can become veryrnrestless. They are shy, preferring to just keep to themselves rather thanrnrunning over to humans whenever one comes near.
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Rhode Island Red |
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Rhode Island Reds are an outstanding egg laying; they canrnproduce up to 220 eggs in a year on average. Since they are also hearty birds they make for good meat chickens. Plus they are prized in shows.
Rhode Islands are aggressive birds with the roostersrnfrequently fighting when confined to too small of a space. However, they tendrnto do very well with humans, coming running when it''s time to be fed or evenrnjust to be held. It''s quite normal for a Rhode Island Red to hop up onto yourrnarm to roost.
Rhode Island Reds have a rectangular shape to their bodiesrnand well-rounded breasts. Their tail, though, are pretty short compared torntheir body and are carried just slightly raised. They have red combs that arerneither rose
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Rhode Island White |
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Rhode IslandrnWhites are a dual-purpose chicken from the US state of Rhode Island. Despite their very similar names and shared place ofrnorigin, Rhode Island White chickens are a distinct breed from the Rhode IslandrnRed. However, Rhode Island Reds and Whites can be bred together to create RedrnSex Link hybrid chickens, such as the ISA Brown.
Rhode IslandrnWhites were developed by J. Alonzo Jocoy of Peacedale, Rhode Island, starting inrn1888. They were developed by crossing Partridge Cochins, White Wyandottes, and thernrose comb variety of White Leghorn. Development was done by 1903. They were firstrnaccepted into the American Poultry Association''s Standard of Perfection inrn1922.
They were moderatelyrnpopular up until th
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Rhodebar |
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Rhodebars arerna rare, autosexing chicken that were originally created in the UK during 1947rnfrom crosses of Golden Brussbar cockerels and Rhode Island Red hens. They werernfirst called Redbar chickens but later they got the name of Rhodebar.
Rhodebars haverna full breast and a deep, broad body with a long back. They are a deep reddishrncolor with fine buff barring. They have a single upright comb, rounded wattlesrnand a short beak. Legs and feet are yellow and they have 4 toes. Their tail isrnsmall with a black tip to the feathers. Sexing day old chicks is fairlyrnstraightforward. Yellow chicks are male and the females should have darkrnstripes or barring down their backs. Adult birds look very similar to RhodernIsland Red
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Robusta Lionata |
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Robusta Lionatarnchickens are a dual-purpose chicken that was created in 1965 at thernExperimental Poultry Station in Rovigo, a city in Northern Italy. The BuffrnOprington and the White America contributed to its creation.
Mean production arnyear: 160-170 (rosy shell, 55-60 g).
Content and photornsource: Agraria.org.
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Robusta Maculata |
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The selectionrnwork completed in 1965 at the Experimental Poultry Station in Rovigo, a city inrnNorthern Italy. The Buff Oprington and the White America contributed to itsrncreation. This breed has become more and more popular in last years, most ofrnall because of its graceful look.
The RobustarnMaculata has a good rusticity, excellent for biological breeding and typicalrnproductions.
rnDouble-purpose breed (meat and eggs). Medium precocity.
The layers havernquite good precocity. The eggs have a shell from rosy to brown.
rnMean production: 140-160 (55-60 g).
The meat isrndelicate and abundant.
The age for thernslaughtering is about 18 week. Generally it’s reared as pure breed stock; at 4rnmonths
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Romagnola |
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The breed wasrncommon in Romagna and part of Emilia (Ravenna, Forli and Bologna). Fine boned.rnThe comb is single, of medium size, erect in the cock and folded in the hen red, smooth. The wattles are well developed. The earlobes are oval shaped small, cream-coloured, sometimes with blue shades, especially in young animals.rnThe shanks can be pure yellow, yellow but spotted with dark, greenish orrntotally dark, which is the favourite colour. The liveries can be various, asrnshown by historical pictures, but probably the most common types were: silver silver buttercup, golden buttercup, white, brown down.
rnThe skin is various as well, but it’s frequently white.
This breed wentrnunder selection by Experimental Poultry Station in
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Rosecomb |
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Rosecomb chickensrnare true Bantams with a very distinctive comb. They are one of the oldest andrnmost popular bantam breeds in showing, and thus have numerous variations withinrnthe breed. An ornamental chicken, they are poor egg layers and not suited forrnmeat production.
The earliestrnsurviving records of Rosecomb chickens are from the 14th century in Britain though it may have another point of origin. Their popularity as an ornamentalrnbreed first took was after King Richard III began to raise them. Theirrnpopularity among poultry enthusiasts continued in to the 19th century, andrnRosecombs were shown at the first North American poultry exhibition in 1849, asrnwell as being admitted in to the first edition of American Standard o
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Rumpless Araucana |
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Rumpless raucana are a unique Araucana chicken that originated in South America. Theyrnhave tufts of feathers coming out from near their ears, they lay blue to greenrncolored eggs (other blue / green egg layers have been created from crosses withrnthe Araucana / Rumpless Araucana) and, they are rumpless: they do not have arntail. So they can do the chicken dance but they can''t shake a tail feather anyrnbetter than you or I.
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Scots Dumpy |
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Scots Dumpy chickensrnare from Scotland. The expression "dumpy" means short and stout which describedrnthese chickens because they are have a thick-set appearance and extremely shortrnlegs. Throughout history they have been known under many names such as: Bakies Stumpies, Dadlies, Hoodies, or Creepies. They are classed as an endangeredrnbreed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Their shortrnlegs are their most defining characteristic, and it gives them a waddling gait. dult Scots Dumpys are less than 5 centimetres (2 inches) off the ground andrnthey long in the back and have a lower set tail than most breeds.
There are nornset colors for the Scots Dumpys, but Cuckoo, Black, and White are the most common.rnOther
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Scots Grey |
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Scots Grey chickens, or just Scotch Greys, are a Scottish greyrnstriped chicken. They have been known in Scotland since the 16th century, andrnwere developed as barnyard fowl for small farms and crofts. Most likely they relatedrnto Dorkings and Malays. They are similar to Cuckoo Marans and Barred PlymouthrnRocks, but their feathers have a less distinct pattern with a steel-grey base. Theyrnare dual-purpose chickens; they lay a good amount of white eggs and provide wholesome meat.
Males and females can be differentiated based on the colorrnof the adult birds, as hens usually have a noticeably darker hue. Scots Greysrnare relatively heavy chickens, with hens weighing 7-9 pounds (3.2-4 kilos), andrnroosters weighing 9-11
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Sebright |
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Sebrights are bantam chickens that are very poor layers;rnthey lay very few and small eggs. Plus since they are a bantam they are not thernsource of much meat. Their primary function is as a decorative bird and a showrnbird. Being so small, it''s very easy to fit a large number of them into one henrnhouse, and as they get along well with each other, you can even have a fewrnroosters living together.
The Hens are not very broody with their chicks and malesrnaren''t particularly keen on crowing all the time, making them a quieter breedrnto have around.
The males and females are nearly identical in appearance duernto breeding roosters with hen-like feather qualities. Because of their smallrnsize, they have a very prominent brea
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Sicilian Buttercup |
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Sicilian Buttercup, or just Sicilian, chickens are a very ancient Italian breed. Theyrnare very common in Sicily. It’s probably the result of the ancientrncrossbreeding between Sicilian chickens and chickens coming from North Africa.rnNowadays the Siciliana is in the process of recovery.
Good precocity. Therncock starts to show sexual instinct at 40 days, the hen starts laying at 5rnmonths. The eggs have white shell.
Fine-boned, withrnwell developed muscles (thighs and breast), round and well shaped: this breedrnis a good producer of meat in spite of the small size (tasty meat).
Good layer, withrngood rusticity but not suitable in cold regions.
The Siciliana hasrna stray nature, but it doesn’t fly a lot.
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Silkie |
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Silkie (sometimesrnspelled Silky) chicken have an atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feelrnlike silk. They have several other unusual qualities, such as black skin andrnbones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens onlyrnhave four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and appear in variousrncolors.
Silkies arernconsidered a bantam breed in some countries, but this varies according tornregion and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl; the bantamrnSilkie is actually a separate variety most of the time.
Silkies are arnfriendly breed who are very easy to train to eat out of your hand. Silkie hens arernone of the most famous brooders, making them a great choice as fos
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Star |
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Red and BlackrnStars are a great for any purpose. Hens are excellent egg layers, only slowingrndown during cold weather. The roosters carry their weight by being fantastic meatrnbirds. Either males or females are easy to use for shows, but what makes themrnmost useful is their function as a sex link breed, used to breed toward arnspecific quality you''re looking for in a later generation.
Stars are friendlyrnand dependable. Being a sex link breed also makes them a little tougher thanrnyour average chicken, so they can tolerate quite a lot.
Star chickens arernhave a small red comb, small red wattles, and red around the eyes. Their tailsrnare modest in stature with only a very small carriage. Red Star hens grow up tornhave a
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Sultan |
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Sultans chickensrnhave a unique look and are mostly used as show birds. They are small chickensrnand their heads are completely covered in feathers to create the appearance ofrna globular feather poof atop their head. They don''t have wattles, instead theyrnhave a sort of three-part feather beard. Their tails are well-spread andrncarried medium high. And they have blue feet that are completely covered byrnfeathers, though what makes this strange is that they have five toes ratherrnthan the standard four. rn Sultans are easyrngoing and easy to keep, despite the added maintenance needed due to their extrarnfeathering. Because of their facial feathering, Sultans will need a specialrndrinker, such as a water tower. Because of
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Sumatra |
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Sumatras are a strikinglyrnelegant chicken from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, to the north-west of ustralia, in the Indian Ocean. They have a stately appearance, are arnreasonable layer, a good broody and are non-aggressive. Uniquely Sumatra malesrnhave multiple spurs.
Origninally werernraised for fighting but today are primarily an ornamental breed kept for theirrnattractive plumage. Often they are pitch black with a green sheen throughoutrnthe body and tail. They additionally come in blue and white varieties. Theyrnretain a strong flying ability.
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Sussex |
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Sussex chickensrnproduce a high-yield of eggs, even into the winter months, though at a slowerrnpace. They also make for a good show bird as their easy-going temperament makesrnthem ideal for beginning fanciers.
Sussex chickensrnare very calm and quite friendly. The hens are excellent mothers, becomingrnbroody when the need arises. Since the Sussex is so calm at all times, evenrnaround other Sussex, it is completely manageable to have more than one roostersrnliving together in the same space without conflict.
Sussex chickensrnare a heavy bird with a broad, deep breast and a rectangular body shape. Theirrnlegs are a pale, pinkish white color while their ear-lobes are bright red, samernas their medium-sized single comb.
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Swedish Flower |
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Swedish FlowerrnChickens'' name is inspired mottling of their feather tips that resemble a fieldrnof blooming flowers. Their base coloring varies from black, yellow, red orrnblue. All of these variations contain the mottling pattern.
Domesticrnchickens were introduced to Sweden about 2000 years ago, brought to the countryrnby traders, settlers and even Viking marauders. Today it is unknown what or howrnmany varieties of chickens were brought to Sweden''s shores in those early days but that unknown mix of birds propagated over the next two-thousand years developing into what are now considered the country’s native breeds.
They are arnlandrace breed. This means that they developed naturally over hundreds ofrnyears. As a Dar
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Thuringian |
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Thuringian chickensrncome from the Thuringer forest region in Germany. They were first calledrnThüringer Barthuhner chickens in 1907 (Barthuhner means ''bearded chicken'') andrnbred as a dual purpose breed for meat and eggs, but now they are mainly seen atrnpoultry shows and for rare breed conservation. Their fluffy beards have earnedrnthem the nick name ''Chubby cheeks''.
Thuringiansrnhave a distinctive beard, ear muffs, and small comb making them very cold-hardy.rnThey can cope very well with harsh cold winters, but like most chickens, detestrnthe rain. They are active foragers and prefer to free range, however they willrntolerate confinement if the run area is large enough. Thuringians are generallyrna friendly breed, coping we
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Tuffled Ghigi |
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The creation ofrnthis breed with its varieties is owed to the talent and scientific accuracy ofrnProfessor Alessandro Ghigi. During the decade 1920-1930, when he was Directorrnof the Stazione Sperimentale di Pollicoltura in Rovigo, Professor Ghigi studiedrnthe hereditary behaviour of certain opposite characters such as the cerebral orrncranial hernia in Padua''s - which implies the growth of a large crest - inrnconcomitance with the peculiar shape of comb and nostrils. The hereditaryrnbehaviour of these features was researched and compared to the transmission ofrnthe corresponding characters in common chicken breeds. Professor Ghigi wasrnfurthermore interested in the genetic information concerning weight and size inrnsuch specimens (Arduin
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| There are no Chicken breeds that start with the letter U. |
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Valdarnese |
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Valdarnesernchickens are the heterozygous result ofrnthe crossbreeding of many different breeds, among which is conspicuous thernLivorno. This hybrid was born in 1950''s, appreciate by Prof. Quilici, it neverrnobtained an official standard so that it was never really selected. Since 1999rnthere are an association ("Agricultori Custodi") where some farms organised arnProtection Agency.
The Valdarnese isrnexcellent when reared free in the countryside: not adapted to intensivernproduction. It''s slaughtered at 5 months. The eggs have an ivory-colouredrnshell.
Content and photornsource: Agraria.org
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Valdarno |
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The standard wasrndone by Cav. Maggi, big breeder of the Valdarno, in 1905. The same year it wasrnmade official by the Italian Poultry Society, presided by Marchese Trevisan during the National Congress in Mantova. Anyway the polemic went on amongrnjudges, breeders and experts even after 1905. The publishing house Battiato, inrn1914, published the book "Poultry scattered pages", in honour of TeodorornPascal. A chapter of the book is titled "Minestrone alla Valdarno", wherernarticles and letters about the discussion are collected. While the polemic wentrnon, the breed died out few years later.
Since few years an enthusiast breeder, Fabrizio Focardi, is doing a big effort to recover thernbreed.
fter long researches, he decided
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Vorwerk |
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Vorwerks, sometimesrncalled Golden Lakenvelders, are a dual-purpose chicken from Germany, wellrnsuited for both meat and egg production. Vorwerk hens are good layers of cream-coloredrneggs, and produce approximately 170 a year. They are hardy and adaptable. Alsornthey are alert and active, but not necessarily flighty.
The are buffrncolored with a black head, neck, and tail. Vorwerks have a single comb, slaterngrey underfluff, and white earlobes.
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Welsummer |
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Welsummerrnchickens are best known for their dark brown, speckled eggs, as well as havingrnred partridge color. This makes them great as layers and equally as great asrnshow birds. Welsummers are an all-around simple and friendly breed. Hens canrnbecome broody late in the spring, but otherwise are easy to get along with.
Welsummersrnhave just the single red comb atop their head with bodies built for egg laying.rnThe males have tails held fairly high while the hens have folded tails thatrnaccentuate their laying status. Their eyes have a dark red coloring surroundingrnthem and their legs are yellow, though the color will slowly fade the more eggsrnthey lay until they are eventually a pale white.
Welsummers dornb
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White-Faced Black Spanish |
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White-Faced Black Spanish Chickens are good egg layers withrna distinctive look. They have a white face on a black body. Their ear-lobesrnhang very low, and they have a single large comb and no crest. Their plumage isrnblack and very glossy.
They don''t like to be held and they are considered flighty.rnThey''re also thought to be rather noisy birds. However, they are easy to maintainrnand they have no special needs, though they don''t particularly enjoyrnconfinement. They aren''t great in cold temperatures but thrive in the heat.
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Wyandotte |
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Wyandotte chickens are excellent egg layers, plus they arerntrusting and friendly. They are easy to care for, especially for those thatrnjust want a few tame chickens to have around the farm. They look much heavierrnthan they actually are due to bulk feathers.
They are large chickens with round shaped bodies and veryrnpronounced feathers. Their tails point up a bit and look like an upside-down Vrnwhen viewed from behind. Their heads are round and short and have bodies thatrnlook like they''re very low to the ground due to how full their feathers look.rnThey have very strikingly red facial features with a rose comb, red eyes, andrnred ear-lobes. They have yellow legs.
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| There are no Chicken breeds that start with the letter X. |
| There are no Chicken breeds that start with the letter Z. |
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