Breeds of Chickens.

INTRODUCTION:

This is only a very brief guide about the different breeds to help the novice poultry enthusiast understand were all the breeds come from and what they have to offer. It is NOT a standard, and in some cases only one persons opinion. Different countries have their own standards which should be sought for specific breed characteristics. Some are as follows:

* American Standard of Perfection (America)

* American Bantam Association Standard (America)

* New Zealand Poultry Standard (New Zealand)

* British Poultry Standard (England)

Note: some countries categorise breeds slightly differently to others.

HISTORY:

Our domestic races of fowls as we know them today have evolved from the native Jungle Fowls that lived in the Indian Continent. Our modern races are the result of these birds artificially selected for:

1. Egg laying

2. Flesh quality and quantity

3. Cock fighting ability

4. General appearance.

During the Middle Ages 3 main types of fowls were developed in separate regions:

1. Mediterranean fowls: these seldom brood and lay white eggs. breeds known today are leghorn, Andalusions, Minorcas, Anconas, Spanish.

2. Asian Game fowls: these have hard, tight feathering and are primarily a fighting fowl. They lay brown eggs and are good brooders (sitters).

3. Asian Soft Feather fowls: These were developed in the mountain regions of Asia. They have loose, soft feathers and feathered legs. examples are Brahmas, Cochin & Langshan.

By crossing these three races of fowls, new breeds have been developed which are popular today.

these can be grouped as follows:

1. English breeds: These generally have white skin & legs. breeds include Orpington, Sussex & Dorking.

2. European breeds: These generally lay brown eggs and breeds include Barnevelder & Welsummer.

3. American breeds: These generally have yellow pigment and breeds include Plymouth rock, Rhode Island Red, Jersy Giant, Wyandotte.

Commercial fowls: Cross breed or hybrid fowls selected for their productivity, with little attention paid to appearance. They are developed to maximise the production of meat or eggs.

House or Farm fowls: These include one breed or random cross breeds that are NOT bred to a recognised standard.

Pure breed fowls: birds bred and selected to conform as closely as possible to a set Standard which outlines desirable and undesirable features.

Asil Breed.

LARGE FOWLS-HARD FEATHER:

These are often called game fowls with their origins going back to when they were bred for cock fights. Their feathers are tight and closely follow the contour of the body.

breed: Asil

origin: Asia-India

colours: light red, dark red, red wheaten.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: oldest game fowl breed.

breed:Indian Game

origin: Cornwall, England

colours: dark, jubilee, blue

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: Meaty looking with huge breast and thighs. Known as Cornish in America.

breed:Malay Game

origin: Asia

colours: Black, white, spangled, pile, duckwing.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: very tall, leggy birds.

breed:Old English Game

origin: England

colours: over 30 known colours. main colours include black, blue, black red, pile, duckwing, crele, spangle.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: Muscular birds originally bred for cock fights and it’s customary to dub the male combs.

LARGE FOWLS-SOFT FEATHER-LIGHT BREEDS:

These fowls have loose feathering, with a distinct soft feel. They are light in frame and muscle and usually very good egg layers.

breed:Ancona

origin: Italy

colour: Mottled (each feather black with a white tip)

egg colour: White

comment: excellent egg layer but sometimes nervous.

breed: Araucana

origin: Chile & Peru

colours: lavender, black & any Old English game colour.

egg colour: Blue/green

comment: they have a unique egg colour.

breed:Andalusian

origin: Spain

colour: Blue (feathers blue with black lacing)

egg colour: White

comment: good egg layer but can be flighty.

breed: Frizzle

origin: China

colours: black, white, buff, blue

egg colour: white/cream

comment: purely an exhibition bird with each feather curling towards the head. Often seen as bantams.

breed:Hamburg

origin: Europe

colours: gold spangled, silver spangled, gold pencilled, silver pencilled.

egg colour: white

comment: has a rose comb.

breed: Leghorn

origin: Italy

colours: about 12 known colours. main colours include black, brown, blue, white.

egg colour: white

comment: good egg layer. usually has single comb.

breed: Minorca

origin: Spain

colours: Black, white, buff, blue.

egg colour: white

comment: good egg layer. eggs large.

breed: Campine

origin: Belgium

colours: Silver, gold. (black barring over gold or silver ground colour).

egg colour: white

comment: used for autosexing breeds.

breed: Poland

origin: Europe

colours: White-crested black, chamois (buff laced), white crested blue, white, gold, silver.

egg colour: white

comment: very old breed with an upright crest.

breed: Silkie

origin: Asia, China, or Japan??

colours: many colours. main ones are white, black, gold, blue.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: unusual silky feathering, with blue/purple skin, crest, feathered legs & five toes. make very good mothers. Classified as bantams in America.

breed: Spanish

origin: Mediterranean

colour: black

egg colour: white

comment: has a striking appearance of having a excessive white face. very old and now rare breed.

breed: Welsummer

origin: Holland

colours: male-black red, female-partridge.

egg colour: brown/dark brown

comment: lays a deep brown egg and lots of them.

LARGE FOWLS-SOFT FEATHER-HEAVY BREEDS:

These birds tend to be heavy in frame, and can be very large. They are usually looser in feather than light breeds, and meatier but lay slightly less eggs. They are a good all round fowl.

breed:Australorp

origin: Australia

colour: black

egg colour: tinted/brown

comment: good all round bird.

breed: Barnevelder

origin: Holland

colours: Black, double laced

egg colour: deep brown

comment: popular for their brown eggs.

breed: Brahma

origin: Asia

colours: Light, dark, white, gold, birchen

egg colour: tinted

comment: feathered legs and feet.

breed: Dorking

origin: England

colours: silver grey, red, white, dark, cuckoo.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: has five toes.

breed:Faverolle

origin: France

colours: Black, salmon, ermine, blue, buff, white.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: bearded fowls with feathered legs and five toes.

breed:Langshan

origin: China

colour: black

egg colour: tinted/brown

comment: two varieties; Chinese and Croad.

breed: New Hampshire

origin: U.S.A.

colour: Red/orange (chest nut)

egg colour: tinted/brown

comment: Bred from Rhode Island Red.

breed: Orpington

origin: Kent, England

colours: Buff, blue, white, black

egg colour: light brown

comment: Queen mothers breed

breed: Plymouth Rock

origin: U.S.A.

colours: barred, partridge, buff, white, black.

egg colour: tinted

comment: popular all round fowl.

breed:Rhode Island

origin: U.S.A.

colours: Red, White

egg colour: light brown/brown

comment: popular amongst rural people

breed: Sussex

origin: England

colours: light, speckled, buff, white, silver

egg colour: tinted

comment: popular farm fowl with excellent table qualities. Also good egg layer.

breed:Transylvanian Naked Neck

origin: Hungary

colours: white, black, blue, cuckoo, buff, red.

egg colour: tinted/cream

comments: featherless bright red neck. naturally has less feathers than other breeds.

breed:Wyandotte

origin: U.S.A.

colours: many colours. self colours (white, blue, buff, red, black), barred/cuckoo, laced (blue, gold, buff, silver), columbian (&buff), crele (gold & silver), silver pencilled, partridge.

egg colour: tinted/light brown

comment: good all round fowl. Very popular. Has rose comb.

BANTAMS-HARD FEATHER:

Similar description to their large fowl counterpart but about 1/5 to 1/4 the size.

breed:Modern Game

origin: England

colours: similar to Old English Game colours

egg colour: tinted/cream

comment: customary to dub males. Breed has very long legs, tall and well muscled. Large fowls of this breed are very rare but do exist. It is a showman’s bird.

BANTAMS-SOFT FEATHER (miniature):

Similar to their large counter part, but about 1/5 to 1/4 the size. ie they are miniatures of large birds bred down in size or developed from crosses with other bantams.

BANTAMS-SOFT FEATHER (true):

These breeds have no large counterpart. These breeds are very ornamental and popular at shows.

They are a TRUE bantam, and not just miniatures of another breed.

breed:Japanese

origin: Japan

colours: Black tailed white, white, black, grey, mottled, blue

egg colour: white/tinted

comment: Very tall upright tail, and short legs. Carries lethal gene for short legs.

breed: Pekin

origin: Asia

colours: black, black red birchen, buff, blue, blue red, brown red, barred, columbian, cuckoo, mealy grey, mottled, partridge, splashed, white, wheaten blue tail, wheaten black tail.

egg colour: white/cream

comment: small rounded bird with heavily feathered feet & legs. In America they are classified as miniatures of the large Cochin.

breed:Rosecomb

origin: England

colours: black, blue, white

egg colour: white/cream

comment: Exhibition fowl.

breed: Sebright

origin: England

colours: Gold, Silver (each feather laced)

egg colour: white/cream

comment: Male is hen feathered, breed created for Exhibition

breed:Barbu d’Uccle

origin: Belgium

colours: blue quail, millefleur, porcelaine etc..

egg colour: cream

comment: feathered feet & legs, muffed and bearded.

breed: Barbu d’Anvers

origin: Belgium

colours: similar to Barbu d’Uccle

egg colour: cream

comment: breed very similar to Barbu d’Anvers, but has clean legs.

SITTERS/NON SITTERS:

Some breeds naturally go broody and hatch eggs successfully, while others seldom go broody and make bad mothers. Rather than list all the breeds that are sitters (ie they successfully go broody), I will only list breeds that are non-sitters. This way, if your breed is not listed, then it should have no problem in hatching out eggs.

Non-Sitters: Ancona, Andalusian, Bresse, Campine, Hamburg, Lakenvelder, Leghorn, Minorca, Old English Peasant Fowl, Poland, Redcap, Scots Grey, Silican Buttercup, Spanish, Welsummer.

For ducks, the Indian Runner is the only breed that is a Non- Sitter.

Author:

Mr. Andy Vardy