Common breeds of poultry used to produce commercial crossbreeds

The Australian meat chicken was developed from available heavy breeds, the main ones being new Hampshire, black Australorp, white rock, light Sussex and Indian game. The white leghorn, although a smaller bird, was used to introduce the dominant white feathering gene, which is the preferred colour.

Since the development of enhanced Australian quarantine stations in the 1990s, the commercial industries have been able to import several overseas strains.

Fancy breeds.

Chickens are often classified into three categories:

• light

• heavy

• game breeds.

The lighter, more active breeds (e.g. leghorn, Ancona and Minorca) were developed in the Mediterranean area. They are characterised by non-broodiness, white-shelled eggs and white earlobes, which could indicate common ancestry.

Looser feathered, heavier breeds (e.g. langshans and cochins) first came from the mountain areas of Asia. They lay coloured eggs and are prone to broodiness. The European, English and American heavy breeds (e.g. Rhode Island red, Orpington, light Sussex, Australorp) are of more recent origin and probably owe their ancestry to both the Mediterranean and the Asian breeds.

Game birds include old English, modern, Malay, Indian and Australian game.

Leghorn.

The White Leghorn is the most common of the lighter breeds. Before the introduction of cross-breeds, the female was considered one of the best layers and was used on many commercial egg farms. The White Leghorn should be pure white. This is a dominant characteristic - if White Leghorns are crossed with any other breed, the progeny will be almost completely white. Beak and legs are yellow, and earlobes white.

White Leghorns are small and should not be used as table birds. They are practically free from broodiness, which makes them an ideal layer. However, they are often nervous, particularly the hens, and care should be taken not to make sudden, abrupt movements or loud noises.

Other leghorns, such as the brown, black and blue, are less common. They tend to lay fewer eggs and are mainly kept by fanciers.

Ancona and Minorca.

The Ancona is an attractive bird. Both male and female have black to beetle-green feathers with white coloured tips. The Minorca can be black, white or blue, with black being the most common.

Australorp

Australorp.

This breed was developed in Australia and is the most common of the heavy breeds. The male and female are black with blue-green sheen. Beak and legs are black or dark grey and earlobes are red. Any white or red feathering is considered a fault. Before the introduction of cross-breeds, the females became very popular on many layer farms. This was due to their carcass value once they stopped laying eggs. They are less important as a layer strain today because they tend to go broody, but are generally calm and docile.

Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Red.

The Rhode Island Red is a hardy breed exhibiting a rich, red colour with black tail feathers and some black in the wings. Hens have a placid disposition and are the source of most commercial crossbreds producing brown eggs. The breed originated in America from a cross between Asiatic and Mediterranean breeds.

Light Sussex.

Originating in Sussex, England, Light Sussex birds are noted for their high food consumption. They occur as

red, white, light and speckled varieties. Although speckled is the oldest, the light variety is the most popular. The Sussex is an excellent table bird as well as being favoured by the fancier. It lays brown eggs but has a tendency to go broody. It is one of the most attractive of all the heavy breeds of poultry.

Plymouth Rock.

This breed is a favourite of fanciers and does extremely well as a dual purpose fowl, being a large, alert bird with yellow legs and beak. Plymouth Rock birds suffer from broodiness, lay brown eggs and have been used extensively in the development or today’s commercial laying breeds or poultry.

Author:

Paul Kent and David Compton