Month: April 2017

Malay Game

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Malay Game

These are tall birds, originally bred as game chickens or fighting cocks.  They need a lot of room to thrive and don’t do well in colder temperatures due to their light feathering.
There are black, black-red,  Duckwing, Pile, white, and other color varieties.

These very large game birds showed up in England around  1830.   Most came from the Malay Penninsula, others from India.

The birds spread across Europe in the mid 1800’s and by 1846 they showed up in the U.S.  Currently there aren’t alot of Mayla Game birds left in the U.S.

They are a purely ornamental breed raised for show as they are poor egg layers, 120 eggs per year for younger hens, down to  45 eggs per year for the older hens.  They are hard feathered.   The roosters will weigh in around eleven pounds and the hens around nine pounds, laying a cream colored egg. 

There is a dwarf or bantam version as well but it is uncommon in the U.S.
 

 

 

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Langshan

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Langshan


The Langshan came  from China and is a popular breed in Australia. They developed their own variety, the  Australian Langshan in the early 20th century by selective cross breeding of Croad Langshans, Orpingtons, Wakfer Chinese Langshan and Modern Langshan.

They are tall birds with feathered legs and very long wing and tail feathers.  A very active bird it is known for good laying abilities in the winter and will produce as many as 220 eggs per year.   it is a dual purpose bird, good eggs, good meat carcass.   The two main varieties are the early maturing Chinese (Australian) and the rare, but heavier, Croad, named after the British man who originally imported them into Britain from China.

They have soft feathers, are usually black to beetle green but there are white varieties and blue varieties.  They are a heavy bird with roosters weight up to ten pounds and hens up to seven pounds, laying brown eggs.

Early in the last century the Croad Langshams became quite popular as the were good winter layers even if their annual egg production was lower than other breeds at 150 eggs per year.   The hens are good mothers and the birds are easily tamed.  They will accept confinement but also do well on free range.   They do need shelter and dry conditions as they do not do well in areas with a lot of inclement weather. The meat is very good, fine texture and good quality.  

 

 

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Leghorn

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Leghorn

 

 

One of the most popular American breeds, the Leghorn will produce up to 320 eggs per year and very important in commercial egg production.  There are around 24 recognized varieties, some that are favored by research labs.   Originating from Italy it has been selectively bred to the point that the hens are rarely broody and is a very active and a good free range chicken.

The Leghorn originates from Italy around 1828 and selective breeding has produced  a rarely broody, active, and excellent free ranging bird.   They don’t make good pets as they are easily excited and they are a noisy bird.   They aren’t a large breed bird, more of a medium size with soft feathers.  There are 13 colors recognized from black to blue, brown buff, white to mottled.  Roosters will weight around 6 pounds, hens will weigh around 5 pounds, laying white eggs.

 

 

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Belgian

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Belgian

 

 

There are three main breeds of the Belgian chicken, Belgian d’Anvers,Belgian d’Uccle, and the Belgian de Watermael

Coming from Antwerp, the Belgian Bearded d’Anvers is a bantam but it isn’t derived from a larger bird as is common in most bantam breeds.   They are an ornamental bird, kept for breeding for show or for pets and they are very friendly to humans.  They do well with free range, not so well with close confinement..

There are fourteen recognized varieties based upon plumage..The most common is porcelain or quail, a small bird with large breasts that project foward and a tail that arches quite a bit.

d’Anvers will have a large beard of feathers covering the earlobes, a small rose comb and small wattles.  The hens lay small white eggs and will go broody easily.

Black, White, and Cuckoo varieties will have muggs covering the ear lobes and eyes that will vary from black, brown,  even reddish.  Very small wattles usually.

 

The Belgian Bearded d’Uccle  is called the ‘Booted Bantam’ and came from Belgium around the turn of the century.  They are also called Millefleur or Millies in the U.S.  This breed is a very calm bird, small, and creamy or tinted colored feathers.  They are very broody and will lay a clutch of eggs in 14 to 21 eggs.

Thee Belgian Bearded de Watermael was custom bred by a couple named Dresse who were trying to create a bantam breed for backyard flock owners.  These diminutive birds weigh just over a pound and will produce around 120  forty gram eggs per year

The Belgian Bearded roosters will weigh around 1.75 pounds, hens around 1.5 pounds and lay cream colored eggs.  Recognized colors are Black, Golden Neck, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Porcelain, Self Blue, and White.

 


 

 

Campine

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Campine

 

The Campine is a Belgian bird, good layers that don’t get broody very often but they are a nervous bird and easily scared.

Their toes and shanks are a bluish grey, more of an ornamental bird.    They have close fitting feathers are fairly large combs so the aren’t the best for very cold regions but they can survive the winters if the weather doesn’t get below zero too often.  They are good foragers and active when they have the chance to free range.

 The birds first showed up in Britain around 1899 and in America around 1912.   The Campine’s coloration is somewhat bettle green and black with gold head and neck feathers, sometimes a white head and neck.
Roosters weigh around   and hens weight around and lay white colored eggs.

Rooster five to six pounds Hen around five pounds

 

 

 

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Sussex

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Sussex

This breed is one of the oldest know breeds,  first showing up around 42 AD, around the time of the Roman invasion of Britain.  It is a very docile breed and do fine in confinement or with free range

 The Sussex comes from England and is a dual purpose breed as it is a good egg producer and produces a good meat carcass.  It
As its name might suggest, the Sussex originates from the United Kingdom.  It has very good fertility rates and will go broody if you want a hen to hatch her own clutch of eggs.   It has a good feather coat and has no problem surviving in colder regions but the same trait makes it a poor choice for hot regions.

 The tail will protrude at a 45 degree angle from its body and the comb will have five points.  The feathers are soft and the colors will run from black, red, white, speckled, silver, and buff.  Its tail sits at a 45 degree angle from its body, has a rectangular build, a broad, flat back, and its comb has five well-defined points.

 

The roosters weigh over eight pounds and the hens around six  pounds.  The hens can lay as many as 280 light brown eggs per year.   The birds are great for home flocks as they mature quickly and have a very good meat carcass and are excellent layers that will also go broody if you want to hatch your own chicks.

 

 

 

Rosecomb

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Rosecomb

One of the oldest bantam breeds with the earliest historical records coming from 14th century Britain.  They showed up in America around 1849.

 

 

 

The Rosecomb is a true bantam, not a miniaturized version of larger bird.  They tend to be a nervous and easily excited bird.   They are known for good meat considering the size of the bird, not really a meat bird, and they aren’t the best egg layers.  Selective breeding has produced a bird that has reproductive problems and is nearly unsuitable for anything other than show birds.

The breed is mostly used for show bird fanciers.    They have large tail feathers, white ear lobes, bright red face and wattles, and a large rose comb that extends backward.  There are over 25 varieties but  three main varieties, black, white, and blue.

The roosters usually have low fertility, the hens are rarely broody and rarely capable of setting eggs or raising chicks.  The chicks have high mortality rates as well.   Full grown birds tend to be hardy and good fliers.
Roosters will weight around 1.5 pounds, hens just around a pound.  They lay white or cream colored eggs.