Category: Fancy Breed Chickens

Sebright

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Sebright

 

 

 

Sebrights are bantams and used for ornamental purposes only as they are poor egg producers that lay 140 to 160 eggs per year.  The birds are very inbreed and have the resulting poor egg fertility but the hens do make good mothers for raising other chicks.  They originated in England, are very nervous birds that can fly quite well.

Following generations of inbreeding, the Sebright’s egg fertility success rate is also considered to be quite poor, despite this, they do make good mothers of young chicks.  Sebright chicks have high mortality rates. but the adults are generally hardy birds.   The breed is especially susceptible to Marek’s disease.  It is a soft feather bird    that is usually black, gold,  and silver.  Hens are usually around a pound or just over, roosters closer to one and a half pounds.  They lay tiny creamy white eggs.
 

 

Welsummer

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Welsummer

 

 

A Dutch breed of  domestic chicken originating out of the small village of Welsum in Eastern Netherlands in the early part of the 20th century.  Breeds used in producing the breed include Rhode Island Reds, Barnevelders, Partridge Leghorns, Cochins, and Wyandottes.    In the mid ninteen-twenties the breed had standards set and were exported for commercial egg laying farms.  The bird lays large brown eggs but isn’t usually broody.  It is a light breed, fairly docile, small head and a large five point comb. 

The  hens normally will have gold colored fine feathers around their necks and the cocks will have a rusty red feathering on their necks.  If you want an image of a Welsummer think no further than the Kellog Cornflakes rooster.   There are three main variations, Partride, Silver Duckwing, and Gold Duckwing.  There are bantam varieties in all three colors. They are a soft feathered bird with shades of brown and black and beetle green.  The roosters will weight five to six pounds, hens four to five pounds, laying around 180 eggs per year in a brown or light red color .

 

 

Polish

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Polish

 

 

It would be too easy to assume this breed originated in Poland but while it is a European breed it is believed to have came from the Netherlands. The name appears to have come from the Middle Dutch word Poi which means head, referring to the breed’s unique dome shaped skull.  They have a crest of feathers that covers almost the entire head due to a protuberance on the top of their skull.  They have small V shaped combs,  and white ear lobes

Primarily a show bird they come in bearded and non bearded varities but will lay a decent amount of eggs.  Most hens won’t go broody.  They come in black, bule, buff, golden, white, and silver with frizzled feathers.  Rooster will weigh as much as five pounds, hens as much as four pounds and they lay white eggs.

The birds have been featured in numerous paintings from the  15th century forward and were introduced to the U.S in the mid nineteenth century.

 

 

 

Orpington

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Orpington

 

The Orpington is an older breed and one of the ancestors of the Australorp, one of the better commercial egg layers.  Originating in Britain the bird is a prolific layer, averaging 200 to 220 eggs per year.  A true dual purpose bird the Orpington has a good carcass along with the good egg laying abilities.  The birds are fairly calm and lazy.

The bird came from the South East England town of Orphington, Kent. Despite its large size the birds are able to fly for short distances. 

They are good mothers if you are wanting to raise chicks naturally. They will go broody easily as well.  These days the  Orpington  is used more as a show bird than a commercial breed or backyard flock favorite.

They have soft and heavy feathering so are good for cold areas and range from buff and blue to black, and white. Roosters weigh around 6 to 10 pounds, hens around 5 to 7 pounds.

 

 

Pit Game

Posted on by Cindy Johnson

Pit Game

 

Descending from the English fighting cocks the Pit Game itself has descended from Old English Game, Aseel, Malay, and Sumatra Game.  The birds were bred for performance both in the air and in ground fighting.  The breed is illegal in many countries and of course the fighting of the birds is illegal in most countries.

Pit Games are mostly used for ornamental purposes as they are poor egg layers and there are better meat birds available.  They are hard feather birds that are mostly black and fairly tall.  Roosters will weigh around six pounds, hens around five pounds.

 

 

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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