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:
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.
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.
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.
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* 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.
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* breed:Malay Game
origin: Asia
colours: Black, white, spangled, pile, duckwing.
egg colour: tinted/cream
comment: very tall, leggy birds.
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* 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.
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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.
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* breed: Araucana
origin: Chile & Peru
colours: lavender, black & any Old English game colour.
egg colour: Blue/green
comment: they have a unique egg colour.
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* breed:Andalusian
origin: Spain
colour: Blue (feathers blue with black lacing)
egg colour: White
comment: good egg layer but can be flighty.
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* 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.
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* breed:Hamburg
origin: Europe
colours: gold spangled, silver spangled, gold pencilled, silver pencilled.
egg colour: white
comment: has a rose comb.
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* 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.
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* breed: Minorca
origin: Spain
colours: Black, white, buff, blue.
egg colour: white
comment: good egg layer. eggs large.
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* breed: Campine
origin: Belgium
colours: Silver, gold. (black barring over gold or silver ground colour).
egg colour: white
comment: used for autosexing breeds.
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* 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.
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* 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.
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* 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.
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* 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.
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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.
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* breed: Barnevelder
origin: Holland
colours: Black, double laced
egg colour: deep brown
comment: popular for their brown eggs.
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* breed: Brahma
origin: Asia
colours: Light, dark, white, gold, birchen
egg colour: tinted
comment: feathered legs and feet.
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* breed: Dorking
origin: England
colours: silver grey, red, white, dark, cuckoo.
egg colour: tinted/cream
comment: has five toes.
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* breed:Faverolle
origin: France
colours: Black, salmon, ermine, blue, buff, white.
egg colour: tinted/cream
comment: bearded fowls with feathered legs and five toes.
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* breed:Langshan
origin: China
colour: black
egg colour: tinted/brown
comment: two varieties; Chinese and Croad.
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* breed: New Hampshire
origin: U.S.A.
colour: Red/orange (chest nut)
egg colour: tinted/brown
comment: Bred from Rhode Island Red.
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* breed: Orpington
origin: Kent, England
colours: Buff, blue, white, black
egg colour: light brown
comment: Queen mothers breed
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* breed:Plymouth Rock
origin: U.S.A.
colours: barred, partridge, buff, white, black.
egg colour: tinted
comment: popular all round fowl.
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* breed:Rhode Island
origin: U.S.A.
colours: Red, White
egg colour: light brown/brown
comment: popular amongst rural people
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* 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.
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* 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.
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* 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.
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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.
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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.
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* 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.
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* breed:Rosecomb
origin: England
colours: black, blue, white
egg colour: white/cream
comment: Exhibition fowl.
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* breed: Sebright
origin: England
colours: Gold, Silver (each feather laced)
egg colour: white/cream
comment: Male is hen feathered, breed created for Exhibition
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* breed:Barbu d’Uccle
origin: Belgium
colours: blue quail, millefleur, porcelaine etc..
egg colour: cream
comment: feathered feet & legs, muffed and bearded.
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* 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.
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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.
