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Email required Address never made public. Name required. Search for:. Networked Blog. Blog: Multifarious Raymonds Topics:. Follow my blog. Follow Following. They are fast growing hens that are good flyers and love to be active. Their plumage is mixed colors with an occasional beard or single comb making an appearance.
The Altsteirer is an ancient breed that can be traced back to at least the thirteenth century. They are also known as the Styrian as it was found in the Styrian region of Austria. This is a very hardy and active dual purpose breed.
They are constantly alert and love to free range and fly. Expect a friendly breed, but not lap chickens. There are two main varieties: white and partridge but there are other varieties too. All varieties are very rare. The Barnevelder was created in Holland specifically to lay a dark brown egg. Hens generally produce large brown eggs each week even through the winter.
As for their personality they are calm and friendly with strong streaks of curiosity and intelligence. They much prefer to be free ranging but will tolerate confinement pretty well as long as they have sufficient room and things to occupy them.
This is a mountainous area where it is hard to survive. As a result Basque hens are hardy and a very thrifty forager. These days it is a rare hen and efforts are being made to preserve this breed in their homeland. They are a remarkably friendly breed, and will not be afraid to jump into your lap to tell you about their day. This is another member of the Wyandotte family that is currently popular. Although the blue lacing on red feathers seems to be the draw right now, this color variety can actually be dated back to the s.
The Wyandotte is very well suited for cold climates as they have a rose comb and dense feathering to keep themselves warm through those long winter nights. Although they are docile they will not tolerate other breeds picking on them. They do well in confinement as long as they have enough room, but prefer to free range when they can. Brahmas can be huge with boys weighing up to 10lb and hens weighing 8lb!
Their personality is quiet, calm, docile and friendly. They are very tame and do well with children although their size can be a bit intimidating for some kids. You can expect them to lay medium brown eggs each week. And whilst they are not known for being broody, they do make good mothers.
There is no comb just a red patch of skin and a small tuft. They are slowly making a come-back but are considered endangered even in Holland.
Bredas weigh around lb and will lay 3 large white eggs each week. They are a shy chicken but are friendly, docile, alert and always curious. The Buckeye is the only American hen to have a pea comb.
It is also the only breed that was created by a woman. They are called Buckeyes because their deep red plumage resembles the color of the buckeye nut. Buckeyes are more suited to free ranging, but should be kept in a safe area as they are not entirely predator savvy. She is an active breed and said to be great mousers. They are peaceful and friendly with their humans.
The Buff is loved all over the world and returns this love right back. She is a cuddly and calm breed that enjoys lap time and being picked up. Buff Orpingtons are large chickens that weight around 8lb. She is a good layer putting out between large light brown eggs per week. The only negative thing to say about them is that they can be annoyingly broody, but if you want to raise chicks the Orpington will oblige. Unfortunately this breed has not caught on in the US yet, but they are very popular in Spain and Latin America.
She is known as an active and independent breed that loves to forage. They can be noisy so an urban environment is not for them. You will also notice she flys well and roosts high. The Chantecler is Canadas first chicken breed. They were bred in a Quebec monastery with the intention of producing a good dual purpose chicken that could survive the Canadian winters.
Chanteclers have small wattles, a cushion comb and dense feathering. They come in two colors: white and partridge. Personality wise they are quiet, calm and docile. However they do not enjoy being picked up or held. They do equally well confined or free ranging but if they are allowed to roam they are great foragers.
This French breed was developed over the centuries and an official standard was established in the s. This is a winter hardy chicken and a good forager.
They are said to mature fairly quickly and once fully grown a hen will weight lb. They will tolerate confinement but prefer to free range. The Delaware was created around the s and was destined to become the broiler chicken of the industry. Originally called Indian Rivers they were extremely popular because they laid well and were fast growing.
However they were surpassed in growth by the Cornish Cross, which became the broiler hen of the century. Available in both standard and bantam sizes this is a good homesteading breed.
Hens will lay 4 large brown eggs a week and rarely go broody. Derbyshire Redcaps are relatively pure since there has been little cross breeding with this breed. They have a stunning rose comb hence the name Red Cap and will reach around 6lb. They were especially popular in the north of England however these days she is critically endangered. The hens are not prolific layers but will give you a respectable medium white eggs each week. They are also known as Pilgrim fowl as they are thought to have descended from the original breeds brought by the pilgrims.
Their plumage is a black and white staggered barring pattern which helps them hide from predators. Their dense plumage and rose comb makes them a cold hardy breed. In general they are a calm, docile and friendly breed. They are active, hardy and a fairly low maintenance breed. The exact history of the Dorking is unclear but they are thought to have originated from England. You may occasionally find this breed is called old five toes. You should expect a shy and gentle chicken.
They like to free range but will tolerate confinement fairly well. They are one of the few hens with red earlobes that produce white eggs. They are attentive and devoted mothers and are quite broody. Their plumage is quite dense and they have beards, muffs and feathered feet which gives them an even fluffier appearance.
The most popular variety of Faverolles is the salmon color , which is more of a honey brown tone. Once fully grown she will reach around 6lb, however if you are restricted with space then bantams are available. They are an independent minded hen and prefer the company of their own breed. Whilst she is friendly enough to humans, she does not enjoy being picked up or cuddled.
Their independent nature and low maintenance requirements makes them ideal for novices and 4H programs. Icelandic chickens are a rare gem. They are almost genetically pure which seems to keep them pretty healthy and disease free. They were left in Iceland by the Vikings who had selected the best utilitarian chickens they could find. As a Landrace Chicken there is no standard and they come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and plumage types.
As you would expect, they are great foragers and can virtually feed themselves. They are extremely hardy to most climates, fly well and very predator savvy.
Given their history this breed will never be cuddly, but they will become friendly and trusting of you if given time. They were created around the s in Iowa and quickly gained popularity in small farms and homesteads.
This is a large breed that will weigh between lb. Hens are good layers and will give you eggs each week. Also the ladies have a tendency towards broodiness and make good mothers. You can expect a fairly calm and docile chicken that is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and environments.
The Java is the second oldest breed in the US behind the Dominique. Despite their name they were developed in the US sometime around the mids. This breed loves to range and when allowed they will supplement their diet very well. You can find them in three varieties black, white and mottled. The Jersey Giant was created in New Jersey back in the s. As you would expect this is a large chicken that stands around 2 feet tall. Males will weigh lb and hens around 11lb. Given their size you will need to have larger pens, doors and nest boxes available for them.
Also make sure to place perches slightly lower to the floor. Jersey Giants are calm, gentle and love to forage. This is a good thing as they are expensive to feed so letting them roam will reduce their feed bill slightly. They are not known for being broody, but sadly when they do, they often break the eggs with their weight or step on the chicks accidentally.
They are suitable for beginners and children — although their size can be a bit intimidating! Orpingtons are large fluffy hens that look enormous. They are a dual purpose hen but the lavender strain often is an exhibition or show bird too. Hens are notoriously broody and make great mothers and will raise most eggs placed under them. When they are not broody they will lay large tinted eggs each week.
Orpingtons are inclined to be lazy and whilst they do forage they will prefer to sit by the feeder. Their weight should be monitored as obese hens can have serious problems with egg laying. They have a light colored plumage and are quite large.
However despite their appearance they are a gentle giant! She was created in the s in Lancashire England and is a beautiful hen well suited to small farms and homesteads. The name Marsh Daisy may come from their oversized rose comb which is said to look like a Marsh Daisy. They are slow to mature but they are very economical since they love to free range and are very active foragers.
Hens weigh around 5. They are occasionally broody and make good mothers. The Minorca was developed in the late s and comes to us from the Balearic Islands of the Mediterranean. Also known as the Moorish chicken, or the Red faced Black Spanish, they are the largest of the Mediterranean breeds standing tall with a long tail. Hens have a good temperament and really enjoy their humans. They can still be a bit flighty on occasions but are generally calm and docile.
Unfortunately they have always been overshadowed by the Rhode Island Red which was created around the same time. They are friendly hens that tend to make good pets and are easy to tame so are ideal for kids.
However they can be food aggressive with other breeds, so be careful when mixing with other breeds. The hens weigh in at 6. They also have a broody tendency and make great mothers. To this day the Orpington breed is a favorite of many small farms and backyard poultry enthusiasts. They are large and have copious feathering which comes in several varieties — buff is regarded as the favorite.
Next to the Orpington, this is possibly the most well known chicken breed worldwide. This breed was created in the mid s in Rhode Island — their fame is such that it is the state chicken there.
They are excellent layers and are rarely broody. They do well in confinement or free range and are a very low maintenance chicken to keep. Rhode Island Reds are docile and friendly with humans, but can be pushy with other breeds.
They can be quite noisy too so urban living really would not suit them. Their comb is shaped more like a crown and it is the only breed with such a comb. Also the plumage of the hens and roosters is totally different with the ladies having a spangled appearance.
Originating in Sicily, this breed has the typical slender Mediterranean build. Although it can be used as a dual purpose hen, it is not very meaty. They tolerate heat very well but do not tolerate confinement at all as they are an active and restless chicken. Egg laying is considered to be low to moderate with large white eggs per week.
The hens are not broody by nature. Hens will lay 4 large eggs each week and are not known for being broody. Their personality is a little distant although they are friendly enough with humans. The Speckled Sussex is one variety of the very old Sussex breed.
This breed has been around since the Roman invasion of Britain. Personality-wise they are a calm, docile and friendly bird. They do well with children and can become tame enough to sit in your lap. They are quite cold hardy but do not enjoy the heat so much. If allowed to free range they are excellent foragers but they do tolerate confinement well.
They were kept as a dual purpose chicken and in their heyday supplied London with meat for the markets. We've started out with a set of basic characteristics.
You can see more by clicking the "show more characteristics" link. Show all matching breeds Show only selected breeds clear selected breeds. Check or un-check the box next to a characteristic to include or exclude that characteristic from the selection results. Choose some characteristics on the left to see the chicks that are right for you.
Likely to sit on eggs not at all likely to sit on eggs not very likely to sit on eggs somewhat likely to sit on eggs very likely to sit on eggs extremely likely to sit on eggs.
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