Breeds in Brief
This is only a brief description of some of the birds you may see
at poultry shows in the UK. A comprehensive on-line enclyopedia of breeds
complete with pictures is held at Feathersite
in the USA
Ancona
Origin Mediterranean Eggs White to Cream
Named after the province of Ancona in Italy. They were first imported into
England in 1851. Anconas are known for being good egg layers. Black and
White mottled in apperance very similar to a leghorn in shape.
Andalusian
Origin Mediterranean Eggs White
Named after the province of Andalusia in Spain they are one of the oldest
Mediterranean breeds.
They were imported to England around 1846. This was the breed that the
early geneticist Gregor Mendle used in his experiments into colour heredity.
Show birds are pleasant blue colour with lacing, Black and splash
colours are also produced but are not permitted to be shown.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben
Origin Switzerland Eggs White
Named after the area in Switzerland where they originated. The name
Spitzhauben relates to the head wear worn by the women of that region. The full
name translates as ‘Appenzeller lace bonnet’ They are a very active and
alert breed. with a forward facing crest and spotted colouration
Araucana
Origin Chile Eggs Blue or Green
Araucanas are unusual in the fact that they lay blue or green eggs, the colour
permeating right through the shell. The most popular colour is the
Lavender which was developed in the 1930s
There is a Rumpless variety of Araucana that has unique ‘ear tufts’ and
lacks a ‘parsons nose’ hence the tail just falls down instead of being held
aloft.
Asil
Origin Asia Eggs Tinted
The oldest known breed of game fowl, having been bred in India for over 2000
years. The name means ‘Of High Cast’ they have a pugnacious
nature, the females lay very few eggs, but can make good mothers.
Australorp
Origin great Britain Eggs Tinted to brown
This breed was the prototype of the Black Orpington. It is a good
utility bird, making both a good table fowl and a good egg layer.
The name was derived as an abbreviation of ‘Australian black
Orpington’ The plumage should have a lustrous green sheen.
Barnevelder
Origin Holland Eggs Brown
They originated in the district of Barneveld in Holland, and were imported in to
this country around 1921. They are one of the ‘Brown eggs’ breeds. The
most popular colour is called Double Laced although they are
standardised in Black, Partridge and Silver.
Belgian Barbu d’Anvers
Origin Belgium Eggs cream
A true bantam with no large fowl equivalent, they maybe small but they are very
proud and bold little birds. There are many colour variations. They all have
‘Beards’ and ‘whiskers’ The d’Anvers is always rose combed and
clean legged.
Belgian: Barbu d’Uccle
Origin Belgium Eggs Cream
A quiet cobby little bird that can become very tame. They come in a
variety of colours the most popular being the millefleure (thousand flowers)
which is mahogany with a black spot on the end of the feather and a triangular
white tip. Barbu d’uccle are always single combed and feather legged.
Booted Bantams (Sablepoot)
Origin Europe Eggs Tinted
A true Bantam with no large fowl counterpart. They resemble the Belgian
Barbu d’Uccle but they have no muffling around the face and the wattles
are clearly visible, also they have a narrower neck.
Brahma
Origin Asia Eggs Tinted
These birds are named after the Brahma-Pootra river in India. They were imported
into New York in 1846 and stock first reached England in 1853 where they
caused a great stir. A huge, very good natured and docile bird that can
make super pets. Brahmas were included in the first book of poultry standards
issued in 1865.
They have feathered legs and pea-combs
Campine
Origin Belgium Eggs White
Of ancient lineage this is a very striking and graceful breed although there is
now reason to believe that it had ever earlier origins in areas of Turkey.
It has been used in the makeup of many other breeds of poultry. It has striking
barred appearence
Cochin
Origin Asia Eggs Tinted
Originally known as the Shanghai it was imported from China in the early 1850s,
where it created a sensation at the early poultry shows with people paying a
vast amount of money to acquire them. It is a docile breed and has a
wealth of feather and fluff with feathered legs. Cochins have single
combs.
Croad Langshan
Origin Asia Eggs Brown
They were imported into this country by Major Croad. The Croad Langshan
club was founded in 1904 They are a well balanced active and intelligent
breed which lay a nice brown egg , the plumage has a ‘beetle green’
sheen to it They carry less feathering on the legs than some of the other
feather legged breeds.
Dorking
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
This is one of the oldest breeds of domestic fowl. A Roman writer
described birds in England of Dorking type with five toes. They featured
in the first Poultry show in 1845 and were used to create the Light Sussex and
Faverolles as well as other breeds, they were used to produce excellent table
birds.
Dutch
Origin Holland Eggs Tinted
One of the smallest breeds of Bantam with no large fowl counterpart, they first
appeared in this country around 1970 and have proved very popular. They are now
appearing in many different colour forms. They are a jaunty little bird of
great character. The males look very attractive with their pronounced
tails.
Faverolles
Origin France Eggs Tinted
Named after the village of Faverolles in Northern France they were created as a
dual Purpose breed and were imported into England in 1886 where they were used
for crossing with other breeds to produce excellent table fowl. The Dorking and
Houdan ancestry can be detected by the fact they have five toes. They have
large beards and muffling around the face
Frizzle
Origin Asia Eggs White or Tinted
The name of this breed speaks for itself! Each feather curls towards the
head of the bird. They are a purely exhibition breed. It is noteworthy
that crossing frizzles to frizzle for too many generations produces an ‘over
frizzled’(Frazzled?) type of bird. It is therefore common practice
to keep a smooth feathered bird that contains frizzle genes to breed with the
main stock.
Hamburgh (Moonies, Pheasants)
Origin Northern Europe Eggs White
Despite its name there is reason to believe that this bird originated in
England. The Spangled type, was kept in Yorkshire and Lancashire
three hundred years ago. Also a breed called Black Pheasants was mentioned
in a book of 1702. The name Moonies originates from the Moon shape
spangles on the feathers. There is mention of them in Thomas Hardy’s
book ‘Tess of the D’urbavilles’
Houdan
Origin France Eggs White
The Houdan is one of the oldest French breeds and was originally developed for
table properties A bold and active bird of unusual appearance adorned with
a large crest and beard. A fictional story ‘The Seventh Pullet’
was written about them by the author Saki.
Indian Game
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
Dispite its name this bird originated in Cornwall. In America they are
called Cornish Game a much more precise name. Not overly popular in
the poultry world (They do eat a lot!) They still have their devoted
followers and Cornwall remains the stronghold of this breed. Large fowl males
weigh a minimum of 8lb and many exceed this easily. The females have an
intricate and pretty laced pattern to the plumage.
Japanese Bantams
Origin Japan Eggs cream
True Bantams without any large fowl equivalent they have the shortest legs of
any of the poultry breeds. A very ancient breed of bantam that can best be
described as quaint. The tail should be held high so that there is a
distinct ‘U’ between the tail and the head. Known as Chabo in Europe they
come in a number of colours, and can even have silkie feathering.
Lakenvelder
Origin Germany Eggs tinted
Some people claim the name means "field of linen" or "shadow on a
sheet" but it is actually the name of the black and white colour patten,
and Lakenvelder cows are also known and also a name of a area in Holland which
also claims to be the origin of the breed. It is a useful utility breed of
striking appearance. It is very difficult to get one that combines the
pure black neck hackle with a pure white body and a slate grey undercolour .
It is classed as a rare breed.
Leghorn
Origin Mediterranean Eggs White
These birds originated in Italy and first arrived in England in 1870. They
are a small bodied bird and make excellent layers. They are certainly the best
egg layers of the Pure breeds. It has featured strongly in the
production of the hybrid laying birds that are now used commercially.
Malay
Origin Asia Eggs: Tinted
A very old breed that reached Great Britain as early as 1830. It is a bird
which if viewed from the side is composed of a succession of curves; even
the tail should be drooping. The naturalist Temmnick was convinced that
Malays did not come from the same origins as other domestic fowl, and there is
some evidence to support his claim, as they have a slightly different digestive
tract from other breeds of fowl more designed for coping with live food
rather than grain.
Marans
Origin France Eggs Dark Brown
Marans take their name from the town of Marans in France. They were
imported into this country around 1929 and are infact a dual purpose breed.
Marans are best know for the fact that they lay very dark brown eggs. The Cuckoo
is the most common colour. No commercial breed can come anywhere close to the
egg colour. They have an annoying trait of always seeming to produce more
cockerels than hens which makes them expensive to breed.
Minorca
Origin Mediterranean Eggs White
This is a bird that produces large white eggs, it is larger than the other
Mediterranean breeds and although very handsome they are not as popular today as
they once were. They resemble, and are closely related to the Black Spanish but
have red faces and white earlobes. The Minorca was the favourite
breed kept by Lawrence of Arabia.
Modern Game
Origin Great Britain Eggs: Tinted
This breed evolved over a period of thirty years by selectively breeding Malay
and Old English Game. By the turn of the century they had reached their height
of popularity with birds fetching vast sums. The large fowl fell out of
favour and are now only kept by a few fanciers, but the bantam went from
strength to strength. It is now one of the premier show breeds. The long
legs and toes can suffer from frostbite, and it is best to remove the perches
and make them sit on a thick bed of straw to protect their toes during very cold
winters
Modern Langshan
Origin Asia Eggs Brown
This breed has been developed differently from the original Croad Langshan and
now bears only passing resemblance to them. They are a very big
bird, striking in appearance with a marvellous beetle green sheen on
the feathers.
Nankin
Origin Asia Eggs Tinted
This is a true bantam with no large fowl counterpart, It gets its name
from the colour of Nankeen cloth. It is one of the oldest bantam breeds in
this country and was used in the makeup of many other breeds. It is
unusual in the fact that it is a buff coloured bird yet it has slate blue legs.
New Hampshire Red
Origin America Eggs Tinted to Brown
Bred by selection from the Rhode Island Red this breed originated in New
Hampshire USA. New Hampshire Red's were standardised in 1935. It is very
different in colour from the Rhode Island Red and is also a different shape.
It has been gaining in popularity in the last few years.
Norfolk Grey (Black Marias.)
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
First shown at the 1920 Dairy Show under the Name of Black Marias. They
originated in Norwich. They are now very uncommon and are rarely seen at Poultry
shows. The original birds were a result of crossing Silver Birchen Game
and Duckwing Leghorns.
North Holland Blue
Origin Holland Eggs Tinted
A breed, that at first glance, looks very like a Marans with feathered legs,
and they do share a common ancestry in the breed called Malines.
They are judged more on their utility properties than on markings.
This breed was very popular before the last war due to its quick maturity and
rapid growth.
Old English Game
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
This is the most popular breed of bantam kept for showing. Over thirty
different colours are recognised and a well-known saying is that a good Old
English Game is never a bad colour; In other words virtually ANY colour will be
accepted! Shape and type are all important in this breed. They
should have a similar shape to that of an old flat iron.
Old English Pheasant Fowl
Origin Great Britain Eggs White
Originally know as the Yorkshire Pheasant, and Old fashioned Pheasant, this is a
rare breed. Despite being classed as a light breed they actually make a
good utility bird and are ideal as a backyard or farmyard fowl. They are very
hardy and frequently take to roosting in trees.
Orloff
Origin Russia Eggs Tinted
The Orloff has never been popular in this country, possibly because of their
gloomy and vindictive expression. However they are a good hardy breed that
sometimes take to laying in the winter months which makes them very useful.
Although they are officially classed as originating from Russia there is much to
indicate they originated in Persia (Iran) and were then developed in Russia They
are now in very few hands and need as much support as they can get. They
are classed as a rare breed.
Orpington
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
The first Orpingtons that were developed by William Cook in 1886 in
Orpington Kent. were the black variety, this was followed by the white in 1889
and the Buff in 1894. They have become firm favourites amongst the poultry
fancy and are always very much admired whenever shown. The buff
variety is even kept by H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who is also patron
of The Poultry Club.
Pekin
Origin Asia Eggs: white or cream
This sweet little bird arrived in Great Britain around the middle of the last
century. It took its name from its place of origin in China. It was
supposed to have been found when the Emperors palace was sacked. They make
good pets as well as good show birds as they have a docile nature and are very
easy to tame. In the USA they are known as Cochin bantams
Plymouth Rock
Origin America Eggs Tinted
The Barred Plymouth rock was first shown in America in 1869, it was later
followed by the Buff variety.
This breed has always been popular owing to the intricate barring on the
feathers. If you look closely you will see that every feather should end
in a black tip. The Buff variety is often treated as a different breed and
is referred to as Buff Rocks but it is in fact the same breed only a
different colour.
Poland
Origin Poland Eggs Tinted
The large crest make the Poland a very distinctive bird. They are a very
old breed and there was even a class for them at the first poultry show in
London in 1845. There are many illustrations in old poultry books of the
Poland. One of the most striking colours is the white crested black.
Rhode Island Red
Origin America Eggs: Light brown to brown
Many people do not realise that just because a bird is red in colour it is NOT
necessarily a Rhode Island Red.
The true RIR colour, it is a very dark red and in the male takes on a lustre
that gives the bird a glossed appearance. This colour is far darker than any
commercial hybrid. A very popular breed.
Rosecomb
Origin Great Britain Eggs White or cream
A Sprightly little bird that is popular with show exhibitors, It is a true
bantam with no large fowl counterpart. Early pictures describe ‘small
chickens from Java’ that look very like Rosecombs so it is likely that they
derived from judicious crossing of these birds. They have been used in the
make up of many other bantam breeds.
Scots Dumpy (Bakies Crawlers Creepers)
Origin Scotland Eggs White
Despite being bred in Scotland for over a hundred years; and the fact that it
had probably been around much longer than that This breed became nearly
extinct, and is still in far too few hands for its continued existence to
be guaranteed. A breed that could do with more supporters They were
originally known as Crawlers and Creepers because of their very short legs.
Fowls of this description were described as early as 1678.
Sebright
Origin Great Britain Eggs White or Cream
A genuine bantam breed produced in the middle of the last century by Sir John
Sebright. Its plumage gives the impression of an almost surrealist
drawing of a bird with every feather outlined in black. The males are
‘Hen Feathered’ which means that they lack the sickle feathers and tail
hangings normally associated with cockerels.
Silkie
Origin Asia Eggs Tinted to cream
These birds have been mentioned in writings for several hundred years. The
explorer Marco Polo described discovering chickens with “fur” which is an
obvious reference to this breed. They make good pets and are excellent
broodies, Although many people tend to think of them as bantams, in
the UK silkies are classed as large fowl. However, in the last few years a
proper bantam strain has been developed.
Spanish
Origin Mediterranean Eggs White
A very old breed of striking appearance, This breed was popular in the early
half of the 19th century.
It is the only breed to have the distinctive white face. In recent years a
bantam form has been produced.
Sultan
Origin Turkey Eggs White
Imported into this country in 1854 from Constantinople, this bird has the lot!
Crest, Feathered legs, Beard, muffling, Five toes, Vulture hocks, Horn
comb and personality! Not a common breed, but one well worth
keeping. It is the symbol of the Rare Poultry Society.
Sumatra Game
Origin Asia Eggs White
With the Black face and wonderful beetle green sheen to their feathers this is a
breed that easily attracts the eye. The males have a long flowing tail
with lots of side hangings. The breed was admitted into the American
standards as early as 1883. The females make excellent broodies.
Sussex
Origin Great Britain Eggs Tinted
Surely Britain’s most popular breed, Most people can recognise the
distinctive plumage of the Light Sussex, but the oldest strain is the Speckled.
They also exist in Silver, Buff, Red, Brown and White. Sussex
fowls featured in the first poultry show in 1845
Vorwerk
Origin Germany Eggs Cream to Tinted
Developed in Germany in 1900 by Oskar Vorwerk this is a medium size attractive
bird that thrives quite happily on smaller rations than many other breeds of the
same size. They are alert and active but not timid. They make an ideal
utility and backyarders bird as they lay well and spare males weigh out at
around 4lb Their They are classed as a rare breed.
Welsummer
Origin Holland Eggs Brown
This breed is one of the premier ‘Brown Eggers’ Producing Eggs of a
rich dark terracotta colour. It was imported into this country in
1928 and has been popular with breeders ever since, both males and females
look attractive. Many people describe them as ‘What a farmyard chicken
should really look like’
Wyandotte
Origin America Eggs Tinted
This breed comes in so many colours it has several different breed clubs to
cater for them! It is an old breed, the first variety being the
Silver laced. It originated in America. It is a very popular bird
for the show bench.
Yokohama
Origin Japan Eggs Tinted
Two types exist in this country the single combed and the pea combed. The
great feature of this bird is the tail, which can grow to enormous lengths as it
fails to moult out as other birds do. It takes great dedication t keep the
bird so that its tail stays in condition as the feathers so easily become
frayed.
Ducks
Aylesbury
Origin Great Britain
Just because a duck is white does not necessarily mean it is an Aylesbury!
Aylesburys have a deep body with a prominent breast and keel Thecolour of
the bill should be pink not orange like so many other ducks. The
Aylesbury featured at the first poultry show in 1845.
Black East Indian
Origin America
An Old breed of Duck it was described in the first book of standards in 1865,
It also used to be known as the Labrador, Buenos Aires and Brazilian. It
is a true bantam duck Sprightly and attractive with its glossy green plumage.
Campbell
Origin Great Britain
This is the premier egg laying breed in the duck world. developed in 1901 by Mrs
Campbell of Gloucestershire.
The ancestry of the mallard can easily be seen in this breed. Most people
have only heard of the Khaki, but the campbell is standardised in both dark and
white forms.
Cayuga
Origin America
This breed first appeared in 1851 on lake Cayuga New York, and specimins were
then sent to England. it is a very attractive breed. When first seen
it appears that you are looking at a green duck, although it is infact a
black duck with a lustrous beetle green sheen on the feathers.
Crested
Origin Great Britain
This breed always attracts attention with its Jemimah puddleduck hat! Not
all the ducklings have crests, the ones without being easily seen at hatching
time.
Call Duck
Origin Great Britain
Always popular these sweet little ducks were bred to have a loud quack, so that
they could be used as decoys on lakes to attract wild ducks into the area.
Infact they usually only quack loudly if seperated from from their mate.
They are the premier show breed of duck and are bred to a very high standard.
They come in a varity of colours.
Indian Runner
Origin Asia
This breed always attracts attention when it is standing upright. They
have very long necks and virtually no shoulders.
They are prolific egg layers, a feature that was utilised in the makeup of the
Campbell. They come in a varity of colours.
Muscovy
Origin South America
This is the only breed of domestic duck that is not decended from the
mallard. They are also strange in the fact that they do not quack,
but make a rasping sound instead. The males sometimes sound like heavy
breathers!
The fact that they are nearly silent can make them avery good choice if you have
close neighbours.
Orpington
Origin Great Britain
This breed was produced by the same person responsible for the Orpington
chickens; Mr William Cook. It has a lovely plumage of deep red-buff
It was developed as a utility breed for both eggs and meat. A lavender
form of this breed is being developed.
Silver Appleyard
Origin Great Britain
A breed produced by the Rev Reginald Appleyard (who also developed the
Ixworth poultry) The large varity is a good all-round utility breed whilst
the small bantam varity is very popular as pets, it is very attractive.
University of
Surrey - Personal Home Page Disclaimer