Breeds Of Chicken Flashcards
is a dual purpose hen too. They dress out at a
respectable 5-6 lb and the meat is
said to be good. ______________ may be
seen in other countries as blue
and white, but only the Black
variety is recognized in the United
States.
Australorp
An excellent egg layer
that currently holds the world
record for egg output in one year –
364.
Australorp or Australian Orpington
These birds were all
set to become the broiler bird of
the US, and then the Cornish
cross was introduced.
• is a respectable
layer of 4 brown eggs per week.
The hen is also a good dual
purpose bird dressing out at 5lb.
______________ are also good
foragers. Hens mature rapidly
and lay large brown or brown-
tinted eggs that number 100 to
150 per year, depending on
certain conditions such as food
supply and weather
Delaware
They represent a specialized
selection out of the Rhode Island Red breed.
Deliberately selected for early feathering,
fast growth, and maturity as well as large
egg size and good meat conformation,
certain strains were also noted for their
vigor and hardiness.
New Hampshire
They lay large brown eggs,
approximately 200-280 eggs per
year, and will lay throughout the
year actually, being more prolific
during the colder months
New Hampshire
is dual purpose hen that
thrives in the cold. The Buckeye is a
breed originating in the late 19th
century, in the U.S. state of Ohio. They
are very active, curious birds that love
to be around people and other animals.
They are also excellent hunters that
will hunt for and catch mice. Their
friendly curious nature makes them
excellent pets as they have been
known to jump into their humans’
arms and poke their beaks in to find
out what is going on. Buckeyes lay
about 200 medium sized brown
eggs per year
Buckeye
All varieties of
_____________ aside from the Barred
and White varieties are relatively
rare. Some strains of this breed are
good layers while others are bred
principally for meat.
____________ in general lay large
size, medium brown color eggs, that
number around 200-280 per year. A
hardy bird even in cold weather,
they tend to lay consistently all year
long. Generally, they are active, friendly with people,
tame easily, and are not extremely
aggressive with other chickens.
Plymouth Rock
are beautiful birds
and appear more ‘speckled’ as they mature.
As young chicks they are marked much like a
chipmunk. When the bird matures and
feathers come in, they are a beautiful
mahogany color, with some tipped in white
and others separating out in black.
With age and with each molt, the
white tips tend to multiply, and the
birds become more and more
speckled – giving the breed its
name. They’re curious, the first to
check out new situations, love
environmental enrichment, and are
intelligent pets. They are good egg
layers and tend to lay large light
brown eggs, 200–350 per year.
Sussex
is a useful dual-purpose bird.
It will lay an average of 280 eggs per
year. They can be butchered at 16
weeks and weigh a good 5-6lb. They
are also good foragers, so the feed
ratio is good.
Although Leghorns are not usually
known for their meat qualities, the
meat is said to be decent on the
brown variety. The Brown Leghorn
Chicken is one variety of the
_____________ that originated in
Tuscany, Italy in the early
1800’s. _________, brown as well as
white, are prolific egg layers. A
good hen will lay in the vicinity of
300 large, white eggs a year.
Leghorn
originated from
Cornwall County in England. Most
domestic chicken used in the meat
industry today are at least part Cornish
chicken. Cornish temperament tends to
be aggressive, loud, and active, and is
not usually recommended for the
backyard chicken keeper. They are the
quintessential meat chicken. They grow
fast, too fast for their bodies to keep
up; hence they must be butchered to
save them from suffering. Given the
fact that these hens are most used as a
meat breed, do not expect them to be
the best egg layers.___________ typically
lay about 100-120 medium light brown
eggs per year.
The original Bresse line of
Cornish cross chickens
They are cared for and fed a special
diet, all of which is monitored by
the French Agriculture Department.
All this attention makes for a costly
chicken dinner. The meat is said to
be superb tasting. They are culled at
16-20 weeks and will dress out at 5-
7 lb. They are slower growers so
feed conversion is average. They
lay about 250 large, golden brown
eggs per year.
bresse
is the largest purebred
breed of chicken. The result of a breeding
program that began around 1870 by John
and Thomas Black of New Jersey, the original
objective of the breed was as a replacement
for the turkey
The resulting adult birds are massive in size
with mature roosters weighing in at 13 lbs,
and hens up to 10 lbs. They are slow growers
and can start to be culled around 16 weeks.
Originally bred to be both a commercial
meat and egg chicken, the Jersey Giant
breed is not used for commercial farming
because it takes 6 months for them to grow
to full size, as opposed to 2 months for other
breeds. The Jersey Giant is known as a calm
and docile breed with an even
temperament. A Jersey Giant hen lays 150-
200 very large, light to medium brown eggs
per year.
Jersey Giant
derives from the name
of the _____________ River, which
flows through both China and
India. They were developed into
three color varieties – the Light,
the Dark, and the Buff. They
are very friendly, as long as
raised to enjoy the company of
people. They are quiet, docile,
and calm birds which get along
great with other chickens, and
enjoy taking treats from your
hand. The eggs (around 150 per year) are large
and uniformly medium brown in
color.
Brahma
first originated in ancient China, and
has also been known as “Shanghai” birds or
______________. Known as one of the
ornamental breeds, cochins are bred in
several color patterns: Buff, Partridge,
White, Black, Silver Laced, Golden Laced,
Blue, Brown, and Barred.
• are known to be quite
peaceful and calm, easy to
handle, and friendly, but are
prone to broodiness, so are not
known for egg production. They
average about 160 large brown
eggs per year.
Cochin
will make you smile. They are talkative, curious, friendly and a bit scatter brained.
Faverolles
chicken is
a very calm and
friendly bird. Never
in a hurry to go
anywhere, curious
and will be your
friend for life if you
give her treats.
Orpington
chicken is mainly an ornamental bird
but was once used for egg production before
the Leghorn became popular. These birds are
very prolific, laying around 200 or more
medium white eggs per year. Polish chicken
is very easy to handle and tame.
They are similar to Leghorn chicken in
both size and type. They are also good as
pets, however not the best for the beginner
chicken farmer. Their beautiful top crest
must be frequently checked for dirt and
wetness, as this can cause ongoing eye
infections if left untreated. The name of
the breed relates not to Poland, but to the
Polish military hats with a feather crest.
Bearded and non-bearded types of White,
Silver, Golden, Buff Laced, and Black are
some color varieties of Polish chicken
breed
Polish
is a very poor
layer and was really
created centuries ago as
a bird of leisure and
pleasure. They make
good house hens and
would likely make a
good therapy bird
choice.
Sultan
unmistakable with
the pom-pom on the head.
__________ breed made its way to the US
in the early 1800’s. The name of the
breed relates not to Poland, but to
the Polish military hats with a
feather crest. Bearded and non-
bearded types of White, Silver,
Golden, Buff Laced, and Black are
some color varieties of Polish
chicken breed recognized by the
American Poultry Association as
early as 1874.
Polish
have feathers that do not latch
together, so they look like they are wearing
fur not feathers. They are friendly and
cuddly too. The Silkie breed was
documented in ancient China and known in
those times as Chinese Silk Chicken.
• Their characteristic downy feathers
come in a multitude of colors
including white, black, blue, grey,
gold and porcelain. Silkies are one of
the most friendly, docile and calm
chicken breeds. They are very unusual
looking, described as “chickens with
fur”, and amusing to watch. Silkies
make excellent little pets and are
tough for their size. They are easy to
handle and love to be cuddled.
Silkies
is a German
breed created
from the Japanese
Onagadori. It has a
long tail that can
reach up to several
feet in length.
Phoenix
is the original
long tailed chicken. Tails
have been recorded
with lengths up to 27ft!
This is possible because
the male Onagadori has
a non-molting gene and
can take up to 3 years to
completely shed some of
its feathers.
Onagadori
has an unusual
appearance. The neck area is
completely devoid of feathers, giving it
a turkey like appearance. It is a very
hardy bird usually kept for meat; egg
laying is moderate.
Due to the genetic issue with the
feathers, it really does not do well in extreme heat or cold weather
Transylvanian Naked Neck
chicken (aka Turken)
