Chiken

Friesian Chicken

The Friesian is a Dutch breed and it is said that, like the cows, it comes from the Friesian Islands. It is a very old breed of bird and excavation that has taken place on the Island has shown that the Friesian chicken was around some 1000 years ago though its arrival in Great Britain is quite recent. We did not see it till the 1980s.

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Ductch Bantams Chicken

The Dutch bantam or De Hollandse Krielan has been in existence for a long time and first appeared in Britain in the late 1960s. They are upright little birds with short backs, and a high full breast. The wings are fairly large and long and are carried close to the body. The tail is full and well spread with well developed sickles. The comb is single with five serrations and the beak is short, strong and slightly curved. Ear lobes are small and oval shaped while the wattles are short and round. They have four toes and the legs are unfeathered.

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Cochin Chicken

Cochins originated from China in the early 1850s where it was known as the Shanghai or the Cochin-China. The original birds were received by Queen Victoria which led to great popularity for the breed. It was believed that the Chinese bred them with such profuse feathering for filling duvets. The Cochin has no sharp angles and is very rounded in appearance. They are the largest of the heavy breeds and cockerels can weigh in at 12lbs! They are broad birds too and this is enhanced by the enormous amount of feathers that they have. The plumage is soft with short broad feathers.

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Frizzle Chicken

Frizzles reportedly originate from Southern Asia, the Philippines and Java around 300 years ago but examples were actually documented in Europe in 1676. These only had frizzled wings and neck hackles though. The breed is very popular for exhibition, usually in the bantam form. The large fowl was virtually extinct until a handful of enthusiasts recently started a breeding program to revive it. They are now considered to be a rare breed. Each feather is moderately long and curls backwards towards the bird\'s head. The individual feathers have a rather ragged appearance and the neck has abundant frizzled feathers. Frizzles are erect birds with short, broad bodies and a rounded full breast. They have long wings and large upright tails and their legs are free from feathers.

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Silkie Chicken

The origin of the Silkie hen is uncertain although they have been around for several hundred years. It is thought that they originated in India, China or Japan and they arrived in Europe around 200 years ago where they were sold as crosses between rabbits and chickens! They are a lightweight chicken with a broad, stout looking body which is covered in fine fluffy feathers. They have short, rather ragged looking tails and the head is short and neat with an upright and full crest. The beak is short and broad, the face smooth and the eyes black and bright. The comb is circular and described as a mulberry comb and the wattles are concave, semicircular and not particularly long. The legs are purplish blue in color and they have a fifth toe.

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Sussex Chicken

The Sussex originated in the county of Sussex. They were prized table birds more than 100 years ago. The original colors were brown, red and speckled. The Sussex today is still a very popular breed to keep. Bred to be a dual-purpose bird, it is one of the most productive breeds we have today. The hen will lay around 260 large eggs that are cream to light brown in color. The Sussex is one of the oldest breeds that are still in existence today.

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