Chicken Breed Homework
Brahma
About the Brahma
The Brahma is an American breed of chicken. It was developed in the United States from birds imported from the Chinese port of Shanghai, and was the principal American meat breed from the 1850s until about 1930. The birds are very large. Watch the video to see how large they can get.
| The Brahma | |
| Size | Large – Extra-Large |
| Origin | US |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Purpose | Dual-purpose |
| Colors |
White with black detailing on the hackles, feet and tailfeathers, white lacing on black feathers on covert feathers. Buff (caramel) with black detailing on hackles, feet and tailfeathers. Dark Brahma chicks are light to dark brown, with darker markings on their head and back and feathered feet. Roosters: White heads and backs with black bellies, foot feathering and tailfeathers. |
| Other color varieties you may find | Black, blue-columbian, buff-columbian, dark, gold, light or white |
| Great with Kids | Yes |
| Egg Laying | 150 – 200 annually |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Egg Size | Large – Extra-Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes |
| Heat Tolerance | Fair |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Calm and docile |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 5 – 8 years |
Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red Chicken is a domestic chicken developed in the late 19th century in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They were bred for a dual purpose. They are used for both eggs and meat. They are bigger than other chickens. They are able to live comfortably in any weather.
| The Rhode Island Red | |
| Size | Large |
| Origin | US- Rhode Island and Massachusetts |
| Rarity | Common |
| Purpose | Dual-purpose-Eggs and Meat |
| Colors | Hens- Roosters-darker mahogany red/brown plumage with dark green tail feathers. Chicks-The chicks of this breed are a soft rust color with two dark lines running down their backs. |
| Other color varieties you may find | None |
| Great with Kids | Yes |
| Egg Laying | 300 annually |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes |
| Heat Tolerance | Yes |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Docile but can be aggressive towards other chickens |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 7 – 8 years |
Ayam Cemani
Ayam Cemani
| Size | Medium |
| Origin | Indonesia |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Purpose | Dual-purpose-Eggs and Meat |
| Colors | Hens-black Roosters-Black Chicks-Black |
| Other color varieties you may find | None |
| Great with Kids | Yes |
| Egg Laying | 80 |
| Egg Color | Cream color |
| Egg Size | Varies Medium and Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes |
| Heat Tolerance | Yes |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Docile but standoffish |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 6 – 8 years |
80
Frizzle
The Frizzle is a breed of chicken with characteristic curled or frizzled plumage. The Frizzle gene can show up in a number of breeds. Frizzle is recognized as a distinct breed in a number of European countries and Australia. It is not considered a breed in the United States but a characteristic of certain breeds.
| Size | Medium |
| Origin | Unknown-Maybe China |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Purpose | Exhibition |
| Colors | Blue, white and black |
| Other color varieties you may find | None |
| Great with Kids | Yes |
| Egg Laying | 120-150 |
| Egg Color | Cream color |
| Egg Size | Varies Medium and Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes |
| Heat Tolerance | Yes |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Docile |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 6 – 8 years |
Wyandotte
The Wyandotte is one of Americas’ favorite hens. Created in the North-Eastern US it is a firm favorite of many homesteaders for its reliability in producing eggs and meat.
It has the distinction of being the first American breed specifically bred to be dual purpose.
It is a beautifully marked heritage bird. Sadly, it fell out of favor with the advent of industrial farms, but homesteaders and backyard chicken enthusiasts have brought this bird back from the brink of obscurity.
| Size | Large |
| Origin | Northeastern United States, NY and WI |
| Rarity | Common |
| Purpose | Dual Purpose |
| Colors | barred, black, blue, blue laced, blue partridge, buff, buff laced, Colombian, gold-laced, partridge, red, silver laced, silver penciled, and white |
| Other color varieties you may find | None |
| Great with Kids | Yes |
| Egg Laying | 200 |
| Egg Color | brown |
| Egg Size | Varies Medium and Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes |
| Heat Tolerance | Yes |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Docile and Friendly |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 6 – 12 years |
Leghorn
Although the exact origins of the Leghorn breed are not known, they likely were developed from one of the small landrace chickens in the Tuscan region of northern Italy. These Livornese (“from Livorno”) chickens were small but laid very many eggs and did not need much food.
The name Leghorn is an Anglicization of Livorno, the Italian port city from which these birds were first exported to America around 1828, and again in 1830-31. The white variety was originally called “Italian Fowls” or “White Spanish”, and were described in the “Poultry Bulletin” in 1881 as being “…white with disproportionately large combs and as precocious layers.” Brown Leghorns were imported by Mr. N.P. Ward around 1835. He bred some and gave some to fellow fanciers, but these birds seem to have disappeared before the next importation.
| Size | Large |
| Origin | Tuscany, Italy |
| Rarity | Common |
| Purpose | Egg Layer |
| Colors | White Chicks-yellow |
| Other color varieties you may find | There are but are not common in the US |
| Great with Kids | No |
| Egg Laying | 280-320 |
| Egg Color | White |
| Egg Size | Varies Medium and Large |
| Cold Hardiness | Yes (combs can suffer from frost bite) |
| Heat Tolerance | Yes |
| Personality | Inquisitive and friendly |
| Temperament | Skittish, Not aggressive |
| Lifespan (Life Expectancy) | 5-9 years |