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A Dandy, Swain, Bounder, Beau or Blade or just unashamed show off - some chickens just can't help strutting their stuff. The male of the species in particular comes in some truly eye popping styles, colour and feather combinations. If you are only familiar with brown rather plain hens, you will not believe the variety and splendour abundant in the world of chickens. You can use our chicken directory to discover a huge collection of interesting breeds, but for now here are a few of our favourites.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben
A good friend of ours, Mr George tells of a town in Switzerland where the people don't wear shoes and if the weather is fine they think nothing of taking their pigs for a light afternoon stroll. It did not surprise us then to find out that the same town is home to one of our favourite chicken breeds, the Appenzeller Spitzhauben.
Incidentally, if you decide to visit Appenzeller and you need a good place to stay, Mr George recommends the Gasthof Baeren-Schlatt.
Stephen Gould's beautiful Appenzeller Spitzhauben named Penelope
Chamois Pencilled Friesian
It is amazing to think that this chicken was not seen on these shores until the 1980s. With his slate blue legs, dark gold feathers and magnificent ruffled tail the male cuts a dashing figure somewhere between Cyrano de Bergerac and Christian Lacroix. The female is also very attractive and she lays extremely well.
Denise Howarth's lovely posing Chamois Pencilled Friesian hen named Lolly
Pekin Bantam
Often mistaken for an oversize cotton bud these are actually very friendly chickens. A true bantam is naturally small, not just a bonsai version of a large chicken. Bantams lay eggs that are considerably smaller, roughly half the size of a full size chicken egg.
Archie Scott's wonderful Pekin Bantam hens free ranging in their Omlet Fencing
Orpington
Whilst the Pekin resembles a cotton bud, the Orpington is practically a double duvet! The copious feathering was encouraged by selective breeding in the Victorian era. They come in black, blue, buff and white although the buff has emerged as the most popular colour. On an historical note, the Buff Orpington was the first ever chicken to set foot inside an Eglu, an honour of which she was completely unaware! At the time, she was much more interested in the raisins we had used to lure her in!
Helen Goodson's wonderful chocolate and buff orpington bantams named Muffy and Buffy
Light Sussex
A good dual-purpose bird, pistols at dawn and honour are the code of the Light Sussex chicken brigade. Their other notable characteristics are good egg layers and tasty to eat. As well as white the sussex also comes in a black and silver variety.
Comments
Christine, 25 May 2020
do you happen to know where I can get a couple female Jersey Giants
Paul, 6 March 2019
I want to start keeping Orpingtons. I note that the first chicken to venture into your igloo was one of these but how many Orpingtons could live happily in a Cube. I do want to have 1 cockerel Many thanks. Paul Saban
John, 22 August 2014
The omlet cube is a great invention but the only 2 things which I would change is the ladder hens prefer a flat piece of wood with half inch strips of wood about 4 inch apart for grip ,second hens like a wooden perch to roust at night especially in winter where they huddle together for extra warmth and security, keep chickens for years