Table Of ContentField Guide
THE TO
CHICKENS
Field Guide
THE TO
CHICKENS
By Pam Percy
Voyageur Press
To Doris (2001–2005). Doris was a White Bantam Leghorn who appeared on television
and the radio. She was kind and beautiful and is missed by all who knew her.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the many chicken experts who helped me with advice, edit-
ing, and contributing information and images, including Ric Ashcraft, Jim Finger,
Barry Koffler, Jean Robocker, Hans Schippers, John Skinner, Loyl Stromberg, and a
special thanks to Don Schrider from the ALBC for his editing and advice. I would
also like to thank my editor Danielle Ibister for her thorough and diligent work. I
am also thankful to the wonderful artists and photographers past and present whose
beautiful works are featured in this book: artists Edwin Megargee, Mashime Muraya-
ma, Arthur O. Schilling, Franklane Sewell, William Suys, Diane Jacky, and pho-
tographers Thomas A. Naegele, D.O., and Martin Hintz. I am also grateful to the
Steenbock Memorial Library in Madison, Wisconsin, for the use of their wonderful
collection of chicken books and to the many chicken sites throughout the Internet
for their input.
Contents
Acknowledgments 5 Aseel 70 Leghorn 106
Australorp 71 Malay 107
Introduction 8 Barnevelder 72 Minorca 108
Belgian Bearded d’Anvers Modern Game 110
Chapter 1 73 Naked Neck 112
The Global Chicken 12 Belgian Bearded d’Uccle New Hampshire 113
74 Old English Game 114
Chapter 2 Booted Bantam 75 Orpington 115
Physical Characteristics 26 Brahma 76 Phoenix 116
Buckeye 78 Plymouth Rock 117
Chapter 3 Campine 79 Polish 118
Behavior 36 Catalana 80 Redcap 120
Chantecler 81 Rhode Island Red 121
Chapter 4 Cochin 82 Rhode Island White
Eggs and Chicks 44 Cornish 85 122
Crevecoeur 86 Rose Comb Bantam 123
Chapter 5 Cubalaya 87 Sebright 124
Everything But the Cluck Delaware 88 Shamo 125
48 Dominique 89 Sicilian Buttercup 126
Dorking 90 Silkie 127
Glossary 52 Dutch Bantam 92 Spanish 128
Faverolles 93 Sultan 129
Breed Classification Frizzle 94 Sumatra 130
Table 58 Hamburg 95 Sussex 131
Holland 97 Welsummer 133
How to Use the Breed Houdan 98 Wyandotte 134
Profiles 60 Japanese Bantam 99 Yokohama 137
Java 100
Breed Profiles 66 Jersey Giant 101 Appendix 138
Ameraucana 66 La Flèche 102 Resources 138
Ancona 67 Lakenvelder 103 Bibliography 141
Andalusian 68 Lamona 104 Index 143
Araucana 69 Langshan 105
Introduction
Although there are more chickens than This guide is for the farmer and
people in the world, chicken watching breeder, as well as the non-farmer who
is not a common activity. How often do simply loves chickens. There are a myr-
you grab your binoculars off the win- iad of reasons to be a chicken enthu-
dowsill to identify a chicken that has siast—as many reasons as there are to
crossed the road and roamed into your use this guide. Depending on where you
backyard? Even dedicated bird watchers live and local ordinances, you may even
probably don’t run across stray roosters want to start raising chickens. They are
or footloose hens wandering the wind- the ideal pet, needing only food, water,
swept wilds. Even more unlikely is the and a safe place to be locked up at night.
possibility of encountering a flock of Luckily, I live in a suburb of Milwau-
domestic fowl while hiking or driving kee, Wisconsin, and our neighbors do
through the countryside—unless, of not object to chickens. In fact, I have
course, you detour through a barnyard. been raising them for twenty years!
For the most part, chickens are Chicken watching can be a won-
housed and protected from their derfully satisfying, yet admittedly time-
many predators, yet they do range free consuming, passion. Like people who
throughout the world and feral chickens are mesmerized by the graceful move-
do exist. ments of fish within an aquarium, we
Keep this guide handy, because you chicken people are entertained for
never know when you’ll have an aus- hours by the constant activities of our
picious sighting. You might want this fair flock. Unless they are sleeping or
guide if you’re attending a state fair or laying eggs, chickens rarely stay still.
poultry show to check out the wonder- They are constantly moving and doing
ful array of exotic and familiar chicken chickeny things—scratching, pecking at
breeds. You may want it in your glove food (or each other), taking dust baths,
compartment if you’re visiting Key West perching, preening, and having chicken
or other chicken-friendly towns. sex. Regarding the latter, roosters won’t
disappoint any chicken watcher.
Facing Page: The Delaware is a dual-purpose fowl, famed both for laying large
brown eggs and making tasty broilers. (Photograph © Lynn M. Stone)
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Introduction
Why Watch Chickens?
(cid:118)(cid:0) It’s relaxing.
(cid:118)(cid:0) You can be out in the fresh air and get a “back to nature” feeling.
(cid:118)(cid:0) It gives you a sense of timelessness. Most likely, some of your
forefathers or foremothers spent times in their yards with their
chickens.
(cid:118)(cid:0) It’s entertaining. Chickens have personalities and constantly interact
with each other. They form what appear to be friendships, yet they
also can be prone to bickering amongst themselves. Yes, the pecking
order is alive and well.
Tips on Interacting
with Chickens
(cid:118)(cid:0) Approach chickens slowly. Chickens startle easily and any sudden
movement will make them flee.
(cid:118)(cid:0) Lure them with food. Chickens can easily be bribed with almost any
food. They are great recyclers, and ours enjoy many of our leftovers.
(cid:118)(cid:0) You can try attracting them with clucking noises, but they prefer a
handful of munchables.
(cid:118)(cid:0) Even though chickens may approach you out of curiosity, don’t
be discouraged if they run when you try to pet them. They have a
natural tendency to flee. But with patience, you can usually train a
chicken to eat out of your hand.
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