Friday, September 24, 2010

Dorking Chicken : Ancient Rome Chicken

Dorking is a British chicken breed. Unlike other British class this chicken looks slim, weighing 9 pounds. The hen weighs 8 pounds. They have color variation such as, silver gray, dark, cuckoo, colored and red. The chicken is similar to Mediterranean chicken class. The chicken has been developed in Julius Caesar era. British people brought this chicken. They are showed in Chicken Exhibition in 1845 for the first time. This chicken is very rare but some breeder farm uses this chicken to produce Sussex and feverolles.

There are two types of chicken comb: single and rose. The rooster has bigger comb than the hen. The feet and beak is yellow in color. This chicken has unique five toes like Silky Bantam.

The hen lays white or cream eggs (depend on hen). The hen with white earlobes usually lay white eggs. The hen does not like go broody. This chicken is similar to laying chicken types that do not like hatch the eggs. To hatch their eggs, you need use other hen or incubator machine.

The chicken is very docile and it is good for backyard or pets. Unfortunately, this chicken cannot stand with hard winter climate. The winter may attack the wide comb.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

How to stop Broody hen


Most hens will lay the egg when they stop to lay. They sit on the eggs up to 21 days or three week. After 21 days, the hen raises the chick until the chick independent.

Some people prefer to hatch the egg with hatch machine. They do not want the hen hatch the egg because it is not effective. The egg production will decrease and it is not good for business. If the flock owner want to produce more eggs, they should stop broody the chicken.

You can also stop the broody eggs like this.

1. Grab the eggs once the hen lay the eggs. The hen will not sit on the nest again.

2. Bath the hen after lay the eggs. It will decrease the heat of hen so the hen does not want to go broody again.

3. This is an ultimate way. Give a quarter Paracetamol to the hen. It will decrease the heat of the chicken.  I do not think it is good.

Photo By : Rhian vK

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Sultan Chicken : Chicken wear Turban


Sultan Chicken is a chicken breed from Turkey. This chicken has been cared by Turkey Sultan or Ottoman Sultna. The chicken lived at Sultan's palace. This chicken is unique because it has round crested which similar to Turkey Sultan turban. This chicken is included exhibition chicken or show chicken.  This chicken has been recognized by American Poultry Association in 1874.
Weighing 2.7 kilo, this chicken is a mid size chicken. The hen weighs 2 kilos. There is also bantam type of this chicken. The chicken looks slim and high. In front of head, there is a small V-shape comb like horn. The crested also cover the chicken eye like Polish Chicken. Beside the unique crest the chicken has five toes like Silky Bantam. The feet have long feathers. This chicken has “feather shoes”. That is why you should keep the cage clean. The chicken also has unique plumage below the beak like beard.
 Sultan has three color variations: black, blue and white. The white is the most famous sultan color.
The chicken is docile and friendly. It is suitable for backyard pet too. You are better to keep this chicken with other tame chicken because an aggressive chicken may bully this peaceful chicken.


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Naked Neck Chicken : Bald Chicken whose has good carcass

Black Naked Neck Cockerel
Naked Neck as guest its name the chicken has no feather in neck. There are still few feathe at the top of head or near the comb. I said this bird like a rocker. The bird neck is almost similar with turkey neck. That is some people call turkey neck chicken.

The naked neck is a dominant gen. You can cross the chicken with other chicken breed. I have cared
This bird is heavy too and has good carcass. The chicken has been recognized by American Poultry Association in 1965. This chicken origin is Central Europe. They have so many color variations but only certain color have been recognized. American recognizes naked neck color, such as, buff, black, red, and white. Recognized color in England is more various, such as, white, cuckoo, buff, red, blue, and black.
Buff Naked Neck pullet


This chicken has wide and heavy body. The plumage is thin so it is well-adapt with hot climate. It has single wide comb with two wide wattles and red earlobes. The skin is red blood in color. The numbers of chicken toes are four. It has no feather in shanks. It is black in color.

The bird is good for your backyard due its reputation as good forager. They can control the grass and bugs. The chicken is also docile and friendly.

Photo by : Alisha V
Photo by : Sid Vicious

Friday, September 10, 2010

Delaware Chicken : Plymouth Rock - New Hampshire Crossed

Delaware is a chicken breed from American. This chicken was named Indian river. The chicken was crossed of Barred Plymouth Rock Roosters and New Hampshire Hens to produce broiler chicken or utility chicken. In Mid 1950s, the breeder use white Cornish rock to produce a better Delaware.

Delaware Columbian


The roosters weigh 8.5 pound or 3.9 kilo and hens weigh 6.5 pound or 3 kilos. It is a mid size chicken. There is a Delaware bantam type but it is rare. 
Due to its size, this chicken is good for utility chicken. The production of the egg is quite high too.

The dominant color of the chicken is white. There are black barring color at the end of hackle, wing and tail. The skin is yellow and the carcass is good. It has medium size single comb with double wattles and red earlobes. The feet are clean or have no feather and yellow in color. 

The chicken is docile and tame. It is good for backyard pet. They can cut your grass in your backyard or free range area.

photo by :rjl20

Sunday, September 5, 2010

New Hampshire Red: The brother of Rhode Island Red

New Hampshire red is a famous dual purpose chicken. It is almost similar with Rhode Island Red.  The cock is 9.5 pound in weight. The female is smaller which is 6.5 pound in weight. The cockerel weighs 7.5 pound and the pullet weighs 5.5 pound. The color of the fowl is brown to red. It often fades in the sunshine. It has blood red single comb, which the cock is bigger than the hen. There are some point at the edge of comb. The beak and the shanks are yellow in color. The skin of the chicken is red.


This chicken is developed from Rhode Island Red. Before 1935, American breeder Association did not recognize this chicken strain. People are difficult to distinguish New Hampshire to The Rhode Island. The aim of the bird development is to provide the fast meat. 

The chicken is the prolific layer. The hen can lay at six month age. The productive layer up to two years. The layer can lay up to 220  eggs in a year. Like the Rhode, They lay brown eggs, or even darker brown  ones. The female of New Hampshire is also good mother, meaning the hen can hatch its eggs. The owners do not have to provide incubator to hatch its egg. 

The male chicken has many meats. It can provide the meat fast. Some breeder company use this chicken as broiler parent. They cross New Hampshire with other best chicken.

It is characterized by the brood body then the ancestor red jungle fowl or Gallus bankiva. The tail is short relative to its body. It is black beetle in color. Once light shine the tail, the color looks green and purple. 

This chicken is aggressive so you should be careful with this chicken and the roster is also territorial. You should not raise two or more rosters in a flock.

 image by : Sr.M.Jutta by Pixabay

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Australorp : Dual Purpose chicken from Australia

Australorp is a chicken breed from Australia. Australorp is the abbreviation for “Australian Laying Orpington”. The breeder has aim to produce a native Australia laying egg chicken but they breed the heavy chicken too. As guest its name, this bird is descendant of Orpington Chicken. The breeder was imported the Orpington from British. 
Black Austrolorp with New Hampshire Red


Australorp is a dual purpose chicken breed that can produce meat and egg well. The chicken is heavy which weighs 7-8 pounds. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. The egg is light-brown in color. A record notes that a Australorp hen can lays 364 eggs in a year. The chicken is able to lays in winter. They are well-adaptable with subtropics climate.

The hen is likely to go broody or sit on the eggs. It is good to hatch the eggs due to its thick feather. This bird is also good for backyard chicken or pets because it is docile. The chicken is also calm and friendly.

The chicken is black green sheen like their ancestors, Orpington. The beak and the feet is black to grey. It has single comb moderately medium size with five points, two witted and red earlobes.
Some flock owner also cross this chicken with other chicken breed such as, leghorn, Langshan, Plymouth rock, Minorca and others. That is why the Australorp have different performance. Some chicken are generated male parents and some other are generated female parents. For example, Some Australorp is slim which is generated from the white leghorn hen. They cross The chicken to produce utility chicken or laying chicken

Photo by : Rachel Tayse