Ameraucana Profile

Ameraucana is a rarely chciken breed whose has blue egg. Most chicken lays brown or white eggs. The ancestor of Ameracauna is Easter Egger in Falkland Island and Argentine. They are believed that bring blue eggs from Araucana gens. The egg shield color is similar with Indian runner egg shield color.

This chicken is medium size. The cock weighs only 6.5 pounds; while, the hen weighs 5.5 pounds. The ameraucana is also available in Bantam type. The Bantam weighs 26 to 30 once. This bird is similar with Mediterrinean class. It is not fat as other American class chicken.

They have many color variation such as Black, Blue, Blue wheaten, Brown red, Buff, Silver, Wheten, and White.  The special characteristics of this chicken is feather bellow the beak. Both cock and hen has "beard". It has red blood pea comb. The head is oval in shape like egg. The head is small relative to its body.

Photo by : Linda N

Ancona : A good white egg layer chicken

Ancona chicken is a famous chicken in United States. It domesticated at Ancona, Italy. This Mediterranean bird is a game bird, or ornamental bird. Like their brother in Italy, Leghorn, this bird is slim. Both Ancona and leghorn has same ancestors. It has closely feather. The bird has been imported to England in mid 19th century. US people called the bird as mottled leghorn because they did not know Ancona.

The color of bird is black dark. Some bird has mottled black color. It has a red single comb, while the cock has bigger than the female. There is a white spot behind the ear or earlobes. Some Ancona has rose comb.

Ancona male is 6.6 lbs in weight; while, the male is 4.5 lbs. The bantam is smaller. Ancona bantam cock is 26 oz; while, the hen is 22 0z.

The shank and feet is black in color and featherless. The toe of the breed is four like most chicken (three in front and one in back). The cock has long flowing tail.

This bird is prolific chicken too. The hen can lay 150 - 190 eggs a year. The eggs is white color. Some hen also lay hint color eggs. This is the good layer that can still lay in the winter.You can consider this bird as layer.

Leghorn profile

The bird is originated at Tuscany, Central Italian. But some country such as United States, Denmark and Britain developed this strain well.This chicken is famous breed in the world as commercial farm layer. It is imported to United States in 18th century. American Poultry Association (APA) recognized this strain.

They have color variation like white, red, black red tail, grey, partridge, red, columbian, golden duckwing, and so on. The most layer is white leghorn. The skin, the beak, and the shank is yellow in color. Few leghorn has rose comb.

It is 3-4 pounds in weight. The body is slim so this bird is not viable for meat. Leghorn is viable layer strain. The hen can lay up to 280 eggs in a year which is lower than New Hampshire red. They lay white eggs.The hen also has not broodiness ability. Therefore, you cannot use the chicken to hatch the eggs.

Wyandotte Bantam Chickens

Wyandotte is meat purpose chicken. It is risen for its meat. There is also small Wyandotte that is called Wyandotte Bantam. The breeder has success to domesticated Wyandotte Bantam from its ancestor big Wyandotte. The Wyandotte Bantam have various color like silver penciled, golden laced, silver laced, white, columbian and buff columbian and buff. The tail is not short unlike common chicken that has long tail.



The chicken is very hard that suitable in cold climate region. The feather is so thick. Therefore it is good for hatching the eggs.  It is almost round shape body. This is a medium size chicken because it is 30 ounces weight. This chicken is originated in United States in 1870.

Due to docile and friendly personality, this bird is good for your backyard. Most Wyandotte cock is friendly to human so it may be good for your kids. It lay brown eggs. This egg production is 200 a year. This bird is the best mother. Sometimes, it brood other chick. 

Photo by: graibeard

read also : famous bantam heritage

Dutch Bantam Profile

Dutch Bantam is the most famous Bantam in the world. This bird is risen for ornamental bird. Hence with its name, it is originated or domesticated in Dutch or Holland. The height is only 20 cm. The cock is only 500 grams and the hen is only 400 grams weight. The cock has long wide curve tail. The comb is red blood single.  The cock has bigger comb than the hen. Dutch bantam has many color variation such as red partridge, green partridge, gray, black, and others.

The bantam is different with common bantam because in its tail and wing. Common bantam has vertical tail and near-vertical wing. On the other hand, the tail and wing of dutch bantam is similar like domesticated chicken.

Some story said that the Dutch trader imported the bantam from South East Asia. I believe it is  Java Island origin bird because Java was under Dutch East India company or VOC occupation. It is descendant of Gallus Bankiva or red jungle fowl which is from Java and Sumatra.

A Dutch bantam hen is a prolific layer that can lay up to 160 eggs per year. The eggs is light brown or cream color which size is smaller than common chicken.The hen will hatch its egg. The dutch hen is also the best mother so you can entrust them to keep their chick. Due, the prolific and the size, this bird is suitable for backyard pet. You do not need to use large backyard for raising this bird.

Photo by steve p 2008

Read also : famous bantam heritage breed