Schweizer Chicken, The Swiss Chicken

Swiss also has chicken breed that is called Schweizer Chicken. Schweizer is German language for Swiss. The bird was established at German-speaking area in Swiss at 1910.
The chicken is heavy. The rooster weighs 2.8 - 3.5 kilogram and the hen weighs 2.4-2.8 kilogram. The hen play 170-200 eggs a year. The egg is big enough, weighing 55 gram.
It is white snow in color. The shank is white pinkish. The plumage is thick. The sickle feather is perfecly curved.

 
It is a descendant of Wyandotte and Orpington Chicken. The Swiss rarely we found today. People may prefer other chicken breed than the Swiss.
The comb is big pea. Below the beak, it has double red blood wattles. The beak is horn in color.
The performance is almost similar to Orpington. It has round body.

the chicken can adapt the cold climate in Swiss. The pea comb is also resistant from frostbite that could happen in cold area. 
Due its weighs and its egg production, this chicken is dual purpose chicken.
Read Also: Langshan Chicken, Australorp Chicken, Java Super Chicken Gambar oleh Elisabetta Daniele dari Pixabay

Famous dual purpose chicken breed

Since a long time ago, people have taken care of chicken for meat or egg. They get delicious chicken meat and eggs. Some farmer can invent the best chicken breed which can produce more meat and more eggs.

In the last 18th century or the beginning of 19th, some researcher have been success to develop the chicken ability. They have selected the heavy cock and productive layer hen only. The researcher also has tried to make an efficient breed that can convert the feed to meat or egg efficiently.

1. Rhode Island Red

This breed is very heavy which weighs 9.5 pound and the female weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs per year. It is brown and red in color. It is originated in Rhode Island, United States. The ancestor of Rhode Island Red is Red Jungle Fowl. Now, we can see it in South East Asia jungle.

2. New Hampshire Red

New Hampshire is almost similar with Rhode Island Red in performance. People are difficult to difference this bird with the Rhode Island. The breeder developed this chicken from Rhode Island Red. It is red and brown color. The cock has big single comb. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. New Hampshire pullet start to lay the eggs at six month old. This breed has been recognized as a chicken breed in 1930s by American Poultry Association.

3. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is a dual purpose chicken too. The chicken looks fat. The cock weighs 9.5 pound while; the hen weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year. The famous Plymouth Rock color is black barred. The Plymouth has other color variation such as pencil, silver, white, black and more. The cock has moderately size single comb.

4. Wyandotte

Wyandotte is a dual purpose chicken breed from United States. The hen can lay up to 240 brown eggs. The cock weighs 8.5 pound; while, the hen weighs 6 pounds. They have many color variations such as black, white, blue, red laced, white laced, silver and more.

5. Orpington

The weight of the chicken is 7-10 pounds. It is a fat chicken but it has not deep breast like Rhode Island Red. This chicken is a hybrid of three chicken breed such as Langshan, Minorca and Plymouth Rock. The hen can lays up to 200 eggs in a year. The egg is brown in color. The color of Orpington is black, red, buff, white and more.

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

Orpington Chicken Profile

Orpington Chicken is a fat look chicken with thick plumage from Orpington, London. This chicken is more fat than New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red. This breed is viable as meat producer. Some source also said this breed is good for layer too. The chicken weighs around 7-10 pounds. The plumage is thick and cover the chicken shank and feet. The body is round. I think this chicken is similar to football.  The feather tail is short flowing. It has single red comb and double red witted.

Orpigton is a hybrid of various chicken breed such as Langshans, Minorca, and Plymouth rocks. Not surprising, this chicken almost similar to fat Langshans from China. I think the fat body is generated from Langshans. The body is similar to Langshans. William Cook, the breeder, cross bred Orpington in 1880. They have so may color variation like blue, black, buff white, porcelain, mottled, birchen, and red.

Due to its thick plumage, this chicken can stand with cold weather. The hen still lays the eggs in winter. The hen is also good for hatch the eggs.

This breed is good for layer too. The hen can lay 200 brown light eggs. The hen started laying at 6 month age like New Hampshire red. The hen will hatch the eggs with its tick plumage. An Orpington hen can broody four times in a year. This bird is friendly with other people so you can raise this chicken at backyard as meat producer and layer.

The Orpington has bantam breed too. Herman Kuhn, a Germany breeder, has succeeded to breed Orpington bantam whose have various coloru like birchen, buff, columbian, blue laced, buff black laced, white, black, barred, buff, and red. Photo by:Carly and Art