Australasian Poultry August/September 2006 out now

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Lola the Black Leghorn

Lola the Black Leghorn - she arrived with us in April 2006 - despite what is stated below, she is broody!

This breed originates from The Port of Leghorn in Italy and arrived in Britain in the late 1800s in the white form followed by the brown. They have white earlobes and yellow legs and the eye is red in all colours. The females have a double folded comb, a deep abdomen and a whipped tail. The eyes are prominent and the beak is short and stout. Earlobes are well defined and the wattles are long, thin and fine in texture. Their legs are long and featherless with four toes on the feet with a long straight back toe and the feathers on the body are soft and silky. The Leghorns were one of the breeds used to create the modern battery hybrid layer as they are very productive birds and are able to adapt to all conditions.

Leghorns are prolific layers that rarely go broody and are non-sitters unless left undisturbed. Eggs are white and of good size and are laid throughout the year. Chicks are easy to rear. They feather up quickly, are fast growers and mature quickly. The comb is large so care needs to be taken in cold, frosty weather to avoid frostbite. They can be left to roam freely but are just as happy in a run. They are sprightly, alert birds and can be tamed but not enough to allow handling and prefer to remain rather aloof. They can be rather noisy and will roost in trees given the chance. They are not good as table birds as they aren't very meaty.
VarietiesBlack, blue (not laced), brown, buff, cuckoo, golden duckwing, silver duckwing, exchequer, mottled, partridge, pyle and white.

Egg Colour: White

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens

Violet the Aracana

Violet arrvied with us in April 2006 - she is very docile and at times timid, but she lays the most beautiful blue eggs!

Arauncana chickens originate from South America and are named after the Arauca Indians of Chile. They were introduced to Europe in the early 1900s although they have been heard of since the mid-sixteenth century. They originally had large floppy pea combs but these have been bred so that they now only have a very small irregularly shaped pea comb. They do not have wattles and the facial feathers are thick with a small crest on the head. The blue green egg is coloured throughout the shell so the inside is as blue as the outside but the hens only really lay during the spring and summer months. Blue and green eggs are most common although colour can range from a greyish or violet blue to a turquoise or greenish blue. Khaki and olive can suggest that the hens have been crossed with other breeds. The breed can be born with or without a tail, those without are known as Rumpless Araucanas. They are short, rounded birds with an upright stance and a broad skull. They have an unusual wart-like feature on either side of their heads called plicae where the earlobes are usually seen. These have feathers on them which make up ear tufts which slat backwards.

Araucana chicks are strong, fast growers and mature quickly. They do tend towards broodiness and make excellent mothers. They do not mind being kept in a pen but like fresh grass so the coop or ark will need moving on regularly. They are placid birds and are vigorous and hardy. The blue green eggs are reportedly lower in cholesterol than other eggs which make them healthier although there is no specific evidence to back this up.

Egg Colour: Blue or Green

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens

Henny the Welsummer

This is our Welsummer, Henny. She is able 24 weeks old in this picture and has just started to lay. There was much excitement when one of her early eggs was double in size, and yes, it had two yolks.

History

The Welsummer is named after the village of Welsum in Holland although the breed was originally developed in the area along the river Ysel to the north of Deventer, Holland at about the same time as the Barnevelders (1900-1913). The Dutch bred it from the partridge Cochin, partridge Wyandotte and partridge Leghorn, the Barnevelder and Rhode Island Red. It was first imported into this country in 1928 for its large brown egg. The Welsummer is a large, upright, active bird with a broad back, full breast and large full tail. They head has a single comb, medium wattles, almond shaped ear lobes and a strong, short beak. They have yellow legs which fade to pale yellow in summer and reddish bay eyes.

Behaviour

Welsummers lay lovely large eggs and the dark brown pigment can actually be rubbed off as it is added at the end of the egg laying sequence. They do go broody but not usually until late Spring but are not particularly good mothers. Chicks are strong and are easily sexed as females have much darker head and back markings than males. They lay fewer eggs during the winter. They are friendly, easily handled birds which love to free range and forage for food but can also be kept in runs quite happily. They are productive for 3 years of their 9 year lifespan.

Varieties

Silver Duckwing, gold and black-red partridge.

Status: Fairly common

Egg Colour: Brown to dark brown with speckles

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens

Gladys the Light Sussex

Most people can recognise the distinctive white plumage of the Light Sussex, but the oldest strain is the Speckled. They also exist in Silver, Buff, Red and Brown. They are a general purpose breed for producing meat and eggs. They are one of the best of the dual purpose chickens, a good all-around farm fowl.

Sussex originated in the county of Sussex, England where they were prized as a table fowl more than 100 years ago. They continue to be a popular fowl in Great Britain and the light variety has figured prominently in the development of many of their commercial strains. Sussex is one of the oldest breeds that is still with us today in fair numbers.

Sussex are alert, attractive and good foragers, and they have rectangular bodies. Sussex go broody and make good mothers. Their eggs are a very light brown or cream and known as tinted. They combine both exhibition and utility virtues are more popular in Canada, England and Australia. Sussex fowls featured in the first poultry show in 1845.


HistoryThe Sussex originated in the county of Sussex. They were prized table birds more than 100 years ago. The original colours were brown, red and speckled. The Sussex today is still a very popular breed to keep. Bred to be a dual purpose bird, it is one of the most productive breeds we have today. The hen will lay around 260 large eggs that are cream to light brown in colour. The Sussex is one of the oldest breeds that are still in existence today.
BehaviourThe Sussex chicken is an alert but docile breed that can adapt to any surrounding easily. They are good foragers. Whilst they are quite happy to be free range, they will also be fine if kept in a confined space. They can occasionally but not very often go broody. The speckled is the most likely of the breed to do this.
VarietiesThe colours found in Sussex chickens are brown buff, light red, speckled, silver and white. The Sussex chicken whatever its colour should be graceful. The eyes are red in the darker varieties but are orange in the lighter ones. They have a medium sized single comb. The earlobes are red and the legs and skin are white in every variety. The brown and red varieties are rare now with the other colours being quite common.
Egg Colour: Tinted

http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens