A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Breed

Ameraucana

Ancona

Araucana

Aseel

ALBC Conservati on Priority Ranking APA Class Use All Other Standard Meat, Eggs Not Listed Breed

Threatened English All Other Standard Breed Study All Other Standard Breed Critical

Australorp

Recovering English

Barnvelder

Not Listed

Blue Andalusian Critical

Copyright 2009

Eggs

Eggs

Meat

Eggs, Meat

Egg Shell Rate of Broodine Color Egg Size Lay ss

Skin Color

Standard Market Weight

Green, Blue

Large

White to Yellow

4.5 - 5.5 lbs

White

Medium to Excellen NonLarge t Setters

Yellow

4 - 5 lbs

White to Yellow

3.5 - 4 lbs

Yellow

4 - 5.5 lbs

Medium to Blue Large White or tinted light brown Small Poor

Continental Eggs, Meat

Brown Deep Terra Cotta

Mediterrane an Eggs

ChalkWhite

Large

Excellen t

Medium to 150 to Large 200

Large

Setters

Very Good

White Rarely go broody Yellow

NonSetters

White

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

5 - 6 lbs

4.5 - 6 lbs

Early Special Rate of Maturit Temperame Characteristi Special Growth y nt cs Markets Egg Color, Medium: 16Calm to productive 20 Weeks Gentle laying breed Noted for Hardiness Yes Very Active and Vigor

Egg Color Highly aggressive Medium: 1620 Weeks Yes MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

Good

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Active, yet gentle Docile, yet Active

Active, yet gentle

Productive and Fast Growing

Egg Color very rugged and robust, excel in freerange conditions, typically not good in confinement

Page 1 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Brahma

Buckeye

Watch

Critical

Asiatic

American

Meat, Eggs

Meat, Eggs

Brown

Brown

Buttercup

Critical

English

Eggs

White

Campine

Critical

Continental Eggs

White

Catalana

Critical

English

Eggs, Meat

White to Tinted

Medium to Large 140+/-

Large

Medium

Critical

American

Eggs, Meat

Brown

Large

Cochin

Watch

Asiatic

Ornamental

Brown

Small

Tinted

Medium to Large

Watch

Copyright 2009

English

Meat

Setters

Small to NonMedium Setters Medium to Excellen NonLarge t Setters

Chantecler

Cornish

Setters

Good

Hens rarely go broody

Setters

Yellow

8-10 lbs

one of the largest breeds, good layers of winter eggs

5.5 - 8 lbs

RAFT, Slow Winter Hardy, Food Ark of Extra Meaty Taste

Yellow

4 - 5.5 lbs

White

3.5 - 5 lbs

White

5 - 6.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Good

Good

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Yellow

7 - 9 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks Slow to mature

6.5 - 8.5 lbs

Slow: 24+ Weeks

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Very Active

Good forager and does well on free range Vigorous Forager

Active

Good foraging ability, hardiness especially in extreme heat conditions

Active Yes

Yellow

Yellow

Active, yet gentle

Gentle Friendly, docile

Calm

Winter Hardy, Can be Eaten at Any Age, Winter Layer RAFT

Cornish Hen, Superb Table Famous for Qualities Flavor

Page 2 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Crevecour

Critical

Cubalaya

All Other Standard Threatened Breed

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking Egyptian Fayoumis

Faverolle

Faverolle

Critical

Watch

Continental Meat, Eggs

American

American

Threatened English

Eggs, Meat

Eggs, Meat

Eggs, Meat

Eggs, Meat

Study

White

Small

White

Setters

Brown

Large to Jumbo

Very Good

Brown

Medium to Large Good

White

Medium to Large

Setters

3-4.5 lbs

Yellow

Yellow

Setters

5.5 - 7 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

White

A French Calm Favorite Can be aggressive, noisy, mildmannered compared to tolerant of other game high heat and birds humidity Fast Growth, RAFT, Slow Can be Eaten Food Ark of at Any Age Taste

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Fast: 12-16 Weeks Yes

Gentle

4 - 6 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Likes to RAFT, Slow Food Ark of Range, calm and genial Good Forager Taste

6 - 8 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

Likes to Range

Winter Layers, Good Famous for Forager Flavor

Tinted

Critical

Continental Meat, Eggs

Study

All Other Standard Breed

Copyright 2009

White

Medium to Large Good

Eggs, Meat

Tinted to Light Brown

Brown

Medium to Excellen May go Large t broody

Large

Good

White

Yellow

5.5 - 7 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Active, yet gentle

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

Calm

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Very Productive when in contact with the ground Super Disease Resisitance, Heat Tolerance

Dish - Petite Poussin (Small Breast)

Page 3 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Hamburg

Watch

Continental Eggs

White

Medium

Excellen Nont Setters

Holland

Critical

American

White

Large

Good

Houdans

Java

Critical

Eggs, Meat

Continental Meat, Eggs

Threatened American

Meat, Some Eggs

White

Brown

Small to Medium

Large

Jersey Giant

Watch

American

Meat, Eggs

Brown

Extra Large

La Fleche

Critical

Continental Meat, Eggs

White

Medium to Large

Lakenvelder

Threatened Continental Eggs

Lamona

Study

Langshan

Leghorn

American

Threatened Asiatic

Eggs, Meat

Mediterrane Recovering an Eggs

Copyright 2009

White to Tinted

Fair

Medium Good Medium to Large 200+

White Very Dark Brown Large

White

Fair

White

Setters Yellow Setters, but tend to break eggs White

Setters

Yellow

Yellow

Rarely go broody White

NonSetters

White

Flighty, Roosts in Trees

3.5 - 4 lbs

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

5.5 - 7 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

6.5 - 8 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

Very Active Likes to Range, Calm, Good Forager RAFT Calm, exceptionally gentle A French disposition Favorite RAFT, in 1800s Likes to Considered Range, Excellent Finest hardy, Calm Forager Table Fowl

8 - 11 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Calm

RAFT, Slow Food Ark of Taste

5.5 - 7 lbs

Slow: 24+ Weeks

Active

Large Size Good Forager, LargeBreast A French for Size Favorite

Active

Good foragers, can be flighty

3.5 - 4 lbs

yes

5.5 - 7 lbs Setters

Medium to NonLarge 300 +/- Setters

Yellow

Yellow

6.5 - 8 lbs

Slow: 24+ Weeks

4 - 5 lbs

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Very Calm

Yes

Very Active

Noted for Hardiness and Vigor, Excellent Layer Page 4 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Malay

Critical

All Other Standard Breed

Meat

Brown

Medium

Lay infreque ntly Setters

Yellow

Hens will go broody, but fertility in breed tends to be low Hens occasionall y go broody

Manx Rumpy or Persian Rumpless Study

Tinted to Brown

Medium

Good

Maran

Deep Terra Cotta

Large

150 to 200

Mediterrane an Eggs

ChalkWhite

Hens Excellen seldom go Very Large t broody White

All Other Standard Breed

White to tinted light brown Small

Minorca

Not Listed

Watch

Modern Game Study

Nankin

Creamy white

Critical

New Hampshire Watch Old English Game

Eggs, Meat

Study

Copyright 2009

American All Other Standard Breed

Eggs, Meat

100+/-

Small

Extra Large

Brown White to tinted light brown Small

Setters

Slow to mature

Active

7-8.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Exceptional free-range bird with little supplement needed. Egg Color, Active, yet Good Meat adapt well to Qualities in confinement Some Lines

6.5 - 7.5 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

4 - 5 lbs

Slow to mature

5 - 7 lbs

Setters

Fair

Setters

Yellow

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

120+/-

Setters

White

3.5 - 4 lbs

Fast: 12-16 Weeks Yes

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

tallest of all chickens,

Very Active, Great Likes to Foragers, range Large Frame don’t tolerate close confinment, can be aggressive at times, not Active, noisy, very winter hardy curious

Calm

Exceptionally good setters

Calm

Rate of RAFT, Slow Growth, Early Food Ark of Feathering Taste

Extremely active, flighty Page 5 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Orpington

Recovering English

Penedesencas Not Listed

Phoenix

Study

Polish

Watch

Meat, Eggs

Brown

Eggs, Meat

Deep Dark Brown Medium

160+/-

Setters

4.5-5.5 lbs

White to tinted brown

Small

Poor

Setters

3.5 - 4.5 lbs

Brown

Large

Setters

White

Medium to Large 200+

NonSetters White Rarely go broody, but those that do are great moms Yellow

All Other Standard Breed

Plymouth Rock Recovering American

Eggs, Meat

Continental Eggs

Rhode Island Red

Recovering American

Eggs, Meat

Brown

Rhode Island White

Watch

Eggs, Meat

Sebright

Watch

Brown White or creamy

Shamo

Study

Copyright 2009

American

All Other Standard Breed

Large to Extra Large

Meat, Ornamental

Pale brown

Setters

Large Large to Extra Large Tiny

medium

Poor

White

Yellow

Rarely go broody Yellow NonSetters

Setters

7 - 8.5 lbs

6 - 8 lbs

MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

Calm, friendly disposition

Fast: 12-16 Weeks

4 - 5 lbs

Calm

Yes

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Excellent Rate of Growth in Some Lines Egg Color, Fair Meat Qualities highly ornamental with extraordinarily long tail Meat Qualities, Early RAFT, Slow Feathering, Food Ark of Cold-Hardy Taste

Calm, but Flighty when Disturbed

Calm, but Likes to Range Calm, but Likes to Range

Flavor - Once Considered Finest Flavored Used in Producing Hybrids

RAFT, Slow Food Ark of Taste

RAFT

18 - 20 oz

6 - 9 lbs

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Can be aggressive

Page 6 3/30/2009

A Guide to Rare Breeds of Chickens

Spanish

Critical

Sultan

Study

Mediterrane an Eggs All Other Standard Breed Ornamental All Other Standard Breed Ornamental

Sumatra

Critical

Sussex

Threatened English

Welsumer

Not Listed

Wyandotte

Yokohama

Continental Eggs, Meat

Recovering American All Other Standard Breed Study

Copyright 2009

Meat, Eggs

ChalkWhite

Large

White

Small

White to tinted Tan to Brown Deep Terra Cotta

Good

Fair

Medium to up to Large 200

Eggs, Meat

Brown

Large

Ornamental

Tinted light brown Small

White

5.5 - 6.5 lbs

Good

Active, noisy, curious Good Layer

3.5 - 5 lbs

Tiny

Large

NonSetters

Good

80+

Medium: 1620 Weeks MediumSlow: 20-24 Weeks

lustrous plumage Good All Calm and Around Table Famous for curious Bird Flavor Egg Color, Calm, Likes Good to Range Foragers

5.5 - 7.5 lbs

Medium: 1620 Weeks

Good Cross with Plymouth Rock, RAFT, Slow extremely Food Ark of cold-hardy Taste

3.0 - 4.0 lbs

Slow to mature

Setters

Yellow

3.5 - 4 lbs

Setters

White

6 - 7.5 lbs

NonSetters

Yellow

5 - 6 lbs

Yellow

Flighty and jumpy

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy 919-542-5704 www.albc-usa.org [email protected]

Calm

Page 7 3/30/2009