Breed Basics
Rare Breeds
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American Game
Origin: USA Egg Colour: White, cream, light brown Recognised Colours: Reds; Duckwings; Dark Greys; Brown Reds; Ginger Breasted Ginger Reds; Blues and Duns; Piles; Whites; Blacks; Brassy Backs, Furnaces and Polecats; Spangles; Creels; Birchens Fact: In undubbed birds, the comb is acceptable in straight, pea or rose, a reflection of the mixed ancestry of this breed. |
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Andalusian
Origin: Mediterranean breed from Spain Egg Colour: White Recognised Colour: Blue (laced) Fact: When standard coloured birds are mated together only 50% of progeny are the standard blue colour. |
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Appenzeller Spitzhauben
Origin: Switzerland Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Silver Spangled, Gold Spangled, Chamois Spangled, White, Black Fact: The Appenzeller crest is forward facing, unlike that of other crested breeds found in the Australian Standards. The Appenzeller was imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Araucana
Origin: South America Egg Colour: Green, blue, olive Recognised Colours: Lavender; Black; Splash; White; Cuckoo; any Old English Game colour Fact: The Araucana is also standardised in a rumpless variety. |
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Asil
Origin: Indian Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: No fixed colours Fact: Reputed to be the most pugnacious breed of domestic chicken. |
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Barnevelder
Origin: The Netherlands Egg Colour: Dark brown, often with darker spots Recognised Colours: Double-laced; Partridge; Black and Silver Fact: Developed as a dual purpose breed, popular with backyarders because of egg colour. |
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Brahma
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Buff; Dark; Gold; Light; Golden Crele and White Fact: Once a very popular dual purpose breed. Original stock in Australia died out but has been re-created with varying degrees of success. |
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Breda
Origin: The Netherlands Egg Colour: White or off white Recognised Colours: Black, Blue, Blue Laced, Cuckoo, White Fact: The Breda is unique in that it does not have any comb. The Breda was imported into Australia in 2016 and to date has not attracted many followers. |
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Bresse Gauloise
Origin: France Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black, White Fact: In its native France, the Bresse is esteemed as a table fowl par excellence and its production is protected by law. The Bresse Gauloise was imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Campine
Origin: Belgium Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Gold and Silver Fact: Was one of the breeds used in the development of the first autosexing breed, the Cambar. Males are hen feathered. |
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Cochin
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Buff; Black; Blue; White; Cuckoo; Partridge; Gold Laced; Gold Crele; Silver Laced Fact: Like the Brahma, originally a popular dual purpose breed of which the original stock also died out in Australia. Re-created here, again with varying degrees of success. |
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Crèvecœur
Origin: France Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black Fact: One of the few breeds standardised with a horn shaped comb, the Crèvecœur was originally developed for the excellent quality of its flesh. Imported into Australia in 2014 |
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Croad Langshan
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: Brown Recognised Colours: Black; Blue; White Fact: One of the breeds used by William Cook to create the Black Orpington. |
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Dorking
Origin: British Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Silver-Grey; Blue Silver-Grey; Dark; Cuckoo; Red; White Fact: An ancient breed, once used as a first class table breed. Most commonly seen in the Silver-Grey colour. |
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Dutch Bantam
Origin: The Netherlands Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Gold Partridge; Silver Partridge; Yellow Partridge; Blue Silver Partridge; Blue Yellow Partridge; Blue Partridge; Red Shouldered White; Cuckoo Partridge; Cuckoo; Black; White; Blue; Lavender Fact: A true bantam with no large fowl counterpart. Imported into Australia in 2014 |
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Dutch Owlbeard
Origin: The Netherlands Egg Colour: White or off white Recognised Colours: Gold spangled, Yellow-white spanged, White, Moorkop Fact: The Dutch Owlbeard was amongst the breeds imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Faverolles
Origin: French Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Salmon; Ermine; White; Buff: Cuckoo; Black; Blue; Birchen Fact: One of its ancestors is the Dorking, and like that breed it has five toes. |
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Fayoumi
Origin: Egypt Egg Colour: White or off white Recognised Colours: Silver pencilled, Gold pencilled Fact: The Fayoumi is one of the breeds that were imported into Australia in 2016. It is reported that the Fayoumi may possess a high natural resistance to some poultry diseases. |
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Friesian
Origin: Dutch (The Netherlands) Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Chamois, Gold pencilled Fact: The Friesian is one of the breeds that were imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Frizzle
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: White or tinted Recognised Colours: Frizzles can be bred in any recognised colour Fact: Popular because of its unusual feather structure. More common in its bantam form than in large fowl. |
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Houdan
Origin: French Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Mottled; White Fact: Originally bred as a table breed, it is now classified as a light breed. Has a number of unique features including a leaf comb, five toes, beard and muffling, and a crest. |
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Ixworth
Origin: United Kingdom Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colour: White Fact: The Ixworth was developed by Reginald Appleyard as a precursor to the modern broiler chicken. The Ixworth was imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Japanese
Origin: Japan Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: White; Red; Black; Blue; Lavender; Birchen; Black-tailed White; Black-tailed Buff; Cuckoo; Grey; Mottled; Buff Columbian; Brown Red; Old English Game colours Fact: A purely ornamental breed. Well known for its very short shanks. Also standardised in a Frizzled variety. |
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Jungle Fowl
Origin: Asian Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black Red Fact: Represents Gallus gallus the Red Jungle Fowl, the ancestor of all domestic fowls. |
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La Flèche
Origin: France Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colour: Black Fact: The La Flèche is unusual amongst other fowls in having two vertical spikes for a comb. |
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Lakenvelder
Origin: Netherlands / Germany Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Black and White Fact: The Lakenvelder shares its name with a Dutch breed of cattle that also has the black and white belted pattern. |
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Legbar
Origin: British Egg Colour: Gold and Silver varieties - white or cream; Cream variety - green, blue or olive Recognised Colours: Gold, Silver and Cream Fact: An autosexing breed bred from Leghorns and Barred Rocks. The cream variety has a crest from an infusion of Araucana blood. |
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Malay Game
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Black; White; Pile; Black Red; Duckwing Fact: One of the ancestors of the Australian Game and the Australian Pit Game. |
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Marans
Origin: French Egg Colour: Dark Brown Recognised Colours: Black; Dark Cuckoo; Golden Cuckoo; Silver Cuckoo; other colours follow Pekin standard Fact: Standardised with either clean or feathered shanks. |
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Minorca
Origin: A Mediterranean breed from Spain Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black; White; Blue Fact: Once a popular laying breed, still a productive bird and a real show stopper when presented in peak condition. |
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Nankin
Origin: Asia Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colour: Ground colour ginger buff, black on tail and wings Fact: The Nankin is a true bantam, meaning it has no large fowl counterpart. Many buff-coloured bantams owe some of their ancestry to the Nankin bantam, which is often considered to be the original ‘buff bantam’. |
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New Hampshire
Origin: American Egg Colour: Tinted to brown Recognised Colour: Predominantly chestnut red Fact: Developed in the state of New Hampshire in the USA from Rhode Island Red stock. |
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Norfolk Grey
Origin: Great Britain Egg Colour: Brown Recognised Colour: Male – Neck, back, saddle, shoulder, and wing bars silver-white; hackles with black striping; remainder black. Female – Hackle similar that of male; remainder black; throat delicately laced with silver Fact: The Norfolk Grey is one of the breeds imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Old English Pheasant Fowl
Origin: British Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Gold; Silver Fact: An old British dual purpose breed, it shares a common ancestor with the Redcap and Gold Spangled Hamburgh. Imported into Australia in 2014 |
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Orloff
Origin: Iran/Russia Egg Colour: Tinted to light brown Recognised Colours: Black, Black mottled, Cuckoo, Spangled, Mahogany, and White Fact: The Orloff was amongst the breeds imported into Australia in 2016, and to date remains in very few hands. |
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Phoenix
Origin: Japanese Egg Colour: White, tinted Recognised Colours: Colours follow Old English Game standard. Fact: One of the long tailed breeds perfected in Japan. |
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Polish
Origin: European Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: White crested Black; White crested blue; White crested Cuckoo; White crested Splash; Black; Buff; Cuckoo; White; Lavender; Splash; Silver Laced; Gold Laced; Chamois Fact: Varieties fit into three basic divisions: White Crested, which must not have a beard or muff; Self colours, which may have a beard and muff or not; and Laced varieties, which must have a beard and muff. All varieties may also have frizzled feathers. |
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Redcap
Origin: British Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: A variation of Gold Spangled Fact: Generally known as the Derbyshire Redcap, it was originally an excellent dual purpose breed. However it was developed for exhibition with its immense comb as its main feature. Imported into Australia in 2014 |
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Scots Dumpy
Origin: Scotland Egg Colour: White or off white Recognised Colours: Most common colours are black, cuckoo, and white Fact: The Scots Dumpy is one of the breeds that were imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Scots Grey
Origin: British Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Barred Fact: Developed in Scotland over two hundred years ago, it is standardised as a light, non sitting breed. Imported into Australia in 2014 |
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Sebright
Origin: British Egg Colour: White or cream Recognised Colours: Gold; Silver Fact: A true bantam developed by Sir John Sebright. Males are hen feathered. |
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Serama
Origin: Malaysia Egg Colour: White to brown Recognised Colours: Any colour or combination of colours acceptable Fact: A true bantam with no large fowl counterpart, the Serama is often considered to be the smallest chicken breed. |
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Shamo
Origin: Japan Egg Colour: White or tinted Recognised Colours: ‘Game’ colours Fact: No points are allocated for colour in the standard. |
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Sicilian Buttercup
Origin: A Mediterranean breed Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Golden; Silver; other colours follow Leghorn standard Fact: A reasonably good layer with a distinctive cup shaped comb. |
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Siciliana
Origin: Italy Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: White Fact: The Siciliana is one of the breeds that were imported into Australia in 2016. |
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Spanish
Origin: A Mediterranean breed from Spain Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black; Blue; White Fact: Unique in being the only breed with a white face. Once popular because it was a very prolific layer. |
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Sultan
Origin: Turkish Egg Colour: White Recognised Colour: White Fact: Has many unusual features including five toes, vulture hocks, feathered shanks, beard and crest. |
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Sumatra
Origin: Asia Egg Colour: White Recognised Colours: Black; Blue; White Fact: An old breed, which is noted for its black face, and pea comb and lack of wattles. |
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Transylvanian Naked Neck
Origin: Central European Egg Colour: Tinted Recognised Colours: Black; White; Buff; Cuckoo; Red; Blue Fact: The naked neck gene reduces feather density which enables the breed to better withstand heat. |
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Vorwerk
Origin: Germany Egg Colour: Cream to Tinted Recognised Colours: Black and Buff Fact: The Vorwerk shares the same belted pattern as the Lakenvelder but with buff replacing white. |
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Welsummer
Origin: The Netherlands Egg Colour: Brown Recognised Colours: Partridge; Silver Duckwing Fact: A true dual purpose breed which is reflected in the points allocated in the breed standard. |
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Yokohama
Origin: Japan, Europe Egg Colour: White or tinted Recognised Colours: Red saddled; White Fact: The popular red saddled variety was actually developed in Germany, although original stock came from Japan. |
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Rare Varieties
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Ancona
Origin: A Mediterranean breed from Italy Egg Colour: White Eligibility Criteria: Red variety and rose combed variety eligible Fact: A very productive breed which is also economical to feed |
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Australian Game
Origin: Australia Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: In large fowl all colours except black-red and duckwing are eligible; in bantams all except black-red Fact: Once considered an ideal farmer’s fowl, today they are kept purely for exhibition purposes. |
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Australian Pit Game
Origin: Australia Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: Only the hen feathered variety is eligible Fact: Australian Pit Game may be any colour whatsoever. |
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Australian Langshan
Origin: Australia Egg Colour: Brown Eligibility Criteria: Blue and White varieties eligible Fact: Developed in Australia from Asiatic stock as a first class dual purpose breed. Still an excellent backyard layer suited to Australian conditions. |
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Australorp
Origin: Australia Egg Colour: Tinted to brown Eligibility Criteria: Blue and white varieties eligible Fact: Developed in Australia from the original Cook Orpingtons. Utility strains still make first class backyard layers. |
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Belgian
Origin: Belgium Egg Colour: White or tinted Eligibility Criteria: Barbu d’Anvers - all eligible except normal quail, lavender and black; Barbu d’Uccle - all eligible except millefleur, black and black mottled; Barbu de Watermael - all eligible Fact: Barbu d’Anvers - always rose combed and clean legged; Barbu d’Uccle - always single combed and feather legged; Barbu de Watermael - always crested and clean legged. Each of the above has a rumpless version known respectively as Barbu du Grubbe, Barbu d'Everberg and Barbu Bosvoorde |
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Hamburgh
Origin: British/Dutch Egg Colour: White Eligibility Criteria: In large fowl all varieties except Silver Spangled. Gold Spangled, Silver Pencilled, Gold Pencilled, Black, White & Blue large fowl may be shown. All colour varieties of bantams may be shown. Fact: Spangled varieties were developed in England, while the Pencilled varieties were developed in the Netherlands. Popular exhibition breed but some varieties extremely rare. |
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Indian Game
Origin: British Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: Dark and Jubilee are excluded in both large and bantam Fact: Developed as a first class table bird with no superior among the pure breeds. |
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Leghorn
Origin: A Mediterranean breed from Italy Egg Colour: White Eligibility Criteria: All large varieties eligible except white and brown; all bantam varieties eligible except white, black and brown Fact: The white variety was once the most popular laying breed in Australia and was used to produce first cross layers when mated with Australorps. |
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Modern Game
Origin: British Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: No exclusions in large fowl; black-red, pile, duckwing, brown-red and birchen excluded in bantams Fact: Developed as an exhibition breed after cock fighting was banned in Britain. |
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Old English Game
Origin: British Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: Black-red partridge, blue-red dark leg, ginger, brown-red and duckwings are ineligible in large fowl; black-red, pile, duckwing, blue-red, ginger, brown-red, black, birchen, grey and crele are ineligible in bantams. Muffs and tassels in any colour are eligible in both large and bantam Fact: Old English Game bantams are one of the most popular of all exhibition breeds. |
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Orpington
Origin: British Egg Colour: Brown Eligibility Criteria: In large fowl all except black and buff are eligible; in bantams all except for black are eligible Fact: Originally introduced as excellent dual purpose fowls, today they are more popular as show fowls. |
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Pekin
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: White or cream Eligibility Criteria: Colours other than black, white, and blue are eligible Fact: A true bantam breed that is purely ornamental. |
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Plymouth Rock
Origin: American Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: All eligible except for the barred varieties Fact: The barring of the barred varieties is a sex-linked characteristic, and hens can be used to produce chicks that can be sexed at birth when crossed with a non-barred breed. |
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Rhode Island
Origin: American Egg Colour: Tinted to brown Eligibility: Rose combed variety in both red and white, and the single combed white are all eligible Fact: The single combed red variety was once one of the most popular breeds of fowl in the world. |
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Rosecomb
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: White or cream Eligibility Criteria: All colours except black are eligible Fact: A true bantam breed that has no large breed counterpart. |
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Silkie
Origin: Asiatic Egg Colour: Tinted to cream Eligibility Criteria: In large fowl all except white (bearded and non bearded) and partridge (non bearded) are eligible; in bantams all except white are eligible Fact: The Silkie has black skin and flesh which is considered to have medicinal properties in some cultures. |
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Sussex
Origin: British Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: All varieties except for light are eligible Fact: When light Sussex hens are mated to Rhode Island Red cocks, the chicks can be sexed at birth by down colour - the females are red, the cockerels white. |
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Wyandotte
Origin: American Egg Colour: Tinted Eligibility Criteria: In large fowl all colours except white, silver laced and gold laced; in bantams all colours except white, columbian, partridge, buff, silver laced and gold laced Fact: The silver laced was the first variety of the Wyandotte, the whites coming as sports from this variety. |
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