University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Historical Materials from UNL Extension in Lancaster County Extension 5-1959 Breeds of Chickens for Meat and Egg Production Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extlancty Part of the Agriculture Commons "Breeds of Chickens for Meat and Egg Production" (1959). Historical Materials from UNL Extension in Lancaster County. 1. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extlancty/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Extension at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Historical Materials from UNL Extension in Lancaster County by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Bulletin No. 2065 "'r""'T~"~N~:'t1~T LANCASTER CO I F ICELTURE ROOM 308 FEDERAL COU T OUSE LINCOLN, NEBRA K 6 50 PHONE: 475-3385 THE breeds and varieties of chickens discussed in this bulletin-Ameri­ can, Asiatic, English, and Mediterranean-are the ones most commonly used for the production of food. The Ornamental and Game classes are described in Farmers' Bulletin 2066, Ornamental and Game Breeds of Chickens. Persons desiring more detailed information are referred to the Ameri­ can Standard of Perfection, a book published by the American Poultry Association, Inc., Box 968, Oklahoma City, Okla. This bulletin is a revision of and supersedes Farmers' Bulletin 1506, Standard Breeds and Varieties of Chickens: 1. American, Asiatic, English, and Mediterranean Classes. CONTENTS Page Introduction _________________ 1 Asiatic class-Continued Page American class: Cochin Bantam ________________ 16 Plymouth Rock ________________ 2 Langshan______________________ 16 Plymouth Rock Bantam____ _____ 6 English class: VVyandotte____________________ 6 Orpington _ 17 Corn~h _ VVyandotte Bantam____ _________ 8 19 Rhode Island Red ______________ 8 Cornish Bantam _ 20 Rhode Island Red Bantam_______ 10 Dorking _ 20 Rhode Island VVhite_ ___________ 11 Sussex _ 21 New Hampshire_ _______________ 11 Redcap _ 23 Jersey GianL __________________ 11 Australorp _ 23 Java__________________________ 12 Mediterranean class: Dominique ____________________ 12 Leghorn _ 24 Chantecler_____________________ 12 Leghorn Bantam _ 27 Lamona_______________________ 12 Minorca _ 27 Buckeye_______________________ 13 Minorca Bantam _ 28 Holland_______________________ 13 Ancona _ Delaware______________________ 13 28 Spa.nish _ Asiatic class: 28 Brahma_______________________ 13 BlulJ AItdiHusian· ~ _ 29 Brahma Bantam________________ 15 29 Cochin________________________ 15 30 ~tJ!~l~~='== ====== ====== ===== VVashington, D.C. Issued May 1954 Approved for reprinting November 1959 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Price 15 cents Breeds of Chiclcens for Meat and Egg Production By specialists of the Poultry Research Branch, Animal Husbandry Research Division, Agricultural Research Service INTRODUCTION The poultry industry of the the great majority of chickens used United States is mainly concerned for that purpose. with chickens for the production of Each breed may comprise one or food. The food may be in the form more varieties, but one character in of eggs or meat, or both. The common is the shape or type of bird. breeds and varieties of chickens de­ All birds belonging to anyone vari­ scribed in this bulletin constitute ety have a similar color pattern. , $ADPLg FEATHERfJ 10752-0 Figure l.-Glossary chart giving the names of the various sections of a male fowl. 1 2 FARMERS' BULLETIN 2065 Consumers frequently show a markets show a preference for poul­ preference for eggs and poultry of a try with yellow skin. In birds with eertain color. For instance, in New white plumage or those in which the York City, the largest egg-consum­ undercolor is light, the pinfeathers i ng center on the American conti­ do not show when the birds are pre­ nents, the preference is usually for pared for market, and birds without white-shelled eggs; in Boston, on feathers on their shanks are always the other hand, the preference is for preferred. brown-shelled eggs. American AMERICAN CLASS The ~\.merican class includes the following breeds and varieties: Breed Variety Plymouth Rock Barred, White, Buff, Silver-Penciled, Par- hidge, Columbian, Blue. Plymouth Rock Bantam Barred, White Wyandotte White, Buff, Silver-Laeed, Golden-Laced, Partridge, Silver-Penciled, Columbian, Black. Wyandotte Bantam White, Black, Buff, Partrirlge, Silver-Pen- ciled, Columbian, Silver-Laeed. Rhode Islanll Red___________________ Single Comb, Rose Comb. Rhorle Island Red Bantam____________ Single Comb, Rose Comb. Rhode Island White__________________ Rose Comb New Hampshire. Jersey GianL White, Black. Java Blaek, Mottled. Dominique. Chantecler White, Partridge. Lamona. Buckeye. Holland • Barred, White. Delaware. All birds belonging to the Ameri­ can class are clean legged; that is, they have shanks free from feath­ ers. They also have red ear lobes, and all lay brown-shelled eggs, ex­ cept the Lamonas and Hollands which produce white-shelled eggs. Plymouth Rock The Plymouth Rock is one of the most popular breeds in the United States, largely because it is a bird of good size, with excellent fleshing properties, and when properly bred is also a good layer. The birds be­ longing to this breed are rather long bodied, fairly broad, with a promi­ nent breast and good depth of body. This breed has a single comb. The standard weights in pounds are: cock, 91j2 ; hen, 7% ; cockerel, 8 ; pul­ 3197-C let, 6. Figure 2.-Barred Plymouth Rock, male. BREEDS OF CHICKENS FOR MEAT AND EGG PRODUCTION 3 The Barred Plymouth Rock in come lighter in color than the fe­ plumage color is grayish white, each males. In order to produce stand­ feather crossed by sharply defined ard-color males and females from dark bars which should be even in the same mating, the female must width, straight, and extend down to have black bars approximately the skin. The light and dark bars twice as wide as those of the male. of the male are of approximately equal width; in the female the light bars are approximately one-half the width of the dark bars. Each feather should end with a narrow, dark tip, which, with the alternate dark and light bars, gives a bluish cast or shade to the surface color. The barring in the hackle and sad­ dle of the male is narrower than in other sections. Solid black or partly black feathers may occur in practically all strains in this vari­ ety, but their appearance does not necessarily indicate impurity of breeding. Two or more solid­ black primaries, or secondaries, or main tail feathers are standard dis­ qualifications. The shanks and beak are yellow. 37791-8 Figure 4.-White Plymouth Rock, ruale. The White Plymouth Rock is pure white throughout and should be free from black ticking, brassi­ ness, and creaminess. The beak is yellow and the shanks are rich yellow. This breed was developed from a white sport of the Barred variety. The Buff Plymouth Rock has a rich golden buff surface color and all sections should be of the same shade. The presence of feathers with shafts of a different color from the rest of the feather and of feath­ ers sprinkled with lighter color are of common occurrence but are un­ desirable. The undercolor should be as similar to the surface color as Figure H.-Barred Plymouth Roek, fe­ male. Note that the black bars on the possible. The beak is yellow, the feathers are about twice as wide as shanks rich yellow. the light bars. The Silver-Penciled Plymouth Rock has a distinctive color pattern There is a decided tendency for which in the male differs consider­ Barred Plymouth Rock males to ably from that of the female. The 4 FARMERS' BULLETIN 2065 plumage of the male is silvery­ is gray, with a distinct, concentric white on the surface over the wing penciling of dark gray on each bows and back; the saddle is silvery feather. The feathers of the front white striped with black; the hackle of the neck and the breast are steel is greenish black with a narrow gray with distinct black pencilings. edging of silvery white. The rest 'l'he hackle feathers are black, of the plumage, including the main slightly penciled with steel gray, tail feathers and sickles, is black or and laced with silvery white. The greenish black. The primaries are main tail feathers are black, the two black, except for a narrow edging top feathers showing some pencil­ of white on the lower edges of the ing. The feathers on the back, lower webs, and the secondaries are breast, body, wing bows, and thighs also black, with some white. In should have three or more pencil­ the female the general surface color ings. The undercolor in the male I) ~ Figure 5.-Partridge Plymouth Rock, male. BREEDS OF CHICKENS FOR MEAT AND EGG PRODUCTION 5 is slate, shading to a lighter color The Columbian Plymouth Rock toward the base of each feather. has mostly white plumage, although The beak is dusky yellow shading to the hackle feathers of the male and yellow at the point. The shanks the neck feathers of the female, and are yellow in th.e male and yellow the tail coverts of both sexes, are or dusky yellow 111 the female. The black with a distinct white lacing. color markings of this variety. are The main tail feathers are black ex­ similar to those of the Sllver­ cept for the top two feathers in the Penciled Wyandotte and the Dark female, which are slightly laced Brahma. with white. The primary feathers The Partridge Plymouth Rock of the wing are black with white is practically the same as the Silver­ edging on the lower edge of the Penciled Plymouth Rock in color lower web; the lower edge of the pattern, except that the white of the lower web of the secondaries is Silver-Penciled is replaced by red white, the white extending around or reddish bay.