Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Parts of Single Feather:
This illustration can be found at
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-feather-anatomy-
A chicken basic feather structure looks like this. They are termed hard or soft feathered birds
according to the stiffness of the shaft. For example the English Game Bird breed of chick-
en is referred to as a hard feathered breed as the shaft of the feathers is very stiff and the
feathers grow close together. The Japanese Silkie is a soft feathered bird as the shaft is less
stiff and the breed is characterized as a round, soft variety. Of course there are a number of
different patterns which will depend on the breed of chicken. Most chickens are barbed vari-
eties, with the exception of the Silkies. The Standard of Perfection is used to define different
breeds.
