Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
· Silkie: This breed comes from China and is popular as a pet. Common col-
ors are black and white. They have a cushion style of comb. The male will have
a spiked crest and the hen will have a crest like a powder puff.
· Malay: The Malay breed is usually bred for meat or exhibition purposes.
They have long necks and legs and not very much plumage. They have a walnut
comb and were crossed with the Indian Game Bird to produce the Cornish breed.
They come in different colors, like the white and spangled one, black, red porcel-
ain and duckwing.
· Yokomona: This Japanese breed is bred for exhibition purposes. The tails
of the roosters grow to around 2 feet. Japanese breeders have been able to pre-
vent the birds from molting and achieve 3 foot tails on their roosters. Special care
must be taken with these exhibition birds. They will need taller coops and higher
roosts than other chickens. They will also need to be kept clean.
Bantam Breeds: These are small replicas of standard breeds. They are about ¼ the size of
standard birds, which makes them easier to keep in smaller areas. Some breeds can only
be found in bantam form like the Sebright breed and are known as true bantams. As well
as being used for pets and as small backyard flock these birds are often used for exhibition
purposes.
Single Comb Clean Leg: The Single Comb and Clean Leg varieties of chickens are inherent
in many breeds. This simply means that these breeds have single large to medium combs.
They usually stand upright but can fall over to one side. Clean legs means that these breeds
do not have feathers on their feet or legs, which makes them easier to keep clean.
