If you are interested in keeping birds to exhibit at shows or simply to add a little flare to your backyard, you probably want an ornamental breed. Keep in mind though, that ornamental birds produce few eggs and most are inefficient meat producers, so it really is all about their looks.
Ornamental breeds are commonly more expensive than commercial breeds, and that additional expense comes from their scarcity as well as the difficulty in breeding them. In exchange for your investment though, you can look forward to a wide range of feathers, colors, shapes and sizes. These are not your typical chickens!
The most common ornamental breeds include:
- Cochin: Large, fluffy chickens with feathers on their feet often black, white or partridge colored
- Polish: Cute small chickens with feathers that cover their eyes
- Old English Game: Aggressive birds that stand tall with sleek appearance and are good brooders
- Modern Game: Large aggressive birds that stand tall with sleek appearance and are good brooders
Like many things in nature, nothing is guaranteed. But, the following table highlights what to expect from the various ornamental chicken breeds.
Ornamental:
|
Type of Chicken
|
Egg Production
|
Bird Size
|
Good Brooder
|
Cold Hardy
|
|||||||
|
Class
|
Breed
|
Below Avg
|
Average
|
Above Avg
|
Egg Color
|
Egg Size
|
Below Avg
|
Average
|
Above Avg
|
||
|
< 3 per week
|
3 – 4 per week
|
5+ per week
|
< 5 lbs
|
6 – 7 lbs
|
7+ lbs
|
||||||
| Asiatic | Cochin |
X
|
Brown | Medium |
X
|
X
|
X
|
||||
| Continental | Houdan |
X
|
White | Small |
X
|
X
|
|||||
| Continental | Polish |
X
|
White | Tiny |
X
|
||||||
| Other | Aseel |
X
|
Cream | Medium |
X
|
X
|
X
|
||||
| Other | Modern Game |
X
|
White | Medium |
X
|
X
|
|||||
| Other | Old English Game |
X
|
Cream | Medium |
X
|
X
|
X
|
||||
| Other | Phoenix |
X
|
Cream | Medium |
X
|
||||||
| Other | Sultan |
X
|
White | Small |
X
|
||||||
| Other | Sumatra |
X
|
White | Medium |
X
|
X
|
|||||
| Other | Yokohama |
X
|
Cream | Small |
X
|
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