Frizzle Chicken.  The very first time I heard this bit of chicken terminology, I thought what the heck is a frizzle chicken??

To explain what a frizzled chicken is in a simple way, they are a curly feathered chicken.  A frizzle itself is not a specific chicken breed though.

There are several breeds that can be a frizzle chicken.  Frizzle cochin, polish frizzle chicken and frizzle silkie (also known as a sizzle) are just a few examples.

Frizzle Chicken Genetics

So, if a frizzle is not a specific breed, what exactly causes a chicken to be a frizzle?  A frizzle is a chicken which does not have “standard” or “normal” feathers.  Instead of it’s feathers laying flat, they curl up and out from their body.

This frizzling, so to speak, is caused by an incomplete dominate gene.  This means that a chicken only needs to carry one copy of the frizzle gene in order to show frizzling.

Some birds will show more frizzling than others.  This is due to the fact that the frizzle gene also has a modifying factor to the gene which can control the extent to which their feathers will appear frizzled (source).

Frizzle Chicken Characteristics

A frizzle chicken will tend to have most of the same characteristics of the actual breed that it is.  For example a frizzle silkie will tend to have the same black skin, 5 toes and friendly personality of a typical silkie chicken.

The main difference or defining characteristic of a frizzle chicken is, of course, its curly or frizzled feathers.

(don’t forget to keep your chickens fed and watered properly)

Frizzle Chicken Breeds

Many chicken breeds already have a frizzle version of their breed.  As already mentioned, some of the most common frizzle chicken breeds are:  Frizzle cochin, Polish frizzle chicken and frizzle silkie.

Cochin and Polish come in frizzle standard and frizzle bantam.  Silkies are a bantam breed and do not have a standard size in general.  Bantam breeds are basically “mini” size chickens.

Frizzle Chicken Care

Taking care of a frizzled chicken is pretty similar to taking care of a “regular” chicken.  However, there are some important points to consider.

Due to the fact that they do not have “normal” feathers, it can make them a little different to care for.

First, due to being a frizzle, they cannot really fly.  Their feathers are not made the same and therefore, do not have the same characteristics allowing them flight.  This means that they may need a shorter perch.  Also, they may not be as well equipped to get away from predators – so they may do better in a predator proof run than being free ranged.

Second, since their feathers are curled and not “standard”, they do not have quite the same insulation as normal feathered chickens.  We have frizzled chickens in our flocks here in Virginia and they seem to do just fine in the cold and snow of winter.

However, we do make sure that they have a very cozy, draft free chicken coop with lots of buddies to pile up with and stay warm.  Our frizzles (like our silkies) will tend to all pile up together for warmth, especially when it is cold out.

Frizzle Chicken Breeding Basics

Breeding frizzle chickens is really quite fun.  They are such a unique looking chicken with their curly feathers.

When you breed frizzled chickens, you never want to breed two frizzle chickens together.  The result of breeding frizzle to frizzle can result in a double frizzle chicken – meaning they have two copies of the frizzling gene.  We call these frazzles.

Frazzles do not often live very long or healthy lives.  Having two copies of the frizzle gene makes their curled feathers very brittle.  They tend to break off.  They are often times bald in places.  And their overall health tends to suffer.

Due to this, we recommend setting up breeding pens where you either have a frizzle rooster over normal/standard feather hens.  Or, you can set up your breeding pens to have a normal/standard feather rooster over frizzled hens.

Frizzle chicken breeding results:

If you breed Frizzle to Normal/standard it will result in 50% frizzled and 50% normal/standard feathered chicks.

Whereas, if you breed Frizzle to Frizzle will result in 50% frizzle, 25% normal/standard, 25% frazzled feathered chicks.

When frizzle chicks hatch, you cannot really tell that they have a different feather type.  It is not until they are a few weeks old and have started blowing their chick fluff that you will start to see if they have feathers that have a curl.

(your chickens are going to love a nice new coop)

Frizzle Chickens for Sale:

If you are looking for a frizzle chicken, a few of our silkie colors have the potential to have frizzled feathers.  Our mottled, crele and silver patterned pens all have the chance at having frizzled chicks.

Overall, if you are looking for a fun, unique addition to your flock, adding a frizzle chicken is a good choice.  Most frizzled chickens make great pets as most of the frizzle chicken breeds are also friendly.

For More Chicken Stuff:

Whether you are just getting into chickens or have had them for a while, you may think that eggs come in just one or two colors.  Usually, when you think of chicken eggs, you think of white eggs or brown eggs.  However, did you know that there are chickens that lay blue eggs?

When we first found out that there are blue egg chickens we HAD to have some – IMMEDIATELY.  I mean, how cool to have a different, fun color in your egg basket, right?  We ran out to find out right away what chickens lay blue eggs.

There are so many different chicken breeds out there that I guess it shouldn’t be too terribly surprising that there are some chickens that lay blue eggs.  However, I still get excited when we go out to collect eggs and get some brilliantly colored blue eggs.

Chickens That Lay Blue Eggs – How do they do it?

Ok, so you may wonder, for chickens that lay blue eggs – how do they do it?  Afterall, the majority of chickens do lay white or brown eggs.  So, what makes a blue egg chicken different?

Without getting too “scienc-y”, chickens that lay blue eggs basically deposit that blue color onto the eggs.

You might be interested to know that all chickens eggs start out as white (source).  Chickens that lay white eggs just simply lay the eggs in that original form.

Chickens that lay blue eggs start with a white egg and basically puts on a pigment, called oocyanin onto the white egg turning it into a blue egg.  This color change happens as the egg is being formed in the chickens oviduct. (source).

So, essentially, chicken egg color is sort of similar to skin color in that the pigment put into it will dictate the tone and color.  Like when you tan – melanin is produced in your skin creating a darker “tan” color.  Not exactly the same process, obviously, but sort of a similar idea.

What Chickens Lay Blue Eggs?

Now that we know that there are chickens that lay blue eggs and we know how these blue egg chickens make their eggs, what chickens lay blue eggs?

Of course we need to know the answer to this so that we can add blue eggs to our egg basket!

1) Araucana

Aracuanas are one type of chicken that lays blue eggs.  They are a more unique chicken breed and are not super common.

Aracuana chickens are usually rumpless and have tufts, so they are definitely an interesting addition to any flock.

2) Ameraucana

Ameraucanas are also chickens that lay blue eggs.  They are more common that Araucana’s, but they are also often confused with Easter Eggers.  There are many differences between Araucana, Ameraucana and Easter Egger chickens.

Ameraucana’s have muffs and beards and come in a whole variety of colors.  They are really pretty decent egg layers.  So, they make a good addition if you are looking for a solid backyard flock bird.

3) Cream Legbar

Cream legbars are a fun breed that of course is also one of the chickens that lay blue eggs.  They are not a super common breed, but they are popular among many chicken owners.

Due to the fact that they are a little less common, they do also tend to be a little more expensive.

However, their cost is definitely worth it as they not only lay blue eggs, they are also an autosexing chicken breed.  That means that you can tell pullet from cockerel at hatch!

Cream Legbars are also usually friendly birds who are good egg layers and good foragers.  This means they will give you a decent amount of eggs without eating too much feed.  If you are looking for one of the most interesting chickens that lay blue eggs, this breed may well be it!

4) Easter Eggers – sometimes.

Easter Eggers are one of our personal favorite chicken breeds.  They come in a variety of colors and patterns.  And they often times have interesting features like muffs and beards.

Easter Eggers are not a true breed however.  They are a hybrid or mix of chicken breeds.  Due to this fact, it is not guaranteed that they will all lay blue eggs.  Easter Eggers are also one of the chickens that lay green eggs.

5) Super Blue Egg Layer or True Blue Egg Layer

There are several “newer” blue egg chickens that are also hybrids – similar to Easter Eggers.  However, unlike Easter Eggers, these blue egg layers have been bred specifically for blue eggs only and high production.

Most of these Super blue Egg Layers (amongst other names) combine a high production bird like a leghorn with a true blue layer like a cream legbar.  The result is one of the breeds of chickens that lay blue eggs in a high volume.

Blue Eggs – do they taste the same as “other eggs”?

We have reviewed what chickens lay blue eggs.  So now that you know what breeds to get to have blue eggs, you may wonder if blue eggs taste the same as other eggs.

Yes, the simple and easy answer is yes!  Chickens that lay blue eggs, as we discussed above are producing the exact same egg as a chicken that lays white or brown eggs.

The only difference is the pigment that is laid into the egg during the shell formation.

Now that you know all about chickens that lay blue eggs, which blue egg layer will you be adding to your flock?

For More on Chickens

If you are thinking about raising chickens one of the first things that you will need to do is to decide what chicken breeds will be best for your flock.  When we first started looking at chickens, we were SHOCKED at how many different types of chickens there are!

Whether you will be hatching your own chicks, buying day old chicks brooding them or buying started chickens you will need to know why you are getting chickens in the first place.  Knowing your reason why will help you to narrow down which chicken breeds are best for you.

(if you want to hatch, you’ll need a starter incubator or a full sized cabinet)

If we are being honest, when we first got chickens we didn’t really look at the different types of chickens and what their uses were.  We basically looked at the options available and thought – ooh that one is cute, and that one has a cool pattern, and I love that one’s cool feathers!

Picking out chicken breeds based just on what they look like provided us with a fun to look at flock.

However, if you are looking to have chickens that are more than just “fun to look at”, then you probably want to think a little harder about which chicken breeds meet your needs best.

There are several hundred different types of chickens.

So, it might seem a little daunting knowing that there are so many different options to choose from!  The first thing you can do is decide your purpose.  Most chicken breeds can be dropped into different “buckets” or “purposes.

You can divide chicken breeds into the several broad buckets.

Size is the first bucket you can use.

Chicken breeds come in two main sizes:  standard or large fowl and bantam chickens.  Large fowl chickens are chickens that are your standard size.  Within large fowl, some breeds are of course larger than others.  Generally, you can think of large fowl as large, medium or small.

(don’t forget your feeders and waterers)

In large fowl, the largest chicken breed is often noted as the Jersey Giant. Other large chicken breeds are the Braham, Cochin and English Orpington. The largest chicken breeds listed here are usually a minimum of 8 pounds, but some have been known to get closer to 15 to 20 pounds!

 

Most large fowl chicken breeds are a little smaller and run more in the 4 to 8 pound range.  Some other common large fowl breeds are: Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red and Easter Egger.

Bantam chickens are basically like a mini-version of a chicken breed.  There are some bantam chicken breeds who only come in bantam size.  While other bantam chicken breeds have a bantam size and a large fowl size.

(chick sized feeders and waterers work great with bantam chickens)

Silkie chickens are one example of bantam chickens that do not have a large fowl counterpart.  Cochins and Easter Eggers are types of chickens that come in both bantam and large fowl sizes.

Purpose is the other bucket you can use to look at different types of chickens.

Generally, chicken breeds can be divided into 4 different purposes – or uses.

The first purpose would be chickens for eggs.

Not all chicken breeds were created equally when it comes to laying eggs.  You might think when you are just getting started with chickens that all chickens lay eggs, therefore, it shouldn’t really matter what chicken breeds you get.

That is definitely NOT the case though!  Some chicken breeds lay 5 – 7 times a week (like Rhode Island Reds, Black Australorps and Leghorns).  Other chicken breeds lay more like 3 – 5 times a week.

Weather can also affect how well a chicken breed lays eggs.  Some types of chickens are made to lay well year round. Others are cold hard and some are heat hardy.

(you are going to need plenty of egg cartons when they start laying)

Additionally, not all eggs themselves were created equally.  Some chicken breeds lay smaller eggs (like silkies) while others lay large eggs (like Orpingtons).

So, as you can see, if you are looking to get chickens specifically just for eggs, you will probably want to choose the chicken breeds that lay the largest eggs most often.

In addition to the amount of eggs a chicken lays.  Certain chickens lay different colored eggs!  There are chickens that lay white eggs, chickens that lay brown eggs and even chickens that lay blue eggs!

The second purpose would be chickens for meat.

If you are getting chickens as a way to raise your own meat, then it will be important to get chicken breeds that are well suited for that purpose.  While it is true that all types of chickens will generate some meat if you raise and butcher them, they may not all be the best for that purpose.

If you get smaller breeds, slow growing breeds or less meaty birds you may well be pretty disappointed after you spend the time and money to raise them and butcher them.

Therefore, if you will be raising chickens for meat, you will want to get chicken breeds that are well suited for that purpose.  Most chicken breeds used for meat are heavy, big birds that mature and grow fast.

If you have heavy, fast maturing birds then you will get the most meat in the shortest time which is a big bonus.

Some common chicken breeds used for meat are Cornish or Broilers.  Be prepared, most meat chicken breeds are big, ugly and don’t live much over their butchering age since they have been bred specifically to grow super big in a short timeframe.

The third purpose would be dual purpose chickens – those that will be used for both eggs and meat.

If you want chickens that will meet the needs for generating both meat and eggs, you probably want to look at dual purpose chicken breeds.  These are types of chickens that will produce decently for both meat and eggs.

You may not get THE BEST egg layer or THE BEST meat bird by getting chicken breeds that do both things well.  However, there are several chicken breeds that will suit both needs without disappointment.

Dual purpose chicken breeds are ones that will lay decently over time, but also get heavy enough and mature fast enough that you can butcher them for meat.

Often times, people will raise dual purpose chicken breeds and they will keep the hens (females) for eggs. They will then butcher the roosters (males) when they are old enough for meat.

The fourth purpose is for fun  – chickens for pets, chickens for show, chickens that look cool.

The fourth bucket that you can divide chicken breeds into is for fun!  Now, having chickens for fun may mean a lot of things.  It could mean you want friendly chickens for pets, fancy chickens to show or just chickens that you think look cool for your yard.

Of course, there are some types of chickens that are great egg layers and friendly so they can be wonderful pets too.  But there are many chickens that their main selling point, or best characteristic is that they are friendly or easy to handle making them great for pets.  Silkies are one super friendly chicken breed that makes a great pet.

(your chickens are going to need a nice place to live)

Another fun reason some people keep chickens is for show.  People will show their chickens just like you show dogs. Most any APA accepted breed can be used for show.  They, of course, all have their specific breed and color standards.

And then, there are chickens that just look cool.  Personally, I think a lot of the crested breeds like Polish and Sultans are some of the coolest looking chickens.

Rare Chicken Breeds are another one of the types of chickens that you can look at.

Usually people will get rare breeds if they are looking to help conserve a certain breed that they really like.  Rare Chicken breeds are also good choices if you are looking to make money raising chickens.  Having a rare chicken breed means not as many other people will also have that breed. Typically, this will make it easier for you to market and sell the chickens.

A few rare chicken breeds are:  Ayam Cemani (don’t be shocked at their HIGH price tag!), Sumatra and White Breese.

So, how will you decide which of these chicken breeds is the best for you?

Now that you have an idea of just how many different types of chickens that there are to choose from, you might be feeling overwhelmed at all of the choices!  The best way to decide which chicken breeds are right for you is to decide WHY you are getting chickens. That will narrow the options down.

After you know why, then you can start looking at the specific chicken breeds that match up to your purpose.

Do you have a favorite chicken breed?  Let us know which one below!

For more on raising chickens, check these out: