Blog

Amberlink chickens are a hybrid chicken breed that come from Isa Hendrix genetics. They were developed in the 1970's to be heavy egg layers.

Otherwise known as a Dekalb Amberlink, they are a cold and heat hardy breed laying up to 270 Medium to Large sized eggs in a year.

If you are looking for a champion egg layer, the Amberlink Chicken may be just what you need.

Below we will cover their history, size, temperament and more. So, if you are thinking of adding this chicken breed to your flock, read on to learn all you need to know.

Amberlink Chickens

History & Origin

The Amberlink Chicken breed was developed originally in the United States in the 1970's. This breed, sometimes known as the Dekalb Amberlink, is one of the many egg production breeds developed by ISA Hendrix Genetics.

They are a Hybrid breed of chicken with a similar breeding to red star chickens. A Hybrid breed is basically a chicken breed that is originally a cross of two purebred chickens.

In this instance, a white breed and a red breed to start. However, hybrid breeds are ones that take those crosses, choose specific ones and continue with their crosses until they have developed the special characteristics that they are aiming for.

A Hybrid Chicken Breed

To clarify, a purebred chicken is when a single breed, for example, a Rhode Island Red is bred only to another Rhode Island Red. A simple crossbreed is when you take one chicken and breed it to a chicken of another breed.

The difference between a crossbreed and hybrid is that the hybrid is done through generations of selective breeding to achieve an end goal. It is a much more complex breeding process.

Pros and Cons of Raising Amberlink Chickens

The biggest benefit to raising this breed, and hybrids in general, is that they excel, far above other chicken breeds, in whatever trait is being targeted. For example, Amberlink Chickens are amazing egg layers because they have been crossed with so other good layers to really hone in on that specific ability.

Need some help keeping your chickens health and care taken care of? Check out the Organized Chicken Keeper for an easy to follow system.

The biggest issues, or cons with Amberlinks, and hybrids in general, are two-fold. The first is that hybrids typically have a shorter lifespan than non-hybrid chicken breeds.

The second reason is, unfortunately, you cannot simply breed two Amberlinks together and expect to get an actual Amberlink as the offspring. So, if you are looking to breed your own Amberlinks, it is a much more difficult process than some other breeds.

What Do They Look Like

The easiest way to tell your chickens apart is, obviously, by how they look. Let's discuss some of the physical traits of the Amberlink chicken.

Size, Feathering, and Color

Amberlinks appearance varies slightly based on their sex. Males, or roosters, tend to weigh 5 - 6 pounds with mostly red feathers and some white underneath.

Females, or hens, tend to weigh in the 4 - 5 pound range and are mostly white with a reddish-brown tint to their feathers (particularly in their wings, across their shoulders and in their tails).

Comb & Wattles

The Amberlink chicken has both a single red comb and a pair of bright red wattles. The comb and wattles are both part of the Amberlink's way of maintaining their core body temperature.

Differences Between Roosters and Hens

As far as how to sex this chicken, for this breed, at hatch both males and females are the same color (they are not sex-linked), but can be wing sexed. Or, you can wait until they are several weeks old and can see the color differences developing.

Temperament And Personality

Amberlink chickens tend to be friendly. This means they work well in flocks where you want to be able to handle and interact with your chickens more often.

However, they are also a very active breeds as well. They are great foragers. This means that the cost to feed these chickens can be a bit cheaper as they are happy to run around and hunt for their own food most of the day.

They handle both cold and heat well. So, they can be happy in most any climate making them a very hardy and resilient breed.

Egg Laying & Production

As mentioned earlier, Amberlinks were developed specifically to be high production egg layers. So, their main purpose is as an egg laying addition to the flock.

However, they are also friendly birds, which means that they can also adapt well as a pet in addition to their egg production.

This breed is a fantastic addition, in particular to flocks that are aiming to make money with chickens by selling eating eggs. This is due to the fact that they lay upwards of 270 brown eggs a year, but also are good foragers which results in a cheaper feed to egg conversion ratio than some other breeds.

Additionally, if you live in a climate where it gets particularly hot or cold, they serve a good purpose as an egg layer that can bridge the gaps for some other breeds that are not as hardy in these climates.

General Care And Potential Health Issues

Clearly, as discussed, there are several benefits to the Amberlink breed. However, with those benefits also come some drawbacks - most in terms of potential health issues.

Hybrid breeds are raised to generate one thing, such as eggs, at a super high rate. This ramped up production can cause several health issues related to egg laying such as peritonisis, egg binding, prolapse, tumors and other egg reproductive health issues.

In addition to the potential health issues that are directly related to egg laying, this bred can also face other issues that are indirectly related to their ramped up egg production. Laying so many eggs straight through the year puts a strain on their body and energy. This can cause them to be more susceptible to any other health issues as they are under a heightened level of stress year round.

Therefore, ensuring that they are offered optimal nutrition, warm, comfortable and clean shelters as well as anything else to support them and decrease stress will help them to live longer.

FAQ

What color eggs to Amberlink chickens lay?

They lay a Brown colored egg.

Are Amberlink chickens good layers?

They are extremely good egg layers. They were bred specifically to have an excellent laying ability. This is shown in their average of 270 eggs per year.

What size eggs do Amberlinks lay?

They lay a Medium to Large Brown egg.

At what age do Amberlink chickens lay eggs?

They tend to be ready to lay right around 4 months of age or 18 - 20 weeks which is pretty average for most egg laying breeds. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the signs a chicken is ready to start laying eggs so you know when to start looking for eggs.

Are Amberlinks Friendly?

They tend to be a very friendly, yet active breed.

How long do Amberlink chickens live?

While chicken lifespan can really depend on a number of different factors, in general, Amberlink Chickens tend to live up to a few years less than standard breeds due to their high egg production and the strain that puts on their bodies.

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

Frizzle chickens are a variety of different chicken breeds which have feathers that curve backward away from their body instead of laying flat like the standard chicken feather does. The frizzle feather gene in chickens a dominant trait which means that just one parent has to have the trait in order to pass it to their offspring.

With that, let's jump into all things frizzle chickens including their care, why you might want one and a few of the breeds.

What is a Frizzle Chicken?

To explain what a frizzle chicken is in a simple way, they are a curly feathered chicken.  A frizzle itself is not a specific chicken breed though. Essentially, the term frizzle is a description of a feather type, and can be found across multiple different breeds.

The frizzle breed of chicken is not actually a breed, in and of itself. There are several breeds that can be a frizzle.  Frizzle cochin, polish frizzle  and frizzle silkie (also known as a sizzle) are just a few examples. Most of these breeds can also have standard smooth feathering as well. Since frizzling is gene based and not sex based, you would use the same techniques you would normally use to tell the difference between hens and roosters.

The history of this curly feathered trait is not well laid out, but it is thought to have possibly originated somewhere in Asia. The trait was then bred for as people found the feathering unique and used them as pets and for exhibition.

Why Do You Want A Frizzle Chicken?

So, what is a frizzle chicken good for? They can be good for all the same reasons that any backyard chickens are. But two of the main reasons you may get them are:

Eye Candy

Since they are a really unique feather type, they are most often gotten just to look at. They are an ornamental breed. And, certainly, they are a cool and fun addition to any flock.

Pets

Most frizzle breeds are friendly and make great pets. They tend to be calm and happy to interact with their owners.

Frizzle Chicken Care

Taking care of these curly feathered chickens is pretty similar to taking care of a "regular" chicken. They will need a secure coop, run and high quality chicken feed and clean water daily.  However, due to their different feather type there are some important points to consider.

Extra Warmth

The main difference or defining characteristic of a frizzle chicken is, of course, its curly or frizzle feathers. These feathers a less insulated than regular feathers so you will want them to have a nice warm coop.

We have frizzle chickens in our flocks here in Virginia and they seem to do just fine in the cold and snow of winter. We make sure to keep the chickens warm in the winter.

And, 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.

This also goes for rain and other inclement weather, not just the cold and snow. As they may need a little extra protection from any weather that could chill them.

Predators

Due to the different feather type, they cannot really fly.  Their feathers are not made the same and therefore, do not have the same characteristics allowing them flight.   Therefore, they may not be as well equipped to get away from predators - so they may do better in a predator proof chicken run than being free ranged.

Roosting

As mentioned above, the difference in feathers makes these chickens unable to fly. So, much like bantam chickens need shorter roosts and ramps, your frizzle chickens may also need them too.

Dirt and Vision

The frizzle feathers look cool because they are curled and sticking out every which way. This can also potentially cause some issues if their head feathers are hanging into their eyes and face or if their leg and feet feathers gather mud and other dirt (like most feather legged breeds will have happen).

So, you will just want to keep a close eye on them and ensure that their feet and leg feathers don't need debris cleaned out and that their head feathers are not interfering with their vision.

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 (F).  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).

Feathers are made up of three parts - the backbone (rachis), branches (ramus) and parts off the ramus (barbules). The frizzling gene causes changes such as thickening to all three parts of the feather thus causing them to no longer lay flat on the birds. (source).

Frizzled Chicken Breeding Basics

Breeding frizzled chickens is really quite fun.  They are such a unique looking chicken with their curly feathers. However, you have to take a little more care with frizzles, than when handling regular chicken mating.

When you breed frizzle chickens, you never want to let one frizzle chicken mate with another frizzle chicken.  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 frizzle hens.

Frizzle chicken breeding results:

If you breed Frizzle to Normal/standard it will result in 50% frizzle 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. Due to issues with frazzled feather types, you do not want to breed to frizzle together.

If you breed two frazzled together, you will get 100% frazzled chicks - this is not a breeding that you want to do.

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.

Frizzle Chicken Breeds

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. They will also come in the same colors as the standard breed. And, they tend to have the same temperament, personality and egg laying abilities.

Many chicken breeds already have a frizzle version of their breed.  Some of the most common breeds where frizzle feathering is already established are: 

• Frizzle Cochin - standard and bantam sized
• Polish Frizzle - standard and bantam sized
• Frizzle Silkie (or Sizzle)
• Frizzle Plymouth Rock
• Frizzle Orpington

However, there are ways to make any breed a frizzle breed. It takes, time, patience and a lot of selective breeding. You can use an already frizzle breed that is close in characteristics to the breed you want to make frizzle.

So, for example, if you have a Frizzle Polish rooster, you may use him over a standard Houdan hen. Then of those chicks, you find the frizzle ones that most resemble a Houdan and then breed them back to a high quality breed standard Houdan. And continue this until you have chicks that meet the breeds standards, but also have the frizzling.

FAQ

Are Frizzle chickens good egg layers?

They are fair egg layers. They tend to lay eggs as good as the breeds standard feathered counterpart does. However, most frizzle breeds are not super heavy layers. For example, Silkies lay around 120 eggs a year and Polish lay around 200 eggs a year.

Similarly to the number of eggs they will lay, they also lay the same color egg as the breed they are.

How much does a frizzle chicken cost?

Cost can really vary based on the specific breed, sex and where you get them from. If you purchase from a hatchery it can range anywhere from $5 - $25 depending on the sex you choose. Some of the more rare breeds and colors from a smaller breeder can go up to $50.

What is the difference between a frizzle and a sizzle?

A frizzle is any chicken with the gene, a sizzle is a frizzle silkie specifically.

What is a satin chicken?

Satin chickens are a project breed where Silkies are bred to have standard smooth feathers.

Overall, if you are looking for a fun, unique addition to your flock, these can be a great choice.  Most frizzle chickens make great pets as most of the frizzle breeds are also friendly.

If you are looking for a unique type of chicken to add to your flock, or perhaps you're a little low on coop space then you should consider one of the bantam chicken breeds. Bantam chickens are a group of chicken breeds that are significantly smaller than regular or large breed chickens.  Some might call them miniature chickens.

So, let's dive in to all things bantams including breeds, care and why you should get some for your flock.

What are Bantam Chickens?

Bantam chickens are not a single breed of chicken, but rather a group of chicken breeds where they are usually about ½ to ⅓ the size of regular, large breed chickens. They come in three variations: True, Made/Developed and Miniaturized.

Their small size means that they typically don't weigh more than about 2.5 - 3 pounds. And some are as tiny as 1 pound in size.

There is an official American Bantam Association which lists about 70 breeds (with additional color variations under each breed) which are recognized by their organization. The ABA sets forth breeds standards and organizes shows for bantams.

Types of Bantams

There are three types of bantams, as mentioned above. They are True, Made or Miniaturized and Developed.

Though, the Developed category can have crossover with the other two, so the two main classifications are True or Made/Miniaturized.

A true bantam is a chicken breed that is only a bantam breed. They have no standard sized counterpart. Some breed examples include: Silkies, Campine and Seabright.

A made or miniaturized bantam is where a normally large chicken breed has been purposely bred smaller over time to create a miniature version. This version will keep all of the characteristics that their large breed version have, just in a smaller package. Some bred examples include: Ameraucana, Cochin and Polish.

Developed bantams are essentially a bantam breed that has questionable origins or that has had further selective breeding done to an existing bantam breed. A breed example is the Japanese bantam.

Why Bantam Chickens - Pros & Cons

Besides that fact that miniature chickens are just plain 'ol adorable, bantams can be a good choice for flocks for a multitude of different reasons.  Their tiny size also means there are some disadvantages to owning this breed.

Pros

• Space Constraints - if you have limited space, you may want to consider bantams chickens. Since they are generally ½ - ⅓ the size of standard breeds you can house at least two bantams in the same space that you would need for one standard breed.
• Feed Savings - they will consume less feed. This means that the cost to feed these chickens is a lot less than their full sized counterparts. If you ferment their feed, they will consume even less!
• Show & Pets - there is an entire club dedicated to shows just for bantam chickens. Additionally, they make good pets due to their small size. They are easier to handle and can be carried around and transported easily.

Cons

• Smaller Eggs - they do lay smaller eggs than large breed chickens, but can still be good layers.  They will usually lay an egg that is the same percentage smaller in size as they are.
• Predators - their small size makes them easier for predators like hawks and raccoons to pick them up and take them away. So, you do have to make sure you have a thoroughly predator proofed coop and run.
• Mixed sized flocks - if you also have standard sized chickens, you may need to either house your bantams separately or be very careful when introducing new chickens to your flock. Their small size makes them vulnerable to the typical pecking that happens between chickens.

Really, bantam chickens are good for all the same things that all backyard chickens are. They just do it on a smaller scale.

Care

While the basics of care for bantams are the same care as standard chickens. They need a chicken coop and chicken run. They need good chicken feed and clean water everyday.

They will need a few different considerations due to their size.

Since they are smaller, they may need some adjustments to things in the coop. The roosts are a good example. If your roosts are a bit of a high jump, they may not be willing or able to jump up on them and you may want to provide a shorter roost for your bantams. In our experience, some bantam breeds prefer to sleep in a pile together on the coop floor.

They will be easier prey for predators. Being small, some predators will look at them as an easier snack that larger breed chickens. And smaller predators will be more easily able to take them since they are also smaller. Due to this, you will want to ensure that you have a predator proof chicken run, a secure coop and/or possibly a livestock guard dog (like a Karakachan) to help protect them.

Lastly, due to their size, you want to be sure they are able to stay warm in the winter. This will entail making sure they have buddies to snuggle with and a good, draft free coop.

Breeds

There are so many different chicken breeds that also come in bantam size. The ABA lists about 70 breeds with multiple color variations within those breeds.

The following list is by no means all encompassing, but here are a few bantam chickens.

1. Silkies

Silkie chickens are one of the most popular bantam chicken breeds, and our personal favorite. Unlike most bantam chickens, instead of your typical chicken feathers, Silkie feathers are more like fluff. Frizzle Silkie chickens look even crazier!

We may be a bit biased since we specialize in raising them. However, Silkies come in many different colors and patterns. They also have very domesticated personalities.

Our Silkies get excited to see us just like our dogs!

2. Bantam Easter Eggers

Bantam chicken Easter Eggers, just like their larger counterparts, lay multicolored eggs!

3. Seramas

Seramas are the smallest of all bantam chicken breeds. They stand out due to their upright stance, often compared to toy soldiers.

4. Bantam Orpingtons

Orpingtons come in a variety of different colors and are typically known as a large bodied bird. However, they are also bred down to bantam chicken sizes.

5. Sebrights

Sebrights were bred to be ornamental bantam chickens and are characterized by their black wing lacing.

6. Cochins

Just like the larger Cochin chicken breed. Bantam Cochins are known for having plumage along their legs and feet.

Bantam Chicken FAQs

Conclusion

As you can see, there are so many chicken breeds that are available in a much smaller size. They can be the perfect addition to a flock that has space constraints and that is looking to add pets or show chickens.

Most of us, when we picture chickens, we imagine our small flock, we raised from chicks, running around the barnyard dwarfed by our larger livestock (cow, goats, horses, etc). However, sometimes we come across some absolutely massive birds! Today we are going to figure out what some of the largest chicken breeds really are.

[ez-toc]

The Jersey Giant is alone at the very top of our largest chicken breeds list. In fact, they tower over any other of are the largest chicken breeds in the world today. But they are not alone. There are many, many very large chicken breeds. In fact, we are going to take a look at a dozen of them today. For the most part, we will be using weight as a deciding factor. However, there are a few others that make the list for more unique reasons.

Let's get straight to the list!

1. The Jersey Giant

Let's start out big. As we said, the Jersey Giant is, by far, the largest chicken breed in the world. Fortunately for us all, this bird qualifies as a gentle giant. In fact, you'd have a hard time finding a gentler, more friendly chicken breed than the Jersey Giant..

As their name suggests, the Jersey Giant was created in New Jersey by John and Thomas Black. The reason it is so large is they had intended to breed them as an alternative to turkeys as meat birds. However, they did not last long in the poultry industry because the Jersey Giant, despite being so big, takes a long time to reach its full size.

They barely eked out over the Brahma because they are so tall and heavy. The roosters, on average, stand about 24 inches tall, or 2 feet, and weigh around 15 pounds. The hens alone easily grow up to 10 pounds.

2. The Brahma Chicken

Barely coming in behind the Jersey Giant is the Brahma. A Brahma rooster will generally weigh around 12 pounds with the Brahma hen coming in at just under 10 pounds, on average. However, there have been recordings of them growing much larger; roosters at 18 pounds and hens at 13 pounds!

The Brahma is an American bred bird that is a combination of many breeds imported from China, specifically Shanghai. They were the primary meat bird in the United states up until around 1930.

As you can tell, they grow quite large and make great meat birds. While they are not as steady at egg production as the Australorp may be, they still will give you around 3 or so eggs a week.

Need some help keeping your chickens health and care taken care of? Check out the Organized Chicken Keeper for an easy to follow system.

3. Maline

The Maline is a fantastic chicken breed. They make a great dual purpose breed, growing large enough for meat and laying around 150 eggs in a year. Plus, their relaxed personality makes them perfect for a backyard flock.

It has a striking feather pattern that was derived by breeding cuckoo chickens from Antwerp in France with imported birds from China and surrounding areas. They will grow to be around 9 pounds, for a hen, and 12 pounds, for a rooster.

4. Dong Tao

The Dong Tao is the rarest, and possibly, most unique looking chicken on this list. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any pictures we could repost. But take note, there is no exaggeration when we learned they also are called "Dragon Legs".

This breed is indigenous to Vietnam where they are considered a royal delicacy. They grow very large but are becoming more and more rare. Their eggs are difficult to hatch due to temperature sensitivity and because their abnormally large legs tend to crack them.

5. Cornish

The Cornish chicken is also known as the Indian Game. It was first brought to the US in the early 1900s where it's name was changed to Cornish Indian Game and then finally settled as Cornish around 1910. It is still, however, known as the Indian Game, throughout the majority of the world. Initially it was bred for cock fighting but did not develop the agressive temperament to do so. Eventually, it was seen more as a source of food than entertainment and is still used as a cross breed for larger boiler chickens.

Cornish roosters will grow to be about 8 pounds while Cornish hens weigh around 6. Cornish hens are not a great choice for egg production; only laying around 80 to 100, at most, eggs per year

6. Langshan

The Langshan, or Croad Langshan, is thought to have originated in the Langshan region of China. They were first imported to the United States in 1878, with each color being officially recognized as US standards; black in 1883, white in 1893, and blue in 1987.

A Langshan rooster will grow to be around 10 pounds in size with hens trailing right behind at around 8 pounds. Langshans are some of the better layers on this list, as well. You can expect to get 4 or 5 eggs a week from each hen!

7. Orpington

Orpingtons are some of the most gentle and docile chicken breeds on this list. They get their name from their place of origin, Orpington, Kent in England, where they were initially bred by William Cook to be an all around dual purpose chicken.

Eventually this breed was used, in large part due to the wide range of colors and patterns, as an ornamental, or show, bird. Although they are mostly know as a show breed, they still are raised for both meat and egg production.

Orpingtons will grow to be about 10 punds and will lay upwards of 200 eggs in a year!

8. Australorp

The Australorp is an Australian, dual purpose, breed of chicken. It is easily the most prolific layer on this list. It became wildly popular starting in the 1920s specifically because of it's egg laying abilities.

If you raise these birds you can expect to get an egg almost every day of the week. They will usually lay around 5 or 6 eggs a week or 250 eggs in a year! A flock of these guys is more than enough to feed a family.

The roosters typically grow to be around 10 pounds with the hens just a bit lighter at around 8 pounds. You will often find them referred to as Black Australorps or the Australian Orpington.

9. Malay

After the Dong Tao, the Malay chicken may be the strangest looking chicken we found while researching this article. And, again, like the Dong Tao, we were unable to find any pictures we could repost.

This is a breed that we do not really recommend for your average backyard flock. The Malay is THE most imposing chicken of all of the biggest chicken breeds on the list. Not only is it heavy, weighing around 9 pounds, but it is also very, VERY tall. In fact, Malay chickens can stand at 30 inches tall, or 2 ½ feet; making them the tallest chicken breed on this list!

On top of their ridiculous height and weight, Malay chickens are also aggressive. Mostly, this behavior is territorial, but you probably don't want an ill tempered chicken that size roaming around your backyard. Maybe think of the Malay chicken as the evolutionary progression of the Velociraptor.

10. Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Red is probably the most popular and well known of all of the largest chicken breeds we will discuss today. Their size, egg laying ability, temperament, and personality have made them an all around perfect backyard chicken.

This breed is so great because they can thrive in just about any location. If you live in the cold, just make sure they have shelter. If you live in a hot area, give them shade and water. They are not fussy at all.

You can expect this breed to grow to around 9 pounds and lay almost every day of the week. Similar to the Australorp, the Rhode Island Red is capable of laying almost 300 eggs a year.

11. Cochin

The Cochin is one of the smallest large breeds we have on this list. We couldn't leave them off though because they just LOOK so huge. Believe it or not, but a typical rooster will grow to be around 5 pounds. They stand around 26 inches tall, or just over 2 feet. Add in their their big, puffy feathers and they appear to be even larger.

We do recommend adding them to any flock, however. They are a very sweet bird and are safe to have around small children and pets. They are also decent layers, as well. A standard hen will probably give you 160 eggs a year.

12. Belgian

The Belgian is the smallest chicken on our list. Unlike the Cochin, this chicken does not appear to be larger from puffy feathers. No, this chicken is sleek, lean, and muscular.

We included this breed on our list because it is very tall. If the Malay from above caught your attention, you will be happy to hear about these guys. They share the same spot as the tallest chicken breed on this list, standing around 30 inches tall, but are not nearly as aggressive. This breed is a bit more nervous and anxious, though.

If you are interested in finding some for yourself, they are also known as Liege Fighter chickens.

Breed Comparison Table

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Are larger chickens more aggressive?

Larger chickens are no more aggressive than smaller birds. The size of a chicken does not really have much affect on their personality. Aggressiveness is typically a trait that varies from breed to breed.

Large breeds do tend to be a bit more laid back than smaller breeds, however. It is believed that is because, due to their size, they do not have to compete for their position in the pecking order. The smaller chickens tend to leave them alone.

Q2. Do big chickens lay big eggs?

Hen size is not always a predicter of egg size. In fact, many large breed chickens lay medium sized eggs.

Q3. Why do you need a large breed?

Whether you need a large breed or not depends on your intentions. They make fantastic meat birds. If you are looking for a sustainable, home grown protein source, the largest chicken breeds will obviously give you the most meat.

As we mentioned about aggression, they also tend to be more laid back. If you want a fairly relaxed flock, adding a few of the largest chicken breeds can be a way to accomplish that goal.

Q4. Do large breed chickens have more health problems?

Large chicken breeds do not have any more health issues than other chickens, in general. Because they are usually meat birds, they have been bred to grow large, rather quickly. This can lead to them eating in excess.

Chickens that overeat often become obese which can lead to related health issues like weak joints, impacted crops, and bumblefoot, to name a few. You can avoid these maladies by allowing them to free range and feed on a schedule as opposed to a free choice feeder.

Wrap Up

I bet you didn't realize there were so many huge chickens out there! They are all quite exquisite in their own ways too. Maybe you will consider adding some of these to your flock in the future.

The Buff Orpington chicken is one of the best chickens you can raise. Whether you are experienced or just starting out, these gentle giants make wonderful additions to any flock.

Buff Orpingtons come from a long line of Orpington chickens. They are dual purpose chickens, meaning they are both great layers and large enough to be meat birds. It is not uncommon for the roosters to grow to 10 pounds! This breed is docile; making them perfect for children who are interested in chickens.

[ez-toc]

Everything About The Buff Orpington

History and Origin

The Buff Orpington is just one color of the Orpington line of chickens. The Black Orpington first appeared in South East England by William Cook of Orpington, Kent in 1886. He was intending to create a dual purpose chicken that would also hide the soot that plagued London at the time.

Cook made this new breed by crossing Langshans, Minorcas, and Plymouth Rock chickens. Not too long after this, more colors came along. The original colors of the Orpington were:

• Black
• Blue
• Buff
• Splash
• White

What Do They Look Like?

Orpingtons are quite noticeably large. Their bodies are bulky and stocky already and their thick plumage makes them appear even bigger. Lets dig a little deeper into the specifics of their appearance.

Color

The Buff Orpington is a stunning bird. Both hens and roosters are almost completely a yellowy tan color, hence the name "Buff". You will also find a bit of white along their chest and under side. The roosters hackle, saddle, and tail feathers may also have a small amount of darker brown to gold coloring.

Feathering, Comb, & Wattles

As we mentioned, Buff Orpingtons have a feather color of Buff with a bit of white. Their feathers are also quite fluffy. The fluff comes from a softer under coat of feathering. It is this coat that makes them so cold hardy.

While the hens feathering is pretty tight and uniform across the body, the roosters have a bit more variety. Their hackle, saddle, and tail feathers are much longer and have a cascading look to them. Their plumage is meant to be visually appealing so they can more easily attract a hen for mating.

The hens feature a medium sized single comb and matching, short, red wattles. Roosters still have a single comb but theirs is much larger with 5 spiked ridges. They also have longer, dangling red wattles. The combs and wattles of these birds look very similar to the Rhode Island Red.

Size

Orpingtons are a fairly large breed of fowl. The hens on their own are pretty big, usually weighing between 6 and 8 pounds. While the roosters can get to a massive 8 to 10 pounds!

They often look even bigger due to how fluffy their feathers can be. A full grown rooster weighing 10 pounds can easily look like he weighs 12 to 15 pounds because of his feathering.

There are some Bantam Orpington breeds, as well. Generally speaking, a Bantam breed is going to weigh about ⅓ of the full sized breed. So a bantam hen will weigh between 2 and 3 pounds with a Bantam rooster weighing around 2.5 and 4 pounds.

Need some help keeping your chickens health and care taken care of? Check out the Organized Chicken Keeper for an easy to follow system.

Breed Standard

According to The Orpington Club in the UK, the breed standard is:

Rooster

Type

The rooster should have a "broad and cobby" body with a curved back and rounded breast. Their saddle should have a bit of a rise to it with a "full hackle". Their wings should be small and held close to the body. Finally, the tail is shorter but still has a flow to it.

Head

The rooster should have a small head with a firm, curved beak, large eyes, and a single ridged comb. Their wattles should be rounded and of "medium length". The ear lobes should be "small and elongated".

Hen

The hen should possess many of the same physical characteristics of the rooster. Their features will be a bit more subtle and more "graceful" than those of the rooster.

What Are They Like?

We like to break this down into two sections; temperament (what they do) and personality (why they do it).

Temperament

These chickens are great to keep around if you live in a colder climate. They are extremely cold hardy because of their feathering. As long as they have a warm and dry place to take shelter, they will do great.

The heat is a different story. Their feathers tend to make them overheat really easily in hotter climates. If you live in an area with extreme heat, they may not be a good match for you. They can do well in more mild climates so long as they have regular access to water and shade.

Orpingtons enjoy to free-range and forage. A good portion of their daily nutritional needs can come just from foraging.

If you notice a decrease in egg laying, it may be because they have gone broody. One of the biggest culprits for a broody chicken is when we leave eggs in the nest too long. Its best to pull them twice a day, if you can. When eggs collect in the nest, the hen's maternal instincts start to kick in and they go into brood mode.

Personality

Buff Orpingtons have the best personalities. If you want a loving and friendly chicken that doesn't mind being cuddled, you have found the right breed. They will not let you pick them up, they will sometimes come running to you when they see you.

This characteristic is part of what makes them great with kids. They are very docile and patient. Meaning they will tolerate a lot of the playing that other breeds would find annoying. You will definitely notice a decrease in pecking with these guys.

However, since they are so easy-going, they tend to be pretty low in the pecking order. More aggressive breeds will push them out of food and water supplies and just generally bully them. These chickens tend to do best with more gentle breeds.

What Is Their Purpose?

Orpingtons are recognized as a dual purpose breed. That simply means that they are both suitable for egg production and in use as meat birds. However, in recent years, they have also begun to be used as show birds.

Up until very recently, they were considered endangered and on the American Breed Livestock Conservancy list. However, due to a combination of their size, egg productivity, and show ring appeal, many backyard breeders were able to bring them back to a healthy population number.

Show

Not just the Buff Orpington, but Orpingtons in general are now becoming part of the chicken show world. Their size and variety of colors makes them a fun and beautiful addition to show breeding. They join other breeds like the Polish, Ayam Cemanis, and Silkies as ornamental breeds.

Eggs

Buff Orpingtons are fantastic layers; laying large brown eggs. The breed was intended for high production and it really shows. A single hen can sometimes produce more than 5 eggs a week; that's 200 to 280 a year!! They are well suited to meet the needs of a full sized family.

They join the ranks of great laying chickens alongside the The Buckeye Chicken, Sussex, or the Deathlayer.

Meat

Both the hens and roosters make great meat birds. The roosters average between 8 and 10 pounds full grown while the hens are a pretty big 6 to 8 pounds. This breed can more than cover your protein needs.

Pets

Last, but not least, these chickens make great pets. They are very gentle and peaceful birds. If you just want a few chickens in the backyard or you have young children that want to get into chickens, these guys make great companions.

They also do well with other breeds of chickens. So, introducing new chickens to your flock is a fairly easy process.

What Care Do They Need?

You will definitely want to make sure you have all your bases covered in the care department. Making sure that your chickens have the right diet and a safe shelter will ensure a happy and healthy flock.

Diet

These chickens are pretty decent foragers. They love to silently peck around the barnyard or backyard in which they live. However, due to their laid back nature, they do tend to get picked on and pushed away from the chicken feeder .

Because of that, they will sometimes stay close to the feeder and skip free ranging altogether. This can lead to a boost in your feed bill but also some health concerns over obesity.

It is best to feed these guys on a schedule with a high quality layer feed. If you have a designated feeding area, make sure to spread the feed out enough that they can get their fair share.

Other than foraging and feed, they just need access to a reliable, clean, and unfrozen waterer. Provide this by using one of the best chicken waterers you can find and knowing how to keep chicken waters from freezing if you live in a cold weather climate.

Shelter

Orpingtons do really well in captivity. They seem to have a "go with the flow" mentality toward life. If you were to keep a small flock of Buff Orpingtons in a contained coop and run, or a chicken tractor, they would be perfectly happy.

The most important factors when setting up your chickens shelter are warmth, cleanliness, ventilation, and security.

Depending on where you live, the winter can get pretty cold. Orpingtons fair pretty well, even in extremely low temperatures because of their feathering. However, it is good to make sure all of your chickens, assuming you have a variety of breeds, will stay warm in the winter.

Chickens poop...A LOT! All of the chicken manure will build up over time if not kept clean. It is okay to let some manure build up a bit, it can actually keep the coop warmer when it composts. However, too much can become a major health hazard.

One of those hazards can be mitigated by having good ventilation. That just means the coop will have a way for air to circulate in and out of the coop.

No matter how large your chickens can get, they are still pretty low on the food chain. Even the biggest chicken is no match for a hungry raccoon or fox. A good shelter is one that is completely secure so that when the chickens are roosting at night, they can do so safely and without predator interference.

Common Questions

While researching this breed we came across a couple of reoccurring questions. Here are some of the more common ones we found.

Q1. Are Buff Orpingtons good layers?/ What color eggs does a Buff Orpington lay?/ How many eggs do Buff Orpingtons lay?

Buff Orpingtons are fantastic layers. You can expect to get 3 to 5 large brown eggs per week. That's between 156 and 260 eggs a year! And that's just from one hen. A flock can easily handle the needs of a family.

Q2. Are Buff Orpingtons cold hardy?

Buff Orpingtons do very well in the cold. Their size and dual feather coat keep them insulated and warm even in the coldest climates. On the other hand, they do not fair well in hot climates. That is likely due to the same reasons; their feathers and size keep them too warm.

Q3. How can you tell if a Buff Orpington is male or female?

You can tell the difference between a Buff Orpington rooster and hen in the same way you can tell most hens and roosters apart. Roosters are typically much larger than hens. Additionally, they will have larger and bright combs and wattles. Roosters tend to have bright and flashy colored hackle, saddle, and tailfeathers. Finally, roosters typically have large spurs on their feet.

Hens are usually much smaller than roosters. They will typically be the same primary color as the rooster of the same breed just without the flashier hackle, saddle, and tail feathers. Additionally, if you see them either laying or sitting on top of an egg, it's probably a hen. You can get more details on hens here.

Q4. How old are Buff Orpingtons when they start laying?

You can expect to start getting eggs from your Buff Orpingtons around 6 months of age. They are generally past the juvenile stage of growing and full adults. This can vary a month or two in either direction but 6 months is the average time they will start to lay. If you're feeling impatient, you can look for some clues to when your hen will start laying.

Q5. Are Buff Orpingtons loud?

This is one of the more clam and docile breeds you will find. They keep to themselves, for the most part, and do not make too much noise other than the occasional rooster crow.

Q6. What is the life expectancy of a Buff Orpington?

Buff Orpingtons will generally live up to 8 years of age. This is assuming they live a relatively well kept life with plenty of food, water, shelter, and protection from predators.

Q7. How much does a Buff Orpington cost?

Buff Orpingtons are a pretty common breed of chicken. Therefore, they are not too terribly pricey. You can generally find chicks in the $3 to $5 range. Hatching eggs are even cheaper if you want to incubate your own chicks. We have had a lot of success with the large cabinet in this post about incubators.

Q8. How high can Buff Orpingtons fly?

Chickens, in general, are not really great flyers and Buff Orpingtons are no exception. Chickens are capable of short bursts of flight usually only a few feet above the ground. Buff Orpingtons, due to their size, are only capable of flying a couple feet high and not very long distances.

However, keep in mind that a motivated chicken can fly higher if they need to. For example, if they see something they want to eat on the other side of your fence, they can easily fly over a 4 to 6 foot fence to get to it.

Q9. Do Buff Orpingtons go broody?

Buff Orpington Hens tend to go broody pretty often. You can help to keep their broodiness at bay by keeping their nesting box free of eggs as often as possible. Alternatively, if you want to try hatching eggs without an incubator, you can always try hatching with a broody hen instead.

Q10. Are Buff Orpington Roosters aggressive?

Buff Orpingtons are some of the more patient and calm chickens you will find. Their sweet and docile nature makes them a perfect breed for kids and beginners. All roosters can be territorial and aggressive. However, these roosters are some of the least likely to be overtly aggressive.

Q11. Do Buff Orpingtons lay in the winter?

Like most chicken breeds, Buff Orpingtons will show a slight decrease in laying during the winter months. This is more due to the shorter days and lack of sunlight than with the temperature.

Conclusion

The Buff Orpington is an all around great bird. They are gentle with you and the rest of your flock. Their egg production is right up there with some of the most productive chickens out there. Not to mention, they are gorgeous.

If you want an all around great chicken to add to your flock, this is a great breed to go with!