Chicken farm

Did you know that chickens come in a wide variety of species ranging in different shapes, sizes, and colors, while some chicken breeds differ in egg production and flavorful meat quality? There is an amazing amount of chicken breeds documented today and many of them come from all different parts of the world. Most breeds of chickens are tame and even the most erotic breeds of chickens can make great pets for the entire family.

Groups of Chickens

Chicken Breeds are first broken down into two groups. We have the standard chicken breeds which are the large breeds of poultry normally known for their large size and weight. Then we have the bantam chickens or banties. These are known for their miniature size and ability to fly. Becareful when raising bantams because they can easily fly over your fence and into your neighbor's yard if your chicken coop or chicken run is not closed off at the top.

Classes of Chickens

Chicken Breeds are then noted for their classifications or chicken class. A Chicken breed's class determines the chicken's place of origin. Examples of these would be the American Class, Asiatic Class and the Mediterranean Class. Within the American Class of Chicken Breeds we would find the New Hampshires, Jersey Giants and the Buckeyes. Popular amongs the Asiatic Class would be the Brahmas and the Sumatras, while the Mediterranean Class of Chicken Breeds is famous for Leghorns and the Minorcas. Keep in mind that within the chicken classifications, we will find many chicken varieties. Take for example the Mediterranean Class Leghorns in which we would find brown leghorns and white leghorns.

classes of chicken breeds and varieties

There are many more classes of chicken breeds and varieties including both standard chickens and bantams which I have listed below: A Ac, Amber, Ameraucana, American Game Fowl, Ancona, Andalusian, Antwerp Belgian, Appenzell, Araucana, Asbos, Asil, Asturian Painted Hen, Augsburger, Australorp, Ayam Bekisar, Ayam Cemani B Bandara, Barbu d'Anver, Barbud d'Everberg, Bardu de Watermaal, Barnevelder, Barred Holland, Barred Plymouth Rock, Barthuhner, Baheij, Belgian, Berat, Bergische Kraeher, Bielefelder, Bigawi, Black Rock, Blomme Höna, Blue Hen Chicken, Booted, Brabanter, Braekel / Brakel, Brahma, Breda Fowl, Bresse, Brinkotter, Buckeye, Buttercup C California Gray, Cambar, Campine, Castellana Negra, Catalana, Cemani, Chabo (Japanese bantam), Chantecler, Chick Marley, Chity, Cochin, Coral, Cornish, Cream Legbar, Crevecoeur, Criolla, Croad Langshan, Cubalaya D Dandarawi, Delaware, Denizli fowl, Dominiques, Dorking, d'Uccle, Dutch F Fayoumi, Finnish, Friesland, Frizzle G Gallus Inauris, German Langshan, Gimmizah, Golden Montazah, Gotland, Groningen Gull, Groninger Meeuwen, Guelderland H Hamburg, Hanayee, Hedemara Hen, Holland I Indian Game, ISA Brown, Ixworth J Java, Jersey Giant K Ko-Shamo, Kraienkoppe L La Flèche, Lamona, Langshan, Leghorn, Loman M Malay, Marans, Marsh Daisy, Matrouh, Mechelse koekoek, Minorca, Modern Game N Naked Neck, Nankin-Shamo, New Hampshire, Niederrheiner, Norfolk Grey, North Holland Blue O Old English Game, Old English Pheasant Fowl, Orloff, Orpington P Pavlov, Pekin, Phoenix, Plymouth Rock, Polish, Poltava R Red Cap, Rhode Island Red, Rock, Rosecomb S Saipan Jungle Fowl, Sebright, Scots Dumpy, Scots Grey, Serama, Shamo, Sicilian Buttercup, Silkie, Silver Montazah, Skånsk blommehöna, Smyth Line, Spanish, Styrian, Sulmtaler, Sultan, Sumatra, Sussex, Swiss Hen T Tuzo V Vencobb, Vorwerk W Welsummer, White-Faced Black Spanish, Winnebago, Wyandotte, Wybar Y Yamato Gunkei, Yokohama, Yurlov Crower Z Zireh E.

by Miriam Rolling – poultry farmer