Chickens make a good pet. It’s easy to care for them and fun to have them around. Plus, you get free eggs! If you are a hobbyist who enjoys rearing chickens in the backyard and loves to show them off, you are in for a ride!
Scroll down to read about some of the most unique and fancy chicken breeds that will make an excellent addition to your beautiful flock!
1. Belgian Chickens
There are three main varieties of Belgian chickens. You can get a Belgian d’Anvers, a Belgian d’Uccle or a Belgian de Watermael. These birds are as fancy as their names! Belgian chickens are usually black, white or golden.
They are huge, heavily-feathered birds with round protruding breast and an arching tail. Female Belgians are usually friendly and comfortable around humans. On the other hand, Belgian roosters are usually aggressive. Keep in mind that, like most fancy birds, Belgian chickens are purely ornamental.
2. Old English Game Chickens
Old English Game chickens descend from the English fighting cocks. No wonder, they were reared as fighting birds for a long time! However, nowadays, these birds are reared for display purposes only.
There are two main varieties of Old English Game: Oxford and Carlisle. The Oxford Old English Game is usually extremely active and loves to run around, with its large flowing tail. On the other hand, Carlisle birds are heavily muscled and like to laze around. They are usually black, golden, silver, or spangled and weigh around 510g to 740g.
3. Silkie Chicken
Silkie chickens are greatly loved for their unique and stunning appearance and their gentle nature. They are native to Asia and make a great pet! As the name suggests, they are covered in feathers that are as soft as silk. These birds are distinctively fluffy and generally broody.
Unlike most chickens, Silkies have 5 toes on each foot. They come in black, blue, white, golden and grey colors. However, their beaks, bones and even meat, are blackish-blue in color! These distinctive characteristics and the delightful, unique appearance make them a truly ornamental breed of chickens.
4. Rosecomb Chickens
Rosecomb chickens are small and attractive. They are lively by nature and are famous for their high flights. Moreover, they are known for their succulent meat. However, it is a difficult breed to keep. If you are new to chicken rearing, it is advisable to skip this one breed. These birds come in a wide variety of color combinations but blue, black, red, and white colors are the most common.
5. Frizzle Chicken
Frizzle chickens are cuddly and adorable. They are native to Asia and are purely exhibition breed. This breed can be of many colors’ including black, buff, white and blue. Frizzle chickens are heavy and soft-feathered and lay light brown eggs.
Whether you keep ordinary layer chickens or invest in an expensive, fancy breed, it is your responsibility to care for your birds. Don’t forget to check out Little Fields Farm to find everything you need to rear a happy and healthy flock!
