How To Identify A Chicken Breed
There are many different species of chickens. Each has a different purpose. Some breeds are bred for egg production, others for meat production, and others for artistic purposes. In search of the perfect combination of size and temperament, crossings of various species have created additional breeds. Bantam chickens are small (less than half the size of a normal full-grown hen) and energetic. Many species have homologues in the Bantam variety. These are the result of the mating of a hen of some other species with a Bantam rooster.
Take a close look at the top of the chicken's head. If the crest of feathers towers over the bird's head, you have crested chicken, which is more of a show fowl than an egg- or meat-producing poultry. These chickens are smaller, although there are some exceptions. Polish chickens are one of the examples of the crested species. If your crested chicken has feathers that resemble the skin on a hen's face, you likely have a silkie chicken. Some of these specimens have feathers that grow on their feet.
Observe the facial features of your chicken. If it looks like it has a beard or feathers spread across its face. Chickens of this species are known as "Easter Eggs" chickens because of their blue and green coloured eggs. If the chicken doesn't have a beard, but it looks like it has ear flaps and no tail, you have an Araucana, which is often mistaken for Ameraucanas. The Araucanas are of a great variety of colours.
Examine the chicken's ears. If you have a chicken with brown ear flaps, it will lay brown eggs. If the chicken has different coloured ears, the eggs will be white. However, this predictive method does not work with Ameraucana or Araucanas. Being able to predetermine the colour of the eggs will help you deduce the breed.
Pay attention to the colour of the chicken. Hues vary by breed, but this can help narrow down your options. If the chicken looks blue, it could be a blue Andalusian. However, Andalusians are also black, white and mottled, or combine blue, white and black. If the chicken is shiny black, it could be an Australorp. These are chickens raised in Orpingtons in Australia in 1900. The name combines "austral" from Australia with "ORP" from Orpingtons.
If your chicken is white or another colour and has black spots, stripes or spots, it results from a common gene from Plymouth Rock and New Hampshire chickens. Delaware chicken, in general, is all white with black stripes showing the presence of that gene.
Look for a combination of Ameraucana, with the feathered feet of a Silkie and five toes instead of four on each foot. If the chicken has these characteristics, it is likely a Faverolle, a French breed of chicken.
If the feathers curve outwards instead of lying flat against the chicken's body, we are talking about Frizzles. Chicken frizzles are used primarily as a show fowl and for mating with other species to achieve a different frizzle version. In the same way, breeders use Bantams to make smaller versions of other breeds.