14 Fancy Chicken Breeds You Should Know

Last Updated on October 23, 2023 by Fumipets

Fancy Chicken Breeds

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There are several benefits to selecting one breed of chicken over another. Some breeders choose a chicken for its capacity to produce eggs, while others select a breed for its delicious flesh. Backyard dog owners may choose friendlier breeds that want to be petted.

Breeds of chicken that are regarded as fancy are those that are uncommon, unusual, or special. They are well-known not just for their beauty but also because they have criteria that allow them to be shown in exhibits and poultry contests all over the globe and are accepted by chicken organizations.

Below are 14 fancy chicken breeds that you can consider breeding.

The 14 Fancy Chicken Breeds

1. Silkie Chicken

The Silkie is a popular breed with a distinctive appearance. From the top of the head to his toes, he is covered in soft feathers. It also has skin that is black or dark blue, however the fluffy feathers obscure most of the flesh. This breed comes in a variety of colors and gets along well with its owners. The Silkie, however, is not the breed for you if you’re searching for a prolific layer since it only lays, on average, 100 to 120 eggs each year.

2. Serama Chicken

The Serama is commonly acknowledged as the world’s tiniest breed of bantam chicken. Adults often weigh less than 0.5 kg. This Malaysian breed has a distinctive look due to its small size and chest that goes all the way to its head. The Serama produces tiny eggs that are 1 inches long, as you would anticipate from such a little bird.

3. Houdan Chicken

The Houdan chicken is a French breed that was developed in the Houdan commune, which is located west of Paris. The Houdan breed, like the Polish breed farther down the list, has a strongly coiffured haircut, and the males have a V-shaped comb. The breed is one of a select few that has five toes instead of four, is calm and gentle, and adapts well to captivity. About 150 eggs will be produced annually by this huge breed.

4. Orpingtons

In the world of chickens, the Orpington breed has gained a lot of popularity, particularly the Buff Orpington. Since it is such a gentle species, your main worry will be if it is being picked on by other hens in your flock. This plump-appearing breed will lay around 200 eggs each year.

5. Ayam Cemani Chicken

A genuinely distinctive-looking chicken breed from Indonesia is called Ayam Cemani. The chicken is nearly entirely black due to a dominant hyperpigmentation gene. The Ayam Cemani’s skin, beak, and even internal organs are all black in addition to its feathers. It is by no means a prolific egg layer, producing fewer than 100 eggs annually, but since it is such a rare species, you could have to spend thousands of dollars on a breeding pair.

6. Frizzle Chicken

Charles Darwin also addressed the Frizzle chicken breed, referring to them as Caffie Fowl and noting that they were discovered in India. In certain regions of Europe, the Frizzle is regarded as a distinct breed even though the gene that gives it its peculiar-looking feathers is common in other breeds, such as the Polish. This breed will only produce approximately 120 eggs a year and may require assistance controlling body temperature.

7. Polish Chicken

The Polish breed is a lovely addition to your backyard flock since it resembles a crash helmet. The loss of eyesight brought on by the hair means that while this breed is docile and makes a fine companion, they sometimes exhibit strange behavior. They may be picked on by more aggressive birds since they are also fairly meek. Each year, they lay around 200 eggs.

8. Barnevelder

Dutch Barnevelder chickens are distinguished by their easygoing nature. It is an excellent addition to your flock since it is very calm. The Barnevelder may lay up to 200 eggs each year, which are fairly dark brown and are regarded as enormous.

9. Plymouth Rock

The Plymouth Rock is an American dog breed that originated in Massachusetts and is still quite well-liked there. They are praised for being a wonderful breed for families searching for poultry pets since they are regarded as amiable. It may be possible to teach the Plymouth Rock to follow you and feed from your hand with commitment and effort. The Plymouth Rock will lay up to 200 brown eggs every year.

10. Sebright Chicken

Early in the 19th century, Sir John Sebright developed the Sebright, a British bantam chicken. They have light brown feathers with a darker brown border all around. The fact that the chicken only produces around 60 eggs a year, or little more than one every seven days, may have something to do with its relative rarity.

11. Onagadori

The long-tailed Onagadori is a kind of chicken. It originates from Japan and is a rare breed. Due to the size of its tail, which can extend up to 10 meters, they need specific coops in order to dwell. The name of this coop is tombaku. It is a submissive breed whose main use is as a display or decorative breed. One of the rarest species of chicken in the world, there are just a few hundred of them still in existence today.

12. Araucana

Even though the Araucana is a stunning bird in its own right, it is most famous and raised for the eggs that it lays. Any color egg, from light blue to green, may be laid by a raucana. It should be mentioned that a single hen won’t produce a variety of colored eggs, but if you have a flock of Araucana chickens, you may get a rainbow of colored eggs. Additionally, they will lay around 180 eggs a year.

13. Yokohama

Another long-tailed breed that is becoming more scarce is the Yokohama chicken. This breed is classified as severely endangered and is considered to be very difficult to reproduce. It features a red breast, red shoulders, white hackles, and white tail feathers if you should happen to see one.

14. Appenzeller Spitzhauben

Swiss chickens are of the Appenzeller Spitzhauben breed. It is a competent climber who lives in the highlands and can scale both rocks and trees. They will lay around 200 medium- to large-sized, white eggs every year. They are a distinctive and appealing species, yet they do like exploring and love to roam freely.

Conclusion

The aforementioned 14 exotic varieties of chicken would be a wonderful addition to any flock. These breeds won’t let you down whether your goal is to breed uncommon and exotic breeds or you just want to give your backyard flock some personality and a unique look.

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