15-460: The Indian Game is a British breed of game chicken , now reared either for meat or show . It originated in the early nineteenth century in the counties of Cornwall and Devon in south-west England. It is a heavy, muscular bird with an unusually broad breast; the eggs are brown. In the United States the name was changed in the early twentieth century to Cornish . A white variant,
30-754: A unique appearance. However, distinct breeds are the result of selective breeding to emphasize certain traits. Any breed may be used for general agricultural purposes, and all breeds are shown to some degree. But each chicken breed is known for a primary use. Many breeds were selected and are used primarily for producing eggs , these are mostly light-weight birds whose hens do not go broody often. Most farms and homesteads use dual-purpose breeds for meat production. Some breeds are raised mainly for meat: The generalist breeds used in barnyards worldwide are adaptable utility birds good at producing both meat and eggs. Though some may be slightly better for one of these purposes, they are usually called dual-purpose breeds. Since
45-487: Is any small variety of fowl , usually of chicken or duck . Most large chicken breeds and several breeds of duck have a bantam counterpart, which is much smaller than the standard-sized fowl, but otherwise similar in most or all respects. A true bantam chicken is naturally small and has no large counterpart. The word bantam derives from the name of the seaport city of Bantam in western Java , Indonesia . European sailors restocking on live fowl for sea journeys found
60-799: Is recognised as "Indian Game" in Australia, by the Poultry Club of Great Britain in the United Kingdom, and by the Entente Européenne in Europe. In the United States the name was changed in 1905 to "Cornish Indian Game", and then in 1910 to "Cornish". It was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1893. The Indian Game is a large and stocky bird, short in the legs and unusually broad and deep in
75-544: The White Cornish , was developed there at about the same time, and is much used in modern industrial chicken meat production in many parts of the world, either for cross-breeding to produce hybrid broilers , or to produce fast-growing " game hens ". The breed was developed by Sir Walter Gilbert , of Bodmin in Cornwall , in about 1820. It was intended to be a gamecock , but had no aptitude for cockfighting. It
90-413: The 19th century, poultry fancy , the breeding and competitive exhibition of poultry as a hobby, has grown to be a huge influence on chicken breeds. Many breeds have always been kept for ornamental purposes, and others have been shifted from their original use to become first and foremost exhibition fowl, even if they may retain some inherent utility. Since the sport of cockfighting has been outlawed in
105-723: The 21st century, chickens are frequently bred according to predetermined breed standards set down by governing organizations. The first of such standards was the British Poultry Standard , which is still in publication today. Other standards include the Standard of Perfection , the Australian Poultry Standard , and the standard of the American Bantam Association, which deals exclusively with bantam fowl. Only some of
120-569: The United States, the Cornish is recognised in four colours: the original dark, added to the Standard of Perfection in 1893; the white, added in 1898; the white-laced red, added in 1909; and the buff, added in 1938. It is resistant to most common diseases of poultry , but vulnerable to parasites . The feathers are thin and hard, without down; this may render the birds susceptible to cold, which may delay breeding in early Spring. The Indian Game
135-523: The breast. Some cock birds may be so short-legged and broad-breasted that they are incapable of reproducing . Three colour variants are recognised in the United Kingdom: the dark, the original colour; the Jubilee; and the double-laced blue, which is rare. The Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture and some European countries recognise the white variant in addition to these three. In
150-515: The combined factors of geographical isolation and selection for desired characteristics created regional types with distinct physical and behavioral traits passed on to their offspring. The physical traits used to distinguish chicken breeds are size, plumage color, comb type, skin color, number of toes, amount of feathering, egg color, and place of origin. They are also roughly divided by primary use, whether for eggs, meat, or ornamental purposes, and with some considered to be dual-purpose. In
165-514: The definition of a breed . Most crossbreed strains are sex linked , allowing for easy chick sexing . Roberts, Victoria (2008). British Poultry Standards . Oxford, UK: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424 . Complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Bantam chicken A bantam
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#1732790758609180-440: The developed world, most breeds first developed for this purpose, called game fowl, are now seen principally in the show ring rather than the cock pit as fighting cocks . denotes a breed primarily used for exhibition, but which is still used for utility purposes. denotes a game breed. Most large chicken breeds have a bantam counterpart, sometimes referred to as a miniature . Miniatures are usually one-fifth to one-quarter
195-1336: The known breeds are included in these publications, and only those breeds are eligible to be shown competitively. There are additionally a few hybrid strains which are common in the poultry world, especially in large poultry farms. These types are first generation crosses of true breeds. Hybrids do not reliably pass on their features to their offspring, but are highly valued for their producing abilities. By place of origin : Afghanistan • Albania • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Chile • China • Croatia • Cuba • Czech Republic • Egypt • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Iran • Italy • Japan • Korea • Kosovo • Malaysia • Myanmar • Netherlands • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • South Africa • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom • United States • Vietnam By primary use : Eggs • Meat • Dual-purpose • Exhibition Other : Bantams • Hybrids See also • References • Sources All chickens lay eggs , have edible meat , and possess
210-438: The size of the standard breed, but they are expected to exhibit all of the standard breed's characteristics. A true bantam has no large counterpart, and is naturally small. The true bantams include: Many common strains of crossbred chickens exist, but none breed true or are recognized by poultry breed standards ; thus, though they are extremely common in flocks focusing on high productivity, crossbreeds do not technically meet
225-551: Was bred as a gamecock, but was not successful as a fighting bird. It was found to be a good meat breed, and was much used for cross-breeding with established meat breeds such as the Dorking , Orpington and Sussex . It is a poor layer: the eggs are small and light brown; hens may lay about 80 per year. List of chicken breeds There are hundreds of chicken breeds in existence. Domesticated for thousands of years, distinguishable breeds of chicken have been present since
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