Cornish Poulty/ Breed info

Ancona bantams
Ancona bantams are very active and inquisitive birds that like nothing more than foraging in the open air. Originating in the Italian province of Ancona they were bred from a mixture of breeds including the Leghorn. Anconas are hardy and are prolific layers of white eggs. They have white earlobes and bay coloured eyes, and a large single comb which flops to one side in the female but stands erect in the male. The feathers are black with a beautiful beetle green sheen, tipped with white, they have yellow featherless legs and feet mottled with small black spots. Anconas bantams are small attractive birds which are not prone to broodiness. They are happiest when foraging free so are best kept free range, they are also very good flyers so high fencing may be required.

Leghorn
Leghorns are a very active bird and superb layers of large white eggs. Originating in The Port of Leghorn in Italy they arrived in Britain in the late 1800s. They have white earlobes and yellow legs and the eye is red in all colours. They have a large single comb, a deep abdomen, a whipped tail and their legs are long and featherless. The Leghorns were one of the breeds used to create the modern battery hybrid layer as they are very productive birds and are able to adapt to all conditions. Leghorns are prolific layers that rarely go broody, eggs are laid throughout the year. They are quite a flighty breed so high fencing may be required if kept free range.

Araucana Bantams
Araucana Bantams are placid birds and are vigorous and hardy. They are good layers of beautiful blue/ green eggs which have been said to be lower in cholesterol than other eggs! Originating in South America and are named after the Arauca Indians of Chile. They were introduced to Europe in the early 1900s. They have a small pea comb facial muffling and small crest on the head. The hens are good layers laying up to 200 eggs per year. They are short, rounded birds with an upright stance and a broad skull. They are very friendly birds and are happy to be kept either locked up or free range. They can be prone to broodiness and make excellent mothers.

Cream Legbar
The Cream Legbar is a crested chicken which is a true auto sexing breed which means that you can tell the sex of the chicks by the colour of the feathers at day old! It is an old pure breed which originated in the 1930s as a cross between Brown Leghorns and Barred Rock with some Araucana blood in them, making them blue/ green egg layers. They are very firm, muscular birds with a wedge shaped body which is broad at the shoulders and tapers towards the rear. The head has a strong beak and large single erect comb, they have a small crest, yellow legs and feet are strong and featherless with four evenly spaced toes. Legbars are very attractive birds and good egg layers of blue/ green eggs, they occasionally will go broody but make good mothers, they do best free ranging but are happy kept confined.

Welsummer
Welsummers are good layers of medium to dark brown eggs. Originating in the area along the river Ysel to the north of Deventer in Holland between 1900-1913. The Dutch bred it from the partridge Cochin, partridge Wyandotte and partridge Leghorn, the Barnvelder and Rhode Island Red. They first came to Britain in 1928 and were popular for their large brown egg. The Welsummer is a large, upright, active bird with a broad back, full breast and large full tail. They head has a single comb, medium wattles, almond shaped ear lobes, a strong, short beak and have yellow featherless legs. They do go broody but not usually until late spring but are not particularly good mothers. They are good layers but like all breeds lay fewer eggs during the winter months. They are friendly, easily handled birds which like to free range and forage, but are happily kept confined.

Vorwerk Bantams
Vorwerk bantams are an active breed and are good egg layers they love to forage and make excellent birds for farmyards and smallholdings. Originating in Hamburg, Germany around 1900 and was developed by the German breeder Oskar Vorwerk who gave his name to the breed, they were developed a good utility breed. They are thought to have been bred from, Andalusians, Orpingtons, Ramelslohers and Lakenvelders. The breed is rare and was almost lost after the Second World War. They are tough little birds with broad backs, and a deep, rounded breast. The head is broad and the face well feathered. They have a single, medium sized serrated comb, medium length wattles and small white earlobes. Their plumage is soft and glossy, the legs are slate blue and they have four toes. The hens lay lots of white eggs throughout the year and rarely go broody. They are an active breed who prefer to free range but are happy kept confined, they can be quite flighty so high fencing may be necessary.

Wyandotte Bantams
Wyandotte bantams are docile friendly birds which make excellent broodies and good mothers. They are a dual purpose breed, the hens are good layers laying upto 180 eggs a year and the cockerels make great table birds. Originating from the United States, no one really knows which breeds were used to create the them. They were first reported in the 1860s and the first variety was the silver laced. They are very attractive birds with a distinctive curvy shape. They have broad bodies and are full feathered, they have yellow legs and a round, short head, with a rose comb, bright red ear lobes and reddish bay eyes. They come in a variety of different colours including, black, white, silver laced, partridge and columbian to name a few! We keep blacks, barreds and silver laced wyandottes, all in bantams.

Marans
Marans are a large dual purpose breed, the hens are renowned for laying dark brown eggs and cockerel for making delicious table birds. Originating in France in the town of Marans in the mid 1800s, they were developed for both meat and eggs. Although good layers, Marans can be lazy birds, getting fat very easily if allowed to therefore it is best to keep them as free range as possible to prevent this. Marans are easy to look after and if given the space will be active. They are a docile and disease resistant breed making them ideal for beginners. Marans come in a variety of colours with the most common being cuckoo.

Orpington
Orpington’s are a heavy and loosely feathered bird which makes them appear very large. Originating in Orpington, Kent in 1886 where they were created by William Crook. The original black Orpington’s were created using a number of breeds including Minorcas, Plymouth Rock and Langshans. The White Orpington followed 3 years later and was a cross between a White Leghorn, Black Hamburg and a White Dorking. This was shortly followed by the buff Orpington, now probably the most popular of all Orpington colours. Orpington’s are birds which like to be free range but are quite happy kept penned up, their wingspan is short, making them easy to contain with low fences. They have a very strong tendency to go broody and make superb mothers which can cover a lot of eggs/ chicks. They are reasonable layers, laying around 180 small pinkish coloured eggs a year.

Indian / Cornish Game
Indian / Cornish game are quite a fierce and stout looking bird but it has never been used as a fighting bird. They are very popular due to their very large proportion of breast meat making them ideal table birds. Originating here in Cornwall Indian / Cornish Game birds have been bred since the 19th century. The bird descends from an Asil, an Indian breed of bird whose name means aristocratic. They are popular for cross breeding purposes for their meat. Although named ‘Game’ they are not classed as game at exhibition standard. The Indian / Cornish Game are have a confident character but are surprisingly docile and can become quite tame. As they were bred for cross breeding for meat, they are not surprisingly poor egg layers, laying around 120 eggs a year. They can become broody and make very protective mothers. Due to their size they do need to have low perches and large pop holes to get through.

Light Sussex
The Sussex is one of the oldest breeds that are still in existence today, a very popular breed to keep, a dual purpose bird which is one of the most productive pure breeds around today. Originating in Sussex, they were prized table birds more than 100 years ago, the original colours were brown, red and speckled, but today Light Sussex are the most popular. The Sussex chicken is an alert but docile breed that can adapt to most surroundings easily. They are good foragers and are best kept free range but will also be happy if kept penned up. They do occasionally but not very often go broody and make good mothers. The hen will lay around 260 large eggs that are cream to light brown in colour, they are ideal chickens for the new keeper.