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The Cochin Chicken or Cochin China, was originally known as the Chinese Shanghai. This chicken was originally bred in China and later exported to Britain and America in the mid 19th century. Not only is this breed one of the largest seen, with cocks weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kg), but also the soft and plentiful plumage makes the bird quite conspicuous by exaggerating its already large size. The most distinctive feature of the Cochin is the excessive plumage that covers leg and foot. The skin beneath the feathers is yellow and the egg colour is brown. Eggs are also medium in size. Standard weight is 11 pounds (5 kg) for a cock, 9 pounds (4 kg) for a cockerel, 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg) for a hen, and 7 pounds (3.2 kg) for a pullet. Colour varieties include buff, black, partridge, blue, silver laced, splash, golden laced, and white. Cochins are well known as good mothers, even as foster mothers for other breeds, and they can lay many eggs, but usually not for extended periods of time.
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These are lighter, smaller birds and lay small to large white eggs. Most are nonsetters, but they are good foragers and have a good feed to egg ratio. The older birds make a good stewing chickens.
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Crested Breeds |
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Crested Breeds Polish are one of the most beautiful and unusual of all poultry breeds. They have large, distinctive crests, which on the Cock are long slim feathers that present a full headdress. On the hen they are tighter and resemble a rounded turban. They are of very ancient origin for in many pictures by the old masters, and especially those by Dutch and Flemish painters, the fowls shown in rural scenes are unquestionably Polish. They are quiet and gentle birds, owing perhaps to their restriced vision because of the crests. These are lighterbodied and smaller birds that lay small white eggs. They are nonsetters.
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Feather Footed |
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These are all large heavy birds and lay large brown eggs. They are also an excellent table bird. Young birds make excellent fryers and roasters, while the olderbirds make a great stewing chicken. If you want a great dual purpose bird, consider one of these.
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Rare and Unusual |
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These are all rare, many are very rare and are hardley ever seen outside exibitions. They can be white, brown and tinted egg layers. They are some of the most exotic, beautiful and intersting birds in existance. They never fail to excite viewers and raise questions whenever they are seen.
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Bantams
A bantam is any small or miniature fowl; the term bantam refers most commonly to small breeds of chickens. Many standard chicken breeds have a bantam counterpart, sometimes referred to as a miniature. Miniatures are usually one-fifth to one-quarter the size of the standard breed, but they are expected to exhibit all of the standard breed's characteristics.
A true bantam has no standard-breed counterpart. Examples of true bantams include the Dutch bantam, the Belgian bantam, the Rosecomb,The Japanese, and the Sebright.
It has been said that Bantam hens are calmer than standard hens. Bantam hens are also used as laying hens, although it takes two to three Bantam eggs to make one standard chicken egg.
In contrast, the Bantam rooster is famous for its aggressive, "puffed-up" disposition that can be amusing in light of its diminutive stature. It is often called a "Banty" in the rural United States.
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Minitures:
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Ducks
Rouen
These attractive ducks bear the name of the famous French city they came from originally. Similar to the Wild Mallard in color, the males have a lustrous green head and neck, a rich purplish brown chest, and steel gray penciling on the upper body. The females are mahogany brown with fine penciling of greenish black or brown. Males have a fall weight of 8 to 9 pounds and females are 6 to 7 pounds.
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Turkeys
A turkey is either of two species of large birds native to North America. Turkeys were considered a distinct family but more recently were reclassified as a subfamily of the pheasants and their allies. Turkeys have a distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the beak, called a snood. The female is smaller than the male, and much less colorful. With wingspans of almost 6 feet, the turkeys are by far the largest birds in the open forests in which they live, and are rarely mistaken for any other species. The wild turkey is native to Northern Mexico and the Eastern United States. The male turkey is called a tom and the female a hen. The turkey was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the 16th century. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and run 20 miles per hour. Tom turkeys have beards. This is black, hairlike feathers on their breast. Hens sometimes have beards, too. The caruncle is a red-pink fleshy growth on the head and upper neck of the turkey. Turkeys have a long, red, fleshy area called a snood that grows from the forehead over the bill. The fleshy growth under a turkey's throat is called a wattle or a "swag". A Turkeys' head will change colors when they become excited from a pale reddish gray to bright red or blue. Turkeys can see movement almost a hundred yards away. Male turkeys gobble while hens make a clicking noise. Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day. Wild turkeys were almost wiped out in the early 1900's. Today there are wild turkeys in every state except Alaska. |
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Black Spanish |
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The Black turkey should have a lustrous greenish black plumage. It is not extensively bred in America, but in Europe is considered one of the finest turkeys for table qualities, and is bred with success in Eastern England and Normandy in France. The French Blacks are pure, rich black, while the Norfolk Blacks in England are dull black, with brown and even white tips showing. The French blacks are the hardiest. In middle Europe the Black turkeys are smaller in size. |
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Bronze |
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The Bronze turkey is named for its unusual color, a shimmering green-bronze which appears metallic in the sunlight. It is found in two types, the Broad-breasted which has commercial uses, and the Unimproved (or naturally-mating), for small-scale production. Both are rare in North America.
The turkey is native to North America and was domesticated by the Aztecs in Mexico 500 years ago. Turkeys were taken to Spain beginning in 1500 and rapidly became known across Europe. The Pilgrims and other settlers brought turkeys with them to New England where they were crossed with wild indigenous stocks. This hybrid type was itself taken back to England where a game keep named John Bull began to select for a broader breast.
The North American turkey industry has built its current success on broad-breasted white turkeys. Broad-breasted turkeys (whether White or Bronze) require artificial insemination to reproduce, a result of the meaty breast which presents an obstacle for natural mating. In addition, processors have favored the white-feathered birds, whose pinfeathers are harder to detect after cleaning. This has left the Bronze in decline.
The unimproved Bronze is rarer still, with only one hatchery breeding flock and a few scattered university flocks known. |
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Blue Slate |
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Originating in Mexico 2000 years ago, Blue Slates were taken to Europe and then brought to the American Colonies. They were recognized as a standard breed in the U.S. in 1874. They come in three color phases: solid black, solid blue and blue flecked with black spots. Many times the birds are a combination of each phase coloring. These beautiful birds are of medium size and quite rare. The Slate turkey never attained any standing as a popular variety and is now practically extinct. Its size should be the same as that of the Black Turkey. |
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Royal Palm |
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A remarkably attractive bird, the Royal Palm displays some of the nicest colors of all turkey varieties. These birds are quite small compared to other turkeys. Mature toms weigh 15-20 pounds and hens are considerably lighter at 10-12 pounds. They are striking in appearance. These beautiful birds have a white base color and most feathers are banded with a bright metallic black color. The contrast of this black/white combination is truly radiant. The Royal Palm is not a common variety. |
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Narragnsett |
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This beautiful bird descends from a cross between the Eastern Wild Turkey and domestic turkeys brought to this country by European colonists. It is named for the Narragansett Bay of Rhode Island. They are a rare, multicolored, medium-sized breed with hens weighing up to 17 lbs. And toms up to 30 lbs. Their body plumage is primarily black with bands of steel gray. The tail is dull black, regularly penciled with parallel lines of tan, edged with steel gray. They are known for being calmer than most and are good mothers. |
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Burbon Red |
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One of the most beautiful of all turkey varieties. It has a very dark, rich, chestnut color that is edged in black on many of the feathers. The wing tips and the back one half of the tail are white giving it a very striking appearance. It will not grow as large or as fast as the bronze.
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Guinea Fowl
This is a family of African, insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.Guinea fowl have been kept in captivity and used by man for thousands of years. Guineafowl figures were inscribed on the temples and buildings of the ancient Egyptians. The Greeks were keeping domesticated varieties by 400 B.C. and both the meat and eggs were considered delicacies by the ancient Romans.
Up until 1939, the only colors of domestic guineas in the United States were pearl grey, white, lavender and pied variations of pearl and lavender. The white variation is thought to have been developed in Africa or on Madascar before being exported. The lavender variation developed around 1900, possibly from repeated crossings of pearl and white.
In 1939, the Italians brought seven new color variations to the United States for exhibition at the 1939 World Poultry Congress and Exposition in Cleveland, Ohio. The colors exhibited were Lilla (lavender), Fulvette (buff), Bluette (coral blue), Bianca (white), Azzurre (azure), Violette (Royal Purple), and pearl grey. These birds remained in the U.S. and provided the genetic diversity for the many colors seen today.
There are now five color patterns of guinea fowl in the United States:
Pearled - The entire feathered portion of the bird is covered in small white dots or "pearls".
Partially pearled - The feather pearling is limited to the flank and flight feathers. A small amount of partial pearling, rows of fused pearls that resemble barring, occurs on the back, chest, and side of the bird. The amount varies and is not always visible in the lighter colors.
Solid - These birds have a total absence of pearling. Some colors show evidence of a barred effect on their chests and wings, but is not visible unless very close.
Pied - Can be any base color and pattern, but will have white feathers and maybe wings. Pied birds with mainly white wings are sometimes referred to as "silver wings".
Two-tone - This is a new mutation that is a combination of two unblended colors and patterns. The bird will have a base color, such as buff, with random patches of another color throughout the feathers. Pied variations are also possible that result in a bird with three separate colors on the same bird.
They are large birds which measure from 40-71 cm in length, and weigh 700-1600 g.
The Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and introduced outside its natural range, for example in southern France and the West Indies.
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* Potos courtesy of the Guinea Fowl Internation Association.
Click Here to go to
the Guinea Fowl International Association Website
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Pheasants (Coming Soon)
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Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes.
Pheasant are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, with males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than the females, and have longer tails. Pheasants typically eat seeds and some insects.
There are 35 species of pheasant in 11 different genera. The best-known is the Common Pheasant which is widespread throughout the world in introduced feral populations and in farm operations. Various other pheasant species are popular in aviaries, such as the folowing Ornamental and Exotic Breeds:
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Peafowl
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The term peafowl can refer to the two species of bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family. Peafowl are best known for the male's extravagant tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, though it is common to hear the female also referred to as a "peacock" or "female peacock". The peafowl are forest birds that nest on the ground. The Pavo peafowl are terrestrial feeders but roost in trees. During mating season they will often emit a very loud high pitched cry.
The two species are:
- * Indian Peafowl, Pavo cristatus (Asiatic)
- * Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus (Asiatic)
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India Blue |
- We offer a pure strain of the India Blue Peafow from three different bloodlines. The Indian Blue Peafowl is the most common peafowl and breeds on the Indian subcontinent in the wild. The male (peacock) Indian Peafowl has iridescent blue-green or green coloured plumage along with a fan shaped crest. The so-called "tail" of the peacock, also termed the "train", is not the tail quill feathers but highly elongated upper tail coverts. The train feathers have a series of eyes that are best seen when the tail is fanned. The female (peahen) Indian Peafowl has a mixture of dull green, brown, and grey in her plumage. She lacks the long upper tail coverts of the male but has a crest. Females can also display their plumage to ward off danger to their young or other female competition. They lay a clutch of 4-8 eggs which take 28 days to hatch. The eggs are light brown and are laid every other day usually in the afternoon. The male does not assist with the rearing, and is polygamous with up to six hens.
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- The Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus, also known as the Dragonbird. Pavo muticus muticus the most critically endangered, with about 1000 individuals in the wild. It is currently confined to Java but earlier noted from the Thai-Malay peninsula. Green peafowl are taller and leaner than the blues, and brighter in color. The crest is tall and tightly bundled. The facial skin includes a region of light blue and a bright yellow loral patch. The head and neck are metallic green, the shoulders bluish-green, and the abdomen a dark green. Females are much more brightly colored than those of the India Blue. They are very similarly colored to the males, but the greens are slightly muted and less brilliant. They do not have a long train with ocelli, and their tail feathers have a heavy dark barring.It is very hard to tell a juvenile male from an adult female. The Green peacock's voice is slightly different from the India Blue, as the Green has a greater variety of tones. He also has the slight crook in his neck as breeding season approaches and he begins to constantly call.
The Java Greens are much more rare and scarce than the other peafowl and must be penned at all times, with adequate shelter. The adult males and females of the Java Green are similar in color, just as are the very young and juvenile birds. Distinguishing between the males and females in the Green peafowl becomes easier as the loral patch on the face of the males begins to turn black, and the female patch stays brown. Also, the fulvous-colored primaries of the male will be solid, where the female's rust primaries will have black stripes. The Java Green peahen is seen in the image on the right. She is as lovely as the Green peacock, but lacking the long, colorful train. The Java Green peahen is seen in the image on the right. She is as lovely as the Green peacock, but lacking the long, colorful train. The Java Green is the most vividly colored of the three green subspecies. Although the birds are beautiful, they are not easy to raise. Greens are flightier than blues, and can be aggressive towards humans and other birds. They also are very susceptible to the cold and need to be raised in heated or insulated aviaries during the winter in colder areas.
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- Quail
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The Bobwhite Quail, Northern Bobwhite, or Virginia Quail, Colinus virginianus, is a ground-dwelling bird native to North America. The name derives from its characteristic call. Bobwhites are distinguished by a black cap and black stripe behind the eye along the head. The area in between is white on males and yellow-brown on females. The body is brown, speckled in places with black or white on both sexes, and average weight is five to six ounces (145-200 grams).
- Tennessee Red
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These are muted Bobwhites . VERY aggressive and cannot be raised with other quail or game birds. They whistle like the bobwhite but are red in color with black dots.
- Texas Blue Scale
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The Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), also commonly called Blue Quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. This bird is named for the scaly appearance of its breast and back feathers. Along with its scaly markings, the bird is easily identified by its white crest that resembles a tuft of cotton. Both the hen & the cock are similar in appearance with the hens having a buff crest instead of the white crest of the males. They have brownish backs and undersides with bluish upper breast and throat.
- Gambel
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The Gambel's Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora. The Gambel's quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.
These birds are easily recognized by their top knots and scaly plumage on their undersides. Gambel's quail have gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. Gambel's quail can be commonly confused with California Quail due to similar plumage. California quail have a more scaly appearance and the black patch on the lower breast of the male Gambel's Quail is absent in the California Quail. The two species are related.
The bird's average length is 11 inches (30 cm) with a wingspan of 14-16 inches (35-40 cm). Its diet consists primarily of plant matter and seeds. These birds have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs.
- California Valley
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The California Quail, Callipepla californica, also known as the California Valley Quail or Valley Quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family.
These birds have a curving crest or "plume" that droops forward - black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel's Quail which is scalier appearance.
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