Wyandotte – (Silver Laced)

The Wyandotte is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. The first examples of the breed appeared in the 1870s. Wyandottes are a docile, dual-purpose breed kept for their brown eggs and for meat. They appear in a wide variety of color patterns, and are popular show birds. The Wyandotte lays pale brown or tan eggs and usually has a white ring of feathers around its neck. Wyandotte hens are devoted mothers.

 

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Appearance

The Wyandotte is a medium-sized bird with a rose comb and clean legs. The chicken feathers are broad and loosely fitting. The area around the vent is very fluffy. The legs are yellow.

Colors

There are eight colors recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) which are black, blue, buff, buff Columbian, Columbian, golden laced, partridge, silver laced and silver pencilled.[1] In bantams there is also buff Columbian, black breasted red, blue red, lemon blue, barred, brown red, and birchen that are recognized by the American Bantam Association. Additional colors are either recognized by similar organizations in other countries like the PCGB (Poultry Club of Great Britain). These colors include blue laced red and buff laced. Overall there are 17 colors.

 

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Utility aspects

The hens (females) will lay around 200 eggs a year with an exceptional hen laying around 240 eggs a year. The eggs are brown or tinted. The hens weigh around 6 pounds and the cocks weigh around 8½ pounds. The hens also make great setters. It is sometimes difficult for natural insemination to occur, due to the number and thickness of feathers in the tail area. For the same reason, they are prone to accumulation of feces on vent-area feathers that needs to be regularly washed off, or the vent could become clogged.

 

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