Barred Hollands and White Holland chickens were developed to be a large bird that are layers of white eggs. They are good foragers, calm and fairly cold tolerant. Their growth rate is slow to moderate, but can and do forage for most of their own food. The Barred Holland used to be very popular with farmers. This breed is the rarest living breed of American chicken.
American Poultry Association Class: American Class
ALBC Conservation Status: Critical
History: In 1934 white eggs brought premium prices at market; it was believed that white eggs had a finer, more delicate flavor. At that time most of AmericaÆs eggs were produced on small farms all across the country, and the small farmer preferred dual-purpose chickens as these provide a source of meat as well as eggs. Dual-purpose chicken breeds tend to lay brown eggs and white egg-laying breeds available at the time were light-weight and not well fleshed; this prompted Rutgers Breeding Farms to set about producing a dual-purpose breed that would lay white eggs û resulting in the Holland developed in 1934. Breeders began with light-weight stock originally imported from Holland, and mated it with White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and Lamona. Through careful selection the White Holland was created. Simultaneously, the Barred Holland was created by mating White Leghorn, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, and Brown Leghorn. Through careful selection the White Holland was created. Simultaneously, the Barred Holland was created by mating White Leghorn, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, and Brown Leghorn. Hollands were admitted to the APA Standard of Perfection in 1949. Two varieties are recognized, Barred Holland and White Holland. In its time, the Barred Holland was much more popular with the farmers. This may have been because of the popularity of the Barred Plymouth Rock, or it may have been for the practical reason that a chicken with a pattern is less likely to suffer predation than a white chicken. The White Holland, never having enjoyed as much popularity, may well be extinct now.
Unlike the European North Holland Blue, on which it was modeled and whose blood it in part carries, the Holland has yellow legs and skin. The North Holland Blue has white legs and skin and lays a tinted egg. The North Holland Blue is found in Cuckoo, not Barred and females are much darker than males. In England they are standardized with feathered legs (mostly to distinguish them from the Marans), although the Dutch birds are clean legged.
