It’s the first chicken breed listed in the American Poultry Association Standard: Plymouth Rock. The barred variety, meaning the alternating dark and light lines on the feathers, was the first recognized in the 1874 original and remains the best known….
“As a hazel-nut is to a walnut, a Brussels sprout to a cabbage, an Austin to a Cadillac – so is a Bantam to a regular chicken,” writes Eva Le Gallienne in Flossie and Bossie,her 1949 novel about two bantam…
I have two passions in life: chickens and heirlooms. This month, I had the pleasure of enjoying both at the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Spring Planting Festival in Mansfield, Missouri. In case you don’t know, I live in Missouri, the…
Bantams are mini-chickens, miniature versions of large fowl. They are separate breeds from their larger cousins. They are just like full-size chickens, but only one-fifth to one-quarter the size. “They are easier to handle and lay beautifully,” said Doris Robinson, director…
Think of the iconic barnyard rooster: brightly colored, standing tall and alert, curved tail flowing behind him. That’s the Old English Game. They, and other related European gamefowl, are among the oldest Western chicken breeds. They share the distinction with…
