Day Old White Sultan Baby Chicks
Hatching February to July.
Would you like to raise one of the most unusual, eye-catching breeds of chicken in the world? The White Sultan is the breed for you! In addition to being beautiful, Sultans make excellent pets.
Production: You should not raise Sultans in the hopes of getting meat or eggs from them. They lay around 60 small, white eggs per year, and weigh 4-6 pounds.
Temperament: While Sultans are not good production birds, they are fantastic pets. They are calm, affectionate, and don't mind being confined. They are better off in tight confinement, to protect their elaborate feathers.
History: In their native home of Turkey, this breed is called "Serai Taook," which translates very roughly to "fowls of the sultan's palace." They became known in English as "Sultan's Fowl" then just Sultans. They have always been raised as ornamental fowl. Legend has it that they were used as living ornaments at the Sultan's palace in Constantinople, and the breed has always been rare.
Sultans have more unusual features than any other breed. They have five toes, crests, beards, feathered legs and feet, V-shaped combs, muffs, large nostrils, droopy wings, and vulture hocks. In other words, if it's strange on a chicken, the Sultan has it!
Most Sultan owners report that they are nearly always happy, they are calm, they like to be handled, and they make great pets. They are not particularly active and are not good foragers, making them quite comfortable in confinement. They can fly, though, so should be kept in a run with a top or a very high fence, or their wings should be clipped.
White Sultans were included in the first publication of the American Poultry Association stating standards in 1874.
Colors: White Sultans are pure white, and the only color accepted by the APA.
Livestock Conservancy Status: Critical. While Sultans have always been rare, they almost disappeared during the 1930s, and are still listed as Critical by the LC.
Body Type: Sultans have elaborate feathers, including a large crest. they hold their wings in a drooping fashion, obscuring their hocks. Both their legs and toes are feathered, and they have five toes on each foot. Their V-shaped or horn combs are almost hidden by their crests.
Standard Weights: Rooster 6 lbs, Hen 4 lbs, Cockerel 5 lbs, Pullet 3.5 lbs
Classification: American Poultry Association Class: All Other Standard Breeds
