What! Frizzle Chicken, Don’t make me Laugh

That’s right! Have you ever seen a frizzle chicken?

Can you actually believe that this ball of curly feathers is really a chicken at all.

Let’s see…

Frizzle Chicken with all those Curls

When you thought you have seen everything, you then see a chicken that looks like it has spent the night perching with curlers in…

You have not been watching your chickens, have you?

Did you leave the front door open so that your chickens could get inside…

Did they find the curlers and take them back to the hen house and use them during the night time…

Yes…

You go rub your eyes when you go down to the chicken coop in the morning to see these curly feathered chickens running around your chicken run.

No…

Seriously, if you want something different, now that you have got a chicken run full of a variety of different chicken breeds and also different chicken coloures.

What about curly chicken feathers…

Yes, you to can be the owner of a frizzle.

Frizzle History

Frizzles reportedly originate from Southern Asia.
See..

Asia again.

They came from the java and the Philippines probably around 300 years ago.

Yet!

Examples were actually documented in Europe in 1676.

Looks like an old chicken breed…

These chickens only had frizzled wings and neck hackles which would of looked well…

Quite amusing..

So I can see this breed has become very popular for exhibition, usually in the bantam variety.

In fact, the larger of the fowls were virtually extinct until a handful of enthusiasts recently started a breeding program to revive them.

And I am glad they have.

They are now considered to be one of those rare breeds.

Each feather is moderately long and curls backwards..

Not forwards, backwards towards the chickens head.

These individual chicken feathers have a rather ragged appearance and the neck has an abundance of frizzled feathers.

See also Owning Chickens In The City Nest Egg

Frizzle chickens are an erect standing chicken with short, broad bodies and a rounded full breast.

They have long wings and large upright tails and…

Get this!

Their legs are in fact free from feathers.

Now don’t laugh…

So… What Breeds make a Frizzle Chicken?

Well, we have to start somewhere…

To the mystery of how a chicken ended up looking like it had put its foot into an electric plug.

And ended up with this permanent look …

In fact, your average farm frizzle is not actually a breed.

They are actually made from breeding a frizzled bird to a smooth (or standard) bird.

This practice is usually done with Cochins, Pekins, and Polish chicken breeds.

When a smooth bird and a frizzled bird are bred, half of their offspring will be frizzled and half will be smooth.

Now that is really interesting isn’t it…

So if you wanted half of each you will get it.

So is the Frizzle Gene Dominant?

As with many things I would expect that it is, and because the frizzle gene is a dominant factor, the normal gene is “trumped” and is prevented from producing straight feathers.

In fact, when two chickens with this gene combination are mated with, the result is 25% of the offspring will have two normal genes

Their Behaviour

They are a hardy bird, and they also grow quickly.

The chicks appear to be normally feathered when they are hatched but soon enough…

The wing feathers start to grow and turn outwards.

Yes, they are a gentle chicken breed and are good layers who don’t sit particularly well.

They are actually classed as a heavy breed and are often considered to be purely for exhibition.

And are perfectly well suited to go free range with all your other chickens.

Are Frizzle Chickens good Egg Layers?

I just knew you were going to ask that…

See also Are You Rhode Island Red Chicken Savy?

Of course, can’t do without your eggs can you.

They can lay eggs of course, but don’t expect them to be popping out eggs as much as other chicken breeds OK…

They are more your show birds than anything else because of their unique looks...

Yes..

They parade around to look pretty and unusual, and it works very well for them.

They are a friendly chicken and also a docile breed that doesn’t need any different care from that of your other chickens.

And no..

They do not require your curlers from your house to sustain their curls.
Well…

Some of you might not have curlers..

We shall leave that conversation right where it is as it is getting bit awkward.

Yes, in case there are men living alone, not that the curlers thing..

Doesn’t matter.

Frizzle Varieties

Frizzle chickens have been bred in several different colours:

Self or single coloured:

• black-red
• brown-red
• pyle
• blue
• buff
• black
• cuckoo
• white Columbian as in the Wyandotte
• spangle as in the Old English Game
• red as in Rhode Island Red
• duckwing

All colours, get this…

Have red eyes, a single, medium sized comb and earlobes but yes…

Their leg colour varies and is usually a darker colour with darker feathered birds.

Their beak colour also corresponds with feather colour…

The pyle, buff, Columbian, red and white frizzle varieties all have yellow beaks.

While the cuckoo, spangle, black or blue, black-red have white beaks.

There are three types of plumage:

• over frizzled
• frizzled
• flat-coated

So what do you think about these frizzle chickens…

Are they curly enough for you?

I would hope so…

Not sue if you want to go any curlier really.

Or you might mistake it for other things other than a chicken.