WYANDOTTE CHICKENS

The Wyandotte is a beautiful and useful chicken breed that was named after a Native American tribe prevalent in parts of upstate New York and Ontario, Canada. They were first named American Sebrights but this was changed to Wyandotte when they were admitted into the APA Standard of Perfection in 1883.

Wyandotte Chicken

The Silver Laced Wyandotte was the original color recognized. Their origins are uncertain but they’re thought to have been developed from the Dark Brahma and Spangled Hamburgs, as well as other breeds. Since the development of the Silver Lace, many other varieties of Wyandottes have also been bred.

Wyandottes have a rose comb that’s fairly flat and decorated with small rounded points. These are smaller in the female. The face, wattles, and ear lobes are bright red. The neck hackles of the cock are full and flowing and the tail is carried at a 40-degree angle. The Wyandotte is a friendly and calm breed that is cold-hardy. They are not good flyers. Hens are good mothers and egg producers, producing eggs ranging from light to brown. They’re excellent dual-purpose birds and mature fairly quickly. They’re also quite big, weighing about 6.5 pounds for hens and 8.5 pounds for cocks.

The Wyandotte graduated from The Livestock Conservancy’s priority list in 2016 and is no longer considered endangered.

Did you know:
The Livestock Conservancy is America’s leading organization working to save over 150 heritage breeds from extinction. We rely on the support of our members, grants, and donations from the public to raise the $700,000 a year needed to maintain our conservation work with rare breeds of farm animals. Click here to learn how you can help.