Important breeds of Poultry, Quail and Ducks with their importance and general characters.

1. General Description
with Breeds and
Varieties of Poultry
Dr. Alok Bharti
S.M.S. (Vety. Sc.)
Krishi Vigyan Kendra
Bikramganj, Rohtas

2. 1. •CHICKEN
2. •QUAIL
3.
•GUINEA FOWL4.
•TURKEY

3. (Gallus domesticus)

7. (Anus platyrinchos)

10. (Coturnix coturnix)

13. (Maleagridis gallapova)

16. (Numida meleagris)

19. MAJOR CLASSES OF CHICKEN
AMERICAN
CLASS
ENGLISH
CLASS
MEDITERRANEAN
CLASS
ASIATIC
CLASS

20. OTHER CLASSES OF CHICKEN
Bantams
Indian Breeds of Chicken
Red Jungle fowls
(Ancestral Chicken)

21. American Class
Rhode
Island Red
New
Hampshire
Wyandotte
Plymouth
Rock

22. Rhode Island Red

23. Varieties:
Single Comb, and
Rose Comb
Standard
Weights:
5 ½ lbs to 8 ½ lbs
Egg Shell
Color: Brown
Use:Egg production
Characteristics:
Relatively hardy.
The best egg layers of the
dual purpose breeds.
Reds handle marginal diets
and poor housing conditions
RHODE
ISLAND RED

24. New Hampshire

25. Origin:
Massachusetts and
New Hampshire
Standard
Weights:
6 1/2 lbs to 8 1/2 lbs
Egg Shell
Color: Brown
Use:Meat production
Characteristics:
They possess a deep, broad
body, grow feathers rapidly.
The color is a medium to
light red and often fades in
the sunshine
NEW
HAMPSHIRE

26. Wyandotte

27. Origin:
America
Standard
Weights:
6 1/2 lbs to 8 1/2 lbs
Egg Shell
Color: Brown
Use: Meat /Egg
production
Characteristics:
They are docile; normally
will show broodiness;
possess a long, broad back;
a moderately deep, full
breast and a single comb of
moderate size.
WYANDOTTE

28. Plymouth Rock

29. Origin:
America
Standard
Weights:
7 ½ lbs to 9 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use: Meat /Egg
production
Characteristics:
Relatively hardy.
The best egg layers of the
dual purpose breeds.
Reds handle marginal diets
and poor housing conditions
Plymouth
Rock

30. English Class
Australorp Cornish Orphington

31. Australorp

32. Origin:
Australia
Standard
Weights:
6 ½ lbs to 8 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use: Egg production
Characteristics:
Australorps have intense
beetle-green sheen on the
black birds, dark eyes, deep
bodies and are very active.
They are one of the best
dual-purpose fowls.
Australorp

33. Cornish

34. Origin:
England
Standard
Weights:
8 lbs to 10 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use:Meat production
Characteristics:
Broad, well muscled body. Its
legs are of large diameter and
widely spaced. The deep set
eyes, projecting brows and
strong, slightly curved beak
give the Cornish a rather cruel
expression.
Cornish

35. Orpington

36. Origin:
England
Standard
Weights:
10 lbs to 8 lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use: Meat /Egg
production
Characteristics:
Heavily but loosely
feathered, appearing
massive. Their feathering
allows them to endure cold
temperatures better than
some other breeds.
Orpington

37. Mediterranean Class
Leghorn Minorca Ancona

38. Leghorn

39. Origin:
Italy
Standard
Weights:
4 ½ lbs to 6 lbs
Egg Shell Color:
White
Use: Meat /Egg
production
Characteristics:
Small & noisy bird with great
style, Leghorns like to move
about. They are good foragers
and can get their diet from
ranging over fields. Leghorns
are capable of considerable
flight and often roost in trees
if given the opportunity
Leghorn

40. Minorca

41. Origin:
Spain
(Mediterranean)
Standard
Weights:
7 ½ lbs to 9 lbs
Egg Shell Color:
White
Use: Egg production
Characteristics:
Largest of the Mediterranean
breeds, they are long, angular
birds that appear larger than
they are. Minorcas are stately,
impressive birds and can give
a fair return in eggs.
Minorca

42. Ancona

43. Origin:
America
Standard
Weights:
7 ½ lbs to 9 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
White
Use:Egg production
Characteristics:
Active and busy birds, they
are good foragers and said
to be indifferent to climate.
Ancona

44. Asiatic Class
Brahma Cochin Langshan

45. Brahma

46. Origin:
China
Standard
Weights:
12 ½ lbs to 9 lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use:Meat production
Characteristics:
Beautiful, stately birds,
large size and gentle nature.
Their small comb and
wattles, together with
profuse feathering and well
feathered shanks.
Brahma

47. Cochin

48. Origin:
China
Standard
Weights:
11 lbs to 8 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use:Ornamental/
Game
Characteristics:
Literally big, fluffy balls of
feathers. They are mainly
kept as an ornamental fowl
and are well suited to close
confinement
Cochin

49. Langshan

50. Origin:
China
Standard
Weights:
9 ½ lbs to 7 ½ lbs
Egg Shell Color:
Brown
Use:Meat/Egg
production
Characteristics:
They are active and quick.
The black variety has.a deep
greenish sheen when
viewed in the proper light.
Their feet and legs are
feathered but not as fully as
the Cochins or Brahmas.
Langshan

51. Houdan

52. Polish

53. Other Standard Breeds
• Araucana
• Ameraucana
• Cubalaya
• Malay
• Modern Game
• Old English
Game
• Phoenix
• Sultan
• Turken
• Yokohama

54. Araucana

55. Ameraucana
Blue
Green
Eggs

56. Malay

57. Modern
Game

58. Old English Game

59. Phoenix

60. Sultan

61. Bantam Chicken
(Fancy breeds)
• Booted Bantam
• Japanese
• Sebright
• Silkie

62. Booted Bantam

63. Japanese

64. Sebright

65. Silkie

66. Silkies

67. Indian Chicken Breeds
•Kadaknath
•Aseel
•Naked Neck
•Punjab Brown
•Ankaleswar
•Chittagong

68. Kadaknath (Kalamasi)

69. Aseel

70. Naked Neck

71. Punjab Brown

72. Ankaleswar

73. Junglefowls (Ancestors)
 Red Junglefowl
 Grey Junglefowl
 Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Junglefowl
 Javan (Green) Junglefowl

74. Red Junglefowl
(Gallus gallus)

75. Grey Junglefowl
(Gallus sonneratii)

76. Ceylon Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetii)

77. Javan Junglefowl (Green Junglefowl)
(Gallus varius)

81. Facts
 Like pheasants Quails have the ability to
fly well over a short distance
 But unlike pheasants they nest on the
ground.
 Quail often sit on large numbers of eggs.
 When breeding, the female will lay around
6-12 eggs then sit on them.
 If she cannot cover all the eggs often the
male will join her on the nest.
 The chicks are precocial - meaning that
they are able to walk and feed themselves
almost immediately after hatching.

88. Lightweight Breeds
 Campbell
 Welsh Harlequin
 Runner
◦ High egg production
◦ Excellent foragers
◦ Poor to Fair mothers
◦ Flightier & Fliers

89. Campbell
 250 – 340 eggs per
year
 White eggs
 Campbells weigh 4 –
4 ½
 Adaptable to a range
of climates

90. Welsh Harlequin
 250 – 340 eggs
per year
 White eggs
 Campbells weigh 5
– 5 ½
 Very adaptable to
a range of climates

91. Indian Runner
 Comes in many
colors
 Most active
foragers
 150 – 300 eggs
per year
 Adapted to harse
conditions

92. Medium-weight Breeds
 Ancona
 Cayuga
 Orpington
 Swedish
◦ Dual purpose – eggs & meat
◦ Moderately fast growth rate
◦ Good foragers
◦ Fair to Good mothers

93. Ancona
 210 – 290 eggs per year
 Eggs white, tinted, blue,
green or spotted
 Magpie weighs 6 – 7
pounds
 Best foragers and best
layers of this group

94. Cayuga
 American breed
 Dual purpose farm duck
 100 – 150 eggs per
year
 Eggs light grey, blue,
green, or white
 Weighs 7 – 8 pounds

95. Orpington
 a.k.a “Buff”
 Excellent dual
purpose bird
 150 – 220 eggs
per year
 Eggs white or
tinted
 Weighs 7 – 8
pounds

96. Swedish
 100 – 150 eggs per
year
 Eggs white, tinted,
blue, or green
 Weighs 7 – 8 pounds

97. Heavy-weight Breeds
 Appleyard
 Aylesbury
 Muscovy
 Pekin
 Rouen
 Saxony
– Meat production
– Rapid weight gain
– Moderate layers
– Calm temperaments
– Home bodies if well fed
– Variable mothering
ability

98. Silver Appleyard
 Most active foragers and best layers of
the Heavyweight breeds
 Produce more flavored meat with less fat
 200 – 270 eggs per year
 Eggs white
 Weighs 8 – 9 pounds

99. Aylesbury
 35 – 125 eggs per year
 Eggs white, tinted, or green
 9 – 10 pounds
 White skinned

100. Muscovy
 50 – 125 eggs per year
 Weight: 7 – 12
 Fly and roost
 Quiet breed – don’t quack
 Broody
 Aggressive in crowded
conditions; claws.
 Meat is lean; can resemble
beef or ham
 Living wild relatives, native to
Mexico, Central & South
America.

101. Pekin
 125 – 225 eggs per
year
 9 – 10 pounds
 Popular market duck
since arriving from
China
 Hardy, rapid growth
rate, high feed
efficiency
 Calm temperament

102. Rouen
 35 – 125 eggs
per year
 9 – 10 pounds
 Excellent
roaster
 Production &
exhibition
strains