Chickens : Cornish, Brahma, Faverolles

Cornish Chickens

Cornish chickens were developed primarily for meat in Cornwall, England. 

This breed’s trademark is its muscular body and excellent carcass shape. They have yellow skin, and their feathers are short and close to the body. 

The feathers range in colors that are dark, white, buff, and white-laced red. 

Their eyes are reddish- brown, and they have a single pea comb. 

Their legs are clean, and they have four toes.

The roosters of this breed weigh about 10 ½ pounds, and the hens weigh 8 pounds. 

Bantams weigh about 3 to 5 pounds.

 Cornish chickens are the standard breed for grocery stores because of their meaty bodies. 

They have skyrocketed in the industry to become the top-selling fryer or broiler chicken.

These birds are not proficient egg layers, but they do produce brown eggs.

They are not friendly poultry, so they are not the best choice for a pet.

 Cornish chickens tend to be noisy. 

They do well in confinement, but they need exercise to help them keep their muscular, meaty shape. They are also energetic birds that are always on the move.

Brahma Chickens

The name of this bird comes from the River Brahmaputra in India.

Brahmas are sometimes referred to as the “King of Chickens” because of their large size.

They come in an assortment of colors, including buff Colombian (meaning they have black tails or black-tipped feathers on their tail), gold, and white.

 Their coats can be light or dark in color. 

They have red eyes and a small, single pea comb. 

Their legs are feathered.

Brahma roosters are docile, even somewhat submissive compared with other breeds, and they weigh between 10 and 12 pounds. 

Hens weigh 7 to 9 pounds, and bantams weigh about 38 ounces for a male and 32 ounces for a female.

Brahmas are good egg layers and produce about 140 brown eggs yearly.

Although they are large birds, they are gentle and easy to handle. 

They take up to two years to mature.

Brahmas need a dry environment, but they can fare well in hot or cold climates.

They do not fly and are content behind a 2-foot fence.

Faverolles Chickens

This chicken is a crossbreed developed originally to produce hearty, plump birds. 

The lineage of the Faverolle is most likely a mixture of several breeds, including Houdan, Dorking, Malines, white-skinned light Brahma, and the common five- toed fowl. 

The colors are black, buff, laced blue, salmon, white, and ermine (a light-colored bird).

They have light red eyes and a single comb.

The weight of the male bird is 9 to 11 pounds, and the female is 7 ½ to 9 ½ pounds. Bantams are about 2 pounds. 

Their legs are lightly feathered, and they have five toes. 

They are productive egg layers and lay about 100 light brown eggs each year, even through the winter months.

 These active birds are always on the go and need room to roam. 

They are gentle and sometimes can be bullied by more aggressive breeds, such as the Cornish, old English game, or modern game chickens.