on request: Ornamental fowls

Good Mr Schprock asked me about what ornamental fowls were. I am not a specialist - I am unsure if I wish I were....

We started keeping hens for the eggs and a rooster for the hens. I know that today eggs are produced in big factories and I assume most of the hens have never seen a rooster in their whole miserable life. If you have not YET watched The meatrix, I command thee to do so.

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Welcome back.

Feeling any better?

The notion that 'our bodies are what we eat' is beyond question for me. It's not that I always eat organic, but I strive to eat healthy. But let's go back to the animals.

We started keeping old species for they are supposed to be sturdier and although they produce less (either in meat or in eggs), they are easier to keep.

For those who are a bit unfamiliar with hens, according to the terminology of meat industry, there are meat-type, laying-type, and double purpose varieties. And there are the old ones (the traditional species) and the ornamental types.

Here comes a brief history of our stock:

Our flock is quite mixed. We started with 4 Transylvanian Turkens (aka Naked Necked). 3 hens and a rooster. Since the neighbours complained for the noise, we had to give the 'old' rooster away. So, a Japanese pair joined us - a hen and a rooster. Later on, we bought 2 meat-type hens. Unfortunately, due to a repeated attack from a mart, three hens and two chicks died. And finally, we switched the Japanese roo for a nice Hungarian Barred one. With him, we also bought a nice black hen. And just recently, we have bought a Satsumadori hen. Now there are 5 hens and the Roo.

We keep them for the eggs and now (hush!) we are hoping for come hatching to come. It seems that our little Japanese hen has started brooding.

And now let's speak about ornamental animals.

They are kept and bred for their beauty. Usually their use is not that much important. The tendency is high in dog breeding, resulting in some awful, pardon me, beautiful and completely useless, pardon me, totally ridiculous breeds. Breeds that can not be born naturally, can not open their mouth and/or eyes without the surgeon's knife, breeds that are opt to various and sometimes serious diseases just because some lunatic breeder, pardon me, goal-oriented enthusiastic lover of animals has decided that health comes way after looks.

Back to poultry.

Ornamental fowl include, but not limited to pheasants and swans - if you think of very large, well designed and kept gardens. Acres of carefully managed green grass, bushes and trees for the ecosystem, spotted with these wonderful, really big birds... Oh, yes.

But for those who do not own a manor, there is the chance of keeping smaller beauties.

I'm sure the Internet is fully loaded with the pictures of them. I suggest reading Feathersite, where ornamental hens are listed alphabetically.

Here comes a selection of photos I found the most beautiful. All photos are from Feathersite.

The first two pictures depict Turkens - they are NOT ornamental, but the writer of this blog loves them: Buff coloured Turken chicken. Did you know the breed got its name for people thought they were crossed with Turkeys? The thing is that of course they are NOT. Bare-necked animals are much easier to pluck and they appear to have much fewer feathers in other areas of their bodies, too. The Turkens are fun to watch. Older hens resemble old ladies with a little cap on their wrinkled necks.

Below is a photo of a six-day-old black Turken chicken. The breed originates in Transylvania. We (our family) would like to keep more of these (at present we have only one white hen, called Lepke, Butterfly) - for it is a part of our national heritage. As they are local here in the Carpathian basin, they are accommodated to the special climatic and fodder conditions of the territory. Let's stay with Turkens, but move on to ornamental: Introducing the Frizzle Turken. Frizzle is a quality of feathers. It makes the plumage look like fur. A bit stupid idea, in my book, but they attract many by the visible softness of their outfit. This is a white chicken here. And now here's the Satsumadori, of which breed we also own a hen. We call her Sas (Eagle) -for her looks. This is a flock, with a rooster at 8 o'clock. The rest are hens - although the one at 3 o'clock might be a young cockerel...

Allright, now let's see what else I found appealing:

1.) The Brahmans, oh, well, those enourmous animals. These are HUGE. This is a hen - do I I have to add anything else?

2.) The Sebright - the 'chicken that looks like a dove'. This below is a Silver Sebright. They are pretty creatures with a petite frame. I don't trust them being able to push out an egg of 'legal size', though. They are nice to watch, but I doubt their usefulness. I'm sorry to all Sebright lovers out there...

3.) The Wyandotte - they seem to be a healthy medium, with an average sized body and shape. But the colors! My eyes! they are wonderful. The first is a Columbian - a special coloration.

This is a Golden Laced Wyandotte hen with chickens.

This here is called Silver Laced Wyandotte. A rooster.

And finally, a Brown Porcelain Wyandotte hen with chicks. I love how it resembles some wild animal.