First things first, by labeling some chickens “Funny-Looking”, I am not degrading them nor discriminating against certain types of chickens.
The primary purpose of this post is to inform you about the chicken breeds that you may haven’t seen before.
More importantly, I am going to draw attention to these amazing chickens, so people won’t mistake them to aliens.
That being said, let’s dive into the list and get amused by these fashionable chickens:
Polish Chickens
These funny looking chickens are one of the attention-stealers in chicken shows across the world.
Their unique puffy feathers and the gentle character attract lots of attention and nice comments from an audience.
History: No one exactly knows the origin of the Polish chickens.
However, one source anecdotally claims that Polish chickens got popularity in Europe after a Polish king departed to French with his favorite chicken in his luggage after he was dethroned.
The king’s travel companion, a Polish chicken, was very much favored in Europe and locals began to adapt to their homesteads.
Although this legend is fun, there is no solid evidence to support those claims.
Thus, we need to look at other versions to sort out the mysterious origin of Polish chickens.
Characteristics: Polish chickens are not the first choice if you are trying to get chickens for eggs. However, they are perfect to keep in your backyard as a pet.
They are very gently with everyone and can amuse your guests as they have an interesting look and a non-aggressive character.
Care: To take care of Polish chickens, you need to feed them regularly and keep them in a clean and ventilated coops.
Their diet does not require any specific feed, regular chicken feed will work perfectly. They also like to forage their own food in open fields.
Time to time, they like to fly and even roost on the tree. If your neighbor is too sensitive, it is always better to keep their wings trimmed as they can easily fly over the fence.
Also, trimming their facial feathers is highly recommended to improve their vision.
Silkies
Probably, you have already known these chickens. Its name tells the all. They are known for unusual fluffy and silky plumage.
Their fur-like soft feathers look so tempting, it almost makes you want to touch it.
Characteristics: Silkies are friendly and make a perfect pet. However, their friendly and gentle characters sometimes work against them.
They can become an easy target for other aggressive chicken breeds.
When they are kept in the same coop, others can pick on them.
Especially, their puffy tops convenient target during the chicken fights.
In most, cases silkies even do not fight back. Thus, it is recommended to keep them with friendlier chicken breeds.
Also, silkies are good mothers. They go broody several times in a year and they can even hatch and raise chicks of other birds such as geese, ducks, and other chicken breeds.
History: Generally, it is hard to trace the origin of chickens. However, since silkies were famous back in history. So, we were able to track their origin back to Southeast Asia.
Interestingly, Silkies’ history is somehow related to the history of the Silk Road. One of the Silk Road travelers, Marco Polo, mentioned them as “furry chickens” in the 13th century.
Back in the days, people thought Silkies are the cross between chicken and rabbits because of their fur.
Additionally, silkies have darker meat compared to other breeds, which is considered a delicacy in Asian kitchens.
Silkies got to North America through Maritime trade. They are now widespread chickens across the world thanks to their attractive appearance.
Care: Wing trimming is not needed for silkies as they are not good fliers. Nevertheless, it is recommended to trim their facial feathers so they can see better and protect themselves from approaching predators.
Naked Chickens
Yes, you got me right. These chickens are completely featherless because scientists modified its genes in the lab.
History: As we mentioned earlier, we can’t track the origins of most chickens. But, we surely can trace the origin of the naked chickens.
Our tracing leads us directly to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the mastermind behind the idea is Avigdor Cahaner.
Characteristics: Naked chickens are cross between regular broiler chicken and naturally bare-back chickens. The new prototype of the chicken is completely featherless and has red skin.
Why would someone need to create this ugly chicken? That was the first question I asked myself.
There is an economical reason behind the idea. According to the scientist, naked chickens will be beneficial for the poultry farms of warm countries. Thick feathers and heat do not rhyme well, according to the scientist.
Additionally, the feathers are considered waste and plucking complicate the butchering process. Generally, there are limited chances to repurpose chicken feathers.
Also, broilers allocate some of their energy to grow their feathers, which eventually, hinders the growth rate.
Additionally, some chicken breeds are susceptible to diseases when they stay too long in the hot environment. Because their dense feathers prevent the air to penetrate their skin.
Therefore, chickens need to be kept in air-conditioned facilities to obtain optimal growth in hot countries. Air-conditioning means more expenses for poultry farmers who live in underdeveloped countries.
These are the primary reasons given by the scientist. However, the idea of creating ugly-looking chickens is debatable in terms of animal ethics.
Frizzle Chicken.
Fizzle chickens are a definite candidate for this list. They are amazingly good-looking and at the same time, funny with their curly plumages.
There are several types of fizzle chickens. They can be in various colors and their plumages can display different textures and patterns. Thus, we are going to talk about them in a general sense.
History: The history of frizzle chickens is not traceable. However, their name appeared in the historical documents that belong to the 1600s.
Charles Darwin also mentioned this breed with the name Caffie Fowl and described them to be predominant birds in India.
Interestingly, Frizzles are considered a breed of their own in countries like Italy, Germany, France, Ireland, Australia, Chez Republic, and Slovakia.
But, in the United States, the term Frizzle does not refer to a specific breed. The term is used to describe chicken curly plumages.
Thus, they can’t be exhibited in the United States unless you register as an established chicken breed, like Coochin or Polish.
Characteristics: Frizzle chickens are gentle and friendly. Some people even keep them as pets and lap chickens.
Similar to Silkies, they need to be kept away from the assertive breeds. Since they are shy and smaller than other breeds, they become an easy target for bullies.
Care: Frizzle chickens are not good at flying, so lower perches are ideal for them.
Also, owners should ensure a safe and comfortable convenient environment. In other words, they need to be protected from predators, since they are slow and small to defend themselves.
During cold and rain, they need to be kept in warmer coops. Unlike other chickens, their fur grows backward, leaving a greater chance of wetness and could penetrate the skin.
Concisely, their feathers do not insulate them well, unlike the feathers of other breeds.
People should also be extra careful when handling them. As their feathers are curled backward, they are susceptible to break and fall off, which in turn, leads them to develop bold spots.
Turken (Naked-Neck) chickens
Turkens are chickens that look like a mixed version of turkey and hen. More specifically, their neck is completely bold, which makes them look like turkeys.
People also call them Transylvania Naked-Necks, or simply naked-necks.
History: We know it was first introduced in Britain in the 1920s.
They are more common in South America and Europe, but rare in North America.
Despite their unusual appearance, they are not considered exhibition birds.
People usually keep them for meat, since they are not susceptible to diseases and they produce a good amount of meat.
Characteristics: Turken chickens are considered a tough breed. They are hardy on cold weather, although their neck section is naked.
Also, they are good foragers. They masterfully find what they need in the open fields, and immune to most of the diseases.
They do better on hot weather as well since they have half the feathers of the other chickens, which allows them to stay cooler.
Care: Despite their aggressive look, they need to be protected from predatory animals and birds. Especially at nights, they need to be kept in secure coops.
As far as feeding is concerned, they do all right with regular chicken feed. However, it is required to feed them regularly and let them outside for foraging.
These are the 5 funny-looking chickens that I wanted to share. However, there are other breeds that I haven’t been mentioned in this list. So, if you know more, just share them in the comments section.
