As in the pigeon world where one finds 'pouters', 'rollers' and all manner of strange derivations, Jeremy Hobson points out that poultry have their own peculiarities
Chickens and bantams are generally of a certain type; either they are fluffy and cuddly or, as in the case of Old English Game, for example, moody and magnificent. There are, however, others that are known for their uniqueness: biggest, smallest, long-tailed, no tail at all, amazing crowing abilities or unusual feathering. On certain television channels and, in an effort to draw viewers, producers might very well decide to give their programme the title of 'Extreme Poultry' - 'extreme' being quite a sensational word which, to a TV audience nowadays desensitised by what they see in front of them on a nightly basis, might well be enough to gain viewing figures from those who delight in the odd and the sad. The Oxford Dictionary actually describes the word as being . . . of a high, or the highest degree . . . severe . . . utmost . . . either of two things as remote or as different as possible.' The same tome points out that the word 'oddity' is a 'strange thing', or a 'peculiar trait'. Some breeds of bantams and chickens are therefore, 'oddities' and may be interesting to note.
Largest and smallest
I wouldn't like to say categorically exactly which is the largest breed of chicken. By the very nature of its name, the American bred Jersey Giant must come somewhere into the qualification; as must the feather-legged Brahma, the Croad Langshan and the many varieties of Orpington. As for the smallest, there can be no doubt, and it is the Serama. Perhaps more correctly known as Malaysian Serama, the breed was developed in the Malaysian state of Kelantan and is definitely the smallest breed of chicken in the world (as an indication of their height and weight, they range from between 6-10 inches and between 8-12 ounces). Because of its proud carriage and pugnacious appearance as well as a heavily protruding breast, it is variably known amongst its enthusiastic and increasing following as being either the Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dolly Parton of the ornamental bantam world! For anyone who has limited space and yet wants to enjoy the experience of chicken keeping, the Serama might be the answer as their small size; the fact that a trio can be housed in nothing more than a decent-sized rabbit hutch and their temperament makes them ideal pets. Alternately, they would be ideal in the bottom of a bird aviary where they will thrive on the food dropped by other inhabitants.
continued in the December 2009 issue of Feathered World
