Maybe you come across this blog because you’re getting fascinated by nothing but frizzle chickens. In our contemporary world, these breeds of chicken continue to rise in popularity because of their striking curly feathers.
And yes, unlike ordinary laying hens, frizzle chickens dominate the spotlight because they are recognized as excellent exhibition birds. But let’s proceed to the main point-what exactly is a frizzle chicken, and where does it come from?
| Egg Production | 2-4 eggs each week; 150 eggs annually; |
| Minimum Coop Space | 1-2 square feet |
| Temperaments | Docile, Friendly, Calm, & Gentle |
| Egg Color | Tinted & White |
| Life Expectancy | Six to Eight Years |
Frizzle Chicken Overview: Historical Background
Most often than not, people often assume that the frizzles are an entirely new breed of chickens. But the truth is frizzle chickens have been hanging around with us for quite some time. Facts showcase that these birds first entered the limelight and made it to the records during the early 16th century.
One of the greatest scientists of mankind, Charles Darwin, even mentioned this chicken breed in his documentaries and referred to them as “Caffie Fowl.” Darwin further stated that these birds mostly originated and were found in India.
While at this time, the exact origins of the frizzle chicken could not be pinpointed, people believed that these birds could trace their roots to Asia, China, and the East Indies.
Later on, the Western Countries got hooked on the unique looks that these birds offered and began their importation. At present, they get into the limelight, having exhibition shows, making good pets, and excellent table birds.
What is the Breed Standard for Frizzle Chickens?
Now, let’s get the ball rolling and tackle the breed standards of the frizzle chicken. As you might be aware, breed standards are relevant since they give us the details of the overall characteristics of a chicken breed. On top of everything, judges used these guidelines in poultry shows, chicken exhibitions, or competitions.
If you happen to get close to a frizzle chicken, the first thing that will catch your attention is its fantastic curly feathers. People often refer to these birds as chicken dusters since their feathers lie outward and upward in their body shape. On top of that, you’ll find these moderately-long feathers quite soft and fluffy.
These distinctive features come out as a result of a genetic mutation called “mf.” Basically, these chickens are an offspring of an incompletely dominant gene that gives these birds their “frizzled” feathers.
Over the years, ten European countries, including the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Ireland, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic, started to give recognition to frizzle chicken as a distinct breed. But in the United States, these birds retain their status as a type of plumage. But all in all, frizzle chickens earned a reputation as a breed in South Asia, including the Philippines.
What do Frizzle Chickens Look Like?
In this part, let’s get to the real picture and explore the distinctive features of frizzle chickens. Aside from their curly feathers, which are quite apparent, these lovely birds have short, strong beaks which come in yellow color. Look closely at them, and you’ll also notice their bright eyes and earlobes in the shade of deep red.
Frizzle chickens have full breasts and tight, erect, and broad bodies with long-winged tails. In addition, all of their combs are single and upright. Usually, these birds have four toes on each foot, backed by clean legs, which are also yellowish in color.
At first glance, you might mistakenly see frizzle chickens as the duster lying around your humble abode because of their wild and windswept feathers. But all in all, the hairs of these chickens are just tidy and curly, depending on the type of breed. However, all the feathers of frizzle chickens will look gentle and not spiky.
What are the Size and Weights of Frizzle Chickens?
The size and weight of frizzle chickens are always based on their type. For this reason, we can safely assume that there’s no fixed variable regarding the size of these birds.
But generally speaking, one can find frizzle chickens in standard and bantam sizes. The standard size of frizzle chicken hens is 2.7 kilograms, while the roosters can reach up to 3.6 kilograms.
On the other hand, you can expect that frizzle chicken bantams are much smaller in size. The hens are around 0.5 kilograms, while the roosters can grow up to 0.75 kilograms.
What are the Colors of Frizzle Chickens?
Frizzle chickens come in a broad range of different colors and patterns. To mention, the following are their most common shades:
- Black
- Brown-red
- Black-red
- Buff
- Cuckoo
- Duckwing
- Red
- White
- Spangled
- Pyle
- Columbian
While we may definitely see these chicken breeds in other color hues, the ones we mentioned are their popular shades so far.
What are the Temperaments of Frizzle Chickens?
Now, we’ll proceed to one of the most interesting facts about frizzle chickens-their behaviors and temperaments! The truth is it’s not hard to fall in love with a frizzle chicken since they are sweet. Aside from their cute, angelic looks, these lovely birds exude a gentle and friendly disposition. In addition, they are lap chickens too.
Most homeowners love to have this chicken breed as house pets since they are well-mannered and behaved. On top of everything, frizzles are easy to handle since they are not too energetic and are fairly calm.
Are you curious about whether you can have frizzle chicken as a pet? Don’t bother to look further because these birds would make a great fit for families with children!
However, just a little warning, since frizzle chickens are typically shy, they are often bullied by more assertive chicken breeds. Further, as mentioned earlier, the bizarre feathers of these birds make them easy prey for bullies.
Are Frizzle Chickens Good in Laying Eggs and Producing Meats?
Has it ever crossed your mind whether a frizzle chicken is good for laying eggs and producing meats? After all, this is one of the first things to consider if you want a chicken on your farm or backyard with meat production in mind.
But are these birds good for eggs? Without further waiting, let’s talk about the egg-laying and meat-producing abilities of frizzle chickens.
Most often than not, frizzle chickens would do well at poultry exhibitions and shows. On top of everything, it is no doubt that they are exceptional pets and wonderful companions.
But unfortunately, this chicken breed does not possess excellent egg-laying abilities. The truth is experts often described and categorized them as “poor” in this area.
But this does not mean that you can’t expect any eggs from these chickens. There’s no stopping you from raising frizzle chickens for egg production if that’s what you like. However, compared to other breeds, these birds can only lay up to one hundred fifty eggs each passing year, with two to four eggs per week.
You can definitely increase your frizzle chicken’s egg production by feeding it with a high-protein diet. As you might be aware, protein can greatly enhance egg-laying abilities.
Regarding their meat production, we would say that frizzle chickens are also not the best in this aspect. Because of their tiny size, frizzle chickens cannot produce a bunch of meats for you.
How to Feed Frizzle Chickens?
Now, for the special care needs and for their feeding guide, here’s what you can do. Each frizzle chicken needs around ¼ pounds of chicken feed per day. For most of the year, homeowners are advised to offer them a 16% premium quality layer feed.
On top of everything, during the molting season, it’s best to increase the frizzle chicken’s protein diet to around 18 to 20% to aid them as they replace their feathers.
How to Groom Frizzle Chickens?
Regarding their proper hygiene, it would be best for pet owners to groom their frizzle chickens on a daily basis.
While these little birds are not susceptible to different external parasites like lice and mites compared to other chicken breeds, there’s a higher chance that pests are hiding in the dense feathers of the frizzle chickens.
So, we highly recommend that you give this chicken sufficient access to a dust bath and add some herbal essentials into their everyday bath to prevent parasites at bay.
What is the Standard Coop Size for Frizzle Chickens?
Since one can usually find frizzle chickens in a bantam size, animal experts advised that it would be best to allow them a space of one to two square feet.
In addition, to keep them happy, satisfied, and content, you can go the extra mile and give them perches where these little darlings can hang out, play, and freely roam.
On the other hand, you have the option to go on a free range for these birds, but ensure that there’s proper shelter and sturdy fencing to protect them from attacking predators.
Frequently Asked Questions
While they may be a rare sight, frizzle chickens are fantastic family pets, wonderful companions, and excellent birds for exhibition shows. That’s why we can’t deny that these little darlings caught our attention.
Since we are getting more curious about frizzle chickens, we’ve curated the web and compiled all the frequently asked questions about them! So, without further ado, let’s explore all the tiny details about this chicken!
Are Frizzle Chickens Able to Fly?
While most chicken breeds have the outstanding ability to fly, frizzle chickens are unable to do so. Because of the shape of their unique curly feathers, these birds cannot lift themselves above the ground.
Thus, experts said that homeowners must always keep their perches close to the ground; otherwise, frizzle chickens won’t have sufficient access.
Should You Get Frizzle Chicken as a Pet?
Because frizzle chickens inherit the mixed breed personality of Cochins, Polish, and Silkies, these fantastic birds are excellent pet chickens. Being docile, gentle, friendly, and cuddly, frizzles would be no doubt a great addition to your growing backyard flock.
Are Frizzle Chickens Good Table Meat?
Frizzle chicken is not an ideal candidate if you’re looking for a potential chicken you can raise for egg-laying and meat production purposes since they only produce a few eggs per year. Rather, these fun-looking, cute little birds would do well and excellently perform at exhibitions and poultry shows.
Do you want to learn and discover more about this amazing chicken breed, such as its appearance, lifespan, egg-laying capabilities, and many more? Take a moment and watch this video brought to us by The Happy Chicken Coop YouTube Channel.
Final Thoughts
Indeed, it is no doubt that frizzles would make a charming addition to your growing backyard family. While these lovely darlings require special care needs like proper hygiene, feeding, and grooming needs, these birds are non-aggressive and would make a fantastic family pet!
On top of everything, no one can beat the companionship and exhibition skills of this mesmerizing breed-they are truly one of the best!
