Breeders and fanciers of chickens accurately describe the colours and patterns [1] of the feathers of chicken breeds and varieties. This is a list of the terms used in this context.
Self-coloured chickens are those which display one solid colour without patterning of any kind.
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | | | Green iridescence is desired for "beetle black" show chickens. |
| Blue | Sumatra | dark blue-laced Andalusian | |
| Splash or Blue Splashed White | Sumatra | Silkie | Splash is the homozygous form of Blue |
| Buff | | | |
| Lavender | | Red lavender | |
| Red | | | Red is the intensified version of Buff |
| White | | |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barred | | Divided into Dark and Light in Australian Plymouth Rocks | |
| Crele | | The cuckoo pattern with black-breasted red pigmentation | |
| Silver Cuckoo | | ||
| Golden Cuckoo |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Columbian | | Sundheimer | Called 'light' in the Brahma and Sussex [2] |
| Buff Columbian | | ||
| Golden Belted | | | Belted resembles Columbian but the head and neck are solid black, not merely striped |
| Silver Belted | cock and hen | chick |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Duckwing | | ||
| Blue Golden Duckwing | |||
| Silver Duckwing | | | |
| Blue Silver Duckwing | |||
| Fawn Silver Duckwing | |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Laced | not used; black-laced plumage is named after the red series colour instead: "golden laced" for black and red, "citron laced" for black and buff, "silver laced" for black and white | ||
| Blue Laced | | | |
| Blue Laced Red | | | |
| Buff Laced | | also known as Chamois [3] : 447 | |
| Golden Laced | Sebright | | |
| Silver Laced | | |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birchen | Sometimes called Grey in Japanese bantams. | ||
| Golden Pencilled | |||
| Silver Pencilled | |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-tailed Buff | | ||
| Black-tailed White | | ||
| Black-tailed red | |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Breasted Red | | ||
| Blue Breasted Red | | ||
| Partridge | | ||
| Wheaten | | ||
| Blue Wheaten |
| Colour | Cock | Hen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brassy Back | |||
| Blue Brassy Back | |||
| Blue Light Brown | |||
| Blue-red | |||
| Brown | |||
| Brown Red | Sometimes called Gold Birchen. | ||
| Coloured | |||
| Coronation | |||
| Cream Light Brown | | ||
| Dark brown | |||
| Exchequer | only in the Leghorn [4] : 187 | ||
| Ginger Red | |||
| Golden Neck | |||
| Golden-necked mille fleur | |||
| Gray | |||
| Lemon Blue | |||
| Light Brown | |||
| Pyle | Alternatively spelt Pile. | ||
| Red Pyle | | ||
| Quail | | | |
| Salmon | | | |
| Silver Blue | | | |
| Silver Gray | | ||
| Splash | | ||
| Tolbunt | Seen only in Polish chickens | ||
| White Laced Red | |||
| Chocolate | Rare; bred in Orpington bantams in the 1990s [2] : 163 [5] |