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] |