 A Vorwerk hen | |
| Other names | Vorwerkhuhn |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Comb type | single |
| Classification | |
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The Vorwerk is a breed of chicken originating in Germany. Though it is unrelated to the German company which produces the Vorwerk vacuum cleaner, it is the only chicken to share its name with a brand of household appliance. [1] A rare fowl, it has distinctive black-and-gold plumage.
Beginning in 1900, poultry breeder Oskar Vorwerk began to create a medium-sized, utilitarian fowl with the belted plumage pattern of the Lakenvelder. The key difference in appearance would be the Vorwerk's dark golden base color, rather than the white of the Lakenvelder. Thus, his chicken is sometimes incorrectly called the Golden Lakenvelder, especially in North America. The Golden Lakenvelder, a plumage variety, is a separate breed from the Vorwerk. [2] Breeds used to create the Vorwerk included the Lakenvelder, Buff Orpington, Buff Sussex and Andalusian. By 1913, the Vorwerk was standardized. However, it never really gained widespread use, and is rare or non-existent outside Continental Europe. [3]
In 1966, a U.S. man named Wilmar Vorwerk of New Ulm, Minnesota, developed an interest in the breed, but it had not been exported to North America. Thus, he created a bantam version from scratch using Lakenvelders, Buff and Blue Wyandottes, Black-tailed Buff and Buff Columbian Rosecombs. European fanciers have also independently miniaturized a bantam Vorwerk. Though the large fowl Vorwerk has never been accepted in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection, the American Bantam Association has recognized the U.S. version of the Vorwerk Bantam. [4]
Vorwerks are a dual-purpose chicken suitable for both meat and egg production. Standard size males weigh 2.5–3.2 kilos (5.5–7.5 pounds), and females weigh 2–2.5 kilos (4.5–5.5 pounds). The European bantam standards are different from the US standards, which is understandable as they were produced using different breeds.[ citation needed ] In particular Bantam males in the US are 765 grams (27 ounces), and females in the US are 650 grams (23 ounces) but in Europe the breed is heavier at 910 grams for males and 680 grams for females. If you are showing in Europe it is well worth seeking out that standard rather than go by the US version. Large Vorwerk hens are good layers of cream-colored eggs, and will produce approximately 170 in a year. Bantams are also dual-purpose, but (like all bantams) lay smaller eggs and fewer of them.
Vorwerks are hardy, adaptable birds with economical appetites. In temperament, they are alert and active, but not necessarily flighty. In terms of plumage, their head, neck and tail are solid black, with the rest a buff color. The ideal of breed standards call for no black spotting in the buff areas, but in practicality this is very difficult to breed. Vorwerks sport a single comb, slate grey underfluff, and white earlobes. [5]
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The Buckeye is an American breed of chicken. It was created in Ohio in the late nineteenth century by Nettie Metcalf. The color of its plumage was intended to resemble the color of the seeds of Aesculus glabra, the Ohio Buckeye plant for which the state is called the 'Buckeye State'.
The Faverolles is a French breed of chicken. The breed was developed in the 1860s in north-central France, in the vicinity of the villages of Houdan and Faverolles. The breed was given the name of the latter village and the singular is thus also Faverolles, not Faverolle. The final "s" is silent in French.
The Dutch Bantam is a breed of bantam chicken originating in the Netherlands. It is a true bantam, a naturally small bird with no related large fowl from which it was miniaturized. It is kept mainly for exhibition, and has been bred in many color varieties; it is a good layer of small eggs.
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The Rhode Island White is a breed of chicken originating in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Despite their very similar names and shared place of origin, the Rhode Island White is a distinct breed from the Rhode Island Red. However, Rhode Island Reds and Whites can be bred together to create Red Sex-Link hybrid chickens, such as the ISA Brown. In Australia, the Rhode Island White is regarded as a color variety of the Rhode Island breed according to the Australian Poultry Standards.
The Java is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. Despite the breed's name, a reference to the island of Java, it was developed in the U.S. from chickens of unknown Asian extraction. It is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the basis for many other breeds, but is critically endangered today. Javas are large birds with a sturdy appearance. They are hardy, and are well-suited for both meat and egg production, especially by small-scale farms, homesteads, and backyard keepers.
The Sultan is a Turkish breed of crested chicken. The name derives from the original Turkish language name of Sarai-Tavuk, which translates as "fowls of the palace". They have always been primarily ornamental, having been kept in the gardens of Ottoman sultanate. In the West they are bred for competitive showing as part of poultry fancy, and are generally a rare sight.
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The Orloff is a breed of chicken named after Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov, a Russian Count. Reflecting this origin, it is sometimes called the Russian Orloff or simply Russian.
The Derbyshire Redcap is a breed of chicken originating in the English county of Derbyshire. The name "Redcap" derives from the breed's unusually large Rose-type comb. British breed standards dictate a length of more than 7 centimetres (3 inches) of length for a Redcap comb. It is covered in small, fleshy points, and has a distinct spike pointing backwards called a "leader". Combs, wattles and earlobes are all ideally bright red.
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