The Wyandotte is a beautiful chicken with a variety of feather colors that originated in the Americas. With more than twenty different color variations, it can be challenging for amateur breeders to identify this breed.
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| Wyandotte Chicken: Everything You Need to Know About This Egg-Layer |
If Wyandotte is so widespread, it is because it is one of the best-laying hens. It can lay up to four eggs per week, even during the winter, earning it the title of a top-performing egg layer.
If you are looking for a lovely chicken to begin your family farming or to add to your flock, the Wyandotte is an excellent choice.
Physical Characteristics
This chicken has a rounded shape and comes in various feather patterns, including black with silver or golden hackles, white, blue, blue laced red, partridge, blue partridge, black laced white, buff, buff laced white, buff laced blue, red, silver laced black or white, and even tricolored varieties.
New color varieties of Wyandottes are continuously being created by breeders worldwide, with one of the latest being the "Chocolate Partridge."
- Egg Size: 55g. Cream-colored shells, sometimes nearly brown. Bantam: 35g.
- Feathers: more than 17 varieties of feather patterns, with the most characteristic being black laced with white.
- Eyes: orange iris.
- Beak: small, curved, horn/yellow color, sometimes darker.
- Comb: small, frizzled, pinkish-red, in the shape of an elongated drop from the beak to halfway up the head.
- Chest: deep, full, and rounded.
- Earlobes: small and red.
- Legs: sturdy, yellow-colored, four toes.
Wyandotte Chicken Characteristics
The Wyandotte chicken is hardy and very resistant. It can survive in cold climates thanks to its thick plumage. It has:
- A strong neck.
- A medium and slightly concave back.
- A round breast.
- Thick plumage.
- Tightly held wings.
- a tail shaped like a horseshoe.
- A double comb in bright red color.
- A wide head.
- Rounded wattles.
- A short and slightly curved beak.
- Pale yellow shanks.
- Reddish-orange eyes with a large, round shape.
Behavior and Personality
Wyandotte chickens are generally calm and friendly, but they have a strong character that can make them appear a bit distant. In reality, they are quite shy towards humans but are easily tamed. Their size and strength often give them a higher place in the pecking order within the chicken coop.
Some Wyandotte lineages are known to be chatty and noisy, which can be problematic if you have close neighbors.
Despite their strong personalities, they are usually an amiable breed, making them a good choice if you start with chicken farming.
Feeding
The Wyandotte is an excellent forager and will find plenty of food to peck at in the garden, including young shoots, herbs, and insects. Some argue that they can be more economical than other chickens when it comes to food consumption. However, it's essential to provide them with about 150 grams of layer pellets or a mixture of grains rich in amino acids and proteins per day per chicken.
Living environment
Wyandotte chickens are calm and active birds that make excellent backyard chickens. They love to roam and scratch the ground in an open space but can tolerate confinement. Therefore, a mix of time spent in a coop and time spent exploring the garden will satisfy them and allow them to thrive in your care.
Adapted to cold winter conditions thanks to their weight and plumage, you should not have too many problems with them if it gets a little chilly in your area. As long as they have a well-ventilated coop to shelter and sleep in, your Wyandottes will be content and happy.
History of the breed
The Wyandotte is a completely American breed, originating from the state of New York. It was created by four people: Fred Houdlette, John Ray, L. Whittaker, and H.M. Doubleday. They set out to create a 100% American dual-purpose chicken breed, which was lacking in the late 1800s.
The name comes from an American Indian tribe called the Wendat. It was given as a mark of respect for the assistance these Amerindians provided to the first settlers in the area.
The very first Wyandotte was created around 1860. Its plumage was black with silver lacing. The second variety was the black Wyandotte with golden lacing, created in Wisconsin.
The breed's original name was actually American Sebright, but in 1883, when the American Poultry Association accepted the bird, the name was changed to Wyandotte.
In the early 1880s, the first Wyandotte chickens crossed the Atlantic to impress British poultry breeders. The breed then slowly spread throughout Europe.
Legend has it that in the early 1900s, the Wyandotte was so popular in England that prices ranged from 35 to 165 pounds sterling per chicken, which was practically the cost for a small house back then!
The Wyandotte bantam was standardized in 1933.
FAQ
What is the best environment to raise Wyandotte chickens?
Wyandotte chickens are very hardy and not demanding, so it is possible to raise them in a coop or free-range. In a standard coop, it is necessary to provide appropriate care, and they will grow well. They can be raised for their qualities as good layers, for breeding, for their delicious meat, or as ornamental chickens.
Is the Wyandotte chicken a good broody hen?
The Wyandotte chicken is an excellent broody hen. Thus, if you want to expand your flock by raising chicks, it is entirely possible with them. They are also good mothers who take care of their young well.
What is the laying period for Wyandotte chickens?
Every season—even the winter—they lay eggs.
How many eggs can a Wyandotte chicken lay at most?
They can lay up to 240 eggs with an average of 4 eggs per week.
What is the starting age for Wyandotte chickens to lay eggs?
They start laying eggs at around 4-5 months old.
Are Wyandotte chicken eggs edible?
Their eggs are cream to brown and weigh 55g, and they are delicious.
Which chicken breeds can be mixed with Wyandottes?
Wyandottes tend to stick together, but they get along well with other chicken breeds such as Brahma and Cochin, which they share genes with. If the coop is overcrowded, they can become aggressive with the timid ones. The Wyandotte bantam is very sociable.
How to recognize a Wyandotte rooster?
It is always difficult to tell the difference between Wyandotte roosters and hens, especially in the large breed. In comparison, the rooster's comb is redder and grows faster, while the hen's comb is lighter. The rooster also stands more upright than the hen.
What are the colors of Wyandotte chicken plumage?
There are more than twenty colors of Wyandotte chicken plumage. Initially, this pretty little chicken was silver, but it has been crossed often. Among the most well-known, we find:
- White
- Buff
- Black
- Blue
- Barred
- Red
- Golden-laced black or blue
- Pearl grey
- Black and white
- Partridge
There are still other colors. Some are recognized to participate in exhibitions, and others are not.
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