Wyandotte

Looks how to spot one

Soft, full feathering on a rounded body

A medium-heavy, pleasingly curved bird with a broad, rounded outline and plenty of feathering. It carries a low rose comb with small rounded points, a bright red face, wattles and earlobes, and yellow skin. Hens lay brown eggs.241

Personality what they are like

Generally relaxed and friendly. Wyandottes tend to be steady, sociable flock members, and hens are known as attentive mothers when they go broody.452

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. They are not strong fliers and cope well in a run, but enjoy daily time to scratch and forage.46

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Chickens keep their own plumage in order by preening and dust bathing, so the owner's job is a dry dust-bath spot, clean dry bedding, daily flock checks and regular egg collection. Hens typically lay around 200 large brown eggs a year.65

Home where they are happiest

Needs a secure, dry, well-ventilated coop plus an outdoor run. The RSPCA suggests roughly 1 m² of indoor space per bird where possible; veterinary husbandry guidance gives 0.37 m² per large bird as a minimum, and Oregon State University Extension advises about 0.28 m² per bird when there is a run, or 0.75 to 0.9 m² without outdoor access. Allow at least 15 cm of perch per bird (more for big breeds), about one nest box per four hens, and a patch of dry soil for dust bathing. The breed copes well with cool climates.678

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete commercial ration forms the base: chick starter first, a lower-calcium grower feed until laying begins, then layer feed. An adult eats around 120 g of layers pellets a day, a little more in winter. Provide insoluble grit, oyster shell as extra calcium for layers, and fresh clean water at all times. In the UK, kitchen scraps may not be fed to poultry.67

Company who they like around

A flock bird that forages, roosts and dust bathes with companions, so keep at least three hens that get along.6

The story where it all began

The Wyandotte was bred in the northern United States in the 1870s, with the silver laced variety coming first; it was sometimes called the American Sebright before taking the name of the Wyandot people when the American Poultry Association accepted it in 1883. It reached Britain around the same time, where breeders refined the lacing and, together with American breeders, created many more colours by crossing in other breeds.143

Recognised by the official bits

American Poultry Association (Standard of Perfection)

Admitted in 1883 (silver laced first); nine large-fowl colours recognised today. Bantams added in 1933.1

The Poultry Club of Great Britain

Standardised breed, classed as soft feather heavy, with many colour varieties.3

The Livestock Conservancy

Graduated from the Conservation Priority List in 2016.4