Kraienkoppe
Encyclopedia
The Kraienköppe also called the Twentse, is a breed
of chicken
originating on the border region between Germany
and the Netherlands
. The latter of the two names is the Dutch language
version, while the former is German
. Kraienköppe appear in two color varieties: Black-breasted Red and Silver. Males weigh 2.75 kilos (6 pounds), and females weigh 1.8 kilos (4 pounds). They have yellow skin and a small walnut-type comb
.
The Kraienköppe breed was developed from crosses of Leghorns and Malays
. It is rare today, and is best known as a layer and a show bird. Hens lay a fair number of off-white eggs, and will go broody. Kraienkoppes are active fowl with excellent foraging abilities.
The black breasted red and silver Kraienköppe upon being brought to America has enjoyed widespread acclimation on American farms and ranches due to the thriftiness and hardiness of this breed.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
originating on the border region between Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The latter of the two names is the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
version, while the former is German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. Kraienköppe appear in two color varieties: Black-breasted Red and Silver. Males weigh 2.75 kilos (6 pounds), and females weigh 1.8 kilos (4 pounds). They have yellow skin and a small walnut-type comb
Comb (anatomy)
Anatomically, a comb is a fleshy growth, caruncle, or crest on the top of the head of gallinaceous birds, most notably turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens...
.
The Kraienköppe breed was developed from crosses of Leghorns and Malays
Malay (chicken)
The Malay is a breed of chicken originating in Asia, most likely in northern Pakistan . These birds are cousins of Asil. It is unknown why they were called Malay, but perhaps because of a mistake by the former East India Company, when they introduced that exotic new breed around 1570. In Asia, the...
. It is rare today, and is best known as a layer and a show bird. Hens lay a fair number of off-white eggs, and will go broody. Kraienkoppes are active fowl with excellent foraging abilities.
The black breasted red and silver Kraienköppe upon being brought to America has enjoyed widespread acclimation on American farms and ranches due to the thriftiness and hardiness of this breed.
