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Animal Information
Oscar Dowling
Buying birds? The lowdown on our Federation Chickens. At the Collingwood Children’s Farm, rare breeds poultry play (try saying that quickly) an integral role in sustaining a working farm atmosphere in an inner-city environment. This is my attempt at summarising the true relevance of these birds in such a farm as ours.
docile, good-natured roosters and sociable hens. Named after the South-East county of Sussex, they were originally developed as a dual-purpose chicken. But with modern commercial farming pressures, uses of chickens in this manner have long been discarded. Thus, this breed is now part of our Federation Pens population also.
Most of the animals at the Farm are not kept purely for production, but rather to maintain and protect rare breeds from becoming extinct. The Farm chooses its breeds based on this concept. Take our Salmon Faverolles for a example, originally developed in the 1860’s as an egg-laying and meat bird in the community of Faverolles, located in the “Centre” region of France. Populations peaked in the early 20th Century when Faverolles provided the majority of Paris’ eggs. Since this time, their commercial populations have been declining (except where better-laying birds have been found) and are now solely bred as exhibition birds only. We have Salmon Faverolles, a light salmon-coloured, five-toed bird known for its deep chest with feathers that cover its feet and create a feathered neck “ruff”.
Black Orpingtons were considered paramount egg layers at the turn of the 20th century, supplying up to 200+ eggs per year. Originally they were a crossbred, bred by William Cook in 1886 as a dual utility bird in the (now metropolitan) township Orpington, England. Their numbers have grown slightly due to their attractiveness, and they now often exhibited by chicken fanciers. Because of their heavy plumage they are excellent layers during the cooler months and work well as backyard birds due to their inability to fly. The hens make great mothers and are extremely broody.
Faverolles are only one of our Federation Pens breeds, which celebrate Austalian commercial and domestic poultry at the time of Federation. Unfortunately due to an increasingly small population and an ever-shrinking gene pool Faverolles are becoming more prone to hereditary diseases. However, their friendly and inquisitive personality, coupled with their child friendliness means they will always be valued at their home here. The highly sociable Light Sussex (which is our only free-range chicken) has been bred since the Roman occupation of Britain in 43AD. We choose Light Sussex here at the Farm for their
The Brown Leghorns are arguably the most attractive of all chickens on the Farm. Their thin bodies are better suited for egg laying than for a chicken roast – which is good because they can lay up to a massive 320+ eggs per year! Black and Brown Leghorns are much rarer than the common White and in my opinion superior in appearance. Originating out of Tuscany in central Italy and being exported to North American in the mid-19th century, Leghorns have evolved to become more flighty and nervous birds than other breeds. Pullets are available for sale (until all sold) at the Farm: Leghorns $40, Orpingtons $40 and Chinese Silkies $30. References Aschwanden, Christie - Beautiful Chickens, Murdock Books 2011 Percy, Pam - A field guide to chickens, Voyager Press, 2006
FARMLAND SINCE 1838