Wyandotte Chicken – Characteristics, Origin, Breed Info and Lifespan
If the Wyandotte chicken breed is new to you as a breeder then you need good information about it before adding it to your flock.
Do you wish to know more about the Wyandotte chicken breeds?
The Wyandotte chicken breed is just the right breed for different people.
As a result, you need to read along until the end so that you will get the full breed information of the Wyandotte chickens.
Here, you’ll find, undoubtedly, reasons to decide on getting Wyandottes as your companion chickens.
This article aims at giving you all you need to know about the Wyandotte breed.
What you are going to learn includes their history, characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
Then subsequently you will find answers to questions frequently asked about the Wyandotte chicken breed.
Pay close attention as you read this article to the end because I’m sure you don’t want any details to pass by unchecked.
Shall we begin?
What is a Wyandotte chicken?
The Wyandotte chickens are a beautiful group of chickens,
Popularly known for its colourful feather variation.
They have a lot of feathers on their body which means they are very fluffy chickens.
Which makes them look rather bigger than they actually are.
They have round bodies, are fairly large in size and are full-breasted making them fantabulous meat producers.
These popular breeds are the centre of attraction not just because of their beauty and plump size alone but their outstanding egg production rate too.
Wyandotte chickens are easy-going birds that get along with other animals on the farm and in the home.
These beautiful Chickens make a perfect choice for most flocks and are great backyard companions.
What is the origin and history of Wyandotte chickens?
The Wyandotte chickens were intentionally created in America to meet the demand for a good dual-purpose chicken breed in 1870
They bred them to be good egg layers and excellent meat producers.
These breeds are cold hardy, which means they are built for cold climatic conditions.
This achievement is credited to 4 Americans; Fred Houdlette, John Ray, L. Whittaker and H.M. Doubleday.
The original name of the Wyandotte chicken is the American Sebright.
This name was later changed by the American Poultry Association to Wyandotte.
Wyandottes were coined From a tribe from North America called the Wyandot people.
Two important breeds were used to develop the Wyandotte chickens.
These are, the dark Brahma chickens (big sized and colourful chicken’s) and the silver slanged Hamburg (which have rose combs)
What are the characteristics of Wyandotte chickens?
Common observable features of the Wyandotte chickens are;
1. Wyandotte chickens have plenty of Feathers:
Very fluffy breed of chicken with adorable plumage and colourful patterns, which makes different people seek it.
Such beautiful things are very good to have around the house.
This characteristic is a very useful one that helps them stay warm in cold weather conditions.
2. They are big in size:
These breeds of chicken are not the biggest of chicken there is but they also rank among heavy birds because they have a big size.
This makes them very meaty and a good choice for meat production both at home or commercially.
3. They are Docile and friendly chicken breeds:
Wyandotte chickens generally are easy to deal with and manageable.
They are friendly and yielding to supervision and control.
This makes them good for beginners in the poultry business whether for backyard poultry or commercial purposes.
Their friendliness also qualifies them as good pets to have around you but they could be sometimes resistant to handling.
4. Wyandottes are Noisy birds:
These chickens certainly love chit-chats and like making their presence felt.
Their noise level is moderately high.
So be sure your neighbours are okay with a lively and murmuring chicken bird before deciding!
5. They have a Rose comb:
The Wyandotte chickens have a fleshy red crest growth on top of their head called the comb.
This comb comes in different shapes and sizes for different chicken breeds.
The Wyandotte breed has the shape rose comb.
This rose comb helps them to adapt better to the cold during winter and in cold climates.
It also helps them suffer rarely from frostbite.
6. Wyandottes have their head broad and short
They have short, strong beaks attached to their broadhead.
Their wide and flat rose comb fits on the broadhead, following its contours to the back.
7. They have their Wattles, earlobes and comb red:
Wattles, earlobes and combs vary across different chicken breeds in colour, size and shape.
And for Wyandotte, they are all red in colour.
The Wattles and comb of chickens are for temperature regulation which helps them stay cool at warmer and colder weathers.
The earlobes help to know the egg colour;
White earlobe chickens lay white eggs like the white leghorn
Pale green earlobe chickens lay blue-green eggs like the Araucana chicken.
Red and dark earlobe chickens lay brown eggs like the popular Wyandottes.
8. These beautiful and fluffy chickens have lots of different varieties/colours:
The variation of the Wyandotte chickens’ plumage and lovely pattern makes them the right choice for beautifying your home.
Wyandotte chickens recognised varieties includes;
- Silver laced back
- Gold laced, white
- Black, Buff, Patridge.
- Silver pencilled
- Columbian
- Blue
Recently, Breeders have been able to produce more spectacular colours of the Wyandotte chicken breed.
9. Wyandotte chickens skin is yellow in colour:
This yellow skin colour in Wyandotte is a result of skin pigmentation.
It is an indication of the bird’s health and not necessarily a sign of quality meat.
10. They have short tail feathers:
A pure breed of the Wyandotte chickens always has its tail short.
The roosters usually have much more obvious tail feathers than the hens.
Why choose Wyandotte chickens?
Below are good reasons you must have this good stock of chicken breed.
1. The Wyandottes are pretty Good egg layers:
This is one of the reasons why this hybrid vigour was created.
They are known to lay about 4 eggs per week which is a good number.
These cold-hardy birds will continue laying through wind and storms.
Meaning they lay all year long even during winter and summer.
In addition, their egg size is usually big and medium with a brown colour.
2. Wyandotte chickens are not flighty birds:
These calm and friendly birds are not the flying type.
They’ll work majestically around the yard showing you how adorable they look but they hardly fly.
Small fencing is just enough to barricade them wherever you want them to be.
3. These breeds are big in size making them good meat breeds:
Wyandotte chickens have such size that makes their meats have more quantity than usual chicken.
These yellow-skinned birds weigh close to 8-9lbs (3.5-4kg) for roosters and 6-7lbs (2.7-3.2kg) for hens.
Hence if you would really love a breed with a good meat production capacity Wyandottes are a good option you must consider.
4. Wyandotte chickens are beginner-friendly chicken breeds:
well reserved birds like this that also do well in confinements can be a good breed for you to start your poultry experience.
Either backyard startup or large scale setup, Wyandotte breeds are good dual purpose with a calm and docile character making them come to mind first in a start-up breed selection.
5. They can withstand very cold climates with their fluffy feathers and rose comb:
The productivity of the Wyandotte chickens is not affected by the cold climates they might find themselves in.
Wyandotte is known to thrive in all kinds of regions and is spread across the world.
Their plenty of feathers and rose comb helps them stay warm and prevent frostbites, it helps insulate them in cold climates.
Hence Wyandotte chickens are cold hardy birds.
6. These chickens are beautiful and colourful with different patterns of different varieties:
They are beautifully feathered with dazzling plumage having solid unique patterns which makes them very attractive to have in the home.
Their unique feather patterns are enough reason to have these chickens in your flock.
7. Wyandotte chickens attract lots of admirers:
They always stand out amongst the other flocks and look so stunning that they attract so many admirers.
People love the way they walk, their unique laced colourful feathers and their strong personality.
What are the disadvantages of having the Wyandotte Chickens?
1. Wyandotte chickens are relatively noisy birds:
I don’t know what these birds chit chat about but they are murmuring birds.
The roosters always crow here and there and the hens a low indistinct sounds like they are gossiping about something.
2. They really don’t like to get their feathers ruffled so they dislike handling:
These majestic birds with their beautiful nature are reluctant to been handled
They are not the kind of pet and companions you would keep for a cuddle.
But when trained from handling from smaller age they do just fine.
3. Wyandotte chickens are not pretty good at brooding:
The reliability of the Wyandotte sitting on its eggs is low.
A couple of times you might see them as been broody but they are not birds diligent with brooding.
4. They could be aggressive sometimes:
Even though this is not often the case, Wyandotte is usually of calm, friendly and approachable character.
sometimes, they get aggressive whenever they are been pushed around or bullied in the flock.
Those that haven’t been trained to be handled could be aggressive towards you sometimes if you try carrying them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wyandotte chickens
1. Are Wyandotte chickens friendly?
Generally, the Wyandottes are docile, easy to handle and easy-going breed of chicken.
So yes these big guys are very friendly even though some might get mood swings sometimes.
2. What colour eggs do Wyandotte chickens lay?
They always lay light brown eggs which are usually medium-sized and sometimes big.
3. Are Wyandotte chickens noisy?
Wyandotte chickens are murmuring birds and make a lot of noise.
Their noise is can be said to be moderately high.
4. What is the lifespan of a Wyandotte chicken?
Their life spans up to 6-12 years if they are not killed before then.
Just make sure they are placed on the right diet and protected from hazardous and dangerous places so they can live longer.
5. Are Wyandotte chickens good for meat?
With their big size and full-breasted fleshy body, you bet they are good meat producers.
Wyandotte roosters weigh around 8-9lb and the hens 6-7lb.
That’s about 3.5-4kg and 2.7-3.2kg respectively.
6. What do Wyandotte chickens eat to grow?
If you allow your chickens to wander in a free-range system you’ll definitely find out that they are good foragers.
They hunt for little insects, worms bugs and some green wherever they can find.
Factory feed or ready-made chicken feed that is age-specific is also a good one for their growth and development.
7. How fast do Wyandotte chickens grow?
The Wyandotte hen reaches maturity about 20-24weeks and the rooster in about 5 months.
So I’d say this good dual-purpose breed (egg and meat producer) have moderate growth.
8. Are Wyandotte chickens good layers?
Wyandotte chickens are a very okay breed when it comes to laying eggs.
They lay over 200 eggs annually.
Interesting as I said earlier they are cold hardy chickens that lay all throughout the year.
9. What kind of environment or habitat is conducive for Wyandotte chickens?
They are found all over the world in different climatic zones meaning these birds thrive everywhere.
They insulate themselves with their feathers and rose comb in cold times, and find cool spots and shade during hot times.
Wyandotte is a self-sufficient bird that loves to forage in the open field and enjoy menus of different kinds including ticks, worms and other insects they find delicious.
So yes, a semi-intensive system is a good one to raise them.
But don’t be tricked, Wyandotte have also well adapted to be in confinements making them more suitable for your commercial production.
Conclusion
Now that you’re well informed on the Wyandotte chicken you must agree with me that these majestic birds are really a breed you must have.
Such beaut makes the right companions with their friendly and calm nature.
They are very popular breeds of chicken that you’ll find around and easily gets admirers because of their colourful feathers with such fantastic Pattern,
These dual-purpose birds which are good for both meat and egg production make a great choice for backyard and large scale farmers.
You can ask any questions about the Wyandotte chicken using the comment section below.
Cheers.
References:
![15 Blue Chicken Breeds [With Pictures]](https://agro4africa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cochin-chicken-breed.jpg)
this article really help me to know about Coop Thank for sharing.
You’re welcome.