The Appenzeller Spitzhauben is a Swiss

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

crested chicken Crested chickens are a group of ornamental chicken breeds characterised by a tuft or crest of upward-pointing feathers on the head. History and distribution A skull excavated in England suggests that crested chickens were present there in R ...

originating in the historical

Appenzell Appenzell is a historic canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen. Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered a league with the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1411, ...

region of Switzerland. It is one of two chicken breeds from that area, the other being the

Appenzeller Barthuhn The Appenzeller Barthuhn is a Swiss breed of bearded chicken originating in the historical Appenzell region of Switzerland. It is one of two chicken breeds from that area, the other being the Appenzeller Spitzhauben; the only other Swiss breed ...

; the only other Swiss breed of chicken is the Schweizer.

History

The origins of the Spitzhauben are unknown. It has been bred in the mountains of the Alpine region for hundreds of years. A similar breed, the

Brabanter The Brabanter is a Dutch breed of crested chicken originating in the historic region of Brabant which straddles Belgium and the Netherlands. It is an ancient breed and is shown in 17th-century paintings. A bantam Brabanter was created in a ...

of the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, is shown in paintings of the seventeenth century; it has been suggested that the Spitzhauben may have originated at about that time. In the twentieth century it was found only in the historical

region of Switzerland – the "half-cantons" of

Appenzell Ausserrhoden Appenzell Ausserrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Outer Rhodes) (german: Kanton Appenzell Ausserrhoden; rm, Chantun Appenzell Dadora; french: Canton d'Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures; it, Canton Appenzello Esterno) is one of the 26 canton ...

and

Appenzell Innerrhoden Appenzell Innerrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Inner-Rhodes) (german: Kanton Appenzell Innerrhoden rm, Chantun Appenzell Dadens; french: Canton d'Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures; it, Canton Appenzello Interno) is one of the 26 cantons ...

. Some birds were shown in 1935 at the national

poultry show A poultry show is a specific subset of a livestock show that involves the exhibition and competition of exhibition poultry, which may include chickens, domestic ducks, domestic geese, domestic guineafowl and domestic turkey. Domestic pigeon ar ...

, but by about 1950 the Spitzhauben was close to extinction. A recovery project was launched in 1983 with the help of

ProSpecieRara ProSpecieRara, the "Schweizerische Stiftung für die kulturhistorische und genetische Vielfalt von Pflanzen und Tieren" ("Swiss foundation for the cultural and genetic diversity of plants and animals"), is a non-profit charitable organization de ...

; 230 chicks were hatched in that year. A

flock-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breede ...

was started in 2005; in 2019 the recorded population consisted of 243 hens and 153 cocks.

Characteristics

The Spitzhauben is a light chicken: hens weigh little more than a kilogram, and cock birds barely over . It is an active breed that doesn't do well in close confinement, can forage well, and will roost in trees if given the opportunity. In North America, it is very rare and is recognized officially by neither the

American Poultry Association The American Poultry Association (APA) is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. It was founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932. The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in respo ...

or other breed registries. The silver-spangled Spitzhauben is the most common variety. The Spitzhauben variety, meaning "pointed bonnet", has a V-comb and feather crests in males and females. The word 'spitzhauben' derives from a ceremonial hat worn by the women in the Appenzeller region in Switzerland. The breed was imported into America by a doctor. Spitzhauben are recognised by the EE Standard commission in the following colours: silver-spangled, gold-spangled, lemon-spangled, chamois-spangled, pure black and pure blue. Ring size is for cocks and for hens.

Use

Hens may lay some 150 white-shelled eggs in their first year, with an average weight of .

History

Characteristics

Use

References

Further reading