The Marsh Daisy is a rare

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 ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

originating in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Its name may be related to its origin in a

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

-like area, or that its large rose

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

resembles the flower of the Marsh Daisy (''Armeria maritima''). The Marsh Daisy is a hardy, economical barnyard chicken, but is slow to mature. It is a lightweight breed of standard fowl, with males at a maximum of 2.95 kilos (6.5 pounds) and females 2.5 kilos (5.5 pounds). A good forager, it prefers being kept

free range Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...

. Though generally calm, it is active and can fly. Hens are layers of a fair number of tinted eggs. Distinguishing characteristics are the 'Rose comb', 'white earlobes' and 'willow green legs'. Known for being flighty, and slow to mature, the hardiness of the breed is the primary feature that allows them to develop, and breeders take pleasure in raising such a rare breed.Hobson, Jeremy and Lewis, Cecilia. ''Choosing & Raising Chickens: The complete guide to breeds and welfare''. David and Charles publishing. London. 2009. p 60 There are currently no Bantam variations on the Marsh Daisy.

History

Beginning in the 1880s in

Southport, Lancashire Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

Old English Game The Old English Game is a British breed of domestic chicken. It was probably originally bred for cockfighting. Two different standards are recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain: Carlisle Old English Game and Oxford Old English Gam ...

, roosters were crossed with

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

hens to create the foundation for the breed. Black Hamburgs, White Leghorns, and

Sicilian Buttercup The Sicilian Buttercup is a breed of domestic chicken originating from the island of Sicily. The breed was imported to the United States in the nineteenth century, and to Britain and Australia early in the twentieth century. It derives from the i ...

s were also added to cement its characteristics. The Marsh Daisy would become a proper, defined breed in England as of 1913. The Marsh Daisy has never had any populations of consequence abroad, and has never been recognized for showing by organizations such as 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 ...

. Extremely rare even in its homeland, it is listed as an endangered breed by the

Rare Breeds Survival Trust The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1973 by Joe Henson to prese ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It was once found in Black, Brown, Buff, Wheaten and White color varieties, the Wheaten and Brown are the most common, the Buff white and black have been reintroduced by dedicated breeders. It has no bantam version.

References

External links

Marsh Daisy
at feathersite, including photos Chicken breeds Chicken breeds originating in the United Kingdom Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist {{British livestock, R.4