17 Endangered Chicken Breeds and How You Can Help

Most homesteaders have the space and means to assist in the conservation of endangered chicken breeds.

They can be as useful to you and your family as any standard chicken in providing eggs, and even providing the odd chicken meal – provided you breed more than you consume.

Many of these breeds are prized at chicken shows and make wonderful pets for children.

Knowing a little about each of these breeds can help you realize how these incredible breeds can contribute you and your family, and can help you decide on a breed you feel will be a good fit for your family.

Without our assistance, these breeds will become extinct leaving just another thing we as people failed to conserve for our children.

In this article, I am going to discuss the Conservation Priority Lists’ 2023 endangered chickens and how you can help save these breeds.

North Holland Blue

1. Holland

Holland chickens were bred as dual-purpose birds; however, they are lightweight birds with little meat.

Holland chickens are calm, low-maintenance birds that love to free-range and forage for their own meals. They are very friendly birds that make great pets for small children.

Breed	Holland
Origin	North America
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	✅
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Medium to large, white
Male Size	8.5 pounds
Female Size	6.5 pounds
Color	Black and white mottled
Lifespan	4 – 8 years
Climate	Need protection in cold
Care	Low maintenance, free range
Temperament	Calm, friendly
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Red
Combs	Red, single
Earlobes	Red
Beaks	Yellow
Feathers	White and grey, black and gold
Faces	Red

Species Spotlight: Cubalaya (Cuban Chicken ft. Nugget the Key West Local)

2. Cubalaya

Cubalaya chickens are dual purpose chickens that are also proudly presented in shows.

They have long, flowing ornamental feathers with a tail that resembles a lobster claw. They do not have spurs, so they do not injure each other if a fight does break out.

They love to forage and do not like to be confined. They do not do well in colder areas.

They are very friendly with humans and exhibit a lot of trust, but they do not do well when kept alongside other chicken breeds.

Breed	Cubalaya
Origin	Cuba
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	✅	❌
Eggs Per Week	2 – 3
Eggs Appearance	Small to medium, cream
Male Size	6 pounds
Female Size	4 pounds
Color	Black, white, black-breasted red
Lifespan	8 years
Climate	Hot
Care	Free range
Temperament	Friendly with people but not with other chicken breeds
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Red
Combs	Red, pea comb
Earlobes	Red
Beaks	Horn colored
Feathers	Varies
Faces	Red
Legs	Pinkish white
Eyes	Reddish bay

Java Chicken Breed

3. Java

Java chickens are docile, friendly birds that make great pets.

They do best in warmer climates and love to forage for food. They do not mind being in a coop.

Their feather colors vary and may be black, mottled, white, or auburn. The white Java is the rarest of the breed.

Breed	Java
Origin	North America
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	✅
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Large, tinted to dark brown
Male Size	9.5 pounds
Female Size	7.5 pounds
Color	White, black, auburn, mottled
Lifespan	5 to 8 years
Climate	Warm
Care	Forages, but do well in coops
Temperament	Docile, friendly
Physical Appearance
Combs	Single pea comb
Earlobes	Red
Beaks	Black

Campine (Large Fowl)

4. Campine

This exquisite breed is hardy and hilarious to watch. They are considered the clowns of the chicken breeds playing up to the crowd with their silly antics.

They are not very friendly with people. Instead, they prefer to be independent foragers that are bred for eggs and shows.

Breed	Campine
Origin	Northern Belgium
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	❌	✅	❌
Eggs Per Week	2 – 3
Eggs Appearance	Large, white
Male Size	6 pounds
Female Size	4 pounds
Color	Silver, golden
Lifespan	6 – 7 years
Climate	Warm
Temperament	Independent
Physical Appearance
Wattles
Combs	Single, red
Earlobes	White
Faces	Red
Legs	Dark blue

What is the Best Homestead Chicken Breed? One of our Favorites- The Mottled Houdan

5. Houdan

This gift from France is so pretty, and more than a little goofy looking. They were bred for eggs and meat but are also popular show birds and excellent pets for small children.

Breed	Houdan
Origin	France
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	✅	✅
Eggs Per Week	2 – 3
Eggs Appearance	Small, white
Male Size	8 pounds
Female Size	6.5 pounds
Color	White and black mottled
Lifespan	7 – 8 years
Climate	Warm
Care	Content in large run, they like to forage, need shade
Temperament	Gentle, sweet, easy to handle
Physical Appearance
Earlobes	White
Feathers	Prominent beards and crests with tufts around their earlobes
Faces	Large nostrils
Eyes	Reddish-bay
Legs	Five toes, pinkish white
Comb	Red, V-shaped

La Fleche poultry #lafleche #poultryofyoutube #chicken #france

6. La Flèche

Another dual-purpose French breed is the La Flèche.

They are not good pets as they are flighty and prefer to roam around without human contact.

Breed	La Flèche
Origin	France
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	❌
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Large, white
Male Size	8 pounds
Female Size	6.5 pounds
Color	Black
Lifespan	5 – 8 years
Climate	Warm
Care	Prefer to roam
Temperament	Flighty, unfriendly
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Red
Combs	V-shaped
Earlobes	White
Legs	Dark slate color
Eyes	Bright red

Malay Chickens

7. Malay

Malay chickens are known for their height. They are the tallest chicken breed. These English chickens stand an astonishing 26 to 30 inches tall. They have very long legs and a very upright posture.

They have been kept primarily for cross breeding to save other chicken breeds from extinction. Sadly, now they are the ones in need of salvation.

They are not good layers, and their meat is not very popular as it has a very gamey taste. They are popular ornamental birds.

They do require special attention to breed and raise. It is important to seek help from local conservation services before you decide to breed.

Breed	Malay
Origin	UK
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	❌	❌	✅	❌
Eggs Per Week	2 – 3
Eggs Appearance	Medium size, brown
Male Size	9 pounds
Female Size	7 pounds
Color	Black breast red, white, spangled, black, and red pyle
Lifespan	5 – 8 years
Climate	Heat, tropical
Care	Do not like to be confined, need to be kept indoors at night
Temperament	Aggressive
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Pale red
Combs	Pale red
Heads	Large
Beaks	Yellow
Feathers	Lie close to their bodies

Red Cap Chicks

8. Redcap

Considered to be one of the most profitable dual-purpose breeds, the Redcap is one of the oldest chicken breeds.

Redcaps are shy and prefer to roam free. They are very easy to raise, low maintenance birds.

They are very pretty and popular show birds.

Breed	Redcap
Origin
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	✅
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Large, white
Male Size	7.5 pounds
Female Size	6 pounds
Color	Dark red to black
Lifespan	8 – 10 years
Climate	Cold hardy, good in all climates
Care	Free range, do not like being cooped, can fly, easy to raise
Temperament	Unfriendly if you do not socialize them, but not aggressive
Physical Appearance
Combs	Large, rose-shaped with small round points and a spike pointing backwards
Earlobes	Red
Legs	Lead blue
Skin	White

Seabright Bantams

9. Sebright

Sebrights are bantams with extra-large personalities.

They are loving and loveable birds that are primarily ornamental show birds and pets. They are noisy birds with spunky attitudes.

Breed	Sebright
Origin	UK
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	❌	❌	✅	✅
Eggs Per Week	1 – 2
Eggs Appearance	Small, white
Male Size	22 ounces
Female Size	20 ounces
Color	Silver-laced, gold-laced
Lifespan	8 – 12 years
Climate	Not good in cold areas
Care	Not for beginners
Temperament	Friendly, affectionate, spunky, easily trained, very vocal
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Red
Combs	Rose color
Earlobes	Purplish red or turquoise
Face	Purplish red
General Appearance	Downward sloping wings with a full, fanned-out tail and a prominent breast
Legs	Slate blue

Chicken Breeds - White Sultan

10. Sultan

These goofy-looking, ornamental chickens were, according to legend, used as living ornaments in the gardens of the early sultans.

Calm and gentle-natured, the Sultan is easy to train and handle, making them prize birds at shows and lovable pets.

They do require a good deal of care as their feet and bodies are heavily feathered. If they get wet and muddy, they can become matted and uncomfortable.

Breed	Sultan
Origin	Turkey
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	❌	❌	✅	✅
Eggs Per Week	1
Eggs Appearance	Small, white
Male Size	6 pounds
Female Size	4 pounds
Color	White
Lifespan	5 – 7 years
Climate	Warm – hot
Care	Need a lot of care to prevent matting, easily bullied by other breeds
Temperament	Enjoy physical affection from people, love to be held, super friendly, calm
Physical Appearance
General Appearance	Crest, muff, beard, with large nostrils
Combs	V-shaped
Beaks	White or flesh colored
Feathers	White, black, blue
Legs and Feet	5 toes, blue
Eyes	Reddish-bay

White Faced Black Spanish / Free Range chicken Breeds - AGROKOTA.GR

11. White-faced Black Spanish

While the White-faced Black Spanish is not an aggressive breed, they are not particularly people-friendly. They are not a good breed for children.

Their white faces have earned them the nickname the clown-faced chicken.

Breed	White-faced Black Spanish
Origin	Spain
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	✅	❌
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Large, white
Male Size	8 pounds
Female Size	6 pounds
Color	Black with a greenish sheen in the light
Lifespan	15 years
Climate	Need a warm climate, they do not thrive in extreme heat or extreme cold
Care	Need a lot of space
Temperament	Independent, not friendly with people, bully other chickens, very vocal, are occasionally flighty
Physical Appearance
Combs	Single, red
Beaks	Black
Faces	White
Legs	Dark, 4 toes
Eyes	Dark brown

Development of Aseel chicks from day 1 to adulthood

12. Aseel 

This regal chicken breed was bred for nothing more than cock fighting. Thankfully, many countries have made cock fighting illegal.

They are highly intelligent chickens that are favored show birds. They have show-stopping long, proudly carried tails.

Breed	Aseel
Origin	India
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	❌	❌	✅	✅
Eggs Per Week	1
Eggs Appearance	Pale brown to white, medium size
Male Size	5.5 pounds
Female Size	4 pounds
Color	Multicolored brown, gold, red, black
Lifespan	10 years
Climate	Hardy, prefer warm climate
Care	Need shade and lots of water, free range, lots of space to roam
Temperament	Not friendly with other breeds, friendly with people, males are aggressive, hens can be gentle
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Tiny
Combs	Tiny
Beaks	Hawk shape
Feathers	Short, held tightly to their bodies
Eyes	Pale

My sicilian buttercup chickens!

13. Buttercup

Buttercup chickens are super friendly chickens that were bred for their eggs but rapidly turned into pets with eggs as a benefit.

They are calm and social to humans and other breeds.

Their name comes from their cup shaped combs.

Breed	Buttercup
Origin	Italy
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	✅
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Large, white
Male Size	6.5 pounds
Female Size	5 pounds
Color	Roosters can be red to orange with dark black tails, hens can be gold
Lifespan	5 – 8 years
Climate	Hot
Care	Prefer free range
Temperament	Calm, friendly, great with kids, noisy, active
Physical Appearance
Combs	Buttercup, 2 single combs with distinct points forming a crown
Earlobes	White
Beaks	Light horn color
Legs	Green
Skin	Yellow

14. Catalana

Catalana chickens do not like being handled, preferring to forage and keep to their flocks. They are great dual-purpose birds.

Breed	Catalana
Origin	Spain
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	❌
Eggs Per Week	4 – 5
Eggs Appearance	Medium-large, light pink to white
Male Size	8 pounds
Female Size	6 pounds
Color	Buff, black tail
Lifespan	5 – 8 years
Climate	Hot
Care	Easy
Temperament	Intelligent, curious
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Medium to large, red
Combs	Large, red, 6 points
Earlobes	White
Beaks	Horn color
Legs	Slate blue
Skin	Light pink
Eyes	Red – brown

Top 5 Shamo Chicken Breed Collection

15. Shamo

Shamo chickens have a very distinct posture and build. The Shamo is the second tallest chicken breed.

They have exceptionally long legs and necks – I would say they are the giraffes of chicken breeds.

They were also, unfortunately, bred for cock fighting.

Breed	Shamo
Origin	Japan
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	✅
Eggs Per Week	1 – 2
Eggs Appearance	Medium, light brown
Male Size	11 pounds
Female Size	7 pounds
Color	Black, red, black-breasted red, white
Lifespan	6 – 7 years
Climate	Hot
Care	Keep only one rooster per flock, lots of space or free range
Temperament	Males are very aggressive; females are calmer but also aggressive to other breeds, friendly with people
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Bright red
Combs	Small, red
Earlobes	Small, red
Beaks	Yellow
Feathers	Closely held
Legs	Yellow
Eyes	Pearl

White Yokohama Rooster Chicken Breed (Breeder Flock) | Cackle Hatchery

16. Yokohama

The Yokohama chicken is an exquisite ornamental chicken bred for show. They are not good layers and do not have much meat.

They are very personable, but roosters can be very territorial; it is important to keep roosters separated from each other to prevent fights.

Breed	Yokohama
Origin	Japan
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	❌	❌	✅	✅
Eggs Per Week	1 – 2
Eggs Appearance	Cream, small
Male Size	4.5 pounds
Female Size	3.5 pounds
Color	Red saddled, stark white with red shoulders and backs, red breast that is flaked with white
Lifespan	6 – 8 years
Climate	Hot
Care	Free range, keep 1 rooster per flock or separate roosters from each other
Temperament	Friendly to people, easy to train, can be cooped, docile
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Small or none
Combs	Walnut shape
Beaks	Yellow
Feathers	Long, flowing tail
Legs	Yellow
Eyes	Orange – red

Icelandic Chickens - Thoughts and Experiences with Viking Chickens for Our Cold Climate Homestead

17. Icelandic

Icelandic chickens are lots of fun to watch. They are spunky and curious birds that are always inquisitive.

They are not fans of the coop, preferring to roam and forage for their food. They are very adept in finding their own food.

Breed	Icelandic
Origin	Iceland
Uses	Eggs	Meat	Show	Pets
	✅	✅	❌	❌
Eggs Per Week	3 – 4
Eggs Appearance	Medium, cream to light brown
Male Size	5.25 pounds
Female Size	3.5 pounds
Color	Multicolored
Lifespan	15 years
Climate	Adapt to all climates
Care	Can fly, like to perch in trees, low maintenance
Temperament	Energetic, curious, good at feeding themselves, friendly with people and other breeds
Physical Appearance
Wattles	Red
Combs	Single, rose comb
Beaks	Short, broad
Feathers	Crests on heads
Faces	White to light lemon yellow
Legs	No feathers
Eyes	Orange, yellow green, yellow brown

How You Can Help

There are several ways you can help bring these breeds back from the brink of extinction.

1. Contact your local poultry conservation association for details on where to buy your start up chickens and to find out more about their adaptability in your region. 
2. Eat fewer birds than you raise.
3. Provide good nesting for hens to sit.
4. Trade individual chickens to keep good genes.
5. Do what you can do. Your contribution, however large or humble, can save these beautiful breeds from becoming extinct.

Conclusion 

As a homesteader, you have the capacity to make a real difference to the fate of endangered chicken breeds. Your conservation efforts can ensure that these beautiful chickens are around for generations to come.

I consider it a privilege, as a homesteader, to contribute to conservation. I also consider it a responsibility to be able to save endangered breeds by breeding and giving animals a clean and quiet safe space to reproduce and live.

Never underestimate your ability to help conserve these amazing chicken breeds!