Mia Patel
While most chickens have four toes, five unique breeds have five toes on each foot. These breeds include the Faverolles, Houdans, Sultans, Silkie Bantams, and Mystic Onyx. The fifth toe typically sits atop the first toe, formally known as the hallux, at the back of the foot. This genetic mutation does not offer any known advantages and is simply a breed standard.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chicken breeds with five toes | Dorking, Faverolles, Houdan, Silkie Bantams, Sultan |
| Dorking weight | 8 pounds |
| Dorking eggs per year | 170-190 |
| Faverolles origin | France |
| Faverolles weight | 7 pounds |
| Faverolles eggs per year | 200 |
| Houdan origin | France |
| Houdan weight | 8 pounds or more |
| Silkie Bantams weight | 2-4 pounds |
| Silkie Bantams eggs per year | 100 |
| Sultan origin | Turkey |
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What You'll Learn
- Faverolles: friendly, fluffy-faced French chickens that lay eggs with light-brown shells
- Houdans: ancient French breed with beards, crests and combs
- Sultans: friendly, sweet and loyal, with white feathers and legs
- Silkie Bantams: ornamental, with black skin and bones and fluffy feathers
- Dorking: short-legged, wide, and lays up to 200 eggs a year
Faverolles: friendly, fluffy-faced French chickens that lay eggs with light-brown shells
Faverolles are a friendly, fluffy-faced French chicken breed that lays eggs with light-brown shells. The name Faverolles comes from a small village in France, where the breed originated. Faverolles chickens are known for their friendly and pet-like demeanour towards their owners. They are also adaptable, thriving in either a cage or free-range environment.
Faverolles chickens have a single comb, a beard, muffs, and slight leg feathering. They come in a variety of colours, with the original colour, salmon, being the most common. These chickens are considered "standard" in appearance, but their five-toed offspring are unique. The presence of five toes in chickens is a rare trait, resulting from a genetic mutation, and is not considered advantageous.
Faverolles hens are good layers, producing around 200 eggs per year with light-brown shells. However, some owners have reported that their birds can become broody, ceasing egg production. Faverolles chickens are estimated to weigh about seven pounds and are known to be cuddly birds.
The breed was developed by French farmers seeking a hen that laid many eggs and provided a good meat source. Faverolles chickens are believed to be a combination of various breeds, including Houdan, French Rennes, Malines, Dorking, Flemish Cuckoo, and Brahma. While the farmers did not keep detailed records, this speculation is widely accepted by poultry specialists.
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Houdans: ancient French breed with beards, crests and combs
The Houdan chicken is an ancient French breed with a distinctive appearance. The breed is named after the commune of Houdan, in the département of Yvelines to the west of Paris. It is believed that the breed was developed over centuries, using common five-toed fowls that existed during the time of the Roman author Columella (4 CE to 70 CE). These fowls, which were present in France and Belgium, were combined with the old, crested race of chickens found in Caux, Normandy, to create the Houdan breed.
Houdan chickens are known for their beards, crests, and combs, as well as their five toes. The large crest of feathers, along with the muffs and beard, are what make the Houdan stand out. The crest grows out of a bony knob on the top of their skulls. The chickens also have five toes on each foot, which is unusual as most chickens have only four. The combs of Houdan chickens are also unique. They have small- to medium-sized V-shaped combs, sometimes called devil horn combs, which are located in front of their crests. In Europe and Australia, the combs are leaf- or butterfly-shaped, while in the United States, they are V-shaped.
Houdan chickens were once popular table birds in France and were valued for their meat and egg-producing qualities. They were first imported into England in the 1850s and then into America in the 1860s, where they became known for their exceptional taste. However, despite their productivity, the breed never secured permanent popularity in either America or England. By the beginning of the 21st century, they were almost extinct and are now primarily reared for showing.
Houdans are noted for their friendly and docile temperament. They do well in confinement but prefer to have enough space to forage. They are better suited to warm and dry climates, as their crests can freeze in cold weather, leading to frostbite.
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Sultans: friendly, sweet and loyal, with white feathers and legs
The Sultan chicken breed is unique and has more distinguishing features than any other breed. It originates from Turkey, where it is known as Serai-Tavuk or "fowls of the sultan", and has been kept by Turkish royalty in Constantinople. The breed was first brought to England in 1854 by Mrs Elizabeth Watts and arrived in America in 1867.
The Sultans are friendly, sweet, and loyal. They are also chatty but not loud. They are delicate foragers and show a preference for grain and insects over vegetation. They are considered good pets and yard ornaments, but they need a lot of care. They are subject to predation due to their crests and are often bullied by more assertive breeds. They are also not hardy to cold climates and can get frostbite. They do well in confinement and warm climates.
The Sultans have white feathers and legs, with males weighing about 2.7 kg (6 lbs) and females about 2 kg (4 lbs). They are the smallest of the large breeds of chickens and also have a bantam version. They have a V-shaped comb, crest, beard, muffs, large nostrils, white or pale flesh-coloured beak, reddish-bay eyes, wings carried low, vulture hocks, feathered shanks and toes, and five toes on each foot. The wings are held drooped, obscuring the thighs and upper hocks. The beak should be yellow, and the face red. The plumage is snow white and abundant.
The hens lay small white eggs at a slow rate, and they do not generally go broody. They are not prolific layers, laying about 50 eggs a year, and are therefore not kept for meat production.
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Silkie Bantams: ornamental, with black skin and bones and fluffy feathers
The Silkie Bantam, also known as the Silky or Chinese silk chicken, is a unique ornamental chicken breed. One of their most distinctive features is their fluffy plumage, which feels soft and silky to the touch. Silkies have black skin, which extends to their feet and beaks, giving them dark legs and slate-coloured or dark blue beaks. They also have black bones, which is a rare trait in animals known as melanism. This melanism is caused by fibromelanosis, a rare mutation believed to have originated in Asia.
Silkies are relatively small chickens, weighing between 2 and 4 pounds, and are considered true bantams. They are friendly and docile, and their unusual appearance has made them a popular ornamental breed. They are also good incubators and are often used to hatch eggs from other birds.
Silkies have five toes on each foot, a rare feature that only five pure chicken breeds possess. The fifth toe sits at the back of the foot, similar to a dog's dewclaw. This extra toe does not offer any known advantages to the chicken. Silkies are also unusual in that they cannot fly.
Silkies are not prolific egg-layers, producing only around 100-120 small eggs per year. They are also not raised for meat production, as they do not produce as much as more common meat breeds. However, their unique characteristics make them stand out, and they are a popular addition to backyards across the world.
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Dorking: short-legged, wide, and lays up to 200 eggs a year
The Dorking chicken is a breed that likely originated in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey in southeast England. It is named after the market town of Dorking in Surrey, which was famous for its high-quality table poultry. The Dorking chicken is an ancient breed that has been referenced in historical texts as far back as Roman times. With noticeably shorter legs than most other chickens, a Dorking chicken stands closer to the ground despite its wide and stocky build. They have a tall single comb that usually falls to the side, and they weigh about eight pounds as adults.
Dorking chickens are known for their friendly and gentle disposition. They are calm, tolerant, and good foragers. However, they may end up at the bottom of the pecking order when kept with more aggressive breeds. While they are hardy and can adapt to any climate, they require protection in cold climates to prevent frostbite on their single combs. Dorking chickens are considered a dual-purpose breed, valued for their fine-quality meat and egg-laying abilities. They are especially good for winter laying and can produce up to 200 medium-sized white or creamy eggs per year.
The Dorking breed has a distinct appearance with its short legs and wide body. They have a long back, a broad breast, and an abundance of feathers, giving them a "stocky" or "brick-like" shape. Their weight can vary depending on the country's breed standards, with the UK having the heaviest Dorkings. Dorking chickens come in various colours, including cuckoo, dark red, silver grey, and white. White Dorkings are considered rare and endangered, with fewer than 500 breeding individuals estimated to be left in the United States.
Dorking chickens have played a significant role in poultry history, especially in the United States. They were well-distributed in America before 1840 and were even showcased at the country's first poultry show in 1849. By 1904, they had become the most popular breed in their native England. However, their popularity declined after the commercialization of the meat industry, and they are now considered a rare breed. Today, efforts are being made to improve the quality of the breed and increase their numbers.
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Frequently asked questions
Faverolles, Houdans, Sultans, Silkies, and Mystic Onyx chickens.
These chickens have five toes on each foot, a rare condition known as polydactyl. The fifth toe sits on top of the first toe (the hallux) at the back of the foot.
Faverolles are known for their fluffy faces and chatty, noisy personalities. Houdans have distinct beards, crests, and combs, and can be mottled or white. Sultans have bright white feathers on their heads and legs, and are friendly and loyal. Silkies have feathered exterior toes and black skin and bones. Mystic Onyx chickens have beautiful plumage and are great egg producers.
No, the fifth toe does not serve any known functional purpose for the chickens. However, it is an essential characteristic of these breeds and can be helpful for identification.
