Appenzeller

When poultry keepers say Appenzeller, they often mean the Appenzeller Spitzhauben, a Swiss chicken from the Appenzell region named for the pointed traditional bonnet its crest resembles. It is a light, active breed with an upright crest, V-shaped comb, clean blue legs, white earlobes, and a neat body carried high off the ground. Silver spangled birds are especially familiar, but gold spangled, black, and other varieties are maintained depending on country and registry.

Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens are energetic foragers and capable flyers, so they do best with room to move or with covered runs that prevent escapes and predator losses. They lay white eggs at a useful rate for a small ornamental flock, though they are not heavy table birds and are not typically relied on for broodiness. The crest is smaller and tighter than that of many crested breeds, but it still deserves checks for mites and clear vision. Breeders usually select for a tidy spangle pattern, sound legs, and the lively but manageable temperament associated with the breed.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Black Spangled, Blue, Blue Spangled, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Gold Spangled, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Silver Spangled, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White