Frizzle

Frizzle describes a curled-feather condition in domestic chickens and, depending on the country or registry, may be treated as a breed, a variety, or a feather type within breeds such as Cochin, Polish, Pekin bantam, Japanese bantam and others. The feathers turn outward instead of lying smooth, giving the bird a rounded, windblown outline. Because the frizzle gene can appear in many colors and body types, a Frizzle's size, comb, egg color and temperament depend heavily on the underlying breed line.

Management is slightly different from smooth-feathered chickens. Curled feathers shed rain poorly and insulate less efficiently, so Frizzles need dry housing, shade in heat and extra protection in cold wet weather. Breeders usually mate a frizzled bird to a smooth-feathered bird; frizzle-to-frizzle matings can produce excessively curled, brittle-feathered offspring often called frazzles. Buyers should look past the curled outline and check the bird's body condition, feather quality, feet and the reputation of the line.