[janeheritage]

Hello all.

Yesterday I was visiting the Iron Age Farm at Butser in Hampshire when I met these extremely gorgeous cockerels. They are quite small, but not bantam small (I think). They seem to be the best of friends - apparently all their ladies have been taken by the fox, but they are too wily.

Can anyone tell me what type of chuck they are? I would LOVE to have one!

Quite quiet voices too.... 

[woodside farm]

They look like Dutch bantams, if so they would be smaller than most bantams.

Michelle

[Jeanette]

I have looked in all my books and they look like Frisian Fowl and they do look beautiful
  Jeanette

[mumofstig]

They are pretty whatever they are

[Foxy]

Agree with Woodside, I think they are Gold Dutch, only look a little large???

[nzdunn]

very handsome they are indeed, you should have asked them if you could have them considering they only have the two left, you just never know.  nickyx

[woodside farm]

This is a Mottled Dutch Bantam Cockerel, different colour but very similar shape.

Michelle

[janeheritage]

I thought they might be Dutch too but when I gave up and called them today they told me they were Red Jungle Fowl, which as the likely ancestor of our chicken is a pretty good bird for an Iron Age farm.

Here's a picture of one taken from Google images: look similar?

http://www.burrard-lucas.com/gallery/india/corbett_national_park/red_jungle_fowl.html

Anyway, I want one! 

[joyfull]

wow they are so pretty 

[ClarefromOxford]

Very handsome! (If a little startled looking in that pic!)
I wondered what the hens look like and came across this gallery of a Red Jungle Fowl breeding program. I think she's lovely - but how cute are those chicks?!?

http://animalsinthecity2.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=2540191

CLare

[woodside farm]

Hi,
Looking at pictures of Jungle fowl I don't think they are   
Jungle fowl do not have white ears, and the picture you have do, I still think they look like Dutch.

Michelle

[janeheritage]

I think you are right, Michelle. I forgot about the ears and they are very diagnostic. This would also explain why the two boys I saw were really quite small  :blink:.

But how very similar the Dutch colouring is to the jungle fowl! I believe that Dutch are a very old breed and perhaps they are closely related to the original wild chicken?

[woodside farm]

I think that most of the chickens are related somewhere down the line to Jungle Fowl.
Dutch bantams are one of the True Bantams (no larger variety) Great little birds, mine even layed through the winter.

Michelle

[Big Jen]

They are gold dutch bantams , I breed them, Fab little birds, make great pets.
If you want one, pm me I have several youngs boys that could come and live with you. 

Jenny

[themagicaltoad1]

I was admiring some identical roosters today at Wakefield farm, Pottersbury, Northants. I don't know what breed they are but you could try ringing the farm and asking them.