Frizzle (chicken breed)

The Frizzle is a breed of chicken with characteristic curled or frizzled plumage. While the frizzle gene can be seen in many breeds, such as the Pekin and Polish, the Frizzle is recognised as a distinct breed in a number of European countries[3][5] and Australia.[6] In the United States frizzled chickens are not considered a breed, and at shows are judged by the standards of the breed they belong to.[7]:24

Not to be confused with the plumage pattern for which the breed is named, Frizzle (chicken plumage).

Frizzle
A frizzle-feathered chicken at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, USA; possibly not of the frizzle breed
Usefancy
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    Standard: 3.2–3.6 kg[1]:121
    Bantam: 680–790 g[1]:123
  • Female:
    Standard: 2.25–2.7 kg[1]:121
    Bantam: 570–680 g[1]:123
Egg colourwhite or tinted[1]:121
Comb typesingle
Classification
APAno[2]
EEStandard and bantam recognised[3]
PCGBsoft feather: heavy[4]
Notes
clean-legged[1]:121
Illustration from the Geflügel-Album of Jean Bungartz, 1885

History

The origin of the Frizzle is unknown. The frizzle gene is thought to have originated in Asia;[8]:137 frizzled chickens have been reported from the Far East since the eighteenth century.[5] The Frizzle breed is the result of breeder selection for exhibition.[5][9]:102 It is recognised in nine European countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.[3][1]

Characteristics

The gene for the curling of the feathers is incompletely dominant over normal plumage; not all members of the breed have frizzled feathers. Frizzled birds are heterozygous for the gene; when two are bred, the offspring inherit the gene in the usual Mendelian 1:2:1 ratio: 50% are heterozygous and frizzled like the parents, 25% have normal feathering, and 25% are "over-frizzled", with brittle feathers resembling pipe-cleaners. The Frizzle has a single comb and is clean-legged – without feathers on the shanks.[1]:121 It is a good forager and is hardy.[5]

Four colours are recognised in the Entente Européenne standard: black, blue, cuckoo and white.[3] The Poultry Club of Great Britain recognises thirteen colours for both standard and bantam sizes;[10] not all of them are currently bred.[5] The Australian Poultry Standards recognise black, blue, buff, white, Columbian, red and "any recognised colour".[6]

Genetics

Research suggests that the frizzled phenotype comes from a mutation within the keratin gene KRT75. A deletion that removed part of exon 5 and intron 5 ameliorated the splice site. This caused a 69 bp deletion of the KRT75 gene[11].

Use

The Frizzle is reared exclusively for exhibition.[1]:121 It is a good layer of white or tinted eggs, and frequently gets broody.[8]:137

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References
  1. Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
  2. APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
  3. Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  4. Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
  5. Welcome. The Frizzle Society of Great Britain. Archived 30 September 2012.
  6. Australian Poultry Standards (2nd ed.). Victorian Poultry Fanciers Association (trading as Poultry Stud Breeders and Exhibitors Victoria). 2011. p. 79. ISBN 9781921488238.
  7. Carol Ekarius (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781580176675.
  8. Frances Bassom (2009). Chicken Breeds & Care: A Color Directory of the Most Popular Breeds and Their Care. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. ISBN 9781554074730.
  9. Chris Graham (2006). Choosing and Keeping Chickens. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 9780600614388.
  10. Frizzle Breed Standards. The Frizzle Society of Great Britain. Archived 16 October 2012.
  11. Ng, Chen Siang; Wu, Ping; Foley, John; Foley, Anne; McDonald, Merry-Lynn; Juan, Wen-Tau; Huang, Chih-Jen; Lai, Yu-Ting; Lo, Wen-Sui; Chen, Chih-Feng; Leal, Suzanne M. (19 July 2012). Roop, Dennis (ed.). "The Chicken Frizzle Feather Is Due to an α-Keratin (KRT75) Mutation That Causes a Defective Rachis". PLoS Genetics. 8 (7): e1002748. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002748. ISSN 1553-7404. PMC 3400578. PMID 22829773.
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