Wonder what an Appenzeller Spitzhauben is, and what is curious about it? Then, join the rapidly growing group of people who love this distinctive breed of chicken. Named for its fluffy crest that looks so much like the lacy hats worn by women in the Appenzeller region in Switzerland, the Swiss national chicken is now part of backyard flocks all over the world. What is an Appenzeller Spitzhauben anyway? For those in the know, it happens to be the national chicken of Switzerland. It is named after the pointed lacy hat worn by ladies in the Appenzeller region of Switzerland. And, it may very well be yours, if you are looking for a beautiful black and white speckled chicken that is fun to raise.

Spitz chickens have spotted black and white feathers that are speckled all over its body. Its head has a crest of fluffy feathers that are split in a v shape much like the hat it is named after. The chickens are really quite striking, and many people enjoy having them because of their distinctive appearance.

If you feel that you can give Appenzellers the freedom they need to roam and forage, then you may consider buying them to have as pets. They are quite intelligent, and enjoy picking insects out of all sorts of places when you allow them out in the yard. Baby chicks can be ordered from breeders to get you started with your own little flock. The online breeders provide space and shipping recommendations for the breed. Most are concerned that the chicks, or even unhatched eggs arrive safely to you.

As pets, Spitz are wonderful. They can become friendly to human touch with effort and time. In exchange for your efforts, they will produce anywhere from 140 to 160 white medium sized eggs each year. It is rewarding to know that you will feed and water them, but they will also return fresh, healthy eggs to you in return. Because you will feed them good things, their eggs will have orange yolks, which show that the eggs are more nutritious.As pets, these chickens can be a lot of fun. They are great at flying and climbing trees. So, you may have built a coop for them, only to find that they are off somewhere else. Most owners enjoy watching these silly looking characters roaming around in their backyards. One great advantage is that they will give you eggs. Many produce about 140 to 160 medium sized white eggs each year.

The families who own Appenzellers enjoy their unique personality traits. Some say that it is their intelligence that makes them different, and others say that it is their silly, fluffy crest of head feathers. Owners often remark that you can train them to be picked up and carried around, much like you would a dog. It seems that the birds learn to enjoy being stroked and held, too.

Because the birds enjoy foraging for insects, they can be left alone for hours when insects are abundant. They are more quiet than other chickens, and they fly quite well. Good at climbing trees, they may tend to find the closest ones, and sit there for hours.

Because they fly so well, some owners report that all their Appenzellers left their coops in favor of roosting in nearby trees. Some flocks actually remained in the trees until the weather turned cold. The independent nature of these chickens is seen in this behavior, but most owners think it is part of what makes them fun.

Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens really enjoy nosing about for insects. You will find them to be excellent climbers and fliers, too. For this reason, you will need good fencing if you wish to keep them secure in one area. Once you combine together all their traits, tendencies, and striking appearance, you can see why they are popular.

In the mid eighteen hundreds, the popular Ancona chicken was shipped to England out of the originating city of Ancona, Italy. It then made its way to America in the late eighteen hundreds. History of a chicken? Yes, Ancona chickens used so much around the world began in the Province of Ancona, Italy and the Port of Ancona, the city from which it spread across the world. In the mid eighteen hundreds the popular little chicken arrived in England, being exported in the late eighteen hundreds to America.

These busy little chickens are spangled color, coming from the co-mingling of the Original Mottled Leghorn to the Black Leghorn. Their greenish black feathers tipped with white and sometimes having a tint of purple, have come from the Black Leghorn chicken. From both, perhaps, come the yellow featherless legs and toes spread just far enough apart. And Earlobes? Yes, chickens have them and this chicken shows its in white. Italy originated the this kind of in reds, browns, and white, which is where the copper tinge on the neck feathers could be from.

Chicken combs on this chicken are of two types... Rose combed and, in the hen, a single tilted comb while the rooster's is straight up. Avoiding chicken killers is the job of the bay colored eyes!

There are Red Australian types, Bantam and many large and smaller kinds. They are pretty common. The Australian variety is red with white specks on the neck area feathers.

As they all age and moult (lose their feathers, to be replaced) the white on the tips becomes larger, a good way to tell how old the bird is. At about four and a half pounds, the hen weighs lighter than the six pound rooster. Living around eight years, being kept as a pet, as well as an egg producer, would be OK.

About once a day during the laying season, the Ancona will produce one egg, totaling one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty a year. Occasionally tinted eggs will show up. As the hens eat, the food they consume changes to egg production in a very satisfactory manner. This should please the owner!

The hen is not too broody but does raise strong little chickies fast and if a few are hand-raised by the owner, they do make nice pets. They are friendly and will follow around.

The Ancona does not care to be penned up in small spaces. The females are busy little birds, the males being slower. The fact that they are cold hardy will aid the owner in decisions regarding housing. The pet chicken may want to be housed closer to their owner, the regulars in a hen house or coop. Sometimes called a chicken house, this should provide shelter from the elements as well as from predators. Normally this is where the nests would be located as well.

In doing research, there can be found a funny piece of information. There is an online game of magic that uses the Ancona Chicken as a pet, although it is a non-fighting pet, that can be called forth to follow the warrior around. He wont assist in combat, however! Why don't chickens like people? They beat eggs! (snicker, chuckle!).

Their eggs are few and small but the Buttercup hen is a dependable layer. All experts do not agree, however, about this breed as a pet. Some experts recommend it as a pet because of its curiosity and friendliness. The buttercup chicken, also known as the Sicilian Buttercup, was developed in the 1800's in Sicily. It is reported that one female and one male were imported to the US later in that century and today's line remain the direct descendants of the original couple. This line of chicken is rare, beautiful and exhibition worthy, a life-long layer and a pretty good pet.

It is a good layer although the eggs are reportedly small in size and few in number. There seems to be some controversy, however, surrounding the topic of keeping the Sicilian buttercup chicken as a pet. Some experts claim it makes a good pet because it can be very friendly and curious.

Some propose that although it is friendly, it also a good flier, and so, enjoys its independence too much to be kept as a pet. A third group of experts believe that the Buttercup avoids human contact completely. They all agree, however, that baby chicks can be trained to enjoy interaction with humans.

Chicks seem to be limited in numbers but can be ordered online from several hatcheries. The males are reportedly the friendlier version of the breed. Experts agree that this breed does not enjoy confinement and will enjoy human company best when given lots of free range room and a warm habitat.

A warm coop will protect this bird's unique comb from frostbite and the comb is very sensitive to cold. It is specifically because of its unique crown-like shaped comb and its golden-toned feathers that the breed has acquired its name.

Its golden feathers and stunning crown make the buttercup chicken an attractive bird and therefore renders it as a definite prize-winner at exhibitions. The variety was admitted to the "American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection" in 1918. The hen has lovely brown spots or "spangles" in long rows running along golden or amber colored feathers. The males sport dark green tails and their feathers range from dark orange to golden-red spotted with black "spangles".

Hens mature early and start laying by the time they reach 5 months of age. They are not extremely productive but average approximately 2 eggs a week and lay their whole life. Some controversy exists also around the eggs' appearance. There is claim that the eggs are always white and small. Others insist that they will have a slight hew or tint to them.

Many people might think it is odd to keep a chicken as a pet. Even the name, chicken, sounds funny and most people will chuckle at the thought. Most breeds of chicken, however, are a good choice provided they have sufficient living space and an outdoor area to walk, peck, scratch, fly and lay in the sun. They are certainly not cut out to be house pets.

Some Buttercup chickens can be very engaging and they are, as a breed, very entertaining. The odd few might be willing learn to sit in one's lap. When hand-raised from newborn chicks, they will learn how to respond to their name, eat out of one's hand and even allow themselves to be cuddled or stroked. Like any pet, chickens respond well to rewards of food and positive reinforcement.

Investing in a Buttercup Chicken for show or as a pet would be fun and interesting provided they are kept in a warm, clean, living environment. It would not be a wise choice, however, to depend on this breed's eggs as a source of food given that they lay only a couple of eggs twice a week. Given a loving home, a buttercup chicken will, like any other pet, provide hours of entertainment, company and last but not least, a truly unique conversation piece.