It is not always easy to categorise a pure chicken breed. It may be divided into a variety and again subdivided into a strain. Illustrations of a breed may be taken as an example. For many birds, there will be variation in several characteristics, e.g., feather colour, comb type and leg length. Males are invariably bigger and more colourful than hens. Standards are maintained by fanciers exhibiting at the many poultry shows held across Australia each year; by the rigorous standards of judging, and articles in magazines such as Australasian Poultry. Pure breeds are usually categorised into:
- Hard feather – heavy
- Soft feather – heavy
- Soft feather – light
- True bantam
Almost all breeds have miniatures. In some classifications miniature breeds are also referred to as light breeds or bantams. They are normally exact replicas of their heavier counterpart. There are also those breeds whose females are reduced in numbers to around 500 or less. These are classified as rare. Reference is sometimes made to pullets and hens, and cock and cockerels. In both cases the former refers to the bird before the first adult moult. They always weigh less than the mature or adult bird. Some breeds are reluctant to go broody and these are usually referred to as non sitters. The breeds described here are but a sample of what is available worldwide, but are likely to be of interest to Australian poultry keepers.
Fancy waterfowl breeds
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese and swans. They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs.
Popular as a pet, the domestic duck is descended from the green-headed mallard (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos) and belongs to a large group of dabbling ducks that filter feed close to or on the water surface and also graze on grass shoots and seeds. Unlike the mallard, the Muscovy duck is in the tribe Anatini and has its origins in South and Central America. The two breeds are not closely related. The adult male can be distinguished from the female by its curled up tail.
The American Poultry Association (APA) has four classifications for ducks:
- Bantam less than 1.1 kg
- Light 1.8 – 2.25 kg
- Medium 3.2 – 3.6 kg
- Heavy more than 4.0 kg
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