Appenzell Chicken

The Appenzeller chicken is derived from ancient crested chicken breeds of the Appenzell region in Switzerland. The breed was introduced at a national poultry exhibition in 1935. In the 1950s it faced the threat of extinction and its population was revived in 1983 when it was placed under protection by the organization ProSpecieRara.

In 1953 it was introduced to Germany and the Netherlands by German breeder Kurt Fischer and later standardized in Britain after being imported in 1978. It was first brought to the United States in the late 1950s but experienced some health issues due to a narrow gene pool. Since 2013 genetic diversity has been increased through new imports from Europe.

^{Appenzeller, Visual:} Alice Wilkman

Appenzeller Spitzhauben are of the village chicken type and are distinguished by their small horned comb and distinctive crest. The body is cylindrical and of medium size. The back is slightly sloping with a full, fan-shaped tail. They exhibit a medium-high stance.

• Rooster: 1.5 – 1.8 kg
• Hen: 1.2 – 1.5 kg
• Egg Production: Average of 150 eggs per year
• Egg Weight: At least 55 grams
• Egg Color: White
• Shank Size: Rooster 16 mm Hen 15 mm

• Rooster: The body is of medium length and smoothly rounded. The neck is slightly curved and of medium length. The back slopes gently toward the rear with rounded shoulders. The wings are quite long and carried high. The tail has a broad base and features abundant sickle feathers. The head is of medium size with thick skin.

The comb is a horned type composed of two small rounded cones. The earlobes are oval and bluish white. The eyes are dark brown and the beak is strong with a bluish tone. The shanks are prominent the legs are slender boned and blue in color. The feathers are hard and tightly adherent to the body.

• Hen: The overall form is similar to that of the rooster but the back line is more horizontal. The tail begins broadly at the saddle and is carried slightly higher than medium height. The feather structure is identical to that of the rooster.