The process known as animal domestication is related to the prolonged interaction between animals and humans, which gives rise to certain behaviors and the appearance of certain characteristics in these animals. This relationship has a long history and the species that humans have domesticated are not uncommon; on the contrary, many have undergone these changes. One of them is the bird Gallus gallus, which gave rise to the domesticated subspecies G. g. domesticus, commonly known as the rooster or the hen.A wide variety of breeds are born from this animal and one of them is the curly hen or the Frizzle hen, a hen whose main characteristic is in its plumage.
We invite you to continue reading this PlanèteAnimal dossier to find out all the characteristics of the curly hen, its origin, its care and its possible he alth problems.
Origin
- Asia
- India
Origin of the Curly Hen or Frizzle
Although it is often claimed that the curly hen originated in India, this claim would not be completely certain. In fact, the curliness of the feathers, which corresponds to the distinctive trait of this breed, occurs by a genetic mutation which in turn can occur in other breeds, so that sometimes it is not considered a unique aspect. of this variety, since, for example, birds of this type are also reported from Java and the Philippines around the 18th century.In this regard, some regions do not recognize the curly hen as a breed, while others do, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Poland , the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Characteristics of the Curly Hen or Frizzle
The main characteristic of the curly hen is that it is one of the hens whose feathers are curly, wide towards the end and curved both outwards and upwards, which prevents them from stick to the body, as it does in almost all other hens. However, the feather curling gene is incompletely dominant, which means that not all offspring will be characterized by this type of feathering, but there will be 50% of individuals with feathers like those of the parents, 25% with normal feathers, i.e. smooth, and 25% with excessively rolled plumage.
As for the other characteristics of the curly hen, it is a heavy bird, an adult male reaching a mass of between 3.20 and 3.60 kg, and a female of 2.25 to 2 .70 kg.She is straight, has a broad, short and rounded body. Its wings are long and its tail, also large, is firm.
His earlobes and chin are medium sized and bright red; the eyes are also reddish. Its beak is powerful, short and yellow in color. Its neck is moderately long and characterized by an abundance of curly feathers. It is possible to differentiate the females from the males thanks to the plumage, in fact, they have less curly feathers in these areas. The legs are featherless, of medium length, with four slender, spread-out toes. These limbs are usually yellow, although some may have shades of black or blue.
Curly Hen Colors
Its plumage is relatively long and color varieties include:
- Red
- Hello
- Blue
- Buffet
- Silver
- Black
- White
- Swept Away
- Spotted
- Black and red
- Columbine
- Brown-Red
Curly Hen Habitat
The place of origin of the breed coincides with that of the species, which is found on the Asian continent. However, domesticated individuals cease to thrive in wild places and live in man-made spaces. In this sense, this bird lives in chicken coops, pens or backyards, although it is important to point out that, like all birds, it needs to move in large spaces, not to remain confined. in a cage.
Curly hen is resistant to different types of environments, so it can thrive in different types of climates.
Curly Hen Character
The curly hen usually has a straight gait, so much so that it looks like the male keeps strutting around. It has gregarious habits, so it lives in groups without any problem, a trait that generally characterizes the species. Also, know that the chicks tend to be quite friendly.
Care and Feeding of the Curly Hen or Frizzle
Like all pets that bring us pleasant company, this hen needs adequate space to grow and be happy. In this sense, food, water, space to move and rest must be appropriate and adapted to your friends the hens. This is why, we insist, the hen should NEVER be confined in a cage.
In general, this type of bird is omnivorous and it can consume various types of seeds, cereals, certain invertebrates such as insects and certain worms. However, since they are domesticated, their diet depends on what you feed them.In general, hens are fed with industrial kibble and some of these products have an adequate formulation to feed these animals correctly, but there are also types that do not have the necessary components for this purpose. In this sense, it is always necessary to verify that the feed provided is an adequate mixture of various quality nutrients.
Curly Hen He alth
The curly hen is generally a rustic bird, with a good capacity for adaptation, but that does not mean that it can be subjected to all kinds of climatic conditions. Their he alth will depend on the care you offer them, so an inadequate diet, for example, will affect the quality of their plumage and their general he alth.
These individuals are quintessential peckers, which they will do mostly when they live in open spaces. It is therefore important to keep them in green spaces to allow them to enjoy the little pleasures of life.
Curiosities about the Curly Hen or Frizzle
This is an unusually beautiful bird due to its curly feathers, as well as its wide variety of colors. On the other hand, the curly hen adapts well to different types of temperatures.
A special feature of this hen is the number of eggs it can lay in a year, reaching about 150. The eggs are usually white or lightly colored. Females are considered good mothers, very protective of their chicks.
Photos of Curly Hen or Frizzle
