What is 'Rare Breed' Poultry?
Odds Farm Park is officially recognised as an 'Approved Farm Park' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. All rare breeds kept at Odds Farm Park have a log book and females are selectively bred with males to ensure healthy blood lines.
The Rare Breed Survival Trust has five criteria for rare breeds, based upon how many breeding females there are left. The criteria varies for each type of animal.
Poultry
Critical - less than 100 breeding hens left
Endangered - 101 to 200 breeding hens left
Vulnerable - 201 to 300 breeding hens left
At Risk - 301 to 500 breeding hens left
Minority - 501 to 1000 breeding hens left
Belgium Barbu D'Uccle Chicken
How rare are the they?
The Barbu D'Uccle Chickens are not classed as rare.
Where does the Barbu D'Uccle Chicken come from?
The breed was created by Michael Van Gelder, a Belgian, in the early 20th Century. Most sources state he crossed the Antwerp Belgian and the Nederlandse Sabelpootkriel (known today as the Booted Bantam) to generate the breed.
Why have them at Odds Farm Park?
Whilst not rare, these chickens have very distinctive markings for children to enjoy on their day out.
How can you recognise their eggs?
The Barbu D'Uccle Chicken's eggs are tiny and cream in colour. The breed are very good brooders, sitting well on their eggs.
How would children identify the Babrbu D'uccle on a day out?
Children visiting Odds Farm Park would identify the breed by their low posture, single comb and open tail feathering with feathered legs too. They also have a short, well developed neck.
Buff Orpington Chicken
How rare are the they?
The Buff Orpington Chickens have less than 500 breeding females left, classing them as 'At Risk' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust.
Where does the Buff Orpington Chicken come from?
The Buff Orpington was introduced in 1894 to satisfy the demand for buff coloured birds. The new variety was achieved by crossing gold spangled Hamburg cocks with dark and red Dorking hens and then mating the offspring pullets with Buff Cochin cocks. They were named after the town of Orpington in Kent where they were bred.
Why are they at Odds Farm Park?
In addition to being attractive birds for visitors to see on their day out, Odds Farm Park are actively bolstering this rare breed's numbers. We have not had them since 2003 but re-introduced them again in 2009.
How can you recognise their eggs?
Their eggs are cream to light brown, of an average size and taste great. With a strong tendency to sit on their eggs, the Buff Orpington Hens make great mothers.
How would children identify the Buff Orpington at Odds Farm Park?
The heavy soft feathers of the Buff Orpington Chickens make these already large birds, look even bigger. Children on a day out will find them extremely attractive with their soft almost fluffy appearance, rich golden colour and gentle contours.
Crollwitzer Turkey
How rare are the they?
The Crollwitzer Turkey is not under threat.
Where does the Crollwitzer Turkey come from?
Originating from Germany, the Crollwitzer Turkey is similar to the Pied Turkey but smaller.
Why are they at Odds Farm Park?
The Crollwitzer Turkey is a very attractive looking turkey to see on a day out. The Turkeys at Odds Farm Park have beautiful white fanned tails.
How can you recognise their eggs?
Their eggs are very large and slightly speckled and they lay them in dark places for perfect incubation.
How would children identify a Crollwitzer Turkey?
Children can identify the Crollwitzer Turkey at Odds Farm Park by its striking black and white plumage. It is a small breed of turkey, very beautiful and shouldn't be missed on a day out.
Light Sussex Chicken
How rare are they?
With less than 500 breeding Light Sussex Chicken females remaining, they are classed as 'At Risk' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust.
Where does the Light Sussex Chicken come from?
The Light Sussex Chicken derives from the Sussex Chicken, thought to date back to the Roman period. The Light Sussex Chicken is one of the oldest breed of birds still around today.
Why have them at Odds Farm Park?
Odds Farm Park have Light Sussex Chickens to enable children to see these rare birds and to help bolster their numbers through a breeding programme.
How can you recognise their eggs?
They lay up to 200 large eggs each year, ranging in colour from cream to light brown.
How would children identify a Light Sussex Chicken?
On a day out to Odds Farm Park, children can identify the Light Sussex Chicken by their white body, black tail and black wing tips. Added to a black and white neck, its appearance is very striking.
Maran Chicken
How rare are the they?
With over 1000 breeding females, the Maran Chicken is not under threat.
Where does the Maran Chicken come from?
The Maran Chicken was one of the last breeds to be introduced to the UK. It was originally developed in France in the mid 1800's in the town of Marans, twelve miles north of La Rochelle
Why are they at Odds Farm Park?
The Marans are historically interesting, as they were the first chickens to make brown eggs popular nearly a century ago.
How can you recognise their eggs?
The dark brown colour of the Maran Chicken's eggs make them famous and they are capable of producing over 200 eggs a year.
How would children identify the Maran Chicken at Odds Farm Park?
The Maran Chickens don't move around much and are quite lazy birds. Children visiting on a day out should look for a solid, heavy bird, speckled in colour with a single comb.
Polish Chicken
How rare are the they?
The Polish Chicken is not under threat.
Where does the Polish Chicken come from?
Surprisingly, the Polish Chicken originates from Holland, not Poland. Initially bred for its eggs, today the Polish Chicken is bred mainly as a show bird.
Why have them at Odds Farm Park?
The Polish Chicken are at Odds Farm Park simply because of their striking appearance.
How can you recognise their eggs?
Their eggs are pure white and small. Polish Chickens do not generally sit on their eggs to keep them warm and therefore to successfully breed Polish Chickens, the eggs need to be put in incubators or put with other chicken breeds that will sit on their eggs and hatch them. However at Odds Farm Park for the last 2 years our Polish Chickens hatched out their own eggs and reared them successfully themselves.
How would children identify the Polish Chickens at Odds Farm Park?
On a day out, children can identify these beautiful birds by their explosive topknot of feathers, sometimes in a contrasting colour to their body color. The topknot of feathers usually obscures their vision, making them calmer than other chickens.
