The sparse bristle-like feathers of a Frazzle are so brittle they easily break away, leaving the chicken with bare patches.Ī Frazzle thus lacks plumage protection against temperature extremes or sunburn. Since the frizzle gene is incompletely dominant, 25% of the offspring will have smooth feathers, 50% will be frizzled, and 25% will be frazzled. Frazzling is the undesirable result of mating two frizzled chickens together. Frazzle ChickensĪ Frazzle is an over-frizzled chicken, also known as an extreme frizzle or curly. Since Frizzles can’t fly, they should be provided with low roosting bars. On the other hand, frizzled plumage helps heat dissipate more rapidly, making Frizzles better adapted to arid tropics. Some breeds frizzle more easily than others, which is why Cochins and Polish are more often frizzled than some of the other breeds.įrizzled chickens have less insulative protection from hot, cold, and wet weather than chickens with smooth feathers.

Half the offspring will be frizzled and half non-frizzled, although they look alike until the frizzled chicks start developing curled feathers. All sections of the bird should conform to the shape description of the breed,” except that the ends of the feathers curl backward or upward “the more all the feathers are curved and curled, the better.” The amount of frizzling is controlled by a recessive modifying gene, so getting a perfect frizzle can be tricky.įrizzledness may be introduced into any breed by mating a member of that breed with a frizzled chicken. The Standard description says, “Frizzles may be shown in any breed and variety set forth in this Standard of Perfection. They are named after the breed that has been frizzled - Frizzle Cochins, Frizzle Polish, and so forth. Today Frizzles in the United States are considered to be any breed or variety with frizzled feathers. They could be either large or bantam, clean-legged or feather-legged, and one of a limited number of solid colors. At one time these unique chickens were considered a distinct breed with a single comb. The American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection first listed Frizzles in 1874. Evidence indicates they may have originated in Asia, possibly India. Frizzle chickens have been around for centuries, although their country of origin is unknown. Frizzle Chickensįrizzling is a genetic condition that causes feathers to curl at the ends. In the United States they are considered to be a plumage variety in any breed. In Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and United Kingdom Frizzles are classified as a pure breed.

Frizzle chickens are fun and funny, but are they a breed? The answer is yes and no.

Silkie chicken pictures