The editorial team consists of 3rd generation chicken owners Kat, journalist, editor-in-chief, and Nick, working with illustrators and specialists in the field.
We asked 1000 chicken keepers what breed they would never get again, and the answers might shock you. While some birds are famous for their looks, their personalities and health issues tell a different story. Based on feedback from veteran keepers, here are the top 10 breeds owners are crossing off their lists and why. […]
The Yakido may not be the largest bird in the Japanese gamefowl family, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in grit. Originally bred in the 19th century as sparring partners for larger fighting roosters, Yakido chickens are compact, upright, and self-assured. They carry the unmistakable Shamo posture: tall stance, muscular build, […]
The Ko Shamo is Japan’s compact gamefowl. Think of it as the Shamo’s pocket-sized cousin: short, upright, muscular, and brimming with attitude. Despite its small frame, it carries itself like a giant: neck arched, chest out, and eyes that mean business. The Japanese word Shamo (軍鶏) means “fighter,” and Ko (小) simply means “small.” So […]
The Shoukoku (Shōkoku) is one of Japan’s oldest and most elegant chickens. Roosters have a flowing train of tail feathers that can stretch over a meter, standing proud. Once prized in cockfights, now cherished as ornamental game fowl, the Shoukoku is a direct link to Japan’s Heian era. Key takeaways: Eggs few dozen eggs per […]
The Kyshiu Chibi chicken breed is a tiny, tough little Chibi game bantam with a short stride and a big presence. Think chunky Chibi Shamo with shorter legs and classic Chibi attitude, hard feather, tight outline, and that expressive, wrinkled face. You’ll see the name pop up on European show cards every now and then, […]
The Yamato (Yamato-Gunkei) is Japan’s compact game bird, the smallest of the Shamo chickens, built broad up front with a bold, upright stance, a wrinkled, meaty face, and tight, close feathering. In Japan the Yamato Gunkei is a protected Natural Monument. It’s the short, stocky cousin in the Shamo family. Some takeaways: Eggs ~5–40 per […]
The Shamo is Japan’s towering, tight-feathered gamefowl. A fighting bird with a near-vertical stance, long thighs, wide chest, and a no-nonsense attitude. In Japan, “Shamo” is really a group of fighting breeds. The full-size bird most folks mean is the O-Shamo, designated a Natural Monument in 1941. On type, they’re unmistakable: a bold head set […]
The Brabants hoen is Belgium’s classic crested landrace. It has a slim, conical body, a tidy crest, and a sex-typical single comb: upright in roosters, S-shaped and falling in hens. It earned fame for its large white eggs, and can be seen in Belgian paintings from Albert Cuyp and Melchior d’Hoendecoeter since the 17th century. […]
Co-Author & Medical Review by Dr. A. Ibrar, DVM, Poultry Nutritionist University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, IUB, Selçuk Üniversitesi The food and supplements your hens get directly influence their eggs’ quality, eggshell strength, and how many eggs they lay. While anecdotal advice is common in the poultry world, scientific research offers a much clearer […]
More and more chicken keepers are switching to solar-powered automatic coop doors, and for good reason.
