Avian Production Management

General characteristics - Standard classes of chicken

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIOUS STANDARD CLASSES OF CHICKEN

 American Class

• Body size - Medium to heavy 
• Egg shell colour -Brown 
• Shanks - Clean and yellow
  Skin - yellow (except Jersey Black giant, where the shanks are black)  Ear lobes-Red
• Comb Shape- Rose or Single 
• Eg. Plymouth rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Jersey Black giant, New Hampshire

 Asiatic Class

• Body size -Heavy 
• Egg shell colour-Brown,
• Broody with motherly instinct
• Ear lobes -Red, mostly
• Shank - feathered and yellow 
• Skin - Yellow (except Langshan)
• Eg: Brahma, Cochin, Langshan

English Class

• Body size - Medium to large 
• Egg shell colour - Brown
• Ear lobes - Red
• Shank - Clean and White
• Skin -White
• Comb shape -Single (except Cornish with pea comb)
• Eg: Australorp, Cornish, Dorking, Orpington and Sussex

Mediterranean Class

• Body size -Small
• Egg-type, non-broody
• Egg shell color - White 
• Ear lobes -White 
• Shanks - Clean and yellow/slate coloured
• Skin -Yellow or White 
• Eg: Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona, Andalusian