Keeping chickens: How easy it is to care for bearded and crested chickens and feather-footed chickens

While standard chicken breeds can already suffer from ectoparasites such as northern fowl mites, feather lice, and lime leg, there are some breeds that are even more susceptible. These include bearded hens, crested hens, and feather-footed chickens. With little extra effort, husbandry can be adapted to their specific needs to prevent parasites and diseases from getting out of hand.

Bearded chickens, with their beards, provide an excellent target for ectoparasites. In crested chickens, mites and other pests crawl into the tuft at the back of the head or into the full crest. Infestation is practically inevitable, especially when the mites become clogged with mashed feed or other sticky materials. From this base, the harmful parasites can spread to the host chicken and to other chickens.

The problem is similar with feather-footed chicken breeds: As soon as morning dew hangs on the grass in the run, or it starts to rain and some patches are bare, mud settles on the feathered feet. If the chickens then walk over the areas where they have accumulated droppings, pathogens spread very quickly. Various chicken mites also have a place to start.

 

Setting up a chicken coop correctly – drinking troughs and feeding bowls for bearded chickens and crested chickens

Specialty retailers offer special drinkers and feeders for chickens of these breeds. These chicken breeds, with their beards and crests, should have as little contact with water or food as possible. If they get wet and the food becomes mealy, it will clump. Moist food should also only be given if it doesn't clump.

Even outdoors, typical feeding areas such as compost heaps, dewy meadows, or other animals' feeders should not cause moisture or clumping. Apart from special bowls and drinkers, the feed and its nutrients should be identical to that of all other chicken breeds.

Despite all precautions, chicken mites use the beards and hoods as a springboard, which is why regular inspection and prophylaxis are recommended. The dry dust bath with Cumbasil Mite is the top priority alongside appropriate feeding.

 

Free-range for feather-footed chicken breeds

Some chicken breeds, such as the Sundheimer, develop magnificent feathered feet. Their gait already changes to a graceful stride. Tall grass or any kind of stiff "stubble," such as clipped shrubs, damages the feathered feet. However, the real reason for short-cut grass lies in the morning dew: When the feathered feet absorb water, they cling to even bone-dry soil.

A fenced-in run should be located slightly higher and with a gentle slope toward the adjacent area to allow for rainwater to drain away. Lawns or other scrubby vegetation should be kept short. Perennials and shrubs are acceptable, as long as there's always enough space between them for movement.

Even for chicken breeds with feathered feet, a dust bath is a very effective preventative measure to smother a budding infestation of chicken mites. Alternatively, the wet feathered feet can release their moisture into the dust bath.

 

Some typical bearded and crested chickens

Bearded chickens:

• Orloff
• Araucana
• Ameraucana
• German salmon chickens

Crested chickens:

• Old Styrians
• Sulmtaler
• Appenzeller Spitzhauben
• Cream Legbar

Full hood with beard:

• Paduans
• Houdan

With crest and feather feet:

• Silkie chickens

With spring feet:

• Brahma
• Sundheimer

All breed portraits on the Chicken farm

 

Why keep bearded and crested hens?

The striking physical characteristics of breeds like the Araucana and Altsteirer are certainly the greatest appeal for many breeders. However, the lush plumage also has a practical reason: For those who can't rule out a frosty winter and don't own an insulated and heated chicken coop, the Orloff chickens, which originate from Russia, would be a good choice. Thanks to their plumage, they withstand the cold well.

Also worth mentioning are the German Lachshühner, which appear downright fluffy with their lush beards and loose plumage. Appenzeller Spitzhauben from the Alpine region, on the other hand, are slimmer and have a tighter plumage. This also provides good insulation against icy air.

The Paduan, a fully crested chicken, originates from Italy, and the Houdan chicken originates from France. These are regions where Bearded and Crested chickens are relatively rare due to the warm temperatures, as the extra feathers provide good hiding places for mites. Nevertheless, show success and appearance are usually more important to keepers here.

The advantages of feather-footed chicken breeds are generally good egg-laying performance and their friendly nature. They are also very independent and like to find a place to retreat to for a while. They also scratch around less in their run, which some chicken keepers might appreciate.

 

Do feather feet prevent chickens from walking?

Long grass in the run, especially, makes it difficult for feather-footed chicken breeds to run. But even short grass prevents chickens of this breed from running quickly. Therefore, if they need to flee from danger, feather-footed chickens will always be slower than their counterparts of other breeds.

Additionally, while frostbite primarily occurs on the comb and wattles in chickens, feathered feet also pose a risk when ice clumps collect in them during snowfall. This is why many chicken breeds from cold regions have a pea-shaped comb and very small wattles – and the Orloff chickens from Russia, for example, have no feathered feet.

Nevertheless, dry feather feet can have a positive effect in cold weather. Overall, however, this is probably primarily a matter of ornamentation or preventing this trait from being extinct through breeding.

 

Conclusion on bearded and crested chickens

There are many chicken breeds with special characteristics that must be taken into account when breeding or keeping them. Accordingly, a high chick mortality rate can be predicted for the popular Araucanians. The lethal factor lies in the ear ruff, which has been completely bred out in the Ameraucans for this reason. However, this unique characteristic is lost. Then there are chicken breeds, and especially bantam breeds, that flutter onto your roof. In these cases, a chicken fence is necessary to limit the run. For fluffy silkies or crested chickens, however, a fence a good meter high is sufficient, as these chickens do not fly. Those who pay attention to all the special characteristics of their chicken breed will have an easier time keeping them. Crested and bearded chickens are also easy to keep if the feeding is adjusted and the chickens are regularly checked for infestation with chicken mites. With good prophylaxis, consisting of hygiene and dust bath In the chicken coop, as well as in a not too dense population, these breeds can be kept well and are largely spared from mites and parasites.