The Classifications of Chickens

Large Fowl, Bantam, Hard Feather or Soft Feather, chickens are classified into different groups

There are two sizes of fowl that exist - Large Fowl (often abbreviated to L.F) and Bantam. There are many breeds of each but not all breeds of Large Fowl can be found in bantam size and vice-versa. Bantams are created as a miniature version by selecting the smallest birds repeatedly for many years, therefore selecting only birds with the right genes to create small birds. ‘True Bantams' have no Large Fowl equivalent. Most of the breeds under this heading are kept for ornamental purposes.

As well as Large Fowl and Bantam sizes, there is another distinction made with ‘Hard' and ‘Soft' Feather breeds. Generally, Hard Feather breeds are ‘Game' varieties, who historically were cockfighting birds. These have a tighter feathering than the ‘Soft' feather breeds, who are more ‘fluffy'.

The Poultry Club classifies ‘Rare' breeds as those without their own Breed Club or Society. A Breed Club known as ‘The Rare Poultry Society' looks after these remaining breeds.

The Breed Clubs (UK) database contains contact details for many of the Breed Clubs or Societies in the United Kingdom, including the ‘The Rare Poultry Society'. A list of all of the breeds found in the United Kingdom can be found here. Infromation on waterfowl classification can be found in The Classifications of Waterfowl