Fowl Play Trivia Quiz

Answer: China

One of the other names for this small chicken is the Chinese silk chicken, due to its fluffy feathers which feel like silk when the bird is stroked. It has black bones and skin, while the feathers can be white, black, grey and buff, among others.

They are mainly said to have originated in China, although other Asian countries also lay claim to have bred them. The Siklie is an old breed which arrived in Europe in the 1800s. They are often kept as pets or for show, although their unusual meat is considered a delicacy in Asia.

Answer: Italy

The Leghorn is named for the port city in Tuscany, Italy and is the English version of the city's name of Livorno. They come in a variety of colours, but white is by far the most common. Leghorn chickens were first exported to the USA in the first half of the nineteenth century and to Europe rather later. The USA and UK both cross bred the refined the chickens, and the Leghorns found in America and the UK look very different from each other.

Leghorns are prolific layers and are mainly kept for their eggs.

Answer: Egypt

The name of the Fayoumi is derived from a region to the west of the River Nile. The breed is described as hardy, disease resistant and well able to cope with the high temperatures of Egypt. Coloration is usually a silvery white, shading into black further down the slim body.

In Egypt, it is used for meat while in European countries and in America it is kept for its egg laying abilities.

Answer: Japan

The Shamo is rather different from the other chickens in this quiz as it was bred for fighting. It was developed in Japan, beginning in the seventeenth century, and has a distinctive upright stance. It is also one the tallest breeds of chicken. Over the years, selective breeding has increased the strength of the birds.

The Japanese name derives from Siam, now Thailand, as the chickens used were imported from there. They are classified according to their size, and have feathers which can be black, white, reddish-brown or mixtures of these. They are mostly kept for show now, but it is important to keep roosters separate from each other as they will fight to the death if kept together.

Answer: United States

Although the name sounds French, it actually derives from the native American tribe of Wyandot. The breed was developed in the 1870s with the first birds being described as silver-laced - a mixture of black and white markings which make an attractive lacy pattern across the breast. Later colour variations were created and the Wyandotte has nine different colours recognised by the American Poultry Association. Europe has thirty accepted colours listed.

This breed is described a a large one and is classed as dual purpose, i.e. used for both meat and eggs.

Answer: Germany

Unlike most of the chicken breeds covered in the quiz, the Sundheimer, named for the town of Sundheim in southwest Germany, has only one accepted coloration Known as columbia, the feathers are a mix of black and white, with the body predominantly white, black tail feathers, and shading of black and white around the neck region. This standard did not become established until 1966, but the birds were developed much earlier, in the late nineteenth century.

Originally bred for meat, after the first World War focus turned to egg production too and they are now classed as dual purpose. The breed is considered endangered, with under 1000 hens and only just over 200 roosters recorded in 2009.

Answer: Malaysia

Although related to older breeds, the Serama dates only from the 1970s. It was created in Malaysia by crossing Japanese and Malaysian bantams. As the bantam name indicates, these are small birds, often described as the smallest breed of chicken in the world, with heights ranging from six inches (15 cm) to ten inches (25 cm). Weights can range from as little as eight oz (227 grammes) to nineteen oz (539 grammes).

The Serama is primarily a show bird with some kept as pets. Their size makes them unsuitable for eating and you would need five of their eggs to make the equivalent of a normal chicken egg. They are more ornamental than useful.

Answer: United Kingdom

Named for the town in Kent where they were bred in the late nineteenth century, Orpingtons are very popular hens, They are mostly bred for show purposes in the twenty-first century, known as exhibition birds, but utilitarian strains are still available. They are considered easy to keep and the non-show variety is a prolific layer of eggs.

The most common colour is buff, and is the one most British people would instantly recognise but, for showing purposes, there is a range which includes black and white. Some of the fancier colours include red and lavender but these are hard to find and, as a result, expensive.

Answer: France

The breed is named for the town of origin in France, and dates from the late nineteenth century. The 's' shouldn't be pronounced, and one chicken is a Marans, as are two or more. The first part of the name should be spoken as 'muh'. They were created by cross-breeding with game birds.

The most notable thing about Marans is that they lay very dark brown, chocolate coloured, eggs. When first laid, the brown can be scraped off. It becomes harder later. The eggs are reputed to taste better than most - James Bond is described as eating one in the novel 'From Russia with Love', a scene which was recreated in the film.

Answer: Netherlands

Barnies, as they are known, obtain their name from an agricultural college in Barneveld, near Utrecht in the Netherlands. Their origins are rather uncertain, with various other breeds in the mix, although the breed was eventually standardised in 1923. They were developed to lay brown eggs, much in demand in England at that time, even though science has proved there is no nutritional difference between dark or light shelled eggs.

The feathers on the hens are black and brown with a pattern that looks like an arrow head - cockerels are black without the pattern. The eggs they lay are still brown, but rather lighter in colour than they were originally.