What is an Appenzeller Spitzhauben anyway? For those in the know, it happens to be the national chicken of Switzerland. It is named after the pointed lacy hat worn by ladies in the Appenzeller region of Switzerland. And, it may very well be yours, if you are looking for a beautiful black and white speckled chicken that is fun to raise.
Appenzellers are distinctively beautiful. They have black and white speckled feathers that give them a festive look. Their feather crest also adds a bit of silliness to an otherwise pompous looking head. They like to roam around, and are intelligent, so they actually make quite good pets.
It is possible to order baby chicks, or even eggs ready to hatch from breeders online. They will give you pricing and recommendations for the best order amount for your space and circumstances. Shipping advice includes the correct number of chicks to ship together, so that they receive the best of care while they are traveling.
There are plenty of advantages to having these chickens as pets. For one thing, they will lay eggs. They are great at producing medium to large sized white eggs. The average egg count per year is about 140 to 160 eggs.
You will reap the benefits of feeding and caring for them by having fresh, organic eggs with healthy orange yolks. The darker yolk color results from feeding chickens well, and this means more nutrition for your family.
The families who own Appenzellers enjoy their unique personality traits. Some say that it is their intelligence that makes them different, and others say that it is their silly, fluffy crest of head feathers.
Owners often remark that you can train them to be picked up and carried around, much like you would a dog. It seems that the birds learn to enjoy being stroked and held, too.
Because the birds enjoy foraging for insects, they can be left alone for hours when insects are abundant. They are more quiet than other chickens, and they fly quite well. Good at climbing trees, they may tend to find the closest ones, and sit there for hours.
Some owners find that their Spitzs actually like to roost in trees. There are numerous reports of the entire flock roaming to find a nearby space in the trees, and then refusing to come back to the coop unless the weather became too cold. These chickens can definitely be on the independent side, but for many owners, that is also part of their charm.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens really enjoy nosing about for insects. You will find them to be excellent climbers and fliers, too. For this reason, you will need good fencing if you wish to keep them secure in one area.
Once you combine together all their traits, tendencies, and striking appearance, you can see why they are popular.