Wyandottes: The American Breed with an Indian Name
The Wyandotte was developed in New York State during the early 1870's. The Silver Laced Wyandotte is the parent variety of the Wyandotte family and was known first as the "American Sebright" and "Sebright Cochin." They were admitted into the American Poultry Association in 1883. Other varieties accepted in the American Standard of Perfection are the Golden Laced, White, Black, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge and Silver Penciled. The Blue Laced Red variety of Wyandottes is, as of yet to be accepted into the A.P.A
The Wyandotte is described in the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection as a bird of curves. Wyandottes are well balanced, which means that the legs are squarely set under the center of the bird. The body is carried in a horizontal position on stout yellow shanks. Looking at the bird from the front, the legs are well spread and fairly heavy in bone. The shank is medium in length and the full hock can be seen. The breast is broad and full and the back is of medium length. The Wyandotte female shows a slight cushion, but not to the extent of appearing Cochin-like. The Wyandotte standard calls for an 8-1/2 pound cock, 7-1/2 pound cockerel, 6-1/2 pound hen and 5-1/2 pound pullet. Another unique characteristic of the Wyandotte is its good breadth of skull. In fact, it has a comparatively broader skull than the other breeds in the American class. The head has a bold appearance emphasizing the cobby appearance of the whole bird. The crowning feature is a rose comb, which follows the head and ends at the back of the head in a neat leader (the spike). The neck is short, well curved and well furnished with abundant hackle feathers. The hackle is well rounded so as to carry out the unbroken line of head and neck. The back shows a short space above the shoulders, which are level and then rise towards the tail, blending smoothly and evenly. There is no break where the back leaves off and the tail begins and for this reason the Wyandotte often appears to have a much shorter back than is really the case. The breadth of the back is carried out in the breadth of the body so that the sideline of the fowl as viewed from above appears smooth or even without indentations. The wings are carried level and not too long, They are folded snugly and held up in place. The tail is fairly short and well spread. At the base, however, the tail is well spread. The sickle feathers of the male are to be pliable and of medium length so that they curve nicely over the ends of the main tail feathers, giving the tail a short cobby appearance. The top of the tail is on a level with the junction of the head and neck, which lines up with the earlobe. The feathering of the Wyandotte is somewhat looser and softer than that of the other breeds in the American class. The strength of the web of the feathers in the Wyandotte is a must so the feathers will not be so fluffy as to give the bird a Cochin appearance. The Wyandotte is more compact in form, giving it that cobby appearance, which other breeds in the American class do not have. The Wyandottes are of medium weight, dual purpose fowl for the production of meat and eggs. The skin is yellow and the eggs shells vary in color from very light to a rich brown, depending on individual, strain, and the stage of production. The rose comb makes this breed extremely hardy in the colder northern states, where the taller single combs can make an easy target for frostbite.