The Appenzeller Spitzhauben Chicken is known for its very unusual forward-facing crest and V-shaped crest. It is a very beautiful breed of chicken, originating from the northeastern Appenzell region of Switzerland.
It is the national bird of Switzerland and has been here for centuries. The Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicken was named after the lace hats of the women of Appenzellerland. The word “spitzhauben” means pointed cap.
It is a very rare breed of chicken in the United States and is not yet included in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Excellence or other breed registries or standards.
Two varieties of this chicken breed are available. And both types appear in black, gold, and silver plumage.
At present, the Appenzeller Spitzhauben hen is primarily an ornamental breed and bred for display, but it is also an excellent white egg layer. Below are the characteristics, behavior and complete profile of the Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicken breed.
Characteristics of the Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicken
The Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicken is a very beautiful breed. It has a well spaced tail, full of feathers and a rather stiff and dense plumage. They have a round, well-proportioned body and their crest slopes forward over their face.
Appenzeller-Spitzhauben chickens have a V-shaped comb without side branches. They have dark brown eyes with large nostrils. The breed does not have a beard or muff. They have blue/slate legs and a white skin color.
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicks have long, thin wattles and their earlobes are white and oval in shape. They have a powerful beak with large, deep nostrils and a fleshy protrusion on the front of the beak.
The Appenzeller Spitzhauben is a light poultry breed. On average, roosters weigh about 2 kg, and chickens – about 1.6 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.
Behaviour/Temperament
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens are excellent climbers and are ideal for life in the mountains. They don’t have a lot of frostbite, they just have beards and combs. They like to roost in trees. They are not as windy and nervous as the Livorno Chicken.
They are calm and friendly in nature, but do not support confinement. They are excellent foragers and will take care of themselves and live happily ever after when insects are plentiful.
They are an economical breed and will get most of their food from outside if they are allowed access to pasture or roam freely. They like to roam freely and prefer to roost in trees. The hens are good laying hens with white eggs and have a good feed to egg ratio.
They are active, alert, and do not do well in captivity. So don’t leave them if you can’t let them roam free throughout the day. However, check out the full breed profile of the Appenzeller-Spitzhauben chicken below.
| Breed name | Appenzell Pointed Toe Balaclavas |
| another name | Appenzeller Spitzhausen with silver glitter |
| Purpose of the breed | Ornamental, Show |
| Broad temperament | Friendly, easy-going, calm, obedient, shy, silent, intolerant of confinement |
| Breed size | big |
| sullen instinct | Rarely |
| comb | v-shaped |
| climatic tolerance | All climates |
| egg color | White |
| Egg size | medium |
| Egg performance | medium |
| feathered feet | Not |
| scarcity | Available |
| Varieties | Black, Gold Glitter, Silver Glitter/Silver Crescent can be found in UK and USA. |
| Native country | Swiss |
