A tail that is well spread at the base signals that the bird has a deep abdomen, and lots of room for high egg production. This is for production reasons as well as for appearance. ![]() The tail of a Buttercup should be widely fanned and well spread at the base. ![]() A gentle, smooth transition from the back to the tail is considered most attractive, while a sharp angle from back to tail is less preferred. Buttercups have a smooth back line, from their neck to their tail. This is why the Buttercup has a long, smooth body, with a deep abdomen for high egg production. For this reason, they are a medium-sized chicken breed.Įgg production chickens need to convert as much of their feed as possible into producing eggs, so having an overly large body would be inefficient. The bantam version was admitted to the APA Standard in 1960, and ideally should be one quarter the size of the large fowl Buttercups.Īs a Mediterranean chicken breed, Buttercups have always been bred primarily for egg production. Later, during the mid 1900's, the bantam Sicilian Buttercup was developed by breeders who were looking for a miniaturized version of this beautiful breed. By 1918, the Sicilian Buttercup was finally admitted the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection. By 1912, the breed had reached such high popularity that the American Buttercup Club was first formed, and gained over 200 members within its first year. More Buttercups were imported to the United States in 1860, and again in 1894. However, the crew was pleasantly surprised to find that the hens laid large, white eggs consistently throughout the journey, and they soon became the pets of the whole crew. ![]() Apparently they had been kept for ages by the farmers of the island, with no attempt to breed them to any specific color pattern, but all the birds displayed the unique Buttercup comb and the green legs of the modern Buttercup.Īccording to an article written for the Poultry Fancier in 1913, the first introduction of Buttercups to the New World was during the mid 1800's by a sea captain who added them to his cargo to provide his men with fresh meat during the voyage. The island is home to many chickens with the unique Buttercup comb type, and it is thought that they originated from a cross between several different breeds of chickens from the region. Buttercups originated on the Island of Sicily, near Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.
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