Sachsenhuhn

Sachsenhuhn, or Saxony chicken, is a German domestic chicken developed in Saxony for small farms in a cool, hilly climate. Breeders wanted a practical dual-purpose bird that could lay through northern weather better than more delicate imports, while still producing a useful carcass. The breed has a solid but not coarse body, a neat head, and a comb type or size selected to reduce frost trouble. German standards recognize several color varieties, with black and white among the better-known examples.

In a working flock, Sachsenhühner are steady range birds that appreciate dry winter housing and outdoor space for foraging. They are not commercial layers, but hens can provide a useful supply of cream to light-brown eggs while cockerels make traditional table birds if grown slowly. The breed remains uncommon outside specialist circles, so conservation breeding matters. Good stock should show vigor, correct size, strong legs, and the calm, weather-hardy character for which the Saxon farm chicken was developed, rather than only an attractive plumage color.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White