Sultan Chicken

     The Sultan is a rare Chicken breed from Turkey, which have always been primarily ornamental birds. They were being kept as royal birds in the gardens of the Ottoman sultanate, and hence comes the name. Sultans have a great deal of decorative plumage; including large, puffy crests, beards, long tails, and profuse foot feathering. Their small v-shaped combs and slate-blue legs, are almost entirely hidden under their sense feathers.

     Sultans are also one of a minority of breeds to have five toes on each foot. They appear in three color-varieties; black, blue, and white which is the most well-known color-variety. Sultan hens are poor layers of white eggs (around 50 – 70 eggs per year), and don’t generally go broody and even the chicks are slow developers. 

     Sultans are best kept in small runs as they are rather poor foragers. They are calm birds which are not known for aggression and can be handled easily so they make excellent pets. A bantam version is also available for this magnificent breed.