Scots Grey

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Scots Grey
Origin Category Egg Colour Sitter
Britain Softfeather Light White No
Scots Grey illustration from Cobram Courier, Victoria, 1912

The Scottish fowl - a hardy and active fowl imported to Australia in recent years. It will will tolerate most conditions, but loves to forage and wander. They are a chatty and friendly breed, but the males can be very protective during the breeding season.

References to the Scots Greys go back as far the 1500s, they have been known by many names depending on the location in Scotland, these include Shepherds Plaid, Chick Marley, Chickmalins, Mauds, Greylings, Greylocks. The history of the breed is unclear but the Scots Grey appears to be a refinement of the early farmyard fowl of Lanarkshire Scotland and surrounding areas having originated from Scottish native fowl.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Head - Skull long and fine. Beak strong and well curved. Eyes large and bright. Comb single, upright, of medium size, with well-defined serrations, the black following the line of the skull. Face of fine texture. Earlobes of medium size. Wattles of medium length, well rounded lower edge.

Neck finely tapered and with profuse hackle flowing on the back and shoulders.

Body compact, full of substance, and fairly long; deep breast, full, and carried upwards ; broad and flat back ; moderately long wings, well tucked, the bow and the tip covered by the neck - and saddlehackles; fairly long tail, well up (but not squirrel fashion) with full sickles.

Legs long and strong. Thighs wide apart but not so prominent as those of the Game fowl. Shanks free of feathers. Toes (four) straight and spreading.

Carriage erect and bold.

Handling firm and somewhat similar to the Game fowl.

THE HEN

With the exception of the comb (either erect or falling slightly over) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR

Beak white, or white streaked with black.

Eyes amber.

Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet white, or white mottled with black but not sooty.

Plumage of the Cock - Cuckoo feathered; ground colour of body, thighs, and wing feathers blue-white, and that of the neck-hackle, saddle, and tail varying from blue-white to light grey; the barring black with a metallic lustre, that of the body, thighs, and wing feathers straight across, but of the neck-hackle, saddle, and tail slightly angled or V-shaped, the alternating bands of black and white of equal width, and proportioned to the size of the feather. The bird should "read" throughout i.e. the shade should be the same from head to tail. The plumage should be free from red, black, white, or yellow feathers, and the hackle, saddle, and tail should be distinctly and evenly barred, while the markings all over should be rather small, even, and sharply defined.

Plumage of the Hen similar to that of the cock, except that the markings are rather larger, and produce an appearance somewhat resembling shepherd's tartan.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

The cock weight 7 lb (3.12 kg).

The Hen weight 5 lb (2.23kg).

SCALE OF POINTS

THE SCOTS GREY
Scale Points
Colour and markings (of hackle 10, back 10,

tail 10, wings and across shoulders 10, breast,

and thighs 10)(of hackle 10, back 10, tail 10, wings

and across shoulders 10, breast and thighs 10)

50
Size 15
Type 10
Head 10
Condition 10
Legs and feet 5
100

SERIOUS DEFECTS

  • Any bodily deformity.
  • Any distinct characteristic of any other breed not applicable to the Scots Grey.

(See General Disqualifications.)

SOURCES

  • The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] Public Domain accessed from: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004
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