Hamburgh

Origin:  Britain

Category:  Softfeather Light

Egg Colour:  White

Sitter:  No

“Hamburghs were kept and bred to feather among the peasants of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England, and by them exhibited at the small town and county fairs in their neighborhood. Of course they were then known under different names, the Blacks being called Black Pheasant Fowls and the Spangled varieties Lancashire Mooneys and Yorkshire Pheasants…Penciled varieties formed a part of the Hamburgh family, although our earliest positive knowledge traces them to direct importations from Holland, where they were brought in great numbers, and were originally known under the names of Dutch Everyday Layers or Dutch Everlasting Layers." (Book of the Hamburgs, L.Frank Baum, 1886, p.5). 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Head: Skull fine.

Beak short. Eyes full.

Comb rose, firmly and evenly set, square-fronted, gradually tapering towards the back and narrow ing into a long finely ended spike (or leader) in a straight line with the surface and without any downward tendency, the top level (free from hollows) and covered with small and smooth coral like points of even height. Face smooth and free from stubby hairs.

Earlobes smooth, round and thick (not concave or hollow), varying in size according to the variety. Wattles smooth, round, and of fine texture.

Neck of medium length, covered with full and long feathers which hang well over the shoulders.

Body moderately long and wedge-shaped, fairly full at the shoulders and narrowing to the root of the tail; well-rounded breast; large wings neatly tucked; long sweeping tail, carried well up (but avoiding "squirrel"carriage), the sickles broad and the secondaries plentiful.

Legs of medium length. Thighs slender. Shanks fine and round, free of feathers.

Toes (four) slender and well spread.

Carriage graceful. Weight about 5lb

THE HEN

The general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Weight about 4lb.

COLOUR

THE BLACK

Beak black or horn. Eyes, Comb, Face and Wattles red. Earlobes white. Legs and Feet black.

Plumage: A rich black, with a distinct green sheen from head to tail, and especially on the sickle feathers and tail-coverts, any approach to bronze or purple tinge or barring to be avoided.

THE GOLD PENCILLED

Beak horn. Eyes, Comb, Face and Wattles red. Earlobes white. Legs lead-blue.

Plumage of the Cock: A bright red bay or bright golden chestnut, except the tail, which is black, the sickle feathers and coverts being laced all round with a narrow strip of gold.

Plumage of the hen: The ground colour similar to the general colour of the cock, and, except on the hackle (which should be clear of all marking, if possible), each feather distinctly and evenly pencilled straight across with fine parallel lines of a rich green-black, the pencilling and the intervening colour to be the same width, while the finer and the more numerous on each feather the better.

THE SILVER PENCILLED

Except that the ground colour, and in the cock the tail lacings, are silver, this variety is similar to the former.

THE GOLD SPANGLED

Beak, Eyes, Comb, Face, Wattles, Earlobes, Legs and Feet as in the pencilled varieties.

Plumage of the Cock: Ground colour rich bright bay or mahogany; striping, spangling, tipping and tail rich green-black. Hackles and Back, each feather striped down the centre.

Wings: bows dagger-shaped tips at the end of each feather; wing bars (two), rows of large spangles, running parallel across each wing with a gentle curve, each bar distinct and separate; secondaries tipped with large round spangles, forming the "steppings."

Breast and Under-parts, each feather tipped with a round spot or spangle, small near the throat and increasing in size towards the thighs, but never so large as to overlap.

Plumage of the Hen: The ground colour and spangling are similar to those of the cock. Hackle, Wing-bars and "Steppings" as in the cock.

Tail-coverts black, with a sharp lacing or edging of gold on each feather. Remainder, each feather tipped with a spangle, as round as possible, and never so large as to overlap, the spangling commencing high up the throat.

THE SILVER SPANGLED

Beak, Eyes, Comb, Face, Wattles, Earlobes, Legs and Feet as in the Pencilled varieties.

Plumage of the Cock: Ground colour pure silver; spangling and tipping rich green-black.

Hackles, Shoulders and Back, each feather marked with small, dagger-like tips. Wings: bows dagger shaped tips, increasing in size until they merge into what is known as the third bar; bars (two) and secondaries, also Breast and Under-parts similarly marked to those of the Gold Spangled variety.

Tail ending with bold half-moon-shaped spangles; sickles with large round spangles at the end of each feather; coverts similar, though spangles not so big.

Plumage of the Hen: The colours of the ground and spangling are similar to those of the cock.

Hackle marked from the head with dagger-shaped tips, which gradually increase in width until they merge into spangles at the bottom.

Wings: secondaries as in the cock; bars similar to those of the Gold Spangled hen.

Tail, each feather with a half-moon-shaped spangle at the end; coverts, reaching half way up the true tail feathers, form a row across the tail (each side) of round spangles. Remainder marked as in the Gold hen.

Blue is also a standardised colour in Australia.

Sources: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629 The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead, 1923.

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.] https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004