Siciliana

Origin:  America

Category:  Softfeather Light

Egg Colour:  White

Sitter:  No

The Sicilian Buttercup, as its name implies, originated in Sicily, although the word "Sicilian", however, has been dropped in some places in the world. To the cup-shaped comb — its most characteristic feature — and the golden ground color of its plumage, the Buttercup 0wes its name. Economic Qualities: A non-sitting, egg production fowl.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Comb : A single leader from base of beak to a cup-shaped crown well set on center of skull, and surmounted by a complete circle of medium-sized, regular points. Entire comb smooth, of fine texture, and with deep cavity.

Beak : Of medium length, strong.

Head: Medium in size and length, fairly deep.

Eyes: Round, full, prominent.

Wattles: Of medium length, thin and well-rounded, free from folds.

Ear- Lobes: Almond-shaped, flat and smooth, fitting close to head.

Neck : Rather long, slender and well-arched ; hackle, abundant and flowing.

Wings: Large, well-folded and carried close to body without drooping; primaries and secondaries, broad, and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded.

Back : Long, broad and straight, sloping downward to saddle, then rising with slight concave sweep to tail.

Tail : Moderately large, well-spread ; main-tail feathers, long, carried at an angle of forty-five degrees above the horizontal; sickles, long and well-curved; coverts, abundant.

Breast : Broad, full and carried well forward.

Body and Fluff: Body, moderately long, of good depth; fluff, full.

Legs and Toes: Legs, set well apart, straight when viewed from front ; lower thighs and shanks, of medium size and length; toes, of medium length, straight, well-spread.

THE HEN

Comb : Small, a single leader from base of beak to a cupshaped crown, well set on center of skull and surmounted by complete circle of medium-sized, regular points. Entire comb smooth, of fine texture, and with deep cavity.

Beak : Of medium length, strong.

Head : Medium in size and length, fairly deep.

Eyes: Round, full, prominent.

Wattles : Moderately small, thin and well-rounded, free from folds.

Earlobes: Almond-shaped, flat and smooth, fitting close to head.

Neck : Rather long, slender and well-arched.

Wings : Large, well-folded and carried close to body without drooping; primaries and secondaries, broad and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded.

Back : Long, moderate in width, sloping downward to middle of back and continuing in a slight concave sweep to tail.

Tail: Moderately large, well-spread and carried at an angle of forty degrees above the horizontal.

Breast : Broad, full and carried well forward.

Body and Fluff : Body, long, of good depth ; fluff, full.

Legs and Toes: Legs, set well apart, straight when viewed from front ; lower thighs of moderate length ; shanks of moderate length; toes, straight, well-spread.

COLOUR

COLOR OF MALE

Comb, Face, and Wattles : Bright, red.

Beak: Light horn.

Head: Plumage, rich brilliant reddish orange.

Eyes : Reddish bay.

Ear-Lobes : White.

Neck : Rich, lustrous reddish orange. Wings: Fronts and wing-bows, bright, lustrous, reddish orange ; wing-bar and wing-bay, an even shade of reddish bay; primaries, black lower web edged with bay; secondaries outer web bay with black markings, inner web black with bay markings, small feathers on underside of wing having black markings.

Back and Saddle: Bright, lustrous, reddish orange; cape feathers at base of hackle, dark buff with distinct black spangles, covered by hackle; saddle, lustrous reddish orange.

Tail: Main-tail feathers, black; sickles, lustrous, greenish black; lesser sickles, greenish black, edged with reddish bay, some showing characteristic black markings.

Breast: Reddish bay.

Body and Fluff: Body, light bay; fluff, rich bay shading to light bay on stern, some feathers on rear body marked with distinct black markings.

Legs and Toes : Lower thighs, reddish bay ; shanks and toes, willow-green; bottoms of feet, yellow.

Under-Color of all Sections : Slaty blue gradually changing to light grayish buff at base ; quill, buff, becoming lighter at base.

COLOR OF FEMALE

Comb, Face, and Wattles: Bright red.

Beak : Light horn.

Head : Plumage, golden buff.

Eyes: Reddish bay.

Ear-Lobes : White.

Neck : Plumage, lustrous, golden buff

Wings: Fronts, wing-bow and wing-bar, ground, color of golden buff marked with parallel rows of elongated black spangles, each spangle extending slightly diagonally across web; quill and edge of feathers, golden buff; primaries, buff splashed with black; secondaries, golden buff barred with parallel black markings; small feathers on underside of wing having black markings.

Back: Ground color, golden buff, regularly marked with same pattern of black spangling as in wing-bow, and extending over entire surface.

Tail: Main-tail feathers, dull black, lower web barred with buff markings; coverts, same as back.

Breast: Golden buff, lower half marked with characteristic spangles as described in wing-bow.

Body and Fluff : Body, buff marked with black spangles of similar pattern to wing-bows and back; fluff, buff.

Legs and Toes: Lower thighs, pale buff marked with black spangles of similar pattern as wing-bow and back; shanks and toes, willow-green; bottoms of feet, yellow.

Under-Color of all Sections: Slaty blue gradually shading to light grayish buff at base ; quill, buff, becoming lighter at base.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock 6 1/2 lbs (3kg) Hen 5 lbs (2.3kg)

Cockerel 5 1/2 lbs (2.5kg) Pullet 4 lbs (1.8kg)

SERIOUS DEFECTS

Ear-lobes more than two-thirds red.

(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

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