Breeds of New Zealand

New Zealand has only a small number of poultry breeds compared to the rest of the world, some have died out due to lack of interest in previous decades, and it's virtually impossible due to our strict biosecurity laws and the huge cost to import other breeds from overseas. 

It also means it means the statistics and information about poultry breeds that you may see in poultry books written overseas or on offshore websites are not accurate for the birds in New Zealand. Sometimes the poultry breeds also look quite different as breed standards vary
from country to country, and production values are often incorrect due to the low numbers of a particular breed here in New Zealand.

You can get full details on the breeds of poultry in NZ in How to Care for Your Poultry, a 144 page guide to keeping chickens.

All images are copyright to NZ Lifestyle Block magazine and Fairfax Media NZ Ltd, and may not be used without permission. 

Ancona

Layer bird, light breed

Andalusian

Layer bird, light breed

Araucana
Table bird, light breed

Australorp
Table bird, heavy breed

Barnevelder
Table & layer bird, heavy breed

Campine
Layer bird, light breed











 

Cochin
Table bird, heavy breed

Dorking
Table bird, light breed











Faverolle
Table bird, heavy breed

Hamburg
Layer bird, light breed

Houdan
Layer bird, light breed

Indian Game
Table bird, heavy breed

Japanese
Layer bird, bantam

Langshan
Layer bird, heavy breed

Legbar
Layer bird, light breed

Leghorn
Layer bird, light breed

Minorca
Layer bird, light breed

New Hampshire Red
Table & layer bird, heavy breed












North Holland Blue
Table & layer bird, heavy breed

Old English Game
Layer bird, game, bantam & full-size

Orpington
Table & layer bird, heavy breed

Pekin
Layer & broody bird, bantam

Plymouth Rock (barred pictured)
Table & layer bird, heavy breed

Polish
Layer bird, light breed

Rhode Island Red
Table & layer bird, heavy breed

Rosecomb
Layer bird, bantam

Sebright
Layer bird, bantam

Silkie
Layer & broody bird, bantam






 

Sussex
Table & layer bird, heavy breed















Welsummer
Layer bird, light breed

Wyandotte
Table & layer bird, heavy breed