Marsh Daisy chicken

Marsh Daisy
Traits
Conservation status	RBST: at risk^[1]
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Use	eggs
Weight	Male: 2.95 kg
	Female: 2.5 kg
Egg color	tinted
Comb type	rose comb
Classification
PCGB	rare soft feather: light^[2]
Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus

The Marsh Daisy is a rare breed of chicken originating in Lancashire, England. Its name may be related to its origin in a marsh-like area, or that its large rose comb resembles the flower of the Marsh Daisy (Armeria maritima).

The Marsh Daisy is a hardy, economical barnyard chicken, but is slow to mature. It is a lightweight breed of standard fowl, with males at a maximum of 2.95 kilos (6.5 pounds) and females 2.5 kilos (5.5 pounds). A good forager, it prefers being kept free range. Though generally calm, it is active and can fly. Hens are layers of a fair number of tinted eggs. Distinguishing characteristics are the 'Rose comb', 'white earlobes' and 'willow green legs'. Known for being flighty, and slow to mature, the hardiness of the breed is the primary feature that allows them to develop, and breeders take pleasure in raising such a rare breed.^[3]

There are currently no Bantam variations on the Marsh Daisy.^[3]

History

Beginning in the 1880s in Southport, Lancashire, Old English Game, roosters were crossed with Malay hens to create the foundation for the breed. Black Hamburgs, White Leghorns, and Sicilian Buttercups were also added to cement its characteristics. The Marsh Daisy would become a proper, defined breed in England as of 1913.^[3]

The Marsh Daisy has never had any populations of consequence abroad, and has never been recognized for showing by organizations such as the American Poultry Association. Extremely rare even in its homeland, it is listed as an endangered breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust of the United Kingdom. It was once found in Black, Brown, Buff, Wheaten and White color varieties, the Wheaten and Brown are the most common, the Buff and White have been reintroduced by dedicated breeders. It has no bantam version.

References

↑ Native poultry breeds at risk. Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Accessed August 2014.
↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Accessed August 2014.
1 2 3 Hobson, Jeremy and Lewis, Cecilia. Choosing & Raising Chickens: The complete guide to breeds and welfare. David and Charles publishing. London. 2009. p 60

Graham, Chris (2006). Choosing and Keeping Chickens. 2-4 Heron Quays London E14 4JP: Octopus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7938-0601-0.

External links

Marsh Daisy at feathersite, including photos

Livestock breeds of the British Isles

Cattle

Beef cattle	Angus Belted Galloway Devon Dexter English Longhorn Hereford Highland Luing Shorthorn South Devon Sussex Welsh Black

Dairy cattle	Ayrshire Guernsey Jersey Milking Shorthorn

Dual purpose	British White Gloucester Pembroke Red Poll

Primitive	Chillingham wild cattle Vaynol White Park cattle

Sheep

Extant	Beulah Speckled Face Bluefaced Leicester Border Leicester British Milk Cheviot Clun Forest Cotswold Dalesbred Derbyshire Gritstone Devon Closewool Devon Longwoolled Dorset Down English Leicester Exmoor Horn Galway Greyface Dartmoor Hampshire Herdwick Hill Radnor Kerry Hill Lincoln Llanwenog Lleyn Lonk Norfolk Horn Oxford Down Portland Romney Rough Fell Ryeland Scottish Blackface Shetland Shropshire Southdown sheep Suffolk Swaledale Teeswater Welsh Mountain Wensleydale Whitefaced Woodland Wiltshire Horn

Primitive	Boreray Castlemilk Moorit Hebridean Jacob Manx Loaghtan North Ronaldsay Soay

Extinct	Scottish Dunface

Pigs

Extant	Berkshire British Landrace British Lop British Saddleback Essex Gloucestershire Old Spots Hampshire Large Black Large White Middle White Oxford Sandy and Black Tamworth Welsh Wessex Saddleback

Extinct	Cumberland Grice Lincolnshire Curly-coated Small Black Small White Yorkshire Blue and White

Goats

Anglo-Nubian Bilberry British Alpine Golden Guernsey Irish

Poultry

Chickens	Burford Brown Cornish Derbyshire Redcap Dorking Ixworth Marsh Daisy Modern Game Modern Langshan Norfolk Grey Old English Game Old English Pheasant Fowl Orpington Rosecomb Scots Dumpy Scots Grey Sebright Sussex

Ducks	Abacot Ranger Aylesbury Orpington Khaki Campbell Magpie Shetland Welsh harlequin

Geese	Brecon Buff Shetland

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