The best of British Chickens

Chickens have been domesticated for 10,000 years, their origins traceable to Asia , where the Red Jungle Fowl, or Gallus Gallus, a small pheasant, provided eggs, meat and feathers. It wasn't until 4,000 years ago, however, that the domesticated chicken reached the Indus Valley , from where trade brought it to Europe and Africa .

The modern history of British chickens is really very recent – only since Queen Victoria 's reign were breed standards recorded. Some breeds, such as Old English Game Fowl, have likely remained unchanged for centuries, while others have been developed in terms of size and colour. Many of the modern chickens that we buy as meat reach table size by nine or 12 weeks, but if you are producing your own, you'll need to be more patient – however, the reward is meat that has flavour and texture.

Kirk Robertson, of Higher Oak Farm, in Cheshire, who has several of the traditional British breeds, says: "I think one of the biggest things I have noticed is that the traditional birds although slower to mature than hybrids are productive for longer and much longer lived, which is probably a good thing for most small holders."

OLD ENGLISH PHEASANT FOWL

The Old English Pheasant Fowl is a small table bird, with cockerels coming to around 3kg and hens to around 2.7kg, and a reliable layer, producing up to 200 white or lightly tinted eggs a year. This breed comes from Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland. The Old English Pheasant Fowl emerged as a breed in itself in 1914, when the breed club was formed. It's easy to see why they are named after their wild ancestors – not only are they the most flighty of all English breeds, but their rich colouring and bright, inquisitive eye certainly gives them a pheasant-like appearance: "Even the chicks have something of the pheasant about them, being striped and very quick," Kirk says. "The breed is extremely old, and while it used to be widespread in the North, is now rare and endangered, despite its suitability for smallholdings. The breed might be flighty, but it is nimble and clever and as such, ideal for keeping it free-range. I find them a delight to own. They are very inquisitive, friendly to their owners and one of the most intelligent chickens I have seen. If feeding them treats, they are a little like feeding a wild bird, always on the lookout for trouble but can't resist the goodies on offer. I think when you see the hen in sunshine the rich copper and black combination can look like a cock pheasant's colour. I'm sure that is where the name came from. I also love to see the cockerel dancing for his hens and finding them tit bits. There is something deeply satisfying about the scene."

LIGHT SUSSEX

The Light Sussex is one of the oldest breed clubs in the UK , and was formed in 1903.

Unsurprisingly, these dual-purpose chickens come from the South East – Kent, Sussex and Surrey . There's plenty of variation in colours, including brown, buff, coronation, light, red, speckled, silver and white, and there are both standard and bantam variations. The breed is dual purpose and, according to Kirk, "The perfect beginner's chicken. They don't go broody very often, and are docile and alert, and if you are keeping them for meat, they are mostly quick to mature, though the speckled take a bit longer. The meat is pale, and I think some of the best around." Not only is the meat pale, but in the standard size Light Sussex there is plenty of it, with cockerels reaching around 4kg and hens more than 3kg at around 25 weeks. "They're also good foragers.

Our Light Sussex originate from a legendary breeder, Nick Smith, from Herefordshire. They're white bodied, with black tails and black wing tips.

When they are young, there is black feathering showing through the white, but this disappears when they moult. The neck feathers, which are called hackles, are black with a fine white lace around the edge." Kirk uses bantams as surrogates, as the Light Sussex aren't known for their brooding prowess and finds that the bantams are excellent for producing strong, well-educated chicks. "There are a lot of hybrids that look similar to the pure-bred Light Sussex, as the colours are a pretty combination, but in my experience, they are a much smaller bird and the markings are less well defined," Kirk says. "The cockerels are large and very strong; fortunately they are also very docile. This may be due to the fact I will not tolerate an aggressive bird and will only breed from cockerels with proper manners. I also like to see them treat their hens properly with treats and of course a little courtship dance. The muscle tone and taste is excellent. This is probably how a chicken would have tasted in my grandparents' time, when it was really expensive and a luxury meal. The expense of producing a top quality traditional bird is no doubt why this and other breeds have become rare. There is still a marketplace for this kind of quality though, and it's something that I'll be working on over the next few years."

NORFOLK GREY

Another rare breed, the Norfolk Grey is a very handsome fowl indeed, being black with silver white hackles. It's a dual-purpose bird and a good layer, producing up to 220 tinted eggs a year, and the hens aren't excessively broody. The history of the Norfolk Grey is fairly recent – created by Fred Myhill of Norwich , the first birds had the sinister name of Black Marias, the nickname given to World War I German military shells, and were shown for the first time in 1920. Understandably, the name proved unpopular and was changed to Norfolk Greys in 1925. It is thought that Mr Myhill crossed Silver Birchen Game with Duckwing Leghorns to achieve the original birds. During World War II the number declined, and it was thought to be extinct by the 1960s. However, in 1974, a trio was discovered near Banbury, and while still rare today, the numbers have improved since that time. There are both large and bantam sizes, with large cocks reaching up to 3.6kg, and hens up to 2.7kg, while the bantam cocks reach 900g and the hens 680g. Kirk adds: "I think the cockerels look stunning with their silver and black colour combination. In the sunshine the beetle green in the black feathers pops and shimmers. I really like the contrast of the dark eyes to my other breeds and they are hardy, friendly birds. The hens can go broody and, if allowed to sit, they are great mums as well."