The Appenzeller Spitzhauben is Switzerland's national chicken, named for the pointed lace bonnets worn by women of the Appenzell canton — the breed's forward-swept spiky crest looks just like one. Small, light and famously agile, they roost high, fly well and forage tirelessly, which historically made them ideal on steep alpine farms. Hens lay a good number of large white eggs for their size and rarely go broody. They're flighty and want serious space and high perches, but they handle cold beautifully and eat little for what they produce.
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Flighty
Egg colorWhite
Egg production150–180 / year
TemperamentFlighty
BroodinessRare
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs, Show
Weight
Large fowl (Standard size)
Hen3–4 lb
Rooster4–5 lb
Bantam (Miniature size)
Hen1.4 lb
Rooster1.6 lb
How to spot it
CombV-shaped
A small forward-pointing V-shaped horn comb sitting ahead of the crest
Earlobes
White
Legs & feet
Slate-blue legs, four toes
Look for
A spiky forward-swept crest over a V-comb on a small spangled bird — the crest is the "pointed bonnet" that names the breed
V-shaped
