Appenzellar Spitzhaubens

Yes, that is the title.  And no, I did not just sneeze.  Heehee!!

The Appenzellar Spitzhauben just happens to be one of my favorite chicken breeds!  They are rare especially in the US, as they originated in Switzerland and is actually their national bird.

The Spitzhauben is a truly beautiful chicken, with unique spots all over their bodies.  They come in gold spangled and silver spangled (we have silver spangled) and other variations.

Perhaps their most defining feature is their crest.

Spitzhauben's prefer to free range as opposed to being confined.  We especially allow ours to free range during the summer months, and they LOVE it!  We have found the winter months to be slightly more dangerous because of hawks, so we often keep them warm in their coops during winter.  Ours don't seem to mind one bit, as long as there is plenty of food to go around!

Interested in owning some of these beautiful birds?  You might check out Cackle Hatchery's Spitzhauben page for more information.  You can also order chicks from them which is where we received our own birds, and plan to add more in the future!