Faults in Poultry: Eye colour (From Smallholder)

Faults in Poultry: Eye colour

7:30am Friday 2nd December 2011 in Poultry

In domestic poultry, as a rule, what is regarded as a fault in one breed can be exactly what is desirable in another, depending on the variety in question and the rules as set out in the breed’s individual standard. (See the poultry Club of Great Britain’s Standards Book).

Eye colour is a complex subject and each breed has a fairly strict requirement for the particular shade desired.

An “otherwise good specimen” is often spoiled by poor eye colour, but there is some leeway when it comes to judging, particularly when the standard is open to interpretation. To give an example: the Wyandotte, where the eye colour is required to be bright bay /orange /red.

Chicken’s eyes are not so different from human eyes in terms of a black pupil surrounded by a coloured iris. However, apart from functionality, that is where the similarities end. Many breeds are required to have “orange” eyes, which means an orange-coloured iris, surrounding the pupil.

In all breeds it is the altering of the iris shade that allows for the different effects seen. For example, if the orange pigment in the iris is lightened, it can look very light green, or even as light as “pearl” which is a requirement in many of the Asian hard feather breeds.

For the full article and images see the December edition of Smallholder magazine.