Scots Grey

The Scots Grey is a dual-purpose breed of domestic chicken originating in Scotland, where it has been bred for more than two hundred years.[5] It was formerly known as the Scotch Grey and until about 1930 was popular in Scotland.[1] It is on the "Native Poultry Breeds at Risk" list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.[6]

See also: Royal Scots Greys
Scots Grey
A Scots Grey cock
Other names
  • Scotch Grey[1]
  • Chick Marley[2]
  • Shepherd's Plaid
Country of originUnited Kingdom
StandardPCGB (UK)
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    3.2 kg[3]
  • Female:
    2.25 kg[3]
Skin colorwhite
Egg colorcream
Comb typesingle
Classification
PCGBlight: soft feather[4]

Characteristics

The Scots Grey is a tall, upright chicken. Apart from the height, it is similar to the Scots Dumpy. The Scots Grey has a single comb. The face, wattles, earlobes and comb are bright red, and the beak and shanks are white, sometimes marked with black.[3]

The plumage is barred. The ground colour is steel-grey, and the barring is black with a metallic sheen. Although both sexes are closely similar (apart from secondary characteristics), the markings are larger in hens than in cocks, and may give a tartan appearance.[3]

The Scots Grey is classed as a light breed: cocks weigh about 3.2 kilograms (7 lb) and hens about 2.25 kg (5 lb).[3]

There is a Scots Grey bantam. Cocks weigh 620–680 grams (22–24 oz) and hens 510–570 g (18–20 oz); it is otherwise similar in all ways to the standard-sized bird.[3]

Use

The Scots Grey is a dual-purpose breed, kept both for its white eggs and for meat. In temperament, it is an active bird that does best under free range conditions, as it is hardy, and forages well; it may develop destructive habits when confined. Hens are not generally inclined to go broody.[2]

References
  1. Jeremy Hobson, Celia Lewis (2009). Choosing & Raising Chickens: The complete guide to breeds and welfare. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 9780715333105. p. 84.
  2. Chris Graham (2006). Choosing and Keeping Chickens. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 9780600614388. p. 128.
  3. Scots Grey UK Breed Standards. The Scots Grey Club. Accessed August 2014.
  4. Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
  5. Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424. p. 265.
  6. Native Poultry Breeds at Risk Archived 2014-07-01 at the Wayback Machine. Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Accessed August 2014.


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