Chickens

Sulmtaler

Gallus gallus domesticus

✨ Fun Fact

Sulmtaler chickens were the centrepiece of Austria's 'Styrian Chicken' festival held each November in Styria, where top specimens were auctioned to Viennese restaurant owners. A single prize cock could fetch a month's farm wages.

An Austrian meat breed of outstanding quality from the Sulm valley (Sulmtal) in southern Styria, developed in the late 19th century to produce premium table birds for the Viennese market. Sulmtalers are heavily built birds with striking buff-wheaten plumage, a small walnut comb (inherited from Houdan ancestry), and a calm, tame disposition. Their slow growth produces well-marbled, flavourful meat that once commanded premium prices at Viennese poultry markets. The breed nearly disappeared and is now a conservation priority in Austria.

🏷️ Breed

Sulmtaler

💭 Temperament

Calm, docile, friendly, easy to handle

📏 Size

Large (3.2-4.1 kg)

⏳ Lifespan

4-7 years

🎨 Colors

Wheaten buff (hens) with golden hackle; Cocks: red-gold with wheaten body

🌍 Origin

Austria — Sulm valley, Styria; developed 1870s–1890s

🏠 Habitat

Free-range or enclosed run; tolerates varied conditions

🍽️ Diet

Grower and finisher pellets for meat birds; good forager

🎯 Purpose

Meat

🥚 Egg Colour

Tinted

👑 Comb Type

Walnut

🏅 EE Class

Large Fowl