Twents Hoen
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
The Twente region was famous in the 19th century as the centre of Dutch textile manufacturing — and the Twents Hoen was the chicken that fed the workers. Historical records from Twente factory towns show that virtually every worker's family kept a small flock of Twents Hoen in their backyard, providing eggs and occasional meat as an economic buffer against factory wage fluctuations.
A Dutch dual-purpose landrace from the Twente region of Overijssel in the eastern Netherlands, a textile-manufacturing and farming area bordering Germany. The Twents Hoen (Twente Hen) is a medium-large cuckoo-barred farmyard breed that developed from local Dutch landraces and was the standard farmyard chicken of the Twente textile towns and surrounding farm villages. Recognised by the EE Europastandard, it is now a conservation breed maintained by Dutch breeders. Its survival reflects growing Dutch interest in preserving regional poultry diversity alongside better-known breeds like the Barnevelder and Brakel.
🏷️ Breed
Twents Hoen
💭 Temperament
Calm, active, hardy, good forager, adaptable
📏 Size
Large (2.7-3.2 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
Cuckoo — regular blue-grey and white barring; also partridge
🌍 Origin
Netherlands — Twente, Overijssel; traditional regional landrace; EE recognised
🏠 Habitat
Free-range or enclosed run; suited to the sandy soils and forests of Overijssel
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets; good forager on Dutch heathland and farmland
🎯 Purpose
Dual Purpose
🥚 Egg Colour
Tinted
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl