Norfolk Grey
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
Fewer than 200 breeding Norfolk Grey birds are believed to exist worldwide. Their near-extinction came after World War II when commercial hybrid chickens replaced all dual-purpose farm breeds in Britain almost overnight — the Norfolk Grey's population collapsed from thousands to near-zero within two generations.
A rare British dual-purpose conservation breed created in Norfolk during World War I by Fred Myhill of Norwich, by crossing Birchen English Game with Silver Duckwing Leghorns. Myhill aimed to produce a self-sufficient farmyard bird suited to East Anglian conditions — and the result was a handsome, upright bird with striking silver-birchen plumage. Cocks carry silver hackle, black body and breast with silver lacing; hens display silver-grey pencilled plumage. Once popular across East Anglian farmyards, they are now critically rare and maintained by Poultry Club of Great Britain (PCGB) conservation breeders.
🏷️ Breed
Norfolk Grey
💭 Temperament
Calm, active, alert, good forager, cold-hardy
📏 Size
Large (2.7-4.1 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
Cocks: silver hackle, black body and breast; Hens: silver-grey pencilled plumage
🌍 Origin
England — Norfolk; created by Fred Myhill circa 1910–1915
🏠 Habitat
Free-range or enclosed run; well-adapted to British conditions
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets; good forager on pasture and farmland
🎯 Purpose
Dual Purpose
🥚 Egg Colour
Tinted
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl