America's First Chicken

The Dominique chicken is recognized as America's first chicken breed and there is hardly a rural family in the eastern US that doesn't recall these birds on their grandparents farm. The exact origin of the breed is unknown, but they most likely were created from European chicken breeds and later some Asian varieties. The Dominique was plentifully bred as early as the 1820s, when they were a popular dual-purpose fowl. Interest in poultry breeding dramatically increased during the great Hen Fever period of the mid-1800s when chicken breeding was all the rage in Europe and then America. If  you are looking for a great homestead bird, the Dominique could be considered a Cadillac among chickens. They are excellent foragers and easy keepers. Although they are considered a dual purpose breed, these birds are first and foremost egg layers. They also earn their keep by foraging and raising a couple of clutches of chicks annually.  I love them!