About our Norfolk Grey Chickens

 Breed Origin: Norwich, England
Uses: Dual Purpose Utility
Weight: Large Fowl: Cock: 3.2 - 3.6 Kg. Hen: 2.25 - 2.7Kg
Bantam: Cock: 900g Hen: 680g
Egg Colour: light brown/Tinted  
Egg Quantity: 230 per Annum medium egg 
Breed Colours :  Black with Silver White hackles.

Temperament:
They generally have a friendly and docile character and are a good egg layer. Hens are not excessively broody. But we have had some good broody mothers from certain individual hens.

About our birds:

The Norfolk greys on our farm are all originated from some hatching eggs I bought about 10 years ago. We have a breeding flock of about 10 birds and a number of others in the laying flock. We hatch all our stock on the farm for each new season. 

Useful to know: 

The Norfolk Grey is a medium to heavy breed and was created by Mr Fred W. Myhill of Norwich, Norfolk. The first birds were given the name Black Marias (the nick name of a First World War German military shell but also a type of plane) and were showed for the first time at the 1920 Dairy Show. The name was not popular with fanciers and around 1925 their name was changed to the Norfolk Grey.

The original birds are thought to be the result of crossing Silver Birchen Game and Duckwing Leghorns. The Norfolk Grey Club was closed down during the Second World War. The breed never really recovered in numbers after the War and was thought to be extinct by the 1960's.

It wasn't until 1974 that Reverend Andrew Bowden and his wife visited a farm near Banbury where they came across a trio of Norfolk Greys, the farmer had kept the breed going for many years and agreed to sell these birds and from these efforts of the Reverend and his wife saved the breed. The Norfolk Grey is classified as a rare breed. There are both Large Fowl and Bantam versions that are standardised in one plumage colour not surprisingly, the small number of breeders that keep them are mainly found in and around the County of Norfolk.

Plumage is beautifully marked, the male having the most noticeable silver hackles striped with black. The black plumage has a distinct beetle green look to it in the sunshine. Cockerels have the ability to produce a good carcass size if a table bird is required.