Origin: According
to record the Swiss Imperial Hen was bred out of white Orpington and Wyandot
hens in 1905. Albert Weiss from Amriswil was the actual founder of this breed.
He was inspired by the German imperial hen breeding. In 1910 a Club was founded
which worked out a standard in which the exterior, constitutional and
performance features were established. Participation at fowl shows and club
shows followed in the next ten years, including even a foreign exhibition in
Den Haag. The many activities brought a lively growth in membership. In 1922
the name of the Swiss Hen was changed. Agricultural organizations and schools
focused in the 1920s on the breeding and promotion of the Swiss Hen. They made
attempts for improving fattening ability in order to develop a multi-use breed.
Characteristics
of the Swiss Hen: Today the Swiss Hen is an elegant two-use hen with
pronounced performance, mid-high positioning and horizontal posture. The comb
shape is a so-called rose comb. The current breeding goal for the Swiss Hen is
increasing resistance and growth rate, rapid feathering and an increase in
winter egg laying activity.
Breeding
Organization: The Swiss Fowl Breeders Alliance is responsible for changes
in the standards today, and it carries out evaluation of animals at its
exhibitions. Since 1991 the Pro Specie Rara has been assisting the Swiss Hen
project with some breeding lines.
Reference:
Endangered
Domestic Animal Breeds 1995, Proc Specie Rara, Engelgasse 12a, CH-9000 St.
Gallen, Switzerland, Telefon 071/222 74 20, Fax 071/223 74 01. German
Translation provided by John te Velde, Associate Professor of German, Oklahoma
State University
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