2022Alp Stone Hen - Set

Alp stone hen: A rare domestic animal breed from Austria The pretty Alp stone hen is this year’s motif in the “Rare domestic animal breeds” series. One of this ancient Austrian breed’s most striking features is its plumage, which is often multi-coloured. Until the 1970s, Alp stone hens were a frequent sight on farms in Styria and neighbouring regions. Today, some breeders focus on maintenance breeding. The Alp stone hen is one of the last representatives of the central European landrace chicken breed in the eastern Alps that have not yet been improved by breeding. The typical features of this old breed include its multi-coloured speckled feathers in many different shades and the rarely seen colour of game. These hens are of small build, robust, agile, and highly active. They need little attention and like to spend the nights perched on trees. The hens are active breeders and take great care of their chicks, which is why they are also used to rear other chicks than their own. They defend their brood fiercely even though they barely weigh half a kilogramme themselves.