Chicken breed
Hamburg
Also called Silver Spangled Hamburg
Hamburgs are small, very active birds with spangled or penciled feathers and a rose comb. Hens lay small white eggs and keep laying well for several years, but do not go broody. They need space and do best free-ranging.
At a glance
120–225eggs a year
4eggs a week
17–22weeks to first egg
4 lbhen weight
5 lbrooster weight
Smallegg size
Traits
- Cold hardyhigh
- Heat toleranthigh
- Goes broodyrare
- Fine in a small runlow
- Egg colour
- white
- Temperament
- very active, flighty
- Good with kids
- Not the best choice
- Noise
- loud
- Origin
- Netherlands (Holland); older origins uncertain
- Comb
- rose
- Bantam size
- Available
- APA standard
- Recognized
- Conservation
- Threatened
- Purpose
- eggs, ornamental
Good for
- free-ranging
- hot or cold climates
- predator-savvy flocks
Watch out for
- does not like confinement
- flighty, roosts in trees
- can be noisy
- roosters can be aggressive; not a cuddly pet for children
Looks and feathers
Spangled or penciled patterns; APA varieties include Silver/Golden Spangled, Silver/Golden Penciled, Black, White.
Our drawing shows the most common US variety; colours vary.
Similar breeds
All breedsSources
- 1Silver Spangled Hamburg (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 2Hamburg Chicken (breed facts)The Livestock Conservancy
- 3Accepted Breeds & VarietiesAmerican Poultry Association
- 4Hamburg (breed page)My Pet Chicken
- 5Chicken Breeds & Varieties (A2880), incl. APA standard weightsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Hatcheries often disagree on eggs a year; ranges span every source we read. How we check the facts.