The Scots Grey is a breed of domestic chicken originating
in Scotland, where it has been bred for more than two hundred years. It
was formerly known as the Scotch Grey and until about 1930 was
popular in Scotland. It is on the "Native Poultry Breeds at
Risk" list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Characteristics
The Scots Grey is a tall, upright chicken. Apart from the
height, it is similar to the Scots Dumpy. The Scots Grey has a single comb.
The face, wattles, earlobes and comb are bright red, and the beak and shanks
are white, sometimes marked with black.
The plumage is barred. The ground colour is steel-grey,
and the barring is black with a metallic sheen. Although both sexes are closely
similar (apart from secondary characteristics), the markings are larger in hens
than in cocks, and may give a tartan appearance.
The Scots Grey is classed as a light breed: cocks weigh
about 3.2 kilograms (7 lb) and hens about 2.25 kg (5 lb).
There is a Scots Grey bantam. Cocks weigh 620–680 grams
(22–24 oz) and hens 510–570 g (18–20 oz); it is otherwise
similar in all ways to the standard-sized bird.
Use
The Scots Grey is a dual-purpose breed, kept both for its
white eggs and for meat. In temperament, it is an active bird that does best
under free range conditions, as it is hardy, and forages well; it may
develop destructive habits when confined. Hens are not generally inclined to go broody.
