Sicilian Buttercups
aka Gallina Siciliana
The head, showing the comb, of a Buttercup cockerel
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
Developed on the island of Sicily, this breed was first imported into the US in 1835, but the present stock descends from hatching eggs imported in 1892. The cup-shaped comb that is its trademark is clearly pictured below on the rooster "Lester" (well, his name really is "Cholesterol," but you can see how he got his nickname). Another major characteristic of the breed is the difference in coloring of the male and female. Males are a deep orange-red with a black tail; the cape should show some black spangles. The hen is golden buff, with parallel rows of black spangles, giving her an almost spotted appearance. I understand that there are other colors in the UK, including White and Brown (which was at one time called the Sicilian Flower Bird). Ear lobes are white (in the US standard, but red in the British) and legs should be willow green.
In Sicily there are several other colors and I have obtained pictures of White, Blue, Black and Black-breasted Red.
The Buttercup is one of the nonsitting light Mediterranean breeds.
I think Buttercup hens are among the most beautiful of all chickens, and always try to have some around the farm. The roosters, to me, are just more reddish barnyard roosters.
Breed clubs:
American Buttercup
Club
Bridget Riddle
3030 Orestimba Rd.
Newman, CA 95360
209-485-1413
e-mail: americanbuttercupclub@yahoo.com
Buttercup Links:
Palm Beach County Poultry Fanciers Association's Sicilian Buttercup page
Buttercups at By Hook or Chook
La Gallina Siciliana is an Italian page on Buttercups: wow, look at all those other varieties -- Blacks, Whites, Blues!!
Buttercups at Three Gables Farm
Buttercup information at ELBARN
My Buttercup hen with the very original name of "Buttercup"
Photo courtesy of Bill and Sue Tivol
I think this roo has a gorgeous comb
Photo courtesy of Taryn Koerker
"Lester," a Buttercup cock
The required green legs
Photo courtesy of Domenico Gioffrè
The head of a Buttercup pullet
Photo courtesy of Lisa Feitshans
Two shots of a Buttercup cockerel
Photos courtesy of Ann Carrington
White Sicilians from Sicily: two hens, a pullet and a cockerel
Photos courtesy of Domenico Gioffrè
Buttercup cockerels observing pullets
Photos courtesy of Natascha Wille
A Brown Buttercup cockerel: head and side shots
Photos courtesy of Frank Pytellek
A pair of Black-breasted Red Sicilians from Sicily
Photos courtesy of Giuseppe Tasso & Domenico Gioffrè
A Buttercup bantam pullet
Photo courtesy of Taryn Koerker
The Buttercup cockerel who is showing off his comb at the top of the
page
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
A pen of Buttercups from Korea
Photo courtesy of Lee Seong Woon
A Sicilian Buttercup pullet and her head
Photos courtesy of Frank Pytellek
Black Sicilians from Sicily
Left photos courtesy of Giuseppe Tasso; right photos courtesy of Domenico Gioffrè
Another Buttercup cockerel
Photo courtesy of Nick Nick (The Chicken
Mother!)
Most of a trio of Buttercups
Photo courtesy of Ann Carrington
Buttercup pairs
Photos courtesy of Natascha Wille
Silver Duckwing Buttercups from New Zealand
Photos courtesy of Frank Pytellek
A Buttercup male from the UK
Photo courtesy of Robert Stephenson
A Blue Sicilian pullet from Sicily
Photo courtesy of Domenico Gioffrè
Here comes a Buttercup pullet
Photo courtesy of Ann Carrington
A Silver Buttercup pullet
Photo courtesy of Frank Pytellek
Buttercup eggs
Photo courtesy of Natascha Wille
A Buttercup chick
Another one
Photo courtesy of Taryn Koerker
More Buttercup chicks
Photo courtesy of Marilyn Rhea Cheeseman
And from the front
Photo courtesy of Frank Pytellek
A two-week-old Buttercup chick . . . and its head
Photos courtesy of Lisa Stag
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