Scots Dumpy

A nice Cuckoo Scots Dumpy rooster
Photo courtesy of Paul Bradshaw and Greenfire Farms

The short-legged Scots Dumpy, which originated in the Highlands of Scotland, was first exhibited in London in 1852. (Some bones from the breed have been positively dated to the eleventh century.) The four main varieties are Black, Cuckoo, Dark & Silver-grey, although some other colors have been developed recently. The breed also has a bantam or miniature form.

They are good utility birds, early and prolific layers even in cold northern climes and with a lot of meat on their small carcass--roosters weigh in at around 7 pounds. The legs should be no more than 2 inches long. Broodiness varies widely in the breed, with some hens never brooding and others that set continually. Interestingly, I have checked half a dozen sources and can find no consistency in egg color: white, tinted and brown all being reported. If anyone knows this breed well, I'd appreciate first-hand knowledge on this subject.

Old names for the breed include Creepies, Crawlers, Go-Laighs and Bakies.

Here's an SPPA article on Scots Dumpies.