Sultan chicken

The Sultan is a Turkish breed of crested chicken. The name derives from the original Turkish language name of Sarai-Tavuk, which translates as "fowls of the palace".^[1]: 159 They have always been primarily ornamental, having been kept in the gardens of Ottoman sultanate.^[1]: 159 In the West they are bred for competitive showing as part of poultry fancy, and are generally a rare sight.^[2]: 173

Sultan

Conservation status	Study
Other names	Sarai-Tavuk, Sarai-Täook
Country of origin	Turkey
Use	ornamental
Traits
Weight	Male: standard: 2.75 kg bantam: 740 g Female: standard: 1.8 kg bantam: 625 g
Egg color	white
Comb type	duplex
Classification

The breed was first exported from its native country in 1854, when a Ms. Elizabeth Watts of Hampstead, London brought a small flock to Britain.^[2]: 173 It was seen in North America by 1867, and was recognized officially by acceptance into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874.^[1]: 159

Sultans have a great deal of decorative plumage, including large, puffy crests, beards, long tails, and profuse foot feathering. Their small, V-shaped combs are almost entirely hidden under feathering. Sultans are also one of a minority of breeds to have five toes on each foot.^[2]: 173 With males weighing approximately 2.7 kilos (6 pounds) and hens 2 kilos (4 pounds), they are the smallest of the large breeds of chickens. They also have a bantam version.

Sultans appear in three varieties: black, blue, and white,^[1]: 160 with white being the most well known.^[3]: 65 Hens lay small white eggs at a slow rate, and do not generally go broody.