Appenzeller Spitzhauben

Appenzeller Spitzhaubens are my favorite chicken breed. Not only are they great layers of white eggs but they’re also super friendly with humans (yes, even the roosters), come in a variety of different colors, great foragers, can tolerate very cold temperatures, and are good at escaping predators due to their small size! The only disadvantage they have is that they don’t like being confined. They can be kept in the coop occasionally but they will let you know that they don’t appreciate it. (They get noisy). I have hatched and raised multiple Appenzeller Spitzhaubens and I think they are the best 100%.

I love this breed! I have one silver spangled hen. She is funny and cute. She’s super popular with visitors (“Look at the white one with the funny hat!”)
They are supposed to be good layers in the winter (better than other breeds, at least), but she slowed down just like the rest of the flock. Yes, her egg song is a bit loud, but not horrible.

Overall, I would totally recommend this breed!
Note: I only have one hen! My review may not apply to all chickens of this breed.

I have three hens- producing average 2-3 eggs a day- they insist on access to the entire yard which can be troublesome when you have dogs. They want you digging up worms for them 24/7 - hardly let you work in the yard because they want to be in the middle or not everything-again very loud one in particular- I live in a neighborhood so I thankfully no complaints yet-

Spitzhaubens are one of my favorite breeds. I wish I could find better quality birds. Mine roam up the hill into the woods, foraging diligently- instead of going to my neighbor's chicken coop to eat their feed, which they appreciate. The pullets lay well, but their eggs are small. The cockerels are gentle on hens, and not aggressive with me. I plan on getting many more.

I love my Appenzellers. They are very sweet birds and will fly to my shoulders to say hello and check on me. They don't mind being picked up at all even by children. They do well in my covered run with high roosts. They do very well in the cold and suffer almost no frostbite with their tiny combs. They often lay back to back days but more often every other day at one year old. My light is somewhat shaded at the coop though.
They are also very very loud and would not do well in a situation where quiet is needed. They make odd amazon bird like calls. They are very good fliers and would probably do well free range though. They get along very well with my other birds and are on the small side so don't take up much room. I would gladly have more.

I am raising my first batch of Spitzhauben chicks and I am so impressed with them. They are friendly, trusting, and intelligent. The chicks figure out what to do in each new situation and don't make a fuss. On a recent segment of PBS's P. Allen Smith, he did a show on heritage breeds, spending part of it with a breeder of these chickens. She said, I've never had an aggressive rooster.
I have read that they are excellent free rangers, excellent egg layers. View attachment 1306989 View attachment 1306991 View attachment 1306996
I will add to this review as mine grow up.
Edit on August 22
My Spitzhaubens are now 7 months old. I am still in love with this breed. I have 3 left after selling 2 cockerels. The cockerel is polite and takes care of his ladies. The 2 pullets are little egg laying machines, rarely a day goes by without 2 of their eggs. I hope to raise more!

I have two Appenzeller Spitzhauben, one pullet and one cockerel in a mixed flock. The pullet started laying right at 4 months even though it is fall, and has given me 5 plus medium sized eggs a week this past month. The cockerel is a little gentleman with the hens, not at all aggressive as many young roosters can be. He crows only at dawn and when the pullet sings her egg song. Mine stay in their run and only flew up to the top of the coop once. They are beautiful to watch, a bit wary, but not at all skittish. Great little birds.

In my flock of 41 (3 roosters and 38 hens) my pair of Spitzhaubens are my favorites by far. My rooster Hans rules the roost including my two light brahma roosters but he's gentle and friendly with me and my family. He's never aggressive with us and will walk over and let me pick him up and carry him around. Oh and he's a gorgeous rooster! Princess, my Spitzhauben hen is as friendly as Hans and will squat when I touch her back. Cracks me up and makes it easy to grab her.

They're really great chickens and striking in appearance. I live in northern Minnesota and they handled the winter with ease. Hans got a little frostbite on his waddles but they look great once spring rolled around.

The best part is watching Hans kick the brahma's, who out weigh him but at least a couple pounds, off his girls and then chase them around.

I have a chainlink fence for a run and covered the top with deer netting which I got specifically to keep them in since they supposedly like to roost in trees. Mine free range about half the day but they show no desire to roost in trees.

Great chickens!

We love our Spitzhauben girl who is now going on to 9 years old. She has become the farm mascot and family pet and has earned her spot here as long as nature allows. She is a very friendly girl who will allow you to walk over and pick her up where ever she is. Loves to free range but tolerates confinement well when necessary. Knows where the bag of corn is in the house and will come in and search it out if the door is open. She has long since passed her peak laying but still lays a bit in the spring. Over the past 9 years we have had a number of chicken diseases that have passed through the flock but this girl seems to have exceptionally strong immunity. She never seems to display any of the symptoms that may be present within the flock. We have had losses from Marek's, coccidiosis, and infectious bronchitis and I honestly do not remember this girl ever exhibiting symptoms. She also seems to be good at avoiding predators which I partly account to her good flying ability. She likes to roost as high as she can in the pen, often roosting over doors when she can find space enough to do so.

I really love the Appenzeller Spitzhaubens. I got this breed because of personal heritage reasons; my great-grandfather came from the Appenzeller region of Switzerland. I'm glad I got them, as they are among the best birds I've ever had. Despite the excessive summer heat here in the Phoenix area, these alpine chickens do remarkably well with fresh water and afternoon shade--better than some of the more notoriously heat-tolerant breeds. My original stock is already over three years old, and they lay nearly every day. They are great foragers and very lovely to look at. I will continue breeding the Spitzhaubens for years to come! They have replaced Black Minorcas as my favorite white layers.

Really sweet, docile and inquisitive birds. Have had really good luck with the breed -and they have really been good layers! Definitely 5 star rating by us!

My AP is now 2 months old. She struggled some when she first arrived with 40 other chicks. She was so tiny she was getting shoved aside from the food and water, kept pasting up, and getting weaker. I put her in a separate brooder with a couple of other smaller chicks and she thrived! Within a week I could put her back with the big group and she gamely shouldered through to the food and water. She has a "can-do" spirit and is a very lively little girl who loves meal worms! She won't take them from my hand yet, but we are working on it. She is exquisite!

By the way, how do you pronounce Spitzhauben? My German friend does not pronounce the "b" so it sounds more like "Spitzhoun" or Spitzhoen". At least that gets you closer to the real pronunciation! Don't forget that like gargley sound when say the "h".

I absolutely ADORE Spitzhaubens.

They are great layers for their size and type, extremely friendly, non bird aggressive and absolutely stunning in any flock. For their smaller size, they're incredibly hardy birds and lay well even in winter. They've got an exotic look without the idiocy and finicky nature of other tophats - plus, a huge bonus, their tophats don't obscure their vision and they are great free-range birds. There were few others in my flock that could out-forage my Spitz.

They are a GREAT choice for mixed breed flocks - they're neither aggressive nor overtly submissive, usually take up for themselves well and can form friendships in the flock. They're smart birds and they WILL make you smile.

I miss my Spitz dearly and would love to have the breed again.

Over all I love my little girl she is supper loud though I would still get her if I had the choice to go back

This noisy bunch of laughing birds, killed 3 young roos, and did not mate. I had a dozen,only7 left. They are mastered by a clearly Polish crossed roo, he has a diferent fluff on top. He is georgeous, but the girls torture him constantly. Nice medium eggs, but we are trying to hatch a bunch without success yet.. They prefer to free range, and are quirky when predetors are around. The roos agressive to a threat and no match for coons and possum, or other larger prey animals. They fight rather than escape. If not carefull, you will fill the trees with them. We use a 4 x 12 tractor coop with a nest box, and they are ok, but prefer to roam more, as they get testy with one another. I like their personalities.

They really are a pretty bird and are really funny to watch but i will never get them again, out of 5 i had two live, the ones i got all had some sort of genetic flaw and 3 ended up dieing (one when he was just a fuzz ball) i do like the two i have though they are cute.

These birds are just stunning aren't they?? Anyway about these birds the standard male usually weighs about 4.5 lbs.(2 kg.) and the females 3.5 (1.6 kg.) and the bantam versions for the male 24 oz.(680 g.) and the females 20 oz.(570 g.) ! They have a red V-shaped comb, Moderately large oblong red wattles, and moderately large white earlobes. These beautiful birds can come in the colors Black, Golden Spangled and Sliver Spangled and their place of origin is Switzerland. Hope It Helped!!!!!!

neat breed. nice to look at. keeps you smiling, some are very friendly.

I have two Appenzeller Spitzhauben pullets. They have a cute little personality, and they love to talk to you. They like to free range, rather than being in a run. They are pretty, hardy small birds that lay a good supply of medium white eggs.

Back in the early 2000's I was in Appenzell Switzerland. When I heard the chicken name, Appenzeller Sptizhauben, I had to get one. Boy was I in for a treat! What lovely birds. I started with four...because of there "hair cuts", I named them John, Paul George and Ringo...Paul and George became Paula and Georgia! John was the best rooster I ever had...affectionate and fiercely protective of his flock, including the turkeys in it. Georgia and Paula, were so affectionate. They would ride on my shoulder and jump up in my lap and loved to be petted. I lived in Northern NY and they were good in both the extreme cold and the warmer temps. Fun, lively and smart. I moved and had to give them away, but as soon as I can get chickens again, they are the first to get!!!