Sicilian Chicken Breeds & Landraces

[Sicilianu]

Sicily is a rich source of ancient Mediterranean poultry genetics. Here’s a tour of the four native Sicilian breeds you’ll run into- Siciliana (Coronata), Cornuta di Caltanissetta, Nostrana delle Madonie, and Valplatani- plus their famous export cousin, the Sicilian Buttercup.

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1) Siciliana (aka “Siciliana Coronata”)

What it is. The island’s classic crown-/“cup”-comb landrace from Sicily; formally in the Italian FIAV standard since 2004 and listed in Italy’s national register of autochthonous poultry by Ministerial Decree No. 1936 on October 1, 2014. Conservation status: recovering but still rare in numbers.

Where it comes from. Multi-generation notes and local lore describe a farm population shaped on Sicilian holdings, with long-ago mixing of local birds and North-African stock (“Tripolina”), which helps explain the crown comb and willow-green legs; 19th-century exports seeded overseas Buttercup lines. Modern keepers in Sicily maintain small flocks across coastal and inland farms.

Type & field marks.
• Head/comb: elegant, rounded head; crown/cup comb- fine texture; starts as single at the beak, forms a rounded cup (preferably closed) with ~5 regular “teeth” per side; bright red face/wattles; earlobes red, a small central white fleck sometimes seen.
• Body & carriage: medium, tidy trunk; broad rounded shoulders; long tight wings; tail fairly broad, carried high (≈70–75° cocks; ≈55–60° hens). Breast full, rounded, set fairly high.
• Legs/skin: bare, moderately long tarsi, typically willow-green; skin yellowish.

Colors.
• Collo Oro/Selvatico bruno/Perniciata → Gold Duckwing → Partridge Spectrum
• Nera → Black
• Bianca → White
• Blu → Blue

Comb & eggs. Cup/crown comb; shells white to very light cream. Pullets start ~5–6 months; organic-trial logs show ~190 eggs in the first year, with strong shells and mid-50s-gram “medium” weights (23.3 oz/dozen).

Size. Cocks ~2.0–2.4 kg = 4.4-5.3 lbs; hens ~1.6–1.8 kg = 3.5-4.0 lbs. Yellowish skin typical.

Behavior & management. Very rustic, lively, precocious; excellent free-range foragers; can be flighty in small runs. Do best with space and sun; suited to Mediterranean conditions and low-input farm routines.

Variation & outcross flags. Italian-type Siciliana shows red earlobes (a little white allowed), willow-green tarsi, and the distinct cup comb; persistent white earlobes with heavier bodies point to U.S. Sicilian Buttercup influence rather than core Italian type. Non-willow tarsi, feathered shanks, deeply tinted/brown eggs, or “squirrel tail” are faults and often signal outcrossing.

Duckwing/Partridge Types:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ETnDB6GGk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AyQpHm3J3/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NncST1xXR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JnbBQHQX6/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H2Yp5dEm1/?

Black/Blue/Splash:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19YRCUDfzY/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16w3KBiHDu/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19VeU2TZtF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

White:

https://gallinasiciliana.forumattivo.com/t1219-riproduttori-siciliana-bianca

Other Color:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NFMz7rrAT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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2) Sicilian Buttercup (aka “Buttercup”)

What it is. The export cousin of Sicily’s crown-/“cup”-comb landrace, standardized abroad; admitted to the American Poultry Association Standard in 1918 (large fowl) and in 1960 (bantam). Still rare; conservation ongoing in the U.S./U.K.

Where it comes from. Club histories and old breeder notes trace U.S. lines to 19th-century imports- most modern stocks descending from hatchlings shipped in 1892 after earlier Dawes→Loring birds popularized the type. Breed clubs formed on both sides of the Atlantic by the 1910s.

Type & field marks.
• Head/comb: classic “buttercup” (cup/crown) comb- two combs joined in front (preferably also behind), with ~5 even points per side; white earlobes; bright red face/wattles.
• Body & carriage: medium, tidy trunk; wings long/tight; tail widely fanned and well spread at base; high carriage in cocks and hens.
• Legs/skin: bare tarsi; willow-green shanks/toes; yellow skin.

Colors.
• (U.S. standard) Golden → Golden (hens: golden-buff ground with fine, even black autosomal barring/spotting; cocks: rich orange-red body, black tail)
• (U.K./Australia/New Zealand) Silver Duckwing exists but is not APA-recognized in the U.S.

Comb & eggs. Cup/crown comb; shells white to very light cream. Typical first-year lay ~140–180 eggs; classed small–medium ≈50–55 g (22 oz/ dozen).

Size. Cocks ~2.9–3.0 kg = 6.4-6.6 lbs; hens ~2.3–2.5 kg = 5.1-5.5 lbs. (APA show weights ~6.5 lb cock, 5 lb hen.)

Behavior & management. Very active, alert foragers; dislike close confinement; best on range in warm, dry climates. Large combs are frostbite-prone; housing should be tall/airy.

Variation & outcross flags. U.S. type shows white earlobes and willow legs with the true cup comb; persistent red earlobes (more typical of Siciliana), non-willow legs, single/rose combs, or tinted/brown eggs point to outcrossing or non-APA lines. Note: earlobe color shifted to white in U.S. standards in the early 20th century; U.K. lines may show red.

Golden:

https://livestockconservancy.org/buttercup-chicken/

https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/chickens-101/raising-sicilian-buttercups-in-america/

https://www.americanbuttercupclub.org/about-the-breed.html

https://www.americanbuttercupclub.org/large-fowl.html

https://www.roysfarm.com/sicilian-buttercup-chicken/

Silver Duckwing:

https://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/BCup/BRKButtercup.html

https://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/sicilian.html

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3) Cornuta di Caltanissetta (aka “Cornuta”)

What it is. A small, tough valley–hill landrace from the Caltanissetta (Nisseno) area, defined by a horned (“a corna di bue”) comb. Formal recognition in Italy was announced in April 2025; conservation remains active and local.

Where it comes from. Old family flocks in the Nisseno countryside- guarded and passed on within kin and trusted friends- are the source; older keepers recount that selling birds or eggs was taboo, which helped keep lines “in place.” TRS (Tutela Razze Siciliane) documented and stewarded the recovery; recent tallies mention a few hundred birds in and around Caltanissetta. Local legend links the “horns” to St. Michael and a duel with the devil- folklore that kept the type memorable.

Type & field marks.
• Head/comb: medium, fairly deep head; red face; earlobes red (a small central white fleck sometimes seen); true horned comb with two forward bull-horns, well set, never swept back. Eyes red-brown.
• Body & carriage: country build; moderately long trunk; long, tight wings; tail broad and high (often >60°), long sickles in cocks.
• Legs/skin: bare tarsi, typically willow-green; skin “morata”/dusky rather than yellow. Occasional keeper notes of double spurs in cocks.

Colors.
• Collo Oro/Selvatico bruno/Perniciata → Gold Duckwing + Partridge Spectrum
• Selvatico bruno macchiettata → Mottled Duckwing
Expect shade variation across farms; many hens show a dark “testa di moro” head.

Comb & eggs. Horned (bull-horn) comb; shells white. Proposed standard lists a 45 g minimum egg weight (19 oz/ dozen); lines are described as non-broody with good lay for a heritage landrace.

Size. Cocks ~1.6–2.0 kg = 3.5-4.4 lbs; hens ~1.1–1.8 kg = 2.4-4 lbs. Skin typically dusky; willow legs usual.

Behavior & management. Very rustic, lively, disease-resistant; strong free-range foragers and adaptable on sun-exposed Sicilian holdings. Keepers describe them as surprisingly tame compared with other local landraces when regularly handled.

Variation & outcross flags. Core type shows red earlobes (only a small white fleck allowed), willow-green tarsi, dusky skin, and the forward horned comb. Persistent white earlobes, yellow skin, feathered legs, single/rose/cup combs, or solid non-wild-type colors (e.g., full black/white) point to outcrosses (e.g., show strains or other horn-combed breeds).

Duckwing/Partridge Types:

https://www.tuttosullegalline.it/razze-galline/cornuta-di-caltanissetta/amp/

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DATYVuzzC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19d271wLDu/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C5ZfKvTn3/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ZrZ1kx3G/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Jxf9dJkUi/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1732dHABhQ/?

Mottled Duckwing:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14GvEPRNR7k/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DdM89wrT/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19pFMrqjwi/?

 

[Sicilianu]

4) Nostrana delle Madonie (aka “Madonie Nostrana”)

What it is. A rustic mountain landrace from the Madonie range- centered on Gangi and Petralia- with deep farm roots in inland Sicily; often discussed as an older “brown” type predating refined crown-comb selections.

Where it comes from. Long-time breeders describe flocks once common on small farms across the Madonie and nearby zones; numbers fell sharply in recent decades. One keeper first collected eggs in 1976 from rural holdings around Gangi/Petralia and has conserved the line since. Old farmers there call these birds progenitors to later crown-comb forms (crosses with “Tripoli” cup-comb cocks), and- like other Sicilian farm fowl- note the characteristic squirrel-tail carriage.

Type & field marks.
• Head/comb: fairly broad, deep head; single red comb (upright in both sexes; some hens slightly inclined); earlobes red with a small central white fleck sometimes seen; eyes large, lively red-orange.
• Body & carriage: medium trunk; broad shoulders; long, tight wings; tail fairly broad with long sickles in cocks, carried high/almost squirrel; breast full, rounded, set fairly high.
• Legs/skin: bare tarsi, slate-to-willow green; yellow skin noted under plumage; occasional double spurs in cocks.

Colors.
• Selvatico bruno/Collo Oro/Perniciata → Wild-type/Partridge spectrum (majority brown birds; some gold/gold-neck lines). Expect farm-to-farm shade variation.

Comb & eggs. Single comb; white-shelled eggs. Pullets start ~6 months; keeper logs mention ~170–180 eggs in the first season, mostly 70–80 g (31 oz/dozen), often oval with a slightly pointed “cappuccio” tip.

Size. Cocks ~2.6–3.0 kg = 5.7-6.6 lbs; hens ~1.8–2.4 kg = 4.0-5.3 lbs. Yellow skin frequently noted; meat quality praised in farm notes.

Behavior & management. Very rustic, lively, disease-resistant; strong free-range foragers on hill farms. Do best with room, sun, and a working yard; orient well to buildings and routine.

Variation & outcross flags. Core type is single-comb with white eggs and slate/willow tarsi. Crown/cup-comb birds, bright yellow tarsi, feathered legs, or tinted/blue eggs point to crosses (e.g., later crown-comb or commercial lines) rather than the traditional Nostrana delle Madonie.

https://cocincina.freeforumzone.com/mobile/d/10775256/Gallina-nostrana-delle-Madonie/discussione.aspx?p=2

https://gallinasiciliana.forumattivo.com/t570p50-polli-locali-di-sicilia

https://gallinasiciliana.forumattivo.com/t980-polli-locali-delle-madonie

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EY5MZjqxM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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5) Valplatani (aka “Val Platani”)

What it is. A true valley landrace from farms along the Platani River and its tributaries—especially around Monte Cammarata- with roots in the provinces of Agrigento and Caltanissetta (Nisseno). It was formally recognized in Italy on April 23, 2024 and entered in the national register.

Where it comes from. Multi-generation notes from local breeders describe a flock handed down from grandparents to father to present, kept semi free-range on rural holdings in the Platani valley.

Type & field marks.
• Head/comb: fairly broad, deep head; single red comb (upright in cocks, slightly inclined in hens); earlobes red, sometimes with a small central white fleck.
• Body & carriage: broad shoulders, long tight wings, high/squirrel tail with long sickles in cocks; rounder body and higher tail than Madonie in side-by-side comparisons.
• Legs/skin: bare tarsi, typically willow-green; yellow occurs in some lines.

Colors.
• Argentato frumento → Silver Wheaten
• Selvatico Argento → Silver Duckwing
• Historic farm lines also include Light Golden (Dorata chiara), Light Partridge (Bruna chiara), and a Dark wild-type line. Expect shade variation across farm to farm.

Comb & eggs. Single comb; white-shelled eggs. Pullets start ~6 months; keeper logs mention ~180 eggs in the first season, mostly 60–70 g (27 oz/dozen), often with an elongated or slightly pointed “cappuccio” shape.

Size. Cocks ~2.4–2.8 kg = 5.3-6.2 lbs; hens ~1.6–1.8 kg = 3.5-4.0 lbs. Yellowish skin is frequently noted; meat quality is praised in local notes.

Behavior & management. Very rustic, alert foragers. When free-ranged they’ll work hundreds of meters from the coop, then fly/plane back in long, low glides when alarmed (keepers compare the glide to partridges or guinea fowl). Birds orient strongly to farm buildings and “cani di mannara” (yard dogs) and do best with space and sun.

Variation & outcross flags. You may see odd blue chicks or brown-tinted eggs in some flocks- keepers call these out as likely crosses (e.g., commercial blue lines) rather than core Valplatani traits. The traditional egg for the landrace is white.

https://www.facebook.com/share/16a8vo43UA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B9FwFye2b/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Rce5v6EaS/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FQm4eqy6K/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19W6eKZ9Tw/?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AT7grooNU/?

https://cocincina.freeforumzone.com/mobile/d/10775877/Polli-nostrani-Valplatani/discussione.aspx?p=2

https://gallinasiciliana.forumattivo.com/t981-polli-locali-valplatani#

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Genetics

Across modern SNP surveys and genetic research articles, these populations cluster together in a distinct Sicilian cluster within the Mediterranean white-egg group, not in the East-Asian heavy or game chicken branches.

• Siciliana and the exported Sicilian Buttercup sit adjacent to Leghorn/Ancona/Iberian lines, with a southward pull moving them towards modern Egyptian Fayoumi, consistent with long Sicily- North Africa-Levant trade.
• Cornuta di Caltanissetta rides the same Mediterranean background with very local drift.
• Nostrana delle Madonie and Valplatani read a touch more “old farm” within the island cluster- hinting at older local layers feeding into (rather than branching from) later crown-comb selections.

Bottom line: all four look like island Mediterranean layers admixed over centuries of port-to-port movement.

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At-a-glance: how to tell them apart

• Comb: Siciliana & Buttercup = cup/crown; Cornuta = horned; Nostrana delle Madonie & Valplatani = single.
• Eggs: All are white-shelled (Siciliana sometimes very light cream).
• Color themes:
• Siciliana = Wild-type/Partridge plus rare Black/White/Blue varieties
• Buttercup = The classic Golden pattern (U.S.); Silver Duckwing exists in U.K./Australia/New Zealand
• Cornuta = Wild-type/Partridge family (with some mottled-duckwing)
• Nostrana delle Madonie = Wild-type/Partridge spectrum
• Valplatani = Silver Wheaten & Silver Duckwing themes

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Final notes

• These are heritage landraces, not factory strains- expect some flock-to-flock variation, especially in Cornuta, Nostrana delle Madonie, and Valplatani.
• Paperwork is catching up to farm reality: Valplatani is now formal, Cornuta has active recognition momentum, and Siciliana is established under conservation.
• In the U.S., Sicilian Buttercup is the recognized show breed. The other four are primarily maintained in Italy.

 

[Perris]

Thanks for this very interesting description of Sicilian landraces @Sicilianu .

Valplatani read a touch more “old farm” within the island cluster- hinting at older local layers feeding into (rather than branching from) later crown-comb selections

It might be pure coincidence, or relevant (I don't know), that some of my flock, which includes some Med breed genetics but also some N European genetics, look very similar to the Valplatani. Letting them breed as they wish has thrown up 3 silver duckwing roos (two with slate legs, one with white) and two silver wheaten (?) hen/ pullet, one with slate, one with willow legs. The hen lays an ivory coloured egg, the pullet hasn't started yet so I don't know what colour her egg will be. All have single combs, bar one roo with a P comb. (Several other birds in the flock have willow shanks, though completely different plumage.)

Obviously the hen and roo are moulting, hence tails incomplete and generally looking a bit moth-eaten. The pullet is an excellent flyer - she has been seen covering >10m from a ground lift-off to a raised landing, and >20m gliding down from an elevated start. Both roost out high in trees too. All are great foragers and free rangers. Maybe the genes that govern these behaviours, patterns and colours run deep.

 

[Sicilianu]

Thanks for this very interesting description of Sicilian landraces @Sicilianu .

It might be pure coincidence, or relevant (I don't know), that some of my flock, which includes some Med breed genetics but also some N European genetics, look very similar to the Valplatani. Letting them breed as they wish has thrown up 3 silver duckwing roos (two with slate legs, one with white) and two silver wheaten (?) hen/ pullet, one with slate, one with willow legs. The hen lays an ivory coloured egg, the pullet hasn't started yet so I don't know what colour her egg will be. All have single combs, bar one roo with a P comb. (Several other birds in the flock have willow shanks, though completely different plumage.)
View attachment 4204450
View attachment 4204451
View attachment 4204453
Obviously the hen and roo are moulting, hence tails incomplete and generally looking a bit moth-eaten. The pullet is an excellent flyer - she has been seen covering >10m from a ground lift-off to a raised landing, and >20m gliding down from an elevated start. Both roost out high in trees too. All are great foragers and free rangers. Maybe the genes that govern these behaviours, patterns and colours run deep.

I can definitely see the similarity- thanks for sharing the photos- beautiful birds!

 

[Sicilianu]

Do you know what breeds went into your flock?

 

[Perris]

Do you know what breeds went into your flock?

If my guesses on their parentage are correct, the males with this plumage started with a hybrid of Partridge Penedesenca (Spanish breed) sire and Lavender Araucana (South American) dam, and his son (pictured) had a PP dam too. The other roo with the same look has probably got some Swedish Flower genes (source of white legs). The females have some Isabella Leghorn (sire at 1 or 2 removes) and Silver Duckwing Welsumer or PP dams. The Leghorn and Swedish Flower genes give ivory coloured eggs, the Penedesenca give dark brown, despite their white earlobes with or without a touch of red - which is another similar trait with the Valplatani.

My guess would be some common ancestor a long way back between the Sicilian, north Italian (Leghorn), and north east Spanish (Penedesenca) breeds.