Czech chickens 
traditional Czech chicken breeds
Šumava chickens
Characteristics of Šumava chickens
The present Šumava chicken is a medium-size chicken breed. It was restored in Czechia from the rest of the original Šumava landrace chickens in the second half of the 20th century. It is very temperament, shy, wary, unassuming on feeding and breeding, resistant, hardy and very active in digging for food. It features rapid body growth and very fast growth of the feathers on young chickens. It produces not only plenty of eggs, but a lot of meat as well. It has a rose comb and thus it is quite resistant to frost. This makes the breed well-adapted to harsher environmental conditions. Šumava chickens are suitable for semi-captive breeding as well as for breeding in large paddocks where the chickens can find plenty of food for themselves.
The roosters weigh 2,9-3,6 kg, hens 2,4-3,1 kg. The hens are good nonsitters, producing over 180 eggs per year of 58 g weight. The colour of eggs is brown. The meat has excellent quality, is juicy and soft. Hens rarely go broody.
Ring size
rooster 20 mm
hen 18 mm
Bantam Šumava chickens
The Bantam variety of Šumava chickens were created in the second part of the 20th century. The roosters weigh 1,1-1,4 kg, hens 0,9-1,2 kg. The hens produce 120 eggs per year of 40 g weight. Bantam Šumava chickens are kept only in gold colour with black spray over the body and a black tail.
Ring size
rooster 15 mm
hen 13 mm