Augsburger
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.jpg) Cock bird | |
 Hen | |
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Distribution | |
| Use | dual-purpose |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Egg colour | white |
| Comb type | rose |
| Classification | |
| EE | yes[5] |
| PCGB | not listed[6] |
| |
The Augsburger (German pronunciation: [ˈaʊksˌbʊʁɡɐ] ⓘ) is an endangered German breed of domestic chicken. It originates from the area of the city of Augsburg, in the Swabian region of the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany.[3][2] It was bred in the nineteenth century, and derives mostly from the French La Flèche breed.[7] It is the only chicken breed of Bavarian origin.
The Augsburger was created by Julius Meyer, of the small town of Haunstetten, now part of the city of Augsburg, in the Swabian region of the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany. In 1870[8][9] or 1880,[7] he cross-bred birds of the French La Flèche breed, prized for the quality of its meat, with an Italian breed or type – now extinct – named Lamotta, which was a good layer of eggs. The aim was to create a dual-purpose chicken which would combine both qualities. The first written description of the Augsburger is that of Jean Bungartz in 1885.[7]
The Augsburger became popular, and spread to the area of Stuttgart and as far as the Black Forest.[7] A breeders' association was formed in 1923 at Mühlhausen, in the Ruhr, but did not last long. Under the National Socialist régime the Augsburger was not officially recognised, and could not be exhibited at poultry shows. In 1938 a new breeders' association, the Sonderverein der Züchter des Augsburger Huhnes, was formed.[10] From the 1960s the Augsburger began to suffer from competition from specialised high-productivity breeds, and its popularity waned.[8]
In the twenty-first century the Augsburger is a rare breed. It is listed in category I, "extremely endangered", on the Rote Liste of the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen.[11] In 2005, 40 cocks and 164 hens were recorded;[12] in 2009 there were 35 breeders with 64 cocks and 289 hens.[13]
