Considering The Cinnamon Queens chickens?

For those new with chicken and those who want to have their first flock, the Cinnamon queens are a unique modern breed that has some awesome qualities I would recommend.

The Cinnamon queens are a modern and a new chicken breed that was recently developed in the United States a few years ago. The aim to come up with the Cinnamon queens was to get a breed that was hardy, could provide much meat and lay eggs all year round without being affected by adverse weather conditions like winter.

The parent stock that was used to birth the Cinnamon queens is made from a propriety strain of the Rhode Island Red male and the Rhode Island Red female.

Features of the cinnamon queens chickens

Many sources say that the Cinnamon queens chickens will look and perform very closely to the ISA Brown bloodline. The first generation chicks of the Cinnamon queens is` easy to sex. Probably because the males have different feather colors from the females. A common trait with the black star chickens.

Chicks from the second generation are not easily sexable and will come in multiple colors. The leg color is mostly yellow but in some you will notice that they are somehow greenish.

The adults have a cinnamon color they are known for with the females’ plumage ranging from brownish red to white while the boys are white to whitish brown red in color. They are fancy chickens indeed.

When integrating these chickens with others be ready to offer any needed assistance as they are easily bullied by other breeds especially those that are on top of the pecking order.

Cinnamon queens will in most cases be denied the opportunity to eat or get the chance to have their share last because of their calm nature.

It will be good if you raise them with other breeds so that they may grow together if you intend to have several breeds. If not so, introduce them to the other chickens when they are about 18 weeks old.

Place them on the roost bars at night. When morning comes, other flock members will think they have been living together. This way, they will easily integrate.

Temperament and hardiness

One of the best qualities of the Cinnamon queen’s chickens is their demeanor. These birds have some of the best personalities in chicken. They are very calm and docile and love human attention just like Silkie chickens do.

Don’t be surprised if you see them follow you around. They are probably looking for someone to cuddle them and offer the feeling of affection.

They easily get along well with children and are the kind you would consider to have as pets. This is not only for their calm nature but also for the beautiful cinnamon color.

Cinnamon queens are very hardy like Yokohama chickens and are not affected by winter. These birds will continue to lay all year round. Those familiar with these chickens say that they are very tolerant to diseases probably due to their hybrid nature.

Egg laying and meat production

The Cinnamon queens are very popular for their egg laying pattern. Unlike other breeds, these cuties will lay eggs at an early age like the production blue chickens.

They are able to lay a bunch of 250 and 300 large brown eggs annually. Their eggs are of good quality and with a good texture.

They reach maturity and attain market weight early making them ideal for meat too. This chicken breed is kept as a dual purpose chicken breed. Cinnamon queens can offer much meat and many eggs.

Just like the Hampshire red chickens, the queens will lay and hatch their eggs well. These birds have good mothering ability and will take good care of their chicks.

Cinnamon queen roosters reach weights of 8 to 9lbs while hens weigh between 6 to 7lbs. For the teenage birds cockerels weighs 8lbs while pullets weigh 6lbs. Their body weight clearly tells you they can be good meat birds too.

Lifespan

These hybrid chickens are likely not going to live for long. This is so because they are egg machines and their bodies will be exhausted by the time these birds are 2-3 years old.

However, Cinnamon queens roosters may be previledged to live for longer. The calm demeanor with these chickens makes them good pets and this may make them live for long.

This does not mean that the Cinnamon queens hens cannot live for more than 3 years. These birds are sometimes rescued and raised as pets by chicken hobbyists.

Chickens raised on confinement will live for long than those allowed to free range. When ranging, they have a lot of challenges like predators, elements and hunger which shorten their lives.

Although most chickens will live for 5-8b years, there are stories of a Silkie rooster that lived for 20 years as a pet. Diet, health, shelter and lack of stress are some of the factors that determine the lifespan of a chicken.

Health Issues

The Queens chickens are strong, sturdy and robust birds. These feathered friends are hardy doing well on both cold and hot climatic regions.

However, during winter, these chickens will suffer from frostbitten combs and wattles. Use a sweeter heater to warm their coop and have a heated waterer to keep your chicken water from freezing.

Chicken lice and scaly mites will not spare their fluffy bodies. These parasites will damage the skin and suck blood causing ill health and even death when not controlled on time.

Using small amounts of diatomaceous earth powder in their dust bath will help a lot. Diatomaceous earth works by removing body moisture and oils from the parasites thus, killing them.

Another health threat are gape and thread worms in chickens. These chicken worms live, feed and multiply inside the chickens bodies. To control them, seek advice from a bird vet on the right wormer to administer.

Final thoughts on Cinnamon queens chickens

The American Poultry Association does not yet recognize this breed. But hopefully they will be recognized in the near future. There are some poultry competitions that you will find these birds but if you don’t, remember that this breed is still new among many.

When putting roost bars for them, know that they perch at heights of 2 to 4 feet as they are not known to be flightily. In 10 females, a single cock is good to serve them.