Sicilian Buttercup chickens: Beautiful, smart, and wacky
Are you looking for a hen that’s unusual in appearance, entertaining, and, at the same time, stunningly gorgeous?
You might find your match with the Sicilian Buttercup chicken.
These chickens are an ornamental breed (that also provides eggs) with a totally unique comb, shaped like a cup or flower. The hens have beautiful gold and black plumage, unusual willow green legs, and delicate forms.
These chickens can be flighty, but may also be incredibly sweet. They are talkative, active, and goofy.
Does the Sicilian Buttercup intrigue you? Find out if she’s right for you—this article will answer all your questions on this fascinating and charismatic bird. You’ll learn:
Everything you ever wanted to know about Sicilian Buttercup egg laying
Sicilian Buttercup broodiness—do they want to sit on eggs or not?
Climate considerations for Sicilian Buttercup chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Sicilian Buttercup temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
Other breeds you may want instead of Sicilian Buttercup chickens
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Have Sicilian Buttercup chickens?
Sicilian Buttercup Chicken Facts
Category: Pet & eggs
Origin: Italy
Egg-laying ability: Moderate-Good
Broodiness: Low
Cold tolerance: Poor-Moderate
Heat tolerance: Exceptional
Predator evasion: Good
Foraging ability: Good
Toleration for confinement: Low
Temperament: Flighty, active
Aggression toward flock members: Low
Noise level: Moderate-high
Origin of Sicilian Buttercup Chickens
The Sicilian Buttercup chicken was named for three things:
The chicken’s Sicilian heritage
The hen’s distinctive golden plumage (a buttery gold)
The chicken’s conspicuous cup-shaped comb, totally unique in the chicken world
The breed is also sometimes referred to as the Sicilian Flowerbird because the comb, to some, resembles flower petals.
The origin of Sicilian Buttercup chickens is uncertain, but the breed does have deep roots. Some scholars think the breed was around as early as Biblical times. Some believe the chickens were developed from a North African breed that was brought into Sicily by Arabs and then crossed with Leghorns.
But historians do agree that Sicilian Buttercup chickens have been bred in Sicily for centuries, and the first chickens were exported from Sicily to the United States in 1835.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens lost popularity during the 20th century. Their egg-laying capabilities weren’t up to par with many other chicken breeds. The breed’s numbers dwindled so much The Livestock Conservancy assigned the bird a status of “Critical.”
But in recent years, backyard chicken keepers and show bird enthusiasts have revived the breed’s popularity. The Livestock Conservancy has upgraded the breed’s status to “Watch.”
Unfortunately, the bantam (i.e., miniature) variety of the Sicilian Buttercup is exceedingly rare.
What do Sicilian Buttercup chickens look like?
The Sicilian Buttercup comes in only one official variety (i.e., recognized by the American Poultry Assocation), and as far as I can tell, this variety is the only one available in the U.S.
But Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis write in their book, Choosing & Raising Chickens: The Complete Guide to Breeds and Welfare, “There is a silver-spangled variety, but this is seldom seen.”
Hobson and Lewis also note that “colors such as brown, white, and gold-duckwing, reported when the breed was first imported from Sicily, are nowadays unknown.” What a disappointment. You just couldn’t go wrong with more Buttercup beauties!
What feather colors and patterns do Sicilian Buttercup chickens have?
Sicilian Buttercup hens have very different feather colors and patterns than roosters. These differences are summarized in the chart below.
| Sicilian Buttercups | Head and neck | Body | Tail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hen | Gold | Golden buff with parallel black spangling | Black with green shimmering |
| Rooster | Orange | Reddish-orange with black spangles on cape; slaty blue-light gray under color | Black with green shimmering; reddish-orange highlights |
The video below shows Sicilian Buttercup show birds at an exhibition. The video starts by showing a rooster, and then turns to show a hen at 1:20.
What else is notable about the Sicilian Buttercup’s appearance?
The buttercup comb is one of the most unusual and charming parts of the Sicilian Buttercup’s appearance.
The comb likely originated as two single combs with evenly spaced, medium-sized serrations that eventually merged into the cup-shaped comb we see today. Ideally, the buttercup comb creates a full cup—where single combs would have merged at both the front and back. However, you will see many chickens with combs that aren’t quite conjoined.
The comb also will ideally stand upright, but you’ll find some hens have combs with a little flop to them.
Watch the video below of a dust bathing Sicilian Buttercup hen to see a great view of the hen’s comb:
Sicilian Buttercup chickens also have small to medium-sized wattles. In the U.S., their earlobes are white, but in the UK, they’ve been bred to be red.
The Sicilian Buttercups also have unusually colored willow green shanks and feet with yellow on the bottoms of their feet. The hens also have a tendency to grow spurs on the backs of their legs as do other Mediterranean breeds.
How big do Sicilian Buttercup chickens get?
Roosters: 6.5 lbs
Hens: 5 lbs
Bantam roosters: 26 oz
Bantam hens: 22 oz
What do Sicilian Buttercup chicks look like?
Sicilian Buttercup chicks are so cute. They are patchy tan, light brown, and reddish shades with dark brown markings on their heads. They have dark brown outlines around their eyes. Check them out below:
Sicilian Buttercup Chicken Growth
Sicilian Buttercup chicks mature early, but some of their unique features take longer to develop. Their comb can take awhile to become fully developed. And their legs, which began as yellow, don’t develop the willow green color until 4 to 6 months of age.
Below is a video of Sicilian Buttercup rooster, Charlie, attempting his first crows at 9 weeks old:
Are you getting Sicilian Buttercup chicks?
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Sicilian Buttercup Chickens and Egg Laying
Egg color: White
Egg size: Small-medium
Age of lay: 5-8 months
Eggs/week: 2-4
Eggs/year: Up to 180
Sicilian Buttercups are moderate to good layers. They tend to start laying at 5-8 months of age, but some may not lay until 10 months.
Broodiness: Do Sicilian Buttercup hens want to sit on and hatch their eggs?
Sicilian Buttercup hens rarely go broody. As they were originally developed for egg laying, and not for the ornamental reasons they’re bred for now, the broodiness traits have been mostly eliminated. This is true of all Mediterranean breeds found in the United States, except for the Penedesenca.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens and hardiness: Delicate in appearance, but tough as nails
Like most Mediterranean breeds, Sicilian Buttercups are hardy birds. One chicken-keeper said of her hen, who chose to roost outside, that she “sleeps in the trees through rain, snow, hail and 20-degree nights.”
While that anecdote truly attests to the breed’s hardiness, your Sicilian Buttercups should never be kept in weather that cold, as you’ll learn below.
How do Sicilian Buttercup chickens do in the heat?
Like all Mediterranean breeds, Sicilian Buttercup chickens were bred for the heat. These chickens do very well in hot climates.
How do Sicilian Buttercup chickens do in the cold?
Sicilian Buttercup chickens, because they are so darn hardy, will usually survive very cold temperatures.
However, their combs are prone to frostbite, and, therefore, your chickens should not be kept in the cold. Frostbite is an incredibly painful condition for any animal, including chickens. Chickens, as prey animals, tend to be stoic, but they do feel the pain just as deeply.
If you live in a cold climate and you feel like you must have Sicilian Buttercups, at least consider hanging Sweeter Heaters over your roosting bars. These radiant heaters are designed to keep chickens’ combs warm in cold winters, particularly during the night.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here. I hang Sweeter Heaters in all my coops, and I can’t recommend them enough.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens vs. predators
Sicilian Buttercups tend to fare better in predator-rich areas than many other chicken breeds. They are alert, blend into a lot of environments well, and they are talkative. If one senses danger, the others will hear about it.
They also are good fliers, which helps greatly with predator evasion.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens: Natural foragers
Sicilian Buttercup chickens are great at foraging. They will forage for a good chunk of their food if they are allowed to free range.
They also love to scratch and dig, more so than your average chicken. They are excellent workers for the compost pile.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens: Can they handle confinement?
Sicilian Buttercup chickens do not do well in confinement. These birds need space to thrive, so make sure you are able to free range them or you have a large backyard.
Check out the video of a free-ranging Sicilian Buttercup rooster with hens, very happy birds:
Sicilian Buttercup chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
Sicilian Buttercup chickens are active, alert, and often flighty. They are very busy chickens, and prefer to spend their time exploring.
Some strains of Sicilian Buttercups are almost wild. They are reactive and avoid humans. Other strains, however, are friendly, docile, and sweet. One chicken keeper said of her Buttercups, “Buttercups are, hands down, one of my ultimate favorite breeds for their sweet and busy little personalities.”
Some people have even successfully made their Sicilian Buttercups house chickens. Check out the video below of a photo montage of Dixie, the Sicilian Buttercup house hen:
And, of course, if you spend a lot of time handling your Sicilian Buttercups from a young age, even the wild ones tend to become calmer and friendlier with time, although some may never want to be held or even touched.
One chicken keeper said that despite the fact she and her family had been handling the chicks since they first got them, “They run from us, and if we pick them up, they scream like we were killing them.”
How are Sicilian Buttercup chickens around children?
If you get Sicilian Buttercups with very flighty temperaments, they will stay as far away from your children as possible. If you have young children, it’s best to not let them chase these chickens around. Your chickens will be incredibly stressed.
If you get Sicilian Buttercups with more docile temperaments, your children may really bond with them.
How well do Sicilian Buttercup chickens get along with other chickens?
As long as Sicilian Buttercup chickens aren’t confined, they get along very well with other chickens. They do great in mixed-breed flocks.
Roosters tend to be very attentive to the ladies’ needs. They are typically described as gentle.
Are Sicilian Buttercup roosters aggressive to people?
Although individual roosters of any breed may be aggressive, Sicilian Buttercup roosters are, overall, not aggressive.
Below is a video of Clausidius, the 6-month old Sicilian Buttercup Rooster, who wandered into his keeper’s house when she left the door open one day. He’s a very calm little guy. Many keepers have described their Buttercup roosters as gentle and sweet.
Sicilian Buttercup chickens: Are they noisy?
“They have a musical trill rather than a cackle.”
Sicilian Buttercup chickens are noisier than your average chicken breed. Chattiness is a common trait of Mediterranean breeds.
Buttercups are not, however, necessarily louder in volume than other chickens, but they do talk a lot more. Below is a video of Sicilian Buttercups roosting near a ceiling, where you can hear their soft, frequent chatter. It’s really not loud, but it’s constant.
Sicilian Buttercups are also said to vocalize with a musical trill, rather than cackle. I tried to find an example of this.
Below is a video of a Sicilian Buttercup, Speckles, laying an egg in a child’s Power Wheel truck. You can hear she makes a trilling noise. I’m not sure if this is the so-called “musical trill” they’re known for, or if this is just her version of the nesting box growl (meaning, get away!).
While it does sound like a trill, it sure doesn’t sound all that musical to me—one person’s “musical trill” is another person’s “blood-curdling scream” perhaps?
If you want to see Speckles drop her egg in the video above, fast forward to 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the video.
You’ll see that she does still do the egg song cackle later in the video. For those who are new to chickens, the egg song is a vocalization chickens make before, during, or after they lay, or when they see someone else laying, or when they see an egg, or when they even think about an egg…
Sicilian Buttercup roosters can also be noisy. This is no surprise as almost all roosters are noisy. But some keepers claim their Buttercup roosters are even noisier.
One keeper said, “Our Buttercup crows a LOT too! He crows if someone is walking outside that isn't one of his people. He crows a lot if a car is coming. He crows if one of his girls is too far away. He crows if the babies are being irritated by one of his girls. Oh, and he crows for the heck of it!”
Sicilian Buttercup chicken health problems and life expectancy
Sicilian Buttercup chickens may live to be at least 5-8 years old if they are living in excellent conditions. Many can live much longer. Overall, this is a healthy breed and has no known health problems you need to watch out for.
Breeds you may want instead of Sicilian Buttercup chickens
Another chicken breed with beautiful gold and black plumage is the Golden Campine (there is also a silver variety, the Silver Campine). These chickens have a gold and black barred pattern that is perhaps just as striking as the Buttercup’s plumage (or nearly so). Campines are better egg layers than Buttercups, laying more than 200 medium-sized eggs a year.
If you like Mediterranean breeds, but you want one that does better in the cold, consider the rose comb variety of the Ancona chicken. However, you will still need to be wary of Ancona wattles in the winter, particularly with your roosters.
Ancona chickens look very different from Sicilian Buttercup chickens, but they also have a unique look with their mottled feather pattern.
To learn more about Anconas, check out my article, Ancona Chickens: The homesteader’s best kept secret.
