Lamona Chicken: The Rare American Breed

The Lamona chicken is a fast growing breed of chicken originating in the United States. The standard size version is considered very rare and possibly extinct, but a bantam variety is recently available.

The standard of this breed has been used as foundation stock creating other dual purpose chicken breeds. Crossing White Plymouth Rocks, Silver-Gray Dorkings and White Leghorns produced the standard of this breed in 1912.

The Facts:

Class: Bantam (Standard Rare to extinct)

Size: Standard Male: 8 Ibs. / Standard Female: 6.5 Ibs. / Bantam Male: oz. / Bantam Female: oz.

Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: Red, small and low single comb

Color: White with yellow skin

Place of Origin: United States

Conservation Status: Standard Rare/Extinct; reports from American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and anecdotal sources as recently as 2005, possibly 1 or 2 breeding flocks remain active. Currently these breeders do not sell this breed. Bantams of this breed are also rare.

This unique chicken breed produces a white egg, while most red lobed breeds produce a brown egg. They were popular in the chicken industry early in the 19th century as a dual purpose breed, with hens retaining meat quality after 2 – 3 years of laying production. With the rise in popularity of Cornish-Rock hybrid for meat and the White Leghorn for egg production, it slipped from its brief popularity and has nearly vanished.

This breed is a heavy bodied breed resembling the White Leghorn, but with a stoutness ensuring excellent meat quality. Valiant efforts since the 1980’s have been taken to restore this breed to its original glory.

The breed was first admitted into the APA in 1933 for standard and 1960 for the bantam.