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Chicken Naming Contest

Welcome to Duke Gardens’ chicken-naming contest for Duke students and staff members! We would love to hear what you think we should name the following trio of female chickens. If you’d like to get an even better feel for their special personalities, we urge you to visit them at the coop in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.

You may also want to vote in our public contest.

CONTEST UPDATE: Thanks to everyone's great suggestions and enthusiastic voting, our chickens now have names! Please see our blog for the announcement.

The descriptions below are by horticulturist and chicken caretaker Lindsey Fleetwood, with photos by Sarah Jean Leach Smith.

Thanks for playing!

These extra-large birds are characterized by their glistening, rich golden plumage. Adult hens become so feathered that they appear to be wearing bloomers! Hens will reach a mature size of 8 pounds and will lay large brown eggs. This breed was first introduced from England in the 1800s and became one of the most popular farm fowls in America. Their friendly and curious personalities make them a great backyard bird.
These extra-large birds are characterized by their enormous stature and striking deep black glistening plumage. This breed originated in New Jersey’s Burlington County in the 1880s. Hens will reach a mature size at a whopping 10 pounds and will lay large brown eggs. A docile and easygoing personality makes this a great bird to have in a back yard.
The Dutch word “lakenvelder” means “shadow on a sheet,” which is apparent when you see these birds. They’re characterized by a white body with a dark black head, neck and tail. Hens will reach a mature size of 4 pounds and will lay medium-sized white eggs. They were bred extensively in Germany and Holland in the 1800s, but they are recognized as a threatened breed now. These birds are very quick and active and are great foragers.