Wyandotte chickens are a popular breed in America and you will see a lot of Wyandottes in almost every chicken farm of the country. The Golden laced Wyandotte is one of the most liked color varieties of this breed.
It is a brilliant chicken to keep in your backyard. Gold Wyandottes are beginner friendly and can survive in harsh weather as well. So, in this article, we are gonna look at the history, temperament, appearance, egg production, and care guide of these beautiful chickens.
Origin and History
Wyandottes are an ancient breed and they also have a very interesting history. These chickens were created back in the 1870s and the idea behind their creation was to get a dual-purpose chicken breed for the USA.
Fred Houdlette, John Ray. L. Whittaker, and H.M. Doubleday are supposed to be the four breeders who made experiments to develop These chickens. It is known that the wyandottes came into being as a result of a cross between the Spangled Hamburgs with the Brahma chickens.
First of all Silver laced wyandotte was created while the Golden laced was the second color variety of the wyandottes. Many more color variations of this breed were also created later.
This breed became popular in the USA in a very short period of time due to their dual purpose nature. Their demand increased with the time in many European countries and even today their popularity hasn’t decreased.
| Name | Golden Laced Wyandotte Chicken |
| Breed | Wyandotte Chicken |
| Origin | USA |
| Beginner Friendly | Yes |
| Primary Uses | Dual-purpose Breed |
| Egg color | Light brown |
| Egg Production | 200-250 eggs per year |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Lifespan | 5 – 8 years |
| Temperament | Friendly |
| Weight | Hen 5-6 pounds – Rooster 8 pounds |
| Cold Tolerant | Yes |
| Heat Tolerant | No |
| Noise Level | Moderate |
Appearance
Gold Laced Wyandottes are one of the most beautiful colorations of the Wyandotte breed. They have a large body which forms a U shape from their broad back to the tail.
Their feathers have golden color with black lacing around the corner and throughout the body. The hens have a short neck that makes them look longer.
These chickens have a red-colored rose type comb which is perfect for cold weather. The earlobes and wattles are also red. Their eyes are bright and red while the beak is yellowish in color.
Gold Wyandottes have four toes on each foot and the legs are clean and pale yellow in color just like their skin. In addition to beauty, their dense feathers also protects them from cold climates.
Weight
Gold laced Wyandotte are medium-sized chickens. Due to their unique curvy-round plump shape, they look bigger and heavier than their actual weight. However, they are a bit smaller than the golden-laced Wyandottes.
- Golden laced Roosters can weigh between 8 -8.5 pounds
- Golden laced Hens weigh between 5 – 6 pounds.
Color Varieties
Gold laced Wyandotte is a color variation of the Wyandotte chickens. However, Wyandottes also have more than 30 varieties and almost 18 of them are APA recognized. Here are some famous variations,
- Silver Laced Wyandotte
- Blue Laced Gold Wyandotte
- Black Wyandotte
- Buff laced Wyandottes
- White Wyandotte
- Partridge Wyandotte
- Silver Penciled Wyandottes
- Columbian Wyandotte
- Blue laced Red Wyandottes
- Splash Laced Red Wyandottes
The Personality of Golden Laced Wyandotte Chicken
Temperament & Behavior
Golden laced Wyandotte have a very calm and polite temperament. These are sociable chickens but they don’t like much cuddling. They like to stay around humans but are not lap chickens.
They are friendly chickens that can be ideal for both beginner and experienced chicken keepers. Gold laced Wyandottes can also mix well with other chicken breeds of a flock.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of these chickens is supposed to be between 5 to 8 years. However, it depends on factors like their feed, living environment, diet, and veterinary care.
Noise Level
Almost all varieties of Wyandottes are calm and don’t make loud noises. The roosters can be a bit louder sometimes during forging but overall, they have a moderate noise level. So, you can keep them in urban areas without worrying about noise problems.
Hardiness
Golden laced wyandottes are known for their hardiness. They are a strong cold-hardy breed. These chickens have rose type combs that protect them from extreme cold weather conditions. Their dense feathers also helps them to survive in such cold climates.
Golden Laced Wyandotte Chicken Egg and Meat Production
As a dual-purpose breed Wyandottes are popular for both their egg and meat production. They became famous among the people of America due to their dual-purpose nature.
Egg Production
The golden laced wyandotte hen is a very good egg layer. She can lay 4 to 5 eggs per week that makes about 200 to 250 eggs per year. Their eggs are normally cream colored or light brown.
Age of laying eggs
The hens of this breed normally start laying eggs at the age of about 18-20 weeks. They become good mothers but the fact is that they occasionally gets broody.
- Egg Color: Brown or Cream color
- Egg size: Large
- Eggs per week: 4-5
- Eggs per year: 200-250
- Age of starting laying eggs: 6 months
Meat Production
Golden Wyandottes are a large size breed so they can be used for meat purposes. They can grow up too 8 pounds which makes them suitable for meat production. A lot of people even keep and grow them just for their meat.
How to Raise Golden Laced Wyandotte Chicken?
Care & Protection
Like any chicken breed, gold laced wyandottes also need some care and protection for fast growth. They are naturally a strong breed and don’t get sick easily. However, a health check is still mandatory to keep your chickens healthy. They are cold tolerant but if you are living in a hot climate area then keep them in shady areas and try to change their water after every 4 to 5 hours.
Golden Laced Wyandotte Chicks Care
If you have golden laced wyandotte chicks then give them a safe environment and do proper vaccination to speed up their growth. Chicks are more likely to get sick and prey easily, so keep them under extra protection.
Housing or Coop Setup
Every chicken requires a good shelter to stay healthy and lay their eggs comfortably. Gold Laced Wyandotte also needs a clean and airy coop for fast growth and production of healthy eggs.
A 4 to 6-square-foot coop is perfect for these amazing chickens but you can expand the size of the coop depending on the land and chickens available to you. Put nesting boxes for hens in the coop to lay their eggs. One nesting box is enough for at least 3 chickens.
Conclusion
Golden Laced Wyandotte is an ideal chicken breed for any kind of breeder or chicken lover. They are good-looking, cold-hardy, and dual-purpose in nature. Hence, their presence can increase the charm of your flock.
The best thing about these chickens is that they can also easily mix with the other breeds so, if you are keeping a flock of different breeds than Gold laced Wyandottes can be best suited for you.