Scots Dumpy

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The Scots Dumpy is a breed of chicken from Scotland. The moniker dumpy, meaning short and stout, refers the breed's thick-set appearance and extremely short legs. The shortness of its legs is its most striking characteristic, and imparts a waddling gait to the chicken. Most adult birds are less 5 centimeters (2 inches) off the ground. Colloquially, the trait is said to have been advantageous in keeping fowl from wandering off the small Scottish crofts. In breeding the bird, the shortness is problematic to maintain, being linked to a fatal gene. Short-legged birds have been written about in the U.K. for hundreds of years, and the Scots Dumpy in particular has existed in its native country since the 1700s. It was first shown in London in 1852. It has been one of the rarest British breeds since the late 1800s.

Their is no set color for the Scots Dumpy, but Black, Brown, Gold, Silver and White exist, and Cuckoo is the most common pattern. They are reasonably docile, but males may be aggressive. Hens are good layers of light tinted eggs, and are said to make a good meat bird.