Many of the animals at Sir Winslow’s Zoo were exotic, unfamiliar and extraordinary. However, some of them were a necessary means of running an estate in rural England. Chickens were part of this latter group of animals, but as cute as any of them.
White fuzzy chickens were on bug control in the gardens of Windy Willows, Sir Winslow’s Estate. But with the arrival of warmer weather, they also carefully kept track of all the baby chickens that they hatched. Sir Winslow kept a nice flock of Frizzle chickens, both for eggs just to watch them strut around the yard. The chicks would totter after mama hen, barely keeping up. It was an adorable procession to watch.
Frizzle chickens have a very unique look to them. The feathers appear to be curled, giving the breed a fuzzy look. This is because the feathers stick out from the body rather than laying flat as in other breeds. Sir Winslow had seen them at a livestock show and knew they had to be the chicken that was raised at Windy Willows.
These beautiful birds are known to be quite docile, which made them excellent to have with all of the children running around. Frizzles are really good at making friends and with all the new zoo animals, the flock would make sure each one felt at home upon arrival.
The day the lions arrived at the zoo was perhaps the best! Sir Winslow had given the lions a stern talking to, saying their food would be provided for them and they could just laze about in the sun, enjoying a good life, maybe roar every now and then for fun. Well, the flock of Frizzles had decided they would pay a call at the lion's enclosure to welcome them. The biggest and fiercest looking lion at that moment decided to practice his roars! RoAR, ROaR! You should have seen those chickens, flapping their wings, feathers flying scurrying as fast as they could!
Well, needless to say, once the lions apologized and said it was just for show, the flock came over to visit them on a regular basis.
To see the Frizzle chicken I have created based on the sketches in Sir Winslow’s journals and family pictures please visit: The Chickens