What are Frizzle, Sizzle and Frazzle chickens

What are Sizzles, Frizzles, and Frazzles? With FAQ.

If Frizzles, Sizzles and Frazzles all look pretty similar to you, then you're not alone, but what makes each one different from the other. I still struggle to tell them apart and unless you know for definite what each ones parentage is, it can be difficult to identify them.

Below:  A Frizzle is a breed on it's own as well as a feather type.

Over the years I have run into quite a few people who think the Frizzle is feather type and not a breed on it's its own with it's own standards of perfection. There is much speculation about where they originate from and the truth is no one knows exactly where they all came from.

Below: Frizzles are an old breed, this is from a poultry book that was published in the 1910's.

Frizzles, Sizzles and Frazzles share have only one common thing between them and that is the curly feathered gene or frizzle gene.

What is the difference between a Frizzle, a Frazzle and a Sizzle chicken?

All three types of these chickens have either one or two copies of the gene which causes curled feathers.

A Frizzle is a chicken of any breed with the curled feather gene and is often found in bantams and true bantams. Historically the frizzle was a bantam Cochin or Pekin with the curled feather gene bred in. Frizzles have 4 toes.

Frazzle: A chicken of any breed with a double dose of curly feather genes which causes the feathers to be hard, sparse & overly curled. Frizzle is a term used to describe a chicken that possesses the gene that causes their feathers to curl.

Sizzle: Is a breed that is in the process of being established. It has full Silkie characteristics except that it's feathers are hard and curly, not Silkied and fluffy. Sizzles have a crest like Silkies and 5 toes.

How can you tell the difference between Frizzle, Frazzle and Sizzle chickens?

A Sizzle will look exactly like a Silkie but with normal feathers like you would find on any chickens.

A frizzle will look like a Pekin with curly feathers and a Frazzle will look very similar but with two copies of the curly feather gene the effect is markedly more and the feathers are very brittle.

Do Frizzle, Sizzle and Frazzle chickens need extra or special care?

They do need a little extra care. It can be a difficult time during rearing when the feathers come through and again when the birds moult. The structure of the feather is different and this can cause bleeding and pain as they emerge.

Because of the structure of their feathers, Frizzles cannot trap heat against their body, so they do not thrive in cold climates. They also cannot fly at all, and may have trouble reaching high roosts.

Below: A young Frizzled chick starting to feather up.

Having two copies of the frizzle gene causes structural problems with the feather, they become brittle and break which in bad cases can leave a half naked chicken. The breeding is complicated, because frizzles with two copies of the genes are called "frazzles."

Having two copies of the frizzling gene can produce problems like an enlarged heart, in addition to poor feather quality produced by doubling those genes.

Frazzle, sometimes called curly, is when the bird has two copies of the frizzle gene, which over curls the feathers over completely looking more like a perm!

What is a sizzle chicken?

A Sizzle is sometimes called a Satin Silkie, it is essentially a smooth Silkies without Silkie feathering; a frizzled Silkie would have Silkie feathering.

A frizzled Silkie is not a sizzle! A frizzled Silkie has feathers that are both silkied AND frizzled. A sizzle has all Silkie features EXCEPT silkie feathering.

How do you breed sizzle chickens?

Sizzle are a naturalised hard feathered Silkie that breeds true. They have all the normal characteristics of a Silkies but with normal chicken feathers.

Silkie feathering is dominant so it does take some time and at least three generations to remove it completely and you will need good record keeping and leg ringed or marked birds to keep track of which chicks are from which mating.

Are Sizzles Silkies?

Sizzles started life as Silkies but have a normal or smooth feathers. So they have got the toes, the dark skin, the feather feet and the crest and muff, but normal soft straight feathering.

The goal with Sizzles is to have frizzled, non-Silkie feathers. So the attempt is to remove the Silkie gene from their gene pool.

Frizzle is a feather type & can be found in most breeds, including Silkies. SIZZLE is a developing breed.

Frizzle chickens:

A frizzle chicken looks a bit like it's been riding around with the top down on a really windy day.

Below: Frizzle feathers can be stunning in some patterns.

Non-frizzle feathered birds are useful in breeding frizzled birds as two copies of the gene is usually considered to be a not-good thing.

What are the genetics of the Frizzle feathers?

Genetic code for sizzle feathering is F/f+ H+/H+ although it could be F/f+ H+/h in this case, some of the bird's offspring could be silkied.

Genetic code for a frizzled Silkie is F/f+ h/h all offspring will receive a copy of the gene for Silkie feathering. If a bird inherits two copies of the gene for Silkie feathering, it will be silkied and have fluffy feathers.

You might have frizzled Serama (as above), frizzled Polish, frizzled Cochins, and more. Even though they're all different breeds, they can collectively be called frizzles.

Silkie feather genes are not problematic, it doesn't matter if you have one or two as either or both are express as silkied feathers so Silkies can breed true.

Below: A frizzle feathered Silkie.