After the first episode of Downton Abbey, I was hooked. The characters on this BBC drama are well developed, perfectly acted, and a pleasure to watch. I wasn’t an early viewer of this popular series but after a gazillion people asked me if I was watching it, I figured I should check it out. I finally did and quickly became obsessed.
I never thought the chickens — or the girls as we have begun to refer to them — would have such varied temperaments, much like the characters of Downton. So naming them after my favorite ladies of Downton Abbey seemed like the perfect idea. I’ve long thought Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, bobbles her head around like a hen trying to pluck a cricket from a thicket of green grass. And there’s Lady Mary who seems to find pleasure in picking — or pecking — on just about everyone who crosses her path. Or the kitchen assistant, Daisy, who is so sweet she wouldn’t hurt a fly.
I love seeing these human qualities in my girls and I’m happy to introduce them to you! If you’re unfamiliar with the Downton Abbey, be sure to check it out — it might just be your cup of {English} tea!
Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (born January 15, 2015)
The mother of Robert, Earl of Grantham, Violet is proud, loyal to her son and immensely insufferable to her American daughter-in-law Cora, whom she regards as an interloper, a living compromise the family has had to make. At the dinner table, in the drawing room, and especially behind the scenes, Violet continues to influence Downton Abbey with her imperious standards, her rapier wit, and her embodiment — and often meddling application — of the concept of noblesse oblige. A product of the Victorian age, she is nevertheless sharply aware of the world changing around her, and when she cannot shape it to serve her family, she will surprise everyone by adapting, all in the service of Downton Abbey.
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Wyandottes are an heirloom breed of American chicken developed around 1870. Heavy and soft feathered, the most distinct feature of this breed is by far the pattern of highly attractive feather markings. Wyandotte chickens are one of the more popular and dependable dual purpose breeds with a good many desirable traits for any small farm owner. They are excellent layers and will usually produce up to 200 eggs per year. With a calm natured disposition, this robust and cold hardy breed is relatively easy to care for and will thrive in free range situations, but also adapt well to confined environments.
Cora, Countess of Grantham (born February 9, 2015)
Cora is the beautiful daughter of Isidore Levinson, a dry goods multi millionaire from Cincinnati. She arrived in England with her mother in 1888 at the age of 20, and was engaged to Robert by the end of her first season. As the Countess of Grantham, Cora has seen Downton Abbey through a financial crisis, an inheritance crisis, and the Great War, when she rallied to help Downton Abbey transform into a haven for hundreds of wounded officers. Resilient, supportive, strong, and steadfast, Cora is innately more adaptable than her husband.
White Americana (Easter Egger)
This class of chickens is not a breed but a variety of chicken that doesn’t conform to any breed standard. They possess the “blue egg” gene and are exceptionally hardy. They are often confused with Araucanas and Ameraucanas. Layers of eggs from cream to turquoise, they get their name from the Indian tribe in Chile where they were first discovered.
Lady Mary (born January 15, 2015)
Clever, good looking, and cold, Mary must come to grips with the notion that the life she imagined for herself may not come to her as easily as she once suspected. Yet, as the oldest daughter, Mary continues to work to secure a suitable husband.
Silver-Penciled Plymouth Rock
A rare specimen, the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock is a member of the Rock family and a strikingly beautiful bird. In addition to being a real show-stopper, the Silver Penciled Rocks are good layers, producing an average of 200 cream-colored eggs per year. They are heavy, hardy, and tolerate a variety of climates. These birds are friendly and will make excellent pets, but are not known to go broody.
Mrs. Patmore (born February 9, 2015)
Mrs. Patmore is in charge of the kitchen and kitchen staff. She does not accept that Mr. Carson has jurisdiction over her, nor, most of all, Mrs. Hughes, and religiously defends her rights and privileges, against all comers.
Rhodebar
Rhodebars were produced in 1947 when a British geneticists crossed Rhode Island reds with golden brussbars (a rare British breed) to create an auto-sexing chicken with striking red barring and the ability to lay hundreds of large eggs. This breed is cold hardy, handles confinement well or adapts great to free-ranging and is not known to go broody.
Daisy (born February 23, 2015)
Daisy is at the bottom of the heap. Daisy’s mother was a true Victorian and Daisy is one of eleven children. Daisy is constantly in the firing line with Mrs. Patmore.
Cream Crested Legbar
A century old recent import from Great Britain, this breed is a prolific layer of pastel blue to light green eggs. They are hardy, rarely go broody, and diligent foragers.
Mrs. Hughes (born December 22, 2014)
Responsible for the house and its appearance, Mrs. Hughes is also in charge of the female servants. There are three people in Downton who all believe they are head of it — Mr. Carson, Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes. Mrs. Hughes is probably right. She is unsentimental but moral and decent.
Blue Isbar
Developed in Sweden by a Catholic monk in the 1950’s, this rare breed layer of beautiful green eggs is cold hardy, curious, and excellent foragers. Pronounced “ice bar.”
Anna (born February 9, 2015)
The highest ranking of the lower female servants, Anna feels she may have missed her chance at marriage. She is clever and resourceful, a thoroughly sympathetic character.
Golden Americana (Easter Egger)
This class of chickens is not a breed but a variety of chicken that doesn’t conform to any breed standard. They possess the “blue egg” gene and are exceptionally hardy. They are often confused with Araucanas and Ameraucanas. Layers of eggs from cream to turquoise, they get their name from the Indian tribe in Chile where they were first discovered.
Lady Rose (born February 9, 2015)
While Rose is as beautiful as her namesake, this flower smells like teen spirit. Violet’s niece and goddaughter is rebellious and secretive, but there may be more behind her troublesome behavior than typical adolescence. Whatever the cause, the young lady proves to be more than a handful for several generations of Crawleys!
Blue Americana (Easter Egger)
This class of chickens is not a breed but a variety of chicken that doesn’t conform to any breed standard. They possess the “blue egg” gene and are exceptionally hardy. They are often confused with Araucanas and Ameraucanas. Layers of eggs from cream to turquoise, they get their name from the Indian tribe in Chile where they were first discovered.
Martha Levinson (born December 22, 2014)
Cora’s mother, the notoriously American Martha Levinson, sweeps into Downton Abbey with her unapologetic endorsement of the future. Unflappably forward thinking (even her maid is modern!), Martha freely offers her perspective — whether solicited or not. A welcomed breath of fresh air to some, but to others, she is a presence that must be tolerated. To Violet, her diametrical opposite, she is a philosophical opponent — until she and her money — could once again prove useful to Downton Abbey.
Bielefelder
What would happen if you took the extraordinary sophistication of German engineering and applied it to the challenge of creating the über-chicken? You might create something like the Bielefelder. This breed was developed in Bielefeld, Germany in the early 1970s by a poultry breeder named Gerd Roth, and the breed is highly valued in its native country. Herr Roth used a number of breeds in developing the Bielefelder including the cuckoo Malines , Amrock, Wyandotte, and the New Hampshire. In 2011, this breed was introduced to the United States.
Isobel (coming soon!)
Isobel is Matthew’s widowed mother. She is the daughter of a doctor (her husband studied under her father) and she comes from the professional middle class. She embodies an entirely different set of values than those of the current Downton Abbey inhabitants, being far better educated than either Violet or Cora. Before long, she is in near constant confrontations with Violet.
Black Copper Marans
Marans (the name is always spelled with the ‘s’ whether talking about a single or many birds) are dual-purpose chickens from France. Marans is a port town in France and the breed originated from a now untraceable mix of chickens that were left in the town by seafarers in the 1800s. The birds were originally bred as fighting cocks, but some random combination of matings produced a bird that became popular for the barnyard. By the early 1920s the breed had been clearly established. From France the breed migrated to England and then in the past few decades to America. Marans lay an egg that has a shell the color of dark chocolate.
Click here for Chicken Cam!
Downton Abbey photos and character information via PBS.
