U.S. #5584
2021 55¢ Heritage Breeds – Wyandotte Chicken
Issue Date: May 17, 2021
First Day City: Mount Vernon, VA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Flexographic
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 25,000,000
The Wyandotte is a heritage breed of chicken originating in the northeastern United States. Wyandotte chickens have been raised by our ancestors since the late 1800s.
The Wyandotte chicken was the very first American breed developed for both egg laying and meat. The creation of this breed has been credited to four men – Fred Houdlette, John Ray, L. Whittaker, and H.M. Doubleday. They originally named their new type of chicken the American Sebright, but changed it when submitting it to the American Poultry Association. Instead, the breed was named Wyandotte after the Native American nation who helped the first white settlers of the area.
Today, there are several color varieties of Wyandotte chickens, with the very first being "silver laced." This color was bred in upstate New York in the 1860s. All colors have a bright red comb on their heads and short, sturdy yellow legs. Typically, Wyandotte chickesn are large birds, with roosters weighing eight to nine pounds and hens weighing six to seven.
The Wyandotte chicken nearly disappeared from America after falling out of favor with farmers. Without the efforts of breeders and other enthusiasts, the Wyandotte chicken wouldn't have made the amazing comeback it has today.