Spotlight: The Rare Pavlovskaya Chicken
Sugar Feather Farm Featured in Backyard Poultry: Spotlight on the Rare Pavlovskaya Chicken
Photo of a Pavlovskaya rooster
We’re proud to announce that Sugar Feather Farm was recently featured in Backyard Poultry, one of the most respected publications in the poultry world. The article highlighted the Pavlovskaya chicken, a rare and historic Russian breed that we raise here on the farm.
Being included in this article is a huge honor and helps bring attention to why preserving heritage breeds like the Pavlovskaya is so important.
Read the full feature in Backyard Poultry
What Makes Pavlovskaya Chickens Unique
The Pavlovskaya chicken is considered one of the oldest and rarest breeds in the world, with roots in Russia dating back more than 300 years. Known for their gorgeous crests, striking feather patterns, and friendly personalities, Pavlovskayas are a living piece of history.
They are:
Cold-hardy and resilient, thriving in diverse climates.
Gentle and curious, making them wonderful additions to small farms and backyards.
Extremely rare, with only a handful of breeders worldwide working to conserve them.
At Sugar Feather Farm, we take great pride in being one of the few places in North America raising this breed responsibly and ethically.
Photo of Pavlovskaya chicks
Our farm’s mission is to preserve rare, heritage, and unique breeds while educating the public about their value. Being recognized in Backyard Poultry reinforces our role as a trusted resource for rare poultry and helps raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity in backyard flocks.
While some landrace groups of fowl—such as certain geese or ducks—may appear fairly uniform, landrace chickens as a whole are often discussed as highly variable. The Pavlovskaya, however, is an exception to that assumption. This breed is notably consistent in overall type, with its crest, beard, feathered legs, and general appearance remaining stable across generations when properly bred.
Any minor variation seen within Pavlovskaya flocks tends to be subtle rather than dramatic, reflecting natural expression rather than a lack of definition. This consistency is part of what makes the breed so recognizable and valuable from a conservation standpoint.
Pavlovskaya Hen
Because Pavlovskayas exist in relatively small breeding populations, responsible breeding still requires careful planning and sufficient genetic breadth to preserve long-term health and vigor—without compromising the established traits that define the breed.
Add Pavlovskaya to Your Flock
If you’re ready to welcome this remarkable breed, you can bring Pavlovskayas home from Sugar Feather Farm:
Pavlovskaya Hatching Eggs - give hatching a try!
Pavlovskaya Chicks – Perfect if you’d like to raise them from the start.
Pavlovskaya Starter Pullets – Great if you want to skip the brooder and add young hens or cockerels to your flock.
Every purchase supports rare breed conservation and keeps this historic chicken thriving.
Closing Thoughts
We’re grateful to Backyard Poultry for featuring us and helping share the Pavlovskaya’s story with a wider audience. At Sugar Feather Farm, every bird we raise carries history, character, and the future of poultry biodiversity.
Sugar Feather Farm owns the article, pictures, and information. They are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission from Sugar Feather Farm.
