The Sultans are a very rare and interesting breed. The only color recognized by the Standard is white. Sultans are a native of Turkey and are called SERAI-TAVUK ("fowls of the sultan") in their native land. This breed was kept by the Turkish royalty for many centuries as beautiful garden decorations because of their graceful appearance. Sultans are the only breed to have all the extras; they have a crest, beard, muffs, well feathered legs and vulture hocks. They do well in confinement and are calm and friendly and make good pets. They don't do very well as a free range bird though and don't stand the cold weather very well so special heating needs to be used for them in the colder weather. The hens are poor layers and lay only about 70 eggs a year. The hens lay small white eggs, just a little smaller in comparison to that of a Polish egg. The Sultans were admitted to the Standard in 1874.