As a very distinctive breed of chicken, it apparently created a bit of a craze among poultry lovers in the English-speaking world, effectively launching poultry fancy as we know it today. Not only was this breed one of the largest seen, with cocks weighing up to 5 kg (11 lb), but also its soft and very plentiful plumage, similar to the Japanese Silkie, makes the bird conspicuous by exaggerating its already large size.