Friesians are an old Dutch breed that is said to originate from the Friesian Islands. The area has been fairly isolated, so the Friesian breed is said to be unchanged for many years. The standard colors are gold pencilled, silver pencilled, chamois pencilled, white, black and cuckoo. They have white earlobes and mostly have single red combs, although there are some rose combed varieties.

This breed is a good layer and produces around 230 white eggs per year. The hens do not go broody. The small size of this breed means that they are economical to keep, although they are quick to grow so they benefit from quality feed. They are good fliers, so enclosures or fencing must be adequate to contain them. They have good temperaments and can become tame, although they do tend to be wary. The mature males weigh around 2.4 kg and the females 2 kg.