The English class of chickens primarily originated in England and Australia.
It includes heavy dual-purpose breeds which are predominantly known for their excellent meat quality and good egg production. They have white skin (with the exception of the Cornish who has yellow skin). They have red earlobes and mostly lay brown eggs. An exception is the Dorking and Redcap who can lay white and lightly cream tinted eggs. These chickens possess general hardiness and often excel as brooding hens. They were primarily developed for meat quality, but generally serving well in dual-purpose capacities as reliable egg producers.