Look at this photo from early 1900's - How can I breed similar birds???

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write2caroline

write2caroline

Crowing
13 Years
Jun 21, 2009
2,161
112
316
Jacksonville


To me they look like Orpingtons or Sussex with big round bodies and small combs but have a barred pattern.

Any ideas?

My Grandmother was 3 in the photo and I think she lived in Washington State

Caroline
 
This would be an interesting breeding project. Perhaps you could start with some nice large Black Orpingtons, and cross them with some Dominique roosters, then focus only the barred offspring (particularily on the males if you breed back).

That would give you the large body of the Orps, soften the barring (I've read before that European barred orps have softer bars), and I believe you'd end up with the Dominique comb as dominant.

You'd have to do some gene scrubbing for a few generations, but it's an idea worth kicking around on paper.
 



On your other thread, I think a few knowledgeable folks suggested you find heritage Barred Rocks. That would still be my suggestion. I have a pen of heritage BRs that are from the ringlet line of the early 1900's. Yes, direct descendants of the birds pictured above. Their DNA. They've never been outbred or crossed. They've been preserved and kept as an heirloom breed for 100 years by guardian keepers/breeders. These birds are HUGE. I have lots of hatchery Barred Rocks, and while I've enjoyed them, the heritage lines are much slower growing, and much large bodied. They ARE the birds in your photo.

It would take forever and a day to try to create such birds, if even possible. The work has already been done by those who preserved the birds, just like the birds in your grandmother's photo. My grandmother also had BRs and it was her influence on me as a boy some _____ er, let's just say well over a half century ago, LOL, that has always drawn me to chickens and husbandry. Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch and Mr Frank Reese. An important name. There's a thread here on BYC about these birds and the BYC members who have them. You might find the eye candy wonderfully inspiring.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/399477/barred-rocks-good-shepard-poulty-ranch
 
Thanks,

I am very interested in heritage birds. Mostly because they are gloriously beautiful. I will have to find a way to get some stock or trade for some.

Caroline
 
Another name to remember is Marvin Stukel. My Rocks are out of his 50 year pure line of Barred Rocks. They are quite impressive and the personalities are just as wonderful as you'd expect from a Rock, on top of being stunning.








Dru here is 21 weeks old and the youngest one I have. She won't lay for another probably two months. I no longer have the cockerel in the pic above, unfortunately.

 
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