Old and Rare Breeds

[BGMatt]

I looked up Bridget Riddle, but

1. She only sells " teen and adults"

And

2. The ad I saw didn't list Hamburgs, but I didn't see a website, just a phone number and email, so maybe the ad I saw is old

Ad from BackYardPoultry mag.

CHICKEN RIDDLE
Bridget
209-485-1413
email Us
3030 Orestimba Rd, Newman, CA 95360
No catalog! Large Fowl: Shamo, Buttercup, Salmon Faverolle, Minorca, Sumatras, Barnvelders, White Ameracanas, Light Sussex. Will sell show quality and non-show quality teens and adults.

Have any suggestions for quality Hamburg that ship eggs or chicks?

Odd. Her APA yearbook ad mentions silver spangled hamburgs and she was showing them this spring. And yeah, lots of real poultry folk don't do websites and such. I love technology and hate that fact but it is a fact.

And yes a lot of good breeders only sell teens and adults. That's the best way to buy as well because you know what quality you're getting. Buying chicks or eggs is for the truly desperate.

I also agree with pretty much everything YHF said except for some of these breeds can be found in pretty good situations if you know where to look.

 

[flitter]

I think that you will find that in the USA all the Redcaps out there can either be traced back to Sandhills or are related to the Sandhill birds.

Yes it is true that Redcap breeding in this country is an uphill battle. However, it must be realized that most working with Redcaps have never worked with or bred chickens before; thus, to start with the Sandhill stock is most likely your best bet.

Carl may be working with Redcaps but I've never heard him mention them; of course it has been a month or two since we last talked and we would be talking Asil not Redcaps.

I wasn't aware that they all originated with SandHill. Interesting.

 

[BGMatt]

I wasn't aware that they all originated with SandHill. Interesting.

Might double check this, I know McMurray had them before Sandhill was even around as a hatchery. Mostly because as a kid I remember that drawing they used in their catalog and my mentor telling me to never buy birds from a hatchery.

 

[gjensen]

There is a few breeds missing on that list that she (Bridget) has.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Greetings! My intention was to imply more that one's isn't necessarily going to find the top of what one desires, but rather if one gets the good building blocks, one begins from there.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Does any one have a suggestion on a heratige or old breed white egg layer? (not leghorn) One that is an excellent egg layer? What does any one know of la fleche's?

Well, since you are looking... I'd like to ask you to at least look at the Crevecoeur, as they lay well, a largish medium white egg, and basically, nobody has great stock, as they're so rare and very few people have taken them on and they desperately need good breeders. On the other hand, they're a dual purpose breed who is supposed to have meat qualities similar to a Dorking, lay at least 3 - 4 eggs a week (mine lays like a leghorn, over 6/week), is a bit seasonal, but not so much here in Southern California. All this, in a gothic - like fancy package! Basically a large black polish - like bird (well, the crest shouldn't be obtrusive and body type is a bit different, but to the untrained eye, that's what they look like)

Ok, enough of my advertisement, LOL. I've just dedicated myself to this breed and would love to have company

 

[Alaskan]

can you post some pictures of your birds? Most of the pictures I have seen of them, you can't see their eyes.

 

[cluck-cluck]

My Crevies? Well, that is a big problem with these chicks I just got! They look exactly like polish! NOT at all what I want! But my old birds look better to me...

Lets see.... Now this is my girl from Ideal hatchery. I really wanted to compare what is out there, due to extreme curiosity, but this winter I'm going to buy from Duane Urch, who is basically the only person with an old line of Creves that are closest to the SOP but still in not so good shape... from what I hear. But nobody really knows how those compare to hatchery, we just guesstimate that hatchery has got to be worse (and probably is, LOL) So I'm documenting what I got from Ideal and McMurray, and if I could, I'd get Cackle and any other hatchery I could find that sells Crevecoeurs, but I'm getting bored with that, and have little space, so I am going to get serious next year and get my proper start

Now in Belina's defence, she's been breeding, and somebody has been eating her crest, LOL. Virtually all her crest feathers have their tips bit off. It would be nice to see the crest a bit larger, but I think the general shape is good. But those wings are held too low... and they're way too small (light weight), I mean WAY too small!!! These birds are in desperate, dire if not impossible, too late, need of help, LOL. But I adore them, and want so much to help preserve this chicken.

And here is a picture of one of my 5 1/2 week old McMurray chicks, one of the two worst crests of the bunch. A few look like they'll be ok, but fuller still than my Ideal chickens. I still want to know how large (heavy) they end up being.



In fact, I took this picture today, and need to post on the Crevecoeur thread, where I'm documenting (to myself) what my observations are. I seldom get company there

LOL

 

[ramirezframing]

Lakenvelders are a good white egg layer as has been stated. But what most who haven't worked with them don't know is what I refer to as the "lakenvelder effect". I have gotten eggs from all over the country (from the few breeders I could find), I have used broodies and incubators to hatch the eggs and tried every way I could think of to brood them to include having friends brood them. An example of the "lakenvelder effect" is I buy 12 eggs, even if all are fertile, only half will hatch, from that I will be lucky to get only 1 or 2 to adult hood. Most of the breeders that I have gotten eggs from won't say anything about this, even when I ask, they say they don't have this problem. Only one has said that this is a problem with the lakenvelder breed and is why they run two different lines for breeding. I have even bought chicks from a hatchery this year in late spring, all have died. I have managed to end up with a small group of adults in silver and golden, which I plan on trying to breed so the "lakenvelder effect" isn't so bad.

Lakenvelders need more breeders, but if you do choose this beautiful breed, be ready for alot of work. But with anything, it's well worth it

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Does any one have a suggestion on a heratige or old breed white egg layer? (not leghorn) One that is an excellent egg layer? What does any one know of la fleche's?

Hamburgs would be a good choice. A few breeders are in Missouri.
The Lakenvelders Ramirezframing suggested are at 2 hatcheries in Missouri - Cackle and www.martipoultry.com.
I really like Anconas and Minorcas. White Minorcas are quite rare and Sandhill is the only place I know that carries them.
Blue Andalusians are productive and a guy in Northern MO has some.
I can give you the e-mail of the breeders if you PM me.