Rarest breed of chicken in the US?

[centrarchid]

My 1.5 cents is:

Try to find more than one breeder with a line or lines of breed that interests you. Then ask around, see how those lines are related. Most folks start with trios or pairs, therefore it is difficult for even the best breeder to carryover many of the genes that make a breed unique as well as enable it to have enough genetic variation for quality long-term survival. It is bad for short-term show use of birds and will cause quarantine related headaches, but acquiring birds from more than one line will greatly enhance preservation of many breeds. Occasional swapping of brood stock between breeders helps a great deal as well. If you can take a flock with a varied genetic background and get it into top show quality through selective breeding, then you will have something to brag about. The varied genetic background can also help production performance and production performance should not be ignored in your selection program of a rare breed, even if it slows down show performance a bit. Performance also is not strictly in respect to egg production as is often a key problem noted for many commercial hatcheries. It can include meat production of some breeds, broodines / parenting ability, fertility, carcass characteristics and foraging ability. The later performances are some practical to ignore when breeding and rearing resources are limited.

I spent a solid year looking around for breeders and reading up on American dominiques before acquiring my first bird. Annoyed a lot folks showing birds and commerical hatchery operators with questions before settling in on a breeding program. Many more kinds of kung fu than you can shake a stick at regarding breeding programs. More than yard birds that few others have is wanted. Want strong healthy flock that looks, sound, feels, and produces like they are supposed to and has a consitution that does not require excessive use of pharmicueticals to control health issues.

And sometimes another person's cull can be gold in respect to genetics (another 0.5 cents).

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote:
Nice sig, Robert Blosl... I agree, and think we have to be extra careful to preserve traits such as growth rate, laying ability, agility and attitude that make so many of the old breeds what they are, useful and adapted for a particular purpose, not just decorative.

Since this is the "rare breeds" thread and there's already some talk of Shamos, I thought I'd throw this out there... neat article about all the Japanese breeds including many that have never made it over here. Personally I like the Minohiki, sort of like a Shamo with a beautiful, draping decorative saddle, and the Toutenkou, a graceful red and ginger bird which would be my neighbors' nightmare, it has a 15-second high-pitched crow.

Best - exop

exop you are right. The trouble with many people who are on this web site is they have egg production on the brain. How many eggs will my chickens lay and how soon will they lay. They compair Standard breed birds breed by breeders with hatchery chickens and why the standard breed birds dont lay in four months ect.

I have to laugh some old breed dont lay till they are ten months old. It can be improved by line breeding and selection but seven months is about normal for a dual purpose american class bird.

Ya I am a promoter of the old breeds mostly the american and asiatic class. I do have have legorns but its just a challange that a friend and I are trying to improve.

off to work see you latter. Keep promoting the old fasion APA standard breed birds. bob

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
Honestly if you want a rare breed, order from a breeder.

Take a look at how many breeds Sandhill offers (or claims to) Someone who's actually trying to preserve a rare breed and keep it to look and act and grow like it should wouldn't have THAT many breeds.

Part of the thrill of preserving and helping out with rare breeds is researching and really getting into the digging on who has them. . . I know Sandhill has both positive and negative feedback, but the way I see it, regardless of what people say - They've got WAY too much to offer to actually offer quality.

And I know, many people don't want to show their birds, but honestly, it is the good quality ones that count. Otherwise you're not preserving the breed by having a poor quality one, you're just supporting the production-line mimickry (and sometimes mockery) of the breed.

My two cents.


- Take Shamos for example. They're rare, expensive, and often hard to find. . . . But SOO worth the time, money, and search for.


if you get some cubalayas from sandhill, they will be good quality and if you choose your breeders wisely, you will start getting better cubalayas than what you started with. there are a few breeds that i wouldn't hesitate to get from them and know they are good quality: cubalayas, delawares, red dorkings, many more. i would order some shamos just to see what quality they are. does any one on here have shamos from sandhill?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yes, the Houdan do need help. I've battled hardiness issues with mine (I have bantams) along with them being pretty dumb (not very self-preserving).

I just found my BEST bantam Houdan (mottled) hen dead out in the run this morning, under about 6+" of snow. She wasn't even a year old yet, no signs of any trauma and was feeding/drinking just fine last night when I did my final check on them. I locked the others in today, I don't want to risk losing another since I don't have many to begin with. I have to go out & bring them inside if they stay out too late and it gets dark...they will just sit in the runs in the snow/rain/wind, whatever. Sighs.

If you live in a cold and/or wet area, I'd suggest investing in COVERED runs--as in covered with a metal or plastic sheeting. Something to keep them DRY and out of the elements. It's on my to-do list (well, DH's actually--little does he know!) but it's probably at least two years away from being started.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Nice sig, Robert Blosl... I agree, and think we have to be extra careful to preserve traits such as growth rate, laying ability, agility and attitude that make so many of the old breeds what they are, useful and adapted for a particular purpose, not just decorative.

Since this is the "rare breeds" thread and there's already some talk of Shamos, I thought I'd throw this out there... neat article about all the Japanese breeds including many that have never made it over here. Personally I like the Minohiki, sort of like a Shamo with a beautiful, draping decorative saddle, and the Toutenkou, a graceful red and ginger bird which would be my neighbors' nightmare, it has a 15-second high-pitched crow.

Best - exop

exop you are right. The trouble with many people who are on this web site is they have egg production on the brain. How many eggs will my chickens lay and how soon will they lay. They compair Standard breed birds breed by breeders with hatchery chickens and why the standard breed birds dont lay in four months ect.

I have to laugh some old breed dont lay till they are ten months old. It can be improved by line breeding and selection but seven months is about normal for a dual purpose american class bird.

Ya I am a promoter of the old breeds mostly the american and asiatic class. I do have have legorns but its just a challange that a friend and I are trying to improve.

off to work see you latter. Keep promoting the old fasion APA standard breed birds. bob

Egg production on the brain is a understatement my friend.

Chris

 

[Chickielady]

What is really dumb, is egg color, or feather color,or will this bird I am feeding ever lay eggs ?
And maybe this is why alot of the ancients have been kicked aside, because society today expects instant gratification and just wants to eat breakfast and cares little about a breed of CHICKEN, they want what they want when they want it...even sitting in their apartment, they expect breakfast !!!!!!!!!!!

I will raise, and love my heritage breeds even if NO ONE buys their eggs~~~~

 

[poultrycrazy]

Ok i know this is probably easy to look up but i want the oppinions of BYCers. are any of these color in these breeds rare?

1. Bantam columbian wyandotte
2. bantam W.C. cuckoo, W.C. blue, W.C. khaki, W.C. chocolate, W.C. black, Golden laced, buff laced or pure white polish

Thanks in advance to any answers

 

[Illia]

Quote:

 

[poultrycrazy]

Theres a breeder like a half an hour away from me who has bantam white polish smooth and frizzle.

(And all the other colors i mentioned)

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
They're not very rare...now if they are BEARDED white bantam polish then yes.