Redcaps

[Redcap Farm]

Here is a video of some great Derbyshire Redcaps at the National Poultry Show of Great Britain

 

[Redcap Farm]

Quote:
Hi NancyinAlaska

How did your Redcaps from Ideal Poultry turn out and are you still planning to hatch some this spring. I have 25 Redcaps coming next week from Ideal Poultry.

Redcap Farm

 

[PepsNick]

I think these are just the most wonderful looking chickens. They are so rare, so I do not like the the fact that they are sold at hatcheries at all. Wish I could breed these, and improve them.

 

[Redcap Farm]

Quote:
Hi PepsNick

The only way to improve this breed is get what you can and breed them to the standard. It may take many years and many breeders but to improve this very rare and interesting breed it is worth it.

Redcap Farm

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Hi PepsNick

The only way to improve this breed is get what you can and breed them to the standard. It may take many years and many breeders but to improve this very rare and interesting breed it is worth it.

Redcap Farm

Yep.

 

[Redcap Farm]

Getting much information on the very rare Redcap breed can be hard to find these days. The information below is out of
The Illustrated Book of Poultry by Lewis Wright.

REDCAPS - Most of the early books describe amongst the varieties of Hamburghs a breed know as the Redcap, which is undoubtedly closely allied to one of those described under the preceding head. These Redcaps have also been know as "Manchesters", Moss Pheasants, and some other synonyms besides those mentioned below.

Many years ago, as Redcaps, they used to have classes at the Sheffield shows, but subsequenly dropped out, until more recently revived. They always had a very high reputation amongst those who knew them, as useful fowl and the late Mr Hewitt wrote highly of them. He mentioned in particular the much better carcase, cocks reaching 71/2 lbs to 9lbs, while the meat was tender and delicate; and the fact that if equal weights of eggs from Spanish and Redcaps were used in custard making, the Redcap eggs went nearly a third further than the other.

The following short account of Redcaps is kindly supplied by Mr Albert E. Wragg, of Edensor, Bakewell, who has been largely instrumental in promoting the interests of the variety, and bred them for many years:
"The Redcap is one of our oldest breeds of fowls. It has been kept for a great many years in the counties of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, were it has always been most highly thought of, especially for its laying qualities. Recently, however, it has become better know, and it is now largely kept in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, and Belgium. It is generally supposrd to have originated in Yorkshire, and is probably a near relation to the Golden-spangled Hamburgh, having been bred more for size and the large comb. Game blood undoubtedly enters into its composition, as the breed is a very pugnacious one, and a dubbed Redcap cock might almost be taken for an Ond English Game cock. It has been know by many different names, such as Pheasant Fowls, Crammers, Copper Fowls, Yorkshire and Derbshire Redcaps.
"The Redcap cock is a fine-bodied bird of noble appearance. Nothing could be more ornamental than his large, symmetrically-shaped comb, full of a great number of fine long spikes, with leader behind. It should be well carried, firm and straight, and standing well off the eyes. For years Redcaps were bread with very ugly combs - and some are yet to be seen winning prizes - and to this fact may be attributed much of the unpopularity of the breed in many parts of this country. The comb should be as large as can be comfortably carried by the bird. In size it should not greatly exceed five and a half inches in length and three and three-quarter inches in breadth. Birds with ugly combs should not be used for breeding. Frost seldom injures the large combs of Redcaps, for I have had birds roosting in plantations with 26* of frost, and not one has suffered in the slightest degree. The hen is a shapely bird, very active, and a good forager, and as a layer is second to none. She will generally lay from 150 to 200 eggs per year. Redcaps are long-lived birds, and very hardy, and hens three and four years old will frequently lay as many eggs as a pullet. The eggs are white, or slightly tinted, very rich, and of a beautifully delicate flavour, and of good size, weighing about 2 ozs. The hens rarely go broody".

 

[Redcap Farm]

Quote:
what about the urlch/turnland birds??? i cant seem to find anyone with them to ask what quality they are... im going to get some this year i doubt by the time i have money ill be able to get from sand hill or urlch/turnland as they both sell out early in the year... but im going to get some even if i have to go mcmurry and ideal.... got to start some where... thanks for the advise... Elias

Hi heritagehabitatfarms
Have you placed a order for any Redcaps this year. Ideal Poultry is sold out until June but Murray McMurray has a few weeks that the Redcaps are in Limited Availability . The dates of Limited Availability are " Apr 4, May 16, May 30, Jun 6 and Jun 13. "

Redcap Farm

 

[Redcap Farm]

When I first got interested in the Redcaps it was hard for me to believe that there was any Redcaps with combs as large as shown in some of the older prints. In my search for a Redcap breeder I have come across a few great pictures of the Redcap breed. I think the picture below is a Derbyshire Redcap breeder out of England.

I hope some day the Redcaps here in the U.S. will look as nice as the one below.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Quote:
Hi PepsNick

The only way to improve this breed is get what you can and breed them to the standard. It may take many years and many breeders but to improve this very rare and interesting breed it is worth it.

Redcap Farm

I've often been tempted to try to work with the Redcaps, but I'm wary of dividing our efforts between too many breeds. If you haven't discovered them yet, there are excellent resources for brreding fowl up available on the ALBC website under the menu choice "Educational resources."

One of the stges in this program is to cull for weight at eight weeks and then again at 16 weeks. Weight is a serious problem with Redcpas. Someone hoping to help them recover as a breed could follow this method, hatching heavily and then culling heavily for weight. For instance, if one has the space to grow out 50 larger birds, one could hatch 100 chicks or more, culling down to the fifty heaviest in a two to 1 ratio, pullets to cockerels. Then as, these top rankers in weight go forward, other Standard points can be considered. In the following season, your top weights becaome your minimum weights for retention at the various points of cull. This keeps you from feeding out, and paying for, cull birds, which will be numerous, indeed, with the beginning of Redcap project.

Comb-wise, I would personallt put it on the back burner. Instead, of breeding for huge combs, I'd want a simple large comb in good balance, while I worked on the issues of type, weight, productivity, etc... Then, gradually on can breed up the comb on top of a high quality bird. The majority of texts I've read with info on the Redcap guilt over-emphasis on the Redcap's comb at the expense of its productive qualities as the beginning of tis downfall. Eventually the tendency toward smallness, a decrease in laying and the frequency of floppy awkward combs became a debilitating disadvantage.

I hope very much that you guys are able to reverse its current trajectory toward extinction.

 

[Redcap Farm]

Quote:
Hi PepsNick

The only way to improve this breed is get what you can and breed them to the standard. It may take many years and many breeders but to improve this very rare and interesting breed it is worth it.

Redcap Farm

I've often been tempted to try to work with the Redcaps, but I'm wary of dividing our efforts between too many breeds. If you haven't discovered them yet, there are excellent resources for brreding fowl up available on the ALBC website under the menu choice "Educational resources."

One of the stges in this program is to cull for weight at eight weeks and then again at 16 weeks. Weight is a serious problem with Redcpas. Someone hoping to help them recover as a breed could follow this method, hatching heavily and then culling heavily for weight. For instance, if one has the space to grow out 50 larger birds, one could hatch 100 chicks or more, culling down to the fifty heaviest in a two to 1 ratio, pullets to cockerels. Then as, these top rankers in weight go forward, other Standard points can be considered. In the following season, your top weights becaome your minimum weights for retention at the various points of cull. This keeps you from feeding out, and paying for, cull birds, which will be numerous, indeed, with the beginning of Redcap project.

Comb-wise, I would personallt put it on the back burner. Instead, of breeding for huge combs, I'd want a simple large comb in good balance, while I worked on the issues of type, weight, productivity, etc... Then, gradually on can breed up the comb on top of a high quality bird. The majority of texts I've read with info on the Redcap guilt over-emphasis on the Redcap's comb at the expense of its productive qualities as the beginning of tis downfall. Eventually the tendency toward smallness, a decrease in laying and the frequency of floppy awkward combs became a debilitating disadvantage.

I hope very much that you guys are able to reverse its current trajectory toward extinction.

Hi Yellow House Farm

Very good advice!

Thanks Redcap Farm