The House that Cracked Corn Built- Coops/Cotes/Shacks/and Shanties

[knjinnm]

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This a BIIGGGG cote!

 

[Resolution]

Quote:
Actually, the Bigawi is the name that Egyptians use for the Fayoumi. Nevertheless, sometime during the early- mid 1900's, the Bigawi was "improved" at the University in Asyut (middle Egypt). That stock is the progenitor strain from which most American and European stock is derived. The term Bigawi refers to the Bejawi culture. Arabic speakers and Turks pronounce Bejawi differently than Beja people and other aboriginal Upper Egyptians. The term "Fayoumi" is used to describe the improved or 'modern' Bigawi.

A distinction must be emphasized between Fayoumi and Bigawi in that the Bigawi is the Fayoumi strain that has not been "improved". It's the stock one sees running about on the banks of the Nile, in Fayoum and the outer oases of the tribal lands. It's also the breed one sees in ancient farming regions throughout Eastern Sudan, which is Bejawi tribal land outside of Egypt. In places where the soil is dark, the birds tend to much darker in plumage, especially hens.

In the cemeteries of Old Cairo and in the oasis of Farafra, the Bigawi is of the gold penciled type.
Most hen in villages and farms around Qena are of a leaden hue almost birchen in appearance.

The Bigawi stock brought into the USA came from the Red Sea Hills and are of three different lineages.
One of those lineages is of the purest most ancient type. That form i'll describe as "Cinnamon" both in reference to the colour of the hens but also to celebrate their origin during ancient maritime cinnamon trade between Sri Lanka and Beja (Ta-Seti) tribal lands. An unadulturaed Cinnamon lineage is depicted in the photo above. Cinnamon males can be difficult to distinguish from the Modern Fayoumi but the hens of the Cinnamon Bigawi are dark cinnamon sepia colour. The other two lineages brought into the U.S. are largely Modern Fayoumi genetically, one line (Asyut) more so than the other (Qena). All three lineages have been made into a single composite ("Cardamom"), though there are pure Cinnamon Bigawi in the USA as well.


The "Cardamom" (composite Bigawi) is a bit difficult to distinguish from modern Fayoumi. The tail of the Bigawi rooster is always longer than the modern Fayoumi and the comb and wattles tend to be smaller. The facial skin is even darker than that of the modern Fayoumi. There is iridescence in the pigmentation.
They cannot be confused with Campine Braekel because the dorsal plumage is mostly striated like a Freisan rather than strikingly barred like the Campine. The vocalization of Bigawis is quite different from the modern Fayoumi- difficult to describe but unusual as far as crowing goes. More junglefowl like. Both cinnamon and cardamom strains are fantastic layers. The cardamom lays a larger egg than the cinnamon.

I don't have any good photos- maybe one or two- and these are of hens I think- of the cinnamon-

These are the only photos that I've got of pure Cinamon Bigawi. She's the only hen in the photos. The other birds are different kinds of Rapa Nui fowl. All these birds were brooder mates and were born during the same year.

Here is a link to a photo of the Cinnamon Bigawi. I think you may have the Qena and the Cardamon.
Albert Litchfield III in West Townshend Vermont has a large flock of the Cinnamon Bigawi. I had a pair at Meadows Farm in Windham VT up into June but they've since vanished. I have no idea where they've gone off to or even when as I've been gone so many months.

 

[bambi]

I do love this thread. Thank you Resolution. Please don't stop writing.

 

[Resolution]

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Thanks Sharon. As you are down in Florida what breeds of chickens do you keep?

 

[welasharon]

I had not subscribed to this post so missed your post. Saw where you had birds up for auction and then saw this. I am new...only a year into chickens and the heat and humidity is interesting. I have polish (GL and Tolbunt), barred rock, seramas, silkies and a cuckoo marans. Only about 15 for now. I will be getting o shamo and araucana come July. Nice to read more chicken history from you again!
sharon

 

[act5860]

Great thread. Thanks for the detailed info. I'm just learning about chickens and plan to have some in the near future, so have a lot of learning to do. Your historical information is much appreciated.

 

[cyw iar]

This is fascinating!