Author needs help with research

[Zephyrcat]

Hello, I am Zephyrcat. I am a mystery writer. This next book has to do with Grant Wood and his favorite chickens (Plymouth Rock) on his mothers farm.

To do this, I need help learning the history of chickens because I do not own them.
Grant Wood died in 1942, during the cross breeding revolution in the 40's and 50's. I have read up on it the best I can , but I can't find a specific name given to any of these cross breeds until the 1970's Ameraucana.

Also, so far I think he painted only Plymouth Rock chickens, but I have found other chickens in some paintings that I can't identify. So I am really interested in how do you just look at a chicken's picture and know it is one breed or the next?

 

[Nardo]

Hello, I am Zephyrcat. I am a mystery writer. This next book has to do with Grant Wood and his favorite chickens (Plymouth Rock) on his mothers farm.

Also, so far I think he painted only Plymouth Rock chickens, but I have found other chickens in some paintings that I can't identify. So I am really interested in how do you just look at a chicken's picture and know it is one breed or the next?

You will get a ton of answers but it's being familiar with breed specifics. For example, you look at a Poodle dog and know it is a poodle, or has some poodle heritage. Similarly, you see a German Shepherd and know it is not a toy Chihuahua. Chickens are the same. There are 'pure' breeds and mutts (Easter eggers). And I'll let the fun begin now.
PS Good luck with your book.

 

[lomine]

The American Poultry Association (APA) records when a breed standard is excepted. It takes years to get a breed excepted. You could see what breeds were excepted a few years or decades after your time frame. That at least gives you breed names to start with.

If you post pictures of the paintings in the “What Breed or Gender is This?” forum you could get help in identifing breeds. There are some really knowledgeable folks that frequent that forum so chances are people there could at least narrow things down.

 

[Zephyrcat]

The American Poultry Association (APA) records when a breed standard is excepted.

If you post pictures of the paintings in the “What Breed or Gender is This?” forum you could get help in identifing breeds. There are some really knowledgeable folks that frequent that forum so chances are people there could at least narrow things down.

I went to the APA site, but I couldn't find a list of the breeds accepted. Then again, I am not sure which page I should be looking for.
Google found this page for me, and it is an interesting list, but I know the Ameruacana should be on that list from the 70s and I didn't see it.
https://extension.illinois.edu/eggs/res09-breeds.html

 

[Nardo]

https://www.starmilling.com/poultry-chicken-breeds.php

 

[lomine]

http://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/poultry/files/breeds6-2010.pdf

 

[Zephyrcat]

Thanks everyone. Those two links should give me enough info to chase down. Now I just need to process the info.
I will be back with more questions if I need to.