Barred Hollands **update: PICs ADDED

[Carolyn]

I thought I had barred rock chicks from tsc (use Ideal i think) until I got very white small eggs. I really didn't know anything about Barred Hollands and was disappointed not to have big brown eggs.

I'd like to hear more about them from the folks who know: YOU!

Are they endangered? How well do they lay? All ETC.s welcome!

Mine lay a small white egg and seem to be every other day layers. They are new layers.

 

[speckledhen]

Seems like you may have BHs. They are very endangered and I've heard that most don't even lay the white egg they are supposed to, but a tan one, so you may have something someone else wants! Post pics for us! If you have BHs, there are folks here who would love to have some hatching eggs or chicks, I'm sure.

 

[Carolyn]

Would the fact they are from a hatchery make them less valuable. I will see if I can get some pics on here if the camera is working.

 

[fldiver97]

Quote:
Here is info straight from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy site on Hollands/Barred Hollands....they are on the critical list:

''Holland Chicken
In 1934 white eggs brought premium prices at market; it was believed that white eggs had a finer, more delicate flavor. At that time most of America’s eggs were produced on small farms all across the country, and the small farmer preferred dual-purpose chickens as these provide a source of meat as well as eggs. Dual-purpose chicken breeds tend to lay brown eggs and white egg-laying breeds available at the time were light-weight and not well fleshed; this prompted Rutgers Breeding Farms to set about producing a dual-purpose breed that would lay white eggs – resulting in the Holland.

You may wonder why an American breed of chicken is called “Holland.” The answer lies in the ancestry of the breed. Breeders began with light-weight stock originally imported from Holland, and mated it with White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and Lamona. Through careful selection the White Holland was created. Simultaneously, the Barred Holland was created by mating White Leghorn, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, and Brown Leghorn. The breed was admitted to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection in 1949.

Hollands have earned a good reputation as being ideally suited to farm conditions. They are good foragers with calm temperaments. The breed is fairly cold tolerant, though during periods of extreme cold the males may suffer some frostbite to their single combs. The hens can become broody and will sometimes raise their own offspring. Hollands also tend to have a slow to moderate growth rate. But this fact must be weighed against their ability to rustle a significant portion of their own food.

In its time, the Barred Holland was much more popular with the farmers. This may have been because of the popularity of the Barred Plymouth Rock, or it may have been for the practical reason that a chicken with a pattern is less likely to suffer predation than a white chicken. The White Holland, never having enjoyed as much popularity, may well be extinct now.

While the Holland has never enjoyed widespread popularity, it is an excellent choice for homesteaders or use on small acreages. These chickens have yellow skin and legs, so will produce a carcass with the skin color most Americans favor. The Holland will produce plenty of medium-large white eggs, and one can enjoy the fact that they are helping to conserve what is likely the rarest, living breed of American chicken.

Status: Critical'

 

[speckledhen]

Considering that you can't even find BHs from anywhere these days, I think if you have hatchery BHs that lay the proper egg color, you have something good.

 

[Chris09]

Carolyn:
Do you know what comb they have. Are they a single comb or rose comb?
What color are there legs? How old are they? Do you know what color the earlobes are?
If the comb is a single comb does it stand stright up or flop to one side?

I know alot of questions.. LOL

Chris

 

[Carolyn]

Single straight combs, yellow legs, ear lobes blend very well with the barring...they are not white.

I got 5 white eggs from the 5 hens so now I will be better able to calculate how much they lay. I've worked the last few days and DH was the egg gatherer. Looking at them today they are a medium size.

They were hatched 1st week of April.

 

[Chris09]

I think they might be production blacks...
Sounds like them..

Chris

 

[fiftyfifty]

If you have production blacks that is cool too. They are fairly uncommon, although not critical like the Barred Holland. They also go by the name "California Gray". I googled "california gray chicken" and came up with a lot of cool info. They were created in the 1930s as well. The California Gray (production black) is barred like a barred rock, but it has a bigger floppy comb and a lighter build, more like a leghorn.

I wish right about now that I had a production black/california gray. I got a "barred holland" from a breeder but mine ended up laying brown eggs. Or rather I should say brown egg, because it laid one egg 8 days ago and hasn't laid since.

Well, as mentioned above, the Barred Holland is supposed to be "duel purpose", if she doesn't increase her egg production soon, I might have to try out that second purpose.

 

[Carolyn]

Chris, that is possible. Looking at the pics on the ideal site mine look much more like the Hollands to me. They do not have white ear lobes like the sex link pics. I thought they were barred rocks until the mystry white egg appeared.

Thanks to all. Fldiver97 I really appreciate the detailed info.
If you need more detail of a characteristic, I can post more pics, (being I finally figured out how)

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