I am sorry OldChurch I completely missed your kind reply to my inquire on this thread. Yes I imagine you will be excited starting with a second generation line from such distinguished strains. I am familiar with all the lines you spoke of in the post. I will have my grandson contact the club later in the spring once he knows the direction his breeding program will take (I'd like to say my program but at my age the only program I'm capable of is my pill and vitamin program!)
I am looking for something I don't think exists any more actually and that is the strains of Black and White Giants that Don Warren, Cliff Carpenter and Mary Pennington had since the 1920's. These three were classmates and colleagues of mine during this time and like my family had direct lines from the Blacks from Burlington, NJ. In my research and contacts I've hit nothing but walls so I'm pretty certain the lines are gone.
These three folks were, like me, not poultry fanciers or members of the ABA, but poultry geneticists and scientists studying the Jersey Breed for various reasons. My grandson's intent is to recreate these four strains (or attempt to) from my notes and these three folks notes. I believe the lost of these four strains was a great loss to the breed. I know that without U. L. Meloney the breed might not have survived at all.
But Meloney took the breed toward "show" standards and I (through my grandson's enthusiasm) am more interested in reviving the marketable qualities of the bird.
Carpenter's strain was particularly interesting because he was working toward genetically enhancing the growth rate and had pretty good success in the 30's without loss of quality. Likewise, Warren's strain was aimed at improved production and Pennington was combining the two into a third cumulative strain and I had the results of the 10 year partnership. I lost interest in the 50's with Giants, as many, due to lack of marketability. The market was changing and in my field we always had to change with demand.
Over the years, my grandson has listened to all the old stories and has read all the journals, papers and such and seems this is what interested him the most. Well this and my Rocks and Brahmas which he has had since he was a kid.
I don't believe mentioning their names will do a lot of good for as I said we were all vets and geneticists and bacteriologists having little to do with the breeding of chickens for showing or even "fancier" concerns.
I am looking for something I don't think exists any more actually and that is the strains of Black and White Giants that Don Warren, Cliff Carpenter and Mary Pennington had since the 1920's. These three were classmates and colleagues of mine during this time and like my family had direct lines from the Blacks from Burlington, NJ. In my research and contacts I've hit nothing but walls so I'm pretty certain the lines are gone.
These three folks were, like me, not poultry fanciers or members of the ABA, but poultry geneticists and scientists studying the Jersey Breed for various reasons. My grandson's intent is to recreate these four strains (or attempt to) from my notes and these three folks notes. I believe the lost of these four strains was a great loss to the breed. I know that without U. L. Meloney the breed might not have survived at all.
But Meloney took the breed toward "show" standards and I (through my grandson's enthusiasm) am more interested in reviving the marketable qualities of the bird.
Carpenter's strain was particularly interesting because he was working toward genetically enhancing the growth rate and had pretty good success in the 30's without loss of quality. Likewise, Warren's strain was aimed at improved production and Pennington was combining the two into a third cumulative strain and I had the results of the 10 year partnership. I lost interest in the 50's with Giants, as many, due to lack of marketability. The market was changing and in my field we always had to change with demand.
Over the years, my grandson has listened to all the old stories and has read all the journals, papers and such and seems this is what interested him the most. Well this and my Rocks and Brahmas which he has had since he was a kid.
I don't believe mentioning their names will do a lot of good for as I said we were all vets and geneticists and bacteriologists having little to do with the breeding of chickens for showing or even "fancier" concerns.
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