Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Robert Blosl]

I just got an email from a person who needs Barred Rock Large Fowl females who has large fowl Cockerels. She also wants the old fashion Rhode Island Red Large Fowl and wants me to help her find a good true to breed line. It made me think how many people out there have or breed old fashion Heritage Large Fowl Chickens?

When I was a little boy growing up in South West Washington State my dad use to take us on drives every Sunday in the country. As we drove by these old farms there were signs outside these farmers fences that would show Registered Polled Herefords, Black Angus, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Holstein and Shorthorn Cattle to just name a few. When I would go to the sale barns I never saw these kinds of cattle just the normal mix match type of cattle or half Guernsey half Herford type caves.

What do you think is a Heritage Style of Poultry like the above cattle breeds I mentioned?

Do any of you have any of these rare breeds?

How many Heat age Large Fowl do you think are left in the Country during the winter months in the breeding Pens? 100 -200- 300 birds per old rare breed?

What has happen to the folks like Grand Ma who use to have a flock of nice Heritage Chickens in the 1950s?

Do you think many want to preserve these old rare breeds?

These are just a few ideas I had today as I was feeding my chickens and after I got this email from one of the members of this board. Look forward to your replies and pictures of old birds. One breed that has made major strides in the past ten years is the Buckeye folks. It proves what they have done in the past five years can be done with any old rare breed.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

When I awoke this morning, my thoughts went quickly to Bob, and there again came the pall of sadness. Conversely, when I allow myself to go there, I realize that the sadness is covering a bedrock of gratitude and affection. I never--ever--thought that a cyber community could engender such strong sentiment, but the truth of the matter is ineluctable.

The thing about standard-bred, aka heritage, fowl is that they are, indeed, a heritage. They are a legacy. They are passed down from one breeder to another, and their provenance, care, and descendence is only vouchsafed by relationship. Standard-bred fowl are so much more than backyard chickens, not simply in that they approach the Standard but because they are, each one, a signature. They are the work of human hands, and that work is infused with creativity, discipline, and obedience, which is to say, with a sort of active love. All who enjoy them eventually transcend the appearance of the fowl to the process needed that created the coveted beauty and utility. Eventually the art will bring you to the artist.

The artist may guard his work jealously, like a dragon on his gold, refusing to share, refusing to extend, and many do. As the new-comer approaches, this dragon-artist clutches his work closely and hoards, building walls that refuse entry, but this eventually leads to a form of sterility; the art of the hoarder becomes locked into a singular space in time and loses the necessary flow of sharing, the creative need to give, to receive and to give and to build communally. The other artist comes alive with his art. He has received it from a fount of generosity and so reveres it as a gift and a privilege. It is forever a thing of beauty and joy-making because it is a gift, but the love sustaining the gift is in the person of the giver. For this artist, the gift is always enshrouded in the skill, dedication, and attentiveness of mentors and the ages. When the new-comer approaches this artist, he is embraced by enthusiasm. En-thu means Into-God. This artist greets the newcomer with joy, because the new-comer is an opportunity to expand the gift. The mentored artist becomes the mentor and honestly desires to impart everything that he himself was given. When the new-comer is so greeted, he or she, too, is enfolded in this legacy of enthusiasm, and one recognizes that one has encountered the transcendental. The result is a joy that springs from gratitude. This art is not religion; however, it is devotion, and devotion is where we hone our sense for religion. The very word "religion" means that thing that "binds us together".

Bob is the artist filled with generosity and awe before the beauty of the gift he was given. Through shows and friends and the long-reaching arm of this thread that he so dedicatedly maintained--for years now, Bob has delighted in the opportunity to share. He has done so tirelessly and with great gratitude. He has repeatedly extended welcome and magnanimously shown patience. Because he believed in the value of the gift he had been given, he believed in the possibility that each new-comer could, also, be part of the heritage he so enjoyed. This is the heart of Bob as a teacher.

The teacher never knows where his legacy will end. Every lesson ripples out, and a lesson given is passed on and on until the words of the teacher have traveled far an wide. Many, many things Bob has said to us, to me, on-line, in messages, on the phone, have thoroughly become part of my practice and of my active imagination of this legacy that we hold. Can we not all say the same? His stories about the Reds, the Red Club, and E. B. Thompson, about his mentors, his firmly held beliefs of those things that will lead to success and of those that will lead to failure, his generosity of sharing his own experiences, positive and negative, that they might be tools of learning for others, all of this and so much more are now a permanent part of the legacy, the heritage of the gift he so enjoyed.

Much of the beauty of standard-bred poultry is wrapped up in its utter simplicity. It is an art open to all. It needs not the weighty, unattainable gold of ore; it has beautiful golden shanks. It needs not the costly acquisition of expensive, plush fabrics; it has feather quality and a plethora of patterns ranging from simple, pure self-colors to the most dynamically complicated parti-colored varieties. One of the great beauties of the art and challenging science of standard-bred poultry is that, in its simplicity, it transcends class and finance. It is complicated enough to stimulate for a lifetime and simple enough to be open to all who would learn. Beautiful results can be had with simple infrastructures. Appropriately run, small programs can yield masterful outcomes. The enjoyment of the fruits of these humble yet creative and disciplined labors can fill life with such blessing, and Robert Blosl exemplified the artist who delighted in this work and sought to foster it in the hearts of any who would consider its possibility.

Bob was enthusiastic, generous and kind. He shared with us all. He enriched all of our practices, which is to say our lives. He enkindled the nobility of the simple in sharing honestly his devotion to these fine fowl and the craftsmanship that led to their creation. He brought to us the legacy, the heritage of all he had learned and shared it without hoarding or reserve. He modeled the strength of perseverance and the discipline of focus, yet, in the proper form of a good teacher, he illustrated them in such a way that we could all relate and feel capable of joining him on the journey. It is our heritage and his legacy. Thus, truly, with enthusiasm, joy, and gratitude, we keep kicking the can down the road. KISS.

 

[BGMatt]

I have couple of questions about the poultry shows; which is a brand new world for me. I am looking forward to the day which I will be able to show some of my birds. The only show world I am familiar with is the dog shows, and have a feeling that it's protocols does not apply to the poultry shows.

What are the class divisions?
What is the youngest age one can start showing a bird?
Are there classes equal to puppy classes, and if so, what are the age limits?
Can a chick attain Ch. title?
Do the birds compete against the official breed standard individually, or against each other? For example; if there are two birds completely equal in their virtues, do both win points, or the judge must decide one over the other?
How many points does a bird need to complete his/her Champion title?
Are the points awarded depend on how many contestants a bird is competing against?
Once a bird is a champion, is there a class just for the champions to compete against each other to continue their show career?
Does a show bird required to learn to "stack" for the judges to go over their bodies?
If a breed temperament is naturally shy, flighty, or pugnacious, are the exhibitors or handlers permitted to assist the bird during the presentation to the judge?

Thank you!

Class divisions are Large Fowl (broken into: American, Asiatic, English, Mediterranean, Continental, and All Other Standard Breeds), Bantam (Single Comb Clean Legged, Rose Comb Clean Legged, All Other Comb Clean Legged, Feather Legged, Old English/American Game, and Modern Game), Waterfowl (Heavy Duck, Medium Duck, Light Duck, Bantam Duck, Heavy Goose, Medium Goose, Light Goose), Turkeys and Guineas. Beneath that it's breed and then variety, which are also divided by cock, hen, cockerel and pullet.

Edit: For an example let's say I've got a Black Langshan cockerel entered at a show. First he is judged against the other Black Langshan cockerels and places 1st, then he is judged against the other Black Langshans and is placed Best of Variety, he then gets compared against the other Best of Variety Langshans and say he wins that for Best of Breed. He would then be judged against the other Best of Breed winners in his class, (in this example Asiatic, so the Best of Breed brahma and Best of Breed Cochin), he is judged best there and wins Best Asiatic, now he is compared against the other Large Fowl Class winners, again in this example he is judged best and becomes Champion Large Fowl. Now he is judged against the Champion Bantam, Champion Duck, Champion Goose, Champion Turkey to determine Champion of Show.

No age restriction. Most breeds are mature and show ready between 6-8 months for chickens, with some outliers.

No "puppy" classes. Birds are entered as cock (males over a year), hen (female over a year), cockerel (male under a year), pullet (female under a year).

No individual bird titles. Both APA and ABA have points systems as do most breed clubs, these go by exhibitor, not individual animal since there is no registry. The points vary by organization, but are based on numbers of birds entered in the respective classes.

Birds aren't "shown" by exhibitors (well adults, youth do showmanship but that's different), but can be trained to pose and pay attention, and show off for judges. I personally try to acclimate my birds to being handled and get them used to show cages so that they present themselves instead of plastering themselves to the wall or hiding in corner of cage.

Birds are judged out of their cages and not "presented". I'd get your birds used to handling so that this process is easier but temperament isn't judged. Entries are anonymous so I don't think a exhibitor would be allowed to handle their bird like you've suggested.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I've been lurking a little bit but not enough to recall who has what, how many or how long.

Call me a chicken enabler, but it is possible to have multiple breeds of chicken if you want em, even on small acreage. As long as there is enough room for all to be comfortable and happy.

If you really like several different breeds (and are just starting out) purchase one or two pullets of each to see how they do in your environment. Some may thrive, others may crash and burn -- it's better to find out with one or two over a substantial investment in many. Then you can settle on the best breed for your environment to WORK with and keep the 'guilty pleasure' chickens in a layer flock. After all, you're not going to be eating the eggs you're planning to hatch!

For example, I love the top hat (crested) breeds but with two exceptions thus far, they just don't do well for me. When the breeders aren't set up in pens, I free range ALL of my chickens on 10+ acres of woodland and pasture. We have LGD and perimeter fencing, but we still occasionally lose one or two to predators -- and it's always the cresties. I could keep them penned 24/7 but that's not how I want to raise my chickens.

Laingcroft, one certainly can. One can, indeed, do many things, but paths end in destinations. There is an infrastructural recipe that leads to powerful success when one's intention is to breed (not simply reproduce) but breed, seeing definite yearly improvement in specific areas. Certainly, as long as it does not detract from the truth of your infrastructural needs, having a grab bag laying flock "just for pretty" won't overly interfere with breeding goals, although it does add to expense and work load. I know one excellent breeder that does, indeed, keep a flock of pretty whatevers just to see on occasion.

However, it also depends on the goals. Bob refers to chicken collectors. The work of chicken collecting is of very little consequence for the good of the fowl collected. It is a dead end. In his work "Creative Poultry Breeding", Dr. Carefoot rights, " The future of quality stock is to breed aggressively with the intention of improvement. If every breed has but a handful of breeders competing fiercely, quality would most certainly improve dramatically. Consequently the urge to collect breeds of poultry, as some collect postage stamps, does little to improve the breeds kept. In the opinion of the author the fancier wishing to keep rare breeds alive would be more effective if he concentrated mainly on one or two breeds, hatched and reared plenty..." (190). No one is arguing that one can't keep a trio of 8 different breeds, but it will lead to very little. It will advance not the birds nor the keeper. Years later one will generally know what one knew at the beginning. One might be better skilled at dealing with mites and lice and other environmental hazards that will visit a yard regardless of the number of breeds kept, but one will have little to no extensive experiential knowledge of breeding for meat or for eggs, for form or for color. One will know nothing of all of the variables that go into breeding and know even less about the variables that come out of breeding. One will have practically zero idea of what is possible with concentration and steadfast discipline.

One learns to understand other poultry by understanding one's own. The knowledge of one or two breeds, ever deepening through unwavering commitment, will give you the skill set needed to understand the other breeds you see at the show. The actual hands-on knowledge of breeding for productivity will lead you to see the structural strengths and faults of every breed you encounter. The studying of specific standards and the long-term application of those standards in a permanent breeding program will guide you in grasping the effects of other standards on their respective breeds.

On can keep a few of this and a few of that, but one will move in a circle like the dog chasing the tail. After a long walk one will arrive back at the beginning. Then one will be frustrated or bored and move on to something new. This is a scenario some on here have seen time and again. Every year I meet people who are going to change the chicken world. They tell me what they're going to do. They're all excited. They're clueless. I try to gently suggest this or that, but "oh, no" they have it all figured out, and I never see them again. On the other hand, if one begins with the proper gear and provisions, if one follows the map and does not deviate from the course, if one does not continue to change path every so often because on an underdeveloped ability to control attention span, if one isn't tempted left and right by the next new thing that sparkles, if one submits to the authority of a mentor, if one associates with like minded peers, if one accepts the difficult with the leisurely, one can arrive at a great vantage point and appreciate the wealth of knowledge and experience that comes with that. This experience is in many ways what the "Heritage Poultry" thread, and the "Old and Rare" thread, and the "Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry" thread is about. One does not restore and advance the science and art of heritage poultry by collecting chickens; rather, the transformation is first in the keeper who, by conforming to the way of the masters who have gone before and by becoming a true breeder of standard-bred poultry, brings breeds toward perfection one or two at a time, renewing the art for a new generation.

 

[Fred's Hens]

We honor Robert Blosi and his immense contribution to the love of poultry. In many ways, this thread is a kind of book, written by Bob along with all those who contributed to its content.

Thank you, Bob. You used to say, "When I'm gone to that great chicken show in the sky, no one will be able to say he took his secrets with him. I've shared them with all of you."

Yes you did Bob. Yes you did.




link to new thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/849075/heritage-large-fowl-thread-phase-ii/0_100

 

[Fred's Hens]

One final thought.

Since the poultry genetics corporations have developed the super fast maturing broilers and super fast maturing, high laying commercial layers, the older breeds, particularly the older dual purpose, so called, breeds have taken a pounding and in some cases were virtually abandoned and have been so rare that they almost were extinct.

Perserving these rare old blood lines and keeping them "up to Standard" is a passion and hobby of many folks here. Others preserve these old blood lines for purposes of competitive poultry showing, another great passion and hobby. Without these folks keeping these old birds alive and sharing with others the joys of owning them, they'd have disappeared. The world would be left with only commercial broilers on one hand and hyper layers on the other. Those are the birds that the meat and egg industry is interested in, not the old birds.

Would we really want a world with only commercial birds? I personally would not, which is why I keep heritage, standard bred birds and share the joys of them with others who are interested in them. As an American, our heritage involves the breeds first developed here. The APA's American Class. It is indeed a part of our American agricultural heritage.

 

[sgribble]

Just think if we all helped each other just half as much as Bob helped others how much better this world would be.

 

[Ducktang]

If you go to the ALBC website and look in the download section,
http://www.albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/chickens.html
you will see the method I use. Here is a synopsis on how I do it. This is an excerpt from my article I wrote for the Plymouth Rock Club Newsletter:

To summarize I acquired stock from two breeders. During the time I acquired my Barred
Rocks, I was simultaneously involved in a breed recovery program with the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) involving the Buckeyes. I felt
that at the most I could manage two breeds and still hatch enough to raise to be
able to maintain a breeding flock for both. The reason I mention this is that
the ALBC has an assessment program for the Buckeyes that is very instrumental in
the culling process of any breed. Anyone can go to their website and download
the forms for use. I use that program as a basis for criteria that I look for
in my stock.
During the growing out process, you should keep your eye out for weak, deformed
and unthrifty chicks. Cull those as soon as you can, you are wanting the best
right now. I try to hatch in blocks of 20 and grow them all out together,
separating the pullets at about 8 wks. At 16 weeks I do my complete assessment
of each bird I raise. First item I do is to weigh the bird and record its
weight on my assessment sheet. I usually assess pullets first since they are
generally smaller than the cockerals. I cannot hold a bird and tell how much it
weighs, so I use put the bird in a plastic bucket sitting on a digital scale.
I then look at the head and see how large it is. Generally the heavier birds
have larger skulls meaning larger bones and an indicator of high vitality. I
then measure the heart girth, width and length of back and record those
measurements on my assessment sheet. I then take notice of how much fleshing of
breast and thighs the bird has. After all, these birds should have some meat on
those bones, at 16 wks they should be good eating size and you don't want all
bones. I like to involve anyone wanting to learn this assessment process help
me record the figures on the assessment sheet.
I then look at other aspects of the bird like shank size/color, points on comb and
pelvic/keel measurements. Lastly, I look at the barring on the feathers. I
rate the barring on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. I look at the saddle,
hackle, breast, primary and tail feathers grading each one on my sheet. If no
major defects are noted and the bird passes my benchmarks, I then tag it in a
manner that I can look at the bird in the pen walking around so I can observe
their behavior for future remarks.
This process has allowed me to select my birds in a manner that is standardized
and fair. It also allows me to immediately know which ones are the runts and do
not have good rates of growth and are culls. Several breeders I speak with also
emphasize that concentrating on the type, or shape, is priority. You can work
on color and patterns later, but that does no good if you don't have the correct
shape.
I evaluate my assessment sheet and I pick out the top 10% of each sex to band
and separate for further observation. I use weight and fleshing as the primary
criteria, and then follow there scores down in order of there evaluation. I
have found that those birds are going to be the best breeders in most scenarios.
I set my breeding pens up based on the fault I am trying to fix. The Barred
Rocks I acquired were leaps and bounds better than
any other stock I had seen, but still needed some refinement. I wanted to put
the color and fleshing on the other stock's size and rate of growth. After my
assessment the first year, I kept 1 male and 3 females from each family, keeping
the best of the best. I called one family W and the other family G based upon
who I got the original stock from. I crossed the two lines putting the male
from one family over the females of the other family. I called those "pens" G
line and W line and those names followed the females. I am sure there is a
better way to label your breeding pens, but that worked for me and you should do
what is easiest for you to remember. Keeping good records also helps to remind
you. This mating resulted in progeny of 50/50 GW. I hatched 190 chicks, as
many as I could stand, that year stirring up the gene pool greatly. This is
good and bad. First it brings every fault and good point to the surface, giving
the breeder ample opportunity to make the right choice for keepers. I saw
progeny that year every shape and size you can imagine. I will say, it made the
culling process fairly easy. If you put a bird on the scale and it weighs 1.5
lbs less than it should, you can immediately put that one in the cull pen, there
was 20 more behind it to pick from. Even if it had perfect color, its rate of
growth does not allow it to be indicative of the breed. It also allowed me the
opportunity to hold a really good bird and a really bad bird side by side, which
gave me the hands on feel of both. This tuned my senses tremendously.
The next year, I had available hens, pullets, cockerals
and roosters. This is when I cross the sons over the mothers and fathers over
daughters of both lines resulting in four breeding pens. My goal for that year
is to hatch at least 10 chicks from each of my best hens. I will then did my
selection process on these new birds and then consider all breeding stock on
there own merits. For subsequent years onward, I will mate young to old and set
up families rotating males on each family of hens. My mentor Don Shrider said
it best, "Remember, culling and selection are much more important than exactly
how the birds are mated."
Before you start breeding, you need to determine your goals for breeding. My
goal was to have good rates of growth with well fleshed birds. My secondary
goal was to get the type correct and then the coloring right. I have found that
when you get the first right, the second and third will follow. That is why I
weigh and handle my birds. I like to study photos of the birds in magazines,
internet or from shows. I also like looking in older poultry magazines for ads
of EB Thompson and other famous breeders of days gone by. I make stencils of
the profiles from these photos and paint them on the walls in the pens so I can
have side by side visuals.
I cannot say enough about how important it is to find a mentor, join a club and
read as much as you can about this subject. I would like to thank all those who
have helped me go from raising mongrels to thoroughbred stock.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear.

Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then?

Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening.

Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Wow, what a thread!
I think there are 4 things going on here in his thread. 1st and 2nd are different schools of thought needed to breed mammals and poultry. Tho both fields are husbandry, the rules for each are only generally similar. The specific sub-rules needed for success are different in each case. The sub-rules of breeding for success in mammals do not translate into the poultry world because of poultry's wider genetic base and plethora of sex-linked genes.
3rd and 4th is the subtle , but complete, dichotomy between classic animal breeding and the "biodiversity movement".
Let's look at 1 and 2 first and how they affect 3 and 4.
In the mammal world, there tend not to be as many sex-linked genes. In Mammals, the laws of inheritance produce creatures which appear with closer genetic rigidity to the forms of their parents. Because of this, the rules for maintaining genetic diversity are more closely adhered to. We see stronger admonitions to "breed 3 generations in, then out-cross"., etc. And other genetic rules based in science or tradition which help prevent " inbreeding depression" in the mammal world. We see strong admonitions to always be wary to maintain genetic diversity to a point which constantly avoids inbreeding depressions' effects.
Yet, because the laws of inheritance produce creatures which appear with closer genetic rigidity to the forms of their parents, we also see counsel to found strains from disparate sources so we have the genetic "maneuvering room" to select for the particular traits/type we wish to see in our new strain before the laws of inheritance restrict our biodiversity to the point we need to out-cross. The lack of a plethora of sex-linked genes makes this necessary.
Enter, the poultry world. Where sex-linked genes are king and color is an integral part of breed type. Because sex-linked genes exist not only in structural phenotype, but in the plumage as well, we see a creature which has much more aptitude for genetic variation than the mammal. Now the rules have changed. At least the sub-rules have changed. Variation is not longer sought as a friend in building type by setting type. Variation in poultry is managed as a detriment to proper breed type. Necessary and a threat at the same time. This is why we see counsel from veteran breeders to start out with birds from a vintage line-bred strain and work within that strain to create the bird which both adheres to the SOP and delights the singular vision of that breeder's artists' eye.
Unlike the mammal breeder, we are counseled not to strain-cross to found flocks because of the exponential increase in genetic variation which results. Sufficient unto the strain is the variation therein. If more variation is ever needed, strain-crossing should be done to a closely related stock of the same breed which was founded in the same gene pool as the flock needing the strain-cross. ( No, I am not addressing the rare case where a breed is in such critical need that a cross-breeding to another breed is needed. That situation is so rare, that it is not a viable argument on which to build general counsel. It is an aberration needing wisdom and guidance from veteran breeders. )
Ok so how do our 3d and 4th aspects of this discussion effect outcome in our breeding programs? For decades now, there has been a movement advocating biodiversity, based mainly (in my opinion) on a fear humans are impacting the lifeforms on this world faster than their natural ability to evolve and adapt to these changes( however the biodiversity advocates tend to describe "the changes"). The idea is that we should found our groups of breeding animals on as wide a genetic base as possible and keep in-breeding to minimum so the creatures will be as robust, healthy, and able to work as possible. All selection is done with robust health and ability to work as the premier goals. Breed type is unimportant except as regards the general appearance of the breed. Specific "points" of the breed are ignored , except as they are needed to produce robust health and ability to work. The creatures do meet the general phenotypes for their breed.
To the classic animal breeder, this is a beguiling movement. Especially if the breeder is engaged in wanting to preserve a threatened breed. Let's take a closer look at how biodiversity and classic animal breeding don't mix. Don't and never will. They are like oil and water to each other. On the surface they appear to work well together when one shakes the general ideas together. But in practice they stand apart from each other. Each of their central counsels so fundamentally different that the two cannot long coexist in a breeding program (especially in the poultry world).
Why? What are "biodiversity advocates breeding? They are breeding "Land-races". Groups of animals allied by general breed type only , robustness and ability to work, but not (this is all important) by specific points of the breed ( such as color).
What are classic animal breeders breeding? "Specialized animals" defined by the specialized points of their breeds for a specific purpose which includes selecting for health and utility.
If one approaches a biodiversity advocate about incorporating their ideas into a classic animal breeding program, it will not be long before the two parties come to an unconquerable divide over the need for special points in a breed. In the case of the classic animal breeder, these points of the breed are inexorably linked to the proper functioning of the creature (esp. in poultry). To the biodiversity advocate, these specialized points of the breed are an impediment to the successful creation of the creature because they are not strictly allied with health and ability to perform.
Ok, so how do we put all these ideas back together again in this conversation?
Yes, we must have genetic diversity for genetic progress. That statement has merit on its face. However, it stops being true when we move from classic animal breeding into the realm of the biodiversity movement because they and we have different goals. We cannot mix the two fields of thought and expect success.
Again, it is mentioned that out-crossing or cross-breeding is a viable option when diversity is needed. Yet we see in poultry, (as opposed to mammals) a wider genetic base and the plethora of sex-linked genes allows us to choose either a back-cross in our own strain or a loosely aligned relative who was line-bred from the same gene pool as our stock. In poultry, this could even be a bird from the same strain as ours, raised for over 7 years and at least 500 miles away.
In conclusion, we can make all kinds of statements about breeding programs, essentials of genetics, and biodiversity. Yes, we must never forget our basic parameters for breeding are classic animal breeding in the poultry world. When we begin to add in counsels from other realms and philosophies, we shift our basic parameters so they are out of sync with our goals and techniques. That bodes a sincere threat to our success.
Best Success,
Karen Tewart