Breda Fowl thread

[Sylvester017]

@critterbug Imports are not likely. GFF is the one that spends the bucks for importing rare breeds and they may not think there's enough interest to import a new line of BBS. After all, it's business first and if there isn't the breeders willing to fork over $100 per GFF chick then it's not worth it to GFF to do so. As it is they are having slow luck getting the rare Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners to breed healthy chicks for sale. It's what happens when there's not enough diversity in the breeding pool.

Some ideas I've discussed with breeders/owners to get a hardier BBS is to cross with outside breeds -- some outside breeds discussed were Crevecoeurs, Egyptian Fayoumi (for the disease resistance genetics), La Fleche, and some others I can't remember. I think Fayoumi and LaFleche lay white eggs so there won't be a problem crossisng a brown layer with a white layer. All interesting possibilities and with time through breeding back to regain Breda body type maybe this gorgeous wonderful breed can be saved. Breda are just too super not to save -- good looks, good temperament, non-combative, good flockmates, people-friendly, docile sweet birds with good egg production (at least mine have been). It's true the BBS are a bit on the smallish side compared to the Cuckoo Breda -- my Blue Breda hen consistently layed 1.75-oz eggs but my Cuckoo Breda who has a very nice body type and is taller, she lays 2 to 2.25-oz eggs and once a 2.5-oz. At over 2 yrs old she lays those big eggs 3x/week -- that's better than our 11/2 -yr Cuckoo Marans ever did at only 2x/week!

GL! with your project. I get so excited hearing about genetic improvements for this wonderful bird!

 

[DellaNTuff]

Have you looked into importing? I'd be rather interested in hearing what you know about it and the cost / process.

I have googled quite a bit but have found very little detailed information other than its a lot of paperwork but possible lol.

 

[Sylvester017]

Don't quote me on this but I think it costs around $10K to import a new breed into the USA. I don't know if that entails fees from the exporting country as well as fees at the USA border or if its agricultural fees or what? but it is very costly which is why GFF charges upwards of $50 to $100 per chick once they get their imported stock bred and hatched to make up the expense they put out to import rare fancy poultry. The US Agricultural people have been very import-restrictive to protect US poultry industries. What's funny about that is that disease outbreaks happen in poultry businesses first and not in backyard flocks. Go figure? A lot of Asian countries have flocks of AI-infected migrating fowl yet none of the backyard chicken keepers in those flight paths ever had an AI outbreak. Makes you wonder what the industrial poultry businesses are doing to make their crowded birds so susceptible to every little disease that hits them. They can blame and restrict backyarders all they want but it seems the poultry industries get started first with the outbreaks!

 

[rooster 2011]

Downsizing my Breda fowl flock have tons of grown Breda fowl hens for sale and roosters let me know if anyone’s interested

 

[Sylvester017]

Downsizing my Breda fowl flock have tons of grown Breda fowl hens for sale and roosters let me know if anyone’s interested

LA State hasn't restricted transport of birds yet? My vet said there were 3 cases of Newcastles reported in our San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles County) and advised not to import any new birds onto the property until the problem subsides. In fact, a couple of chicken breeder websites said they stopped shipping birds as far back as May this year because of reported Newcastles outbreaks. Last couple years it was the AI scare and now Newcastles has reared its ugly head THIS year!

How has the health been with your Breda in general? BBS seem to be fragile. Cuckoo and Mottled varieties seem to be the hardiest Breda. I've lost all my 4 Blue females for various health issues and only had one surviving Bluie cockerel which I had to re-home because we aren't zoned for roos. His new owner says he's their favorite roo on the farm and has become their indoor/outdoor pet chicken!!!!!

How did you happen to have Breda? What variety are your flock? I absolutely LOVE this breed's looks and temperament, and waiting on a particular breeder who is working a project to improve genetics for disease resistance on this rare, gorgeous, and decent-laying breed.

 

[rooster 2011]

LA State hasn't restricted transport of birds yet? My vet said there were 3 cases of Newcastles reported in our San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles County) and advised not to import any new birds onto the property until the problem subsides. In fact, a couple of chicken breeder websites said they stopped shipping birds as far back as May this year because of reported Newcastles outbreaks. Last couple years it was the AI scare and now Newcastles has reared its ugly head THIS year!

How has the health been with your Breda in general? BBS seem to be fragile. Cuckoo and Mottled varieties seem to be the hardiest Breda. I've lost all my 4 Blue females for various health issues and only had one surviving Bluie cockerel which I had to re-home because we aren't zoned for roos. His new owner says he's their favorite roo on the farm and has become their indoor/outdoor pet chicken!!!!!

How did you happen to have Breda? What variety are your flock? I absolutely LOVE this breed's looks and temperament, and waiting on a particular breeder who is working a project to improve genetics for disease resistance on this rare, gorgeous, and decent-laying breed.

My bbs stock came from shamrock farms and my cuckoo and mottled was from Dutch connection and no luckily they haven’t had any shipping restrictions here I ship to a good many states pretty regularly tho cause I also raise gamefowl and people buy them often however I don’t sell as much of my breda fowl I guess cause not many people know about them as other breeds

 

[Sylvester017]

My bbs stock came from shamrock farms and my cuckoo and mottled was from Dutch connection and no luckily they haven’t had any shipping restrictions here I ship to a good many states pretty regularly tho cause I also raise gamefowl and people buy them often however I don’t sell as much of my breda fowl I guess cause not many people know about them as other breeds

My Cuckoo girl was bred from Dutch Connection parent stock and she's a hardy girl so far. I've seen Shamrock Farms info before but aren't they located in Canada? I suppose there are border restrictions for shipping nowadays compared to a few years back?l I'm so bummed losing all my Blue girls from various health issues and looking forward to my breeder improving BBS hardiness!! These birds are so amazing -- decent layers, beautiful colors, gorgeous unique body type, and great temperaments. And people just don't know about them. But once you've had them, there's nothing else like them out there in the chicken world! Just happen to be one of my favorites!

 

[GaryDean26]

I wanted to breed my 4 year old blue Breda hen next spring. We lost her two Splash sisters in the spring to predator attacks but they weren't breeding quality. Our Blue Hen was about the best one we had seen in our 6-7 years with the breed (although we only grew out about 15 a year). We lots her to the heat two months ago so we are now Bredaless. I am very tempted to pick up another blue breda hen but won't be ready for anything until the spring. Our line probably didn't have any living stock that were closer than 5 years removed from ours so we felt that keeping out line going would preserve a part of the breed that would help with its hardiness in the USA. I am not sure if I have it in me to start another strain after losing one that had been with use for 6-7 years.

 

[Sylvester017]

@GaryDean26 -- I know how easy it is to get discouraged. So I wanted you to know: Because of your kindness in answering my early questions about Breda and sharing even seemingly insignificant things about your Breda to me gave me the incentive to finally find a couple of breeders who had the gorgeous BBS "Blues" and it was by chance a breeder was in my own State. Because of the time you took to answer my novice questions, I got my first Blue Breda almost 6 years ago and we were "hooked" -- there just wasn't much info out there about this fabulous breed and you were so kind to share your Breda knowledge with me!

Our first Blue girl was a dynamo layer -- 10+ months starting as a pullet. She was too good a layer and I think she might've died from reproductive issues very suddenly. She was such a lovely girl with a fabulous temperament and had personality PLUS! Then we ordered another Blue pullet from a different breeder and were sent a cockerel by mistake which we had to re-home. But he's on our friend's rescue farm and the family has him as their indoor/outdoor pet chicken because he is so great!

Next I obtained a Cuckoo Breda from the same Breda breeder I obtained my very first Breda pullet and our Cuckoo hen is still with us today. Then I ordered two new Blue Breda pullets again from yet another different Breda breeder but there was low resistance in the chicks and they died before POL - gorgeous lovely friendly youngsters. But so fragile! That breeder is working to improve the hardiness in the BBS because they love the breed as much as I do (in fact, once you talk with someone who's had this great bird they adore them!). My Breda breeder has customers that come to pick up their bird orders and invariably will go home with a couple Breda too once they see them on the property! These Breda are so enchanting -- their looks, their grace, their docile temperament, just can't say enough about them not to mention they've been fairly decent layers for us too.

This breed is now in Blk/Wht Mottled and I spoke with one breeder who said they had some rare Blue/Wht Mottled but at the time I was only interested in the BBS Blue. I can hardly wait for the breeder working on improving hardiness in the BBS so I can once again add a healthy Blue to my little flock. Visitors are so awestruck when they see our unique and regal Breda hen!

 

[GaryDean26]

@Sylverster017 I am always happy to share what I have learned with others. I agree with you on all accounts with this breed. Once people see them they are hooked. I am going to have to get some more BBS pullets in the spring.