MrFarmboy1888
Chirping
- Aug 27, 2023
- 14
- 37
- 56
Hi yall. Are any of yall helping save great ultra rare breeds from extinction? What types?
I am a chicken fan of my whole life and have had many breeds.
But, saving sustainable great rare breeds from extinction, and helping to promote them is a very needed thing that i am enthusiatic about.
Of the 100 +- breeds i have had over my 30+ years of raising chickens since i was a child, here are some of the most amazing and very rare breeds:
1) Kraienkoppe. Probably my very most favorite breed now. One of the most rare breeds in the USA, almost unheard of, very near extinction, an old Dutch homesteader survival breed from back in the middle ages, one of the most disease resistant breeds in existance, very unusually cold hardy and heat hardy, surviving heat and cold extremes that would kill most modern breeds. Agile, flies well, a great forager and survivor, thrifty if allowed to forage, eats a bit less than modern breeds, very dependably broody, setting multiple times a year if allowed, excellent mothers, a mid size breed that matures fairly quickly for decent meat production(for an ancient breed), roosters weigh 6 lbs, hens 4 lbs, somewhat slender Game appearance, also, considering its type, it has decent egg production of medium size cream colored eggs. Also unique is that these birds in my experience consistently hatch a day or two earlier than all of my other chicken breeds, hatching on day 19 or 20!!! Picture attached.
2) Icelandic. Another ancient homestead breed, brought to Iceland by the Vikings around 900ad, and survived in Iceland as the only breed of chicken for 1,000 years. The modern chicken industry, and crossbreeding, has also brought this breed near extinction, but it is making a comeback among homesteaders in Iceland and the USA and Canada. Body type is similar to a Black Australorp or something, but a bit smaller, roosters around 7 lbs, hens, 5 lbs. Decent foragers, very dependable setters and mothers, a great Homestead breed, matures fairly quickly for decent meat production(for an ancient breed), also lays quite decently, a tad more eggs than Kraienkoppe. Also unusually heat and cold hardy, surviving extremes that killed many other breeds at Sand Hill Preservation in Iowa.
A unique breed with an interesting history.
3) I have recently gotten smaller numbers of a few other super neat rare breeds well worth maintaining, from Sand Hill, including Standard Muffed Old English Game, Cubalayas, and a few young Buttercups that i do not intend to keep.
I am downsizing and may eventually move out of the country or travel more so may not be able to keep them all forever, sadly, but would love to share and help promote them..., if you are in Kansas area, let me know id love to help any enthusiast get a start for preservation efforts.
Take care!!
I am a chicken fan of my whole life and have had many breeds.
But, saving sustainable great rare breeds from extinction, and helping to promote them is a very needed thing that i am enthusiatic about.
Of the 100 +- breeds i have had over my 30+ years of raising chickens since i was a child, here are some of the most amazing and very rare breeds:
1) Kraienkoppe. Probably my very most favorite breed now. One of the most rare breeds in the USA, almost unheard of, very near extinction, an old Dutch homesteader survival breed from back in the middle ages, one of the most disease resistant breeds in existance, very unusually cold hardy and heat hardy, surviving heat and cold extremes that would kill most modern breeds. Agile, flies well, a great forager and survivor, thrifty if allowed to forage, eats a bit less than modern breeds, very dependably broody, setting multiple times a year if allowed, excellent mothers, a mid size breed that matures fairly quickly for decent meat production(for an ancient breed), roosters weigh 6 lbs, hens 4 lbs, somewhat slender Game appearance, also, considering its type, it has decent egg production of medium size cream colored eggs. Also unique is that these birds in my experience consistently hatch a day or two earlier than all of my other chicken breeds, hatching on day 19 or 20!!! Picture attached.
2) Icelandic. Another ancient homestead breed, brought to Iceland by the Vikings around 900ad, and survived in Iceland as the only breed of chicken for 1,000 years. The modern chicken industry, and crossbreeding, has also brought this breed near extinction, but it is making a comeback among homesteaders in Iceland and the USA and Canada. Body type is similar to a Black Australorp or something, but a bit smaller, roosters around 7 lbs, hens, 5 lbs. Decent foragers, very dependable setters and mothers, a great Homestead breed, matures fairly quickly for decent meat production(for an ancient breed), also lays quite decently, a tad more eggs than Kraienkoppe. Also unusually heat and cold hardy, surviving extremes that killed many other breeds at Sand Hill Preservation in Iowa.
A unique breed with an interesting history.
3) I have recently gotten smaller numbers of a few other super neat rare breeds well worth maintaining, from Sand Hill, including Standard Muffed Old English Game, Cubalayas, and a few young Buttercups that i do not intend to keep.
I am downsizing and may eventually move out of the country or travel more so may not be able to keep them all forever, sadly, but would love to share and help promote them..., if you are in Kansas area, let me know id love to help any enthusiast get a start for preservation efforts.
Take care!!
