Chat room for non religious poultry keepers! :D

[miss heny]

AGB have like I said maybe 100 breeders in the US, and are still gamey so that does impact how to they will be raised.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Love OEGBs, even if they are game in name only.

What does ABG stand for?




Glad it's not like that here, although the wind and is pretty ridiculous right now. I ran out to check on the birds just a bit ago and it felt like someone was running alongside me with a sprinkler spraying at me the whole time.




Breaks my heart. Had I all the space in the world, I'd love to preserve more heritage type breeds as well. My focus ( / obsession ) is silkie-feathered mutants and that's what I want to preserve the most, but I also love so many heritage breeds and wish there was more interest in them and less in fad import breeds, hybrids, and 'making my own breed' barnyard mixes that don't go anywhere. I can see the importance in preserving import breeds and I love several of them as well, but it seems a new one comes along every few years and then the last is dropped like a rock, meaning it dies out as well. It's a shame. I really don't think many realize how absolutely spectacular a properly heritage-bred Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire, Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red, etc. is when compared to a hatchery specimen, even those hatcheries claiming to provide 'heritage-bred' versions of those breeds. Seeing good quality birds of those breeds in show is absolutely awe-inspiring, even almost breathtaking to me. But they're just the boring old breeds that everyone has, whereas fad breeds and hybrids, those are new and shiny!

Anyway, mini-rant over I guess. Which breeds are you referring to that are extinct or close to it?

We went through 3 large bags of ice melt, but yet still have ice.

 

[miss heny]

Welp we ordered ourself welsummers and black ameruacanas (I will forever butcher that name) from cackle for a layer flock program. If we like them both will end up investing in higher quality birds over time.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

American Game Bantam.

I do have my "accidentally" barnyard project that I'm keeping for funsies but not planning to sell as a breed.

Pycheons and Kraienkoppe. Rusty (Pycheons) hasn't been seen or heard of for a long time and he was up there in years. Kraienkoppe I am friends with the person who was working on them but because he had to move etc had to stop, he still wants to do it and has the set up just needs the time. Sandhill have both gold and silver stock but I don't know the quality. I have one of the last few F1 one hens from my friend on the property and she pushing ten years old.

And yeah, I do love some of the "fad" breeds but the APA and ABA standard breeds are in many ways endangered because of people chasing the money.

Ah, I wondered if that was what you meant! Have you seen the thread where someone is trying to recreate them, I believe from junglefowl? It's not a very active thread, but the birds are beautiful!

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mixing breeds just for the fun of it--I have several birds from doing that myself, and as I mentioned a while back I intend to hatch more mixes with my naked neck bantam. But they're mixes, not a new breed, not until they're uniform and breed true. What I'm more referring to, however, is those who put their whole focus into creating a 'new breed', sometimes so similar to something that already exists that they may as well use that energy to actually preserve that existing breed. The majority of the time then the 'romance' of making one's own breed meets the reality of how much work that actually takes, and the project is dropped, wasting all that time and energy that's been put into it. It's great to have a passion project, just, I don't know, don't make big claims about it only to decide it's too much effort and quit a year or two down the line when it doesn't pan out within only a few generations of breeding.

I've heard of both of those breeds, though admittedly only in passing with the Kraeinkoppes and I'm not terribly familiar with them. I've seen mixed reviews on the quality from Sandhill. My Dorkings from them were nice enough, at least the standardized varieties (I was not a fan of the non-standard 'Dark Gray Dorkings' I received because the Colored Dorkings I had ordered didn't hatch well that week), but I've seen some Sandhill birds that are almost unrecognizable as the breed they're claimed to be. I guess it's a gamble.

I'm still so bitter I never got the chance to get Partridge Barthuhners before they all but disappeared as the limelight moved on to the next thing. Loved the look of those birds. I agree, though, there are too many APA standardized breeds that need some of that love, too. I can't very well claim I'm much better than anyone else in that respect, being that my breed of focus is silkied Cochin bantams. But I didn't get into them to chase a fad or anything; I've been absolutely head over heels for them for years, all the while thinking they may be in the process of vanishing like the Barthuhners, and now that I've gotten a good stock of them here I want to make sure they're properly preserved and well-bred. I hope to put up a barn some day where I'd have room to preserve more breeds than just them, but for the time being I have scattered coops with limited space, and I just adore my silkied Cochins.

We went through 3 large bags of ice melt, but yet still have ice.

How cold is it there? Ice melt can only work down to certain temperatures below freezing, and some kinds work better than others.

Welp we ordered ourself welsummers and black ameruacanas (I will forever butcher that name) from cackle for a layer flock program. If we like them both will end up investing in higher quality birds over time.

Ameraucana. It is kinda tricky, though, and you have hatcheries throwing all their random misspellings of the breed in on top of that, so it's easy to get confused with it. Good luck with your birds! I love Ams, though it's another breed I haven't really had much of a chance to own beyond one Blue hen years ago.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Ah, I wondered if that was what you meant! Have you seen the thread where someone is trying to recreate them, I believe from junglefowl? It's not a very active thread, but the birds are beautiful!

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mixing breeds just for the fun of it--I have several birds from doing that myself, and as I mentioned a while back I intend to hatch more mixes with my naked neck bantam. But they're mixes, not a new breed, not until they're uniform and breed true. What I'm more referring to, however, is those who put their whole focus into creating a 'new breed', sometimes so similar to something that already exists that they may as well use that energy to actually preserve that existing breed. The majority of the time then the 'romance' of making one's own breed meets the reality of how much work that actually takes, and the project is dropped, wasting all that time and energy that's been put into it. It's great to have a passion project, just, I don't know, don't make big claims about it only to decide it's too much effort and quit a year or two down the line when it doesn't pan out within only a few generations of breeding.

I've heard of both of those breeds, though admittedly only in passing with the Kraeinkoppes and I'm not terribly familiar with them. I've seen mixed reviews on the quality from Sandhill. My Dorkings from them were nice enough, at least the standardized varieties (I was not a fan of the non-standard 'Dark Gray Dorkings' I received because the Colored Dorkings I had ordered didn't hatch well that week), but I've seen some Sandhill birds that are almost unrecognizable as the breed they're claimed to be. I guess it's a gamble.

I'm still so bitter I never got the chance to get Partridge Barthuhners before they all but disappeared as the limelight moved on to the next thing. Loved the look of those birds. I agree, though, there are too many APA standardized breeds that need some of that love, too. I can't very well claim I'm much better than anyone else in that respect, being that my breed of focus is silkied Cochin bantams. But I didn't get into them to chase a fad or anything; I've been absolutely head over heels for them for years, all the while thinking they may be in the process of vanishing like the Barthuhners, and now that I've gotten a good stock of them here I want to make sure they're properly preserved and well-bred. I hope to put up a barn some day where I'd have room to preserve more breeds than just them, but for the time being I have scattered coops with limited space, and I just adore my silkied Cochins.





How cold is it there? Ice melt can only work down to certain temperatures below freezing, and some kinds work better than others.





Ameraucana. It is kinda tricky, though, and you have hatcheries throwing all their random misspellings of the breed in on top of that, so it's easy to get confused with it. Good luck with your birds! I love Ams, though it's another breed I haven't really had much of a chance to own beyond one Blue hen years ago.

The ice melt is good down below zero.
We were above freezing, but also had freezing rain today.

 

[miss heny]

Ah, I wondered if that was what you meant! Have you seen the thread where someone is trying to recreate them, I believe from junglefowl? It's not a very active thread, but the birds are beautiful!

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mixing breeds just for the fun of it--I have several birds from doing that myself, and as I mentioned a while back I intend to hatch more mixes with my naked neck bantam. But they're mixes, not a new breed, not until they're uniform and breed true. What I'm more referring to, however, is those who put their whole focus into creating a 'new breed', sometimes so similar to something that already exists that they may as well use that energy to actually preserve that existing breed. The majority of the time then the 'romance' of making one's own breed meets the reality of how much work that actually takes, and the project is dropped, wasting all that time and energy that's been put into it. It's great to have a passion project, just, I don't know, don't make big claims about it only to decide it's too much effort and quit a year or two down the line when it doesn't pan out within only a few generations of breeding.

I've heard of both of those breeds, though admittedly only in passing with the Kraeinkoppes and I'm not terribly familiar with them. I've seen mixed reviews on the quality from Sandhill. My Dorkings from them were nice enough, at least the standardized varieties (I was not a fan of the non-standard 'Dark Gray Dorkings' I received because the Colored Dorkings I had ordered didn't hatch well that week), but I've seen some Sandhill birds that are almost unrecognizable as the breed they're claimed to be. I guess it's a gamble.

I'm still so bitter I never got the chance to get Partridge Barthuhners before they all but disappeared as the limelight moved on to the next thing. Loved the look of those birds. I agree, though, there are too many APA standardized breeds that need some of that love, too. I can't very well claim I'm much better than anyone else in that respect, being that my breed of focus is silkied Cochin bantams. But I didn't get into them to chase a fad or anything; I've been absolutely head over heels for them for years, all the while thinking they may be in the process of vanishing like the Barthuhners, and now that I've gotten a good stock of them here I want to make sure they're properly preserved and well-bred. I hope to put up a barn some day where I'd have room to preserve more breeds than just them, but for the time being I have scattered coops with limited space, and I just adore my silkied Cochins.





How cold is it there? Ice melt can only work down to certain temperatures below freezing, and some kinds work better than others.





Ameraucana. It is kinda tricky, though, and you have hatcheries throwing all their random misspellings of the breed in on top of that, so it's easy to get confused with it. Good luck with your birds! I love Ams, though it's another breed I haven't really had much of a chance to own beyond one Blue hen years ago.

Yeah we made sure it was their purebred ones not the easter eggers.

And yeah, my group is starting to sorta self breed to their own standard but I got 0 plans of ever going "Lets get them into the APA!". They just my fun yard birds I enjoy watching and meddling with on occasion


Yeah, tbh Kraienkoppe stock in general is nothing like their German counter parts anymore. To get them closer to body type crossing with a poor quality Malay is required then heavy culling. It's 100% a long term project that need multiple farms working together on.


Yeah, I found some folks who have them and show I'm keeping contact with. AGB are different than miniature pit fowl, latter are typically bantam versions of the gamefowl bloodlines.

And I seen your silkie cochins, any plan to try to get that subtype reccognized? I remember for a long time they were working on it with the Showgirls idk if it got far.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Will be continuing my Giant Silkie Project this spring. Next F1 cross is gonna be Silkie X Malay.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The ice melt is good down below zero.
We were above freezing, but also had freezing rain today.

Gross. Glad we didn't get that here. I do not envy your weather at all up there!

Yeah we made sure it was their purebred ones not the easter eggers.

And yeah, my group is starting to sorta self breed to their own standard but I got 0 plans of ever going "Lets get them into the APA!". They just my fun yard birds I enjoy watching and meddling with on occasion

And I seen your silkie cochins, any plan to try to get that subtype reccognized? I remember for a long time they were working on it with the Showgirls idk if it got far.

Yeah, Cackle is one of the hand full of hatcheries that has true Ameraucanas. I know Meyer does as well, and I think one other, too. Most others still have 'Americaunas' or some other such spelling, birds that are actually Easter-eggers.

Same with my planned naked neck cross! I don't want to make a breed out of it, I just like the idea of a silkied naked neck without all of the other traits of the Silkie breed that I don't like.

I would love to see the silkied subtype recognized for Cochins! However, I don't think I'll ever reach the point where I want to actually enter my birds in show, that's just outside of my personal comfort zone for my birds, so I'm afraid the most I can contribute to that effort is just preserving them, breeding them well, spreading awareness of their existence, and helping others find them.

'Naked neck Silkie' is listed under Silkies in my 2020 ABA standard, not sure about in the APA standard.

 

[miss heny]

Gross. Glad we didn't get that here. I do not envy your weather at all up there!




Yeah, Cackle is one of the hand full of hatcheries that has true Ameraucanas. I know Meyer does as well, and I think one other, too. Most others still have 'Americaunas' or some other such spelling, birds that are actually Easter-eggers.

Same with my planned naked neck cross! I don't want to make a breed out of it, I just like the idea of a silkied naked neck without all of the other traits of the Silkie breed that I don't like.

I would love to see the silkied subtype recognized for Cochins! However, I don't think I'll ever reach the point where I want to actually enter my birds in show, that's just outside of my personal comfort zone for my birds, so I'm afraid the most I can contribute to that effort is just preserving them, breeding them well, spreading awareness of their existence, and helping others find them.

'Naked neck Silkie' is listed under Silkies in my 2020 ABA standard, not sure about in the APA standard.

Ooo okay, my standards is 2011 for my needs thats perfectly fine.

And that make sense. I wanna do shows but I miss the show community. Being disabled poultry is one thing I could show with the help of family, goats not so much. Applying for SSI until we see where things go with poultry, my dad's insurance and a offer I had from a small animal clinic.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Gross. Glad we didn't get that here. I do not envy your weather at all up there!




Yeah, Cackle is one of the hand full of hatcheries that has true Ameraucanas. I know Meyer does as well, and I think one other, too. Most others still have 'Americaunas' or some other such spelling, birds that are actually Easter-eggers.

Same with my planned naked neck cross! I don't want to make a breed out of it, I just like the idea of a silkied naked neck without all of the other traits of the Silkie breed that I don't like.

I would love to see the silkied subtype recognized for Cochins! However, I don't think I'll ever reach the point where I want to actually enter my birds in show, that's just outside of my personal comfort zone for my birds, so I'm afraid the most I can contribute to that effort is just preserving them, breeding them well, spreading awareness of their existence, and helping others find them.

'Naked neck Silkie' is listed under Silkies in my 2020 ABA standard, not sure about in the APA standard.

Our weather can be quite nasty, & extreme.