Compiling a List of Landrace Chickens: I need your help!

[sjango]

I'm attempting to compile a list of landrace chickens from across the globe. Any information or photos will help this project greatly. Feel free to post links to sources if you have them. I will credit photos to who they belong! This will not be used for any monetary purposes, it is solely for academic use.

I will divide the landraces by continent and possibly by country in the future. I will try to include information about each chicken to the best of our collective knowledge. This will include common color morphs, traits, egg color, history and so on. This will be a long and slow process, but lets see how far we can get! Maybe one day we will have a comprehensive list of landraces with information for each.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The presentation will be viewable for anyone with the link, so I will post the link below. All changes I make will update in real time.
A Link to the Presentation so Far
At the time of this post it is in it's infancy.

 

[Shadrach]

It would be helpful if you defined Landrace. The definition would need to be fairly comprehensive in order to exclude domesticated breeds gone feral for example, or direct descendants of jungle fowl.

 

[sjango]

It would be helpful if you defined Landrace. The definition would need to be fairly comprehensive in order to exclude domesticated breeds gone feral for example, or direct descendants of jungle fowl.

I define a Landrace as a genetic pool that does not constitute a breed. In many cases today this would include a genetic group that converge around a similar traits and are endemic to a certain area, though some may be maintained by either poultry fanciers or conservationists outside of their place of origin. In many cases escaped feral populations have become landraces on their own and then were picked back up and kept by various people from these feral populations. In other cases people were involved in keeping these chickens but there was never a breed standard.

 

[Shadrach]

I define a Landrace as a naturally derived genetic pool. In many cases today this would constitute a genetic group that converge around a similar phenotype originating in the absence of human driven selection, but is now maintained by either poultry fanciers or conservationists.

I think you'll have problems with that definition. I'm not suggesting your definition is incorrect, just that some land race breeds were not naturally derived. This is particularly relevant when you look to China and Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia and South East Asia. Unfortunately it's in such areas that the most interesting loosely called Landrace breeds are.
It's an interesting project but the reality is it's a vast undertaking that would probably require half a dozen languages and extensive travel.

 

[sjango]

I think you'll have problems with that definition. I'm not suggesting your definition is incorrect, just that some land race breeds were not naturally derived. This is particularly relevant when you look to China and Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia and South East Asia. Unfortunately it's in such areas that the most interesting loosely called Landrace breeds are.
It's an interesting project but the reality is it's a vast undertaking that would probably require half a dozen languages and extensive travel.

You're not wrong. I'm certain this will never be near complete, but I'd like to create something that compiles what everyone knows together into one document. Indeed, completion is impossible, but something comprehensive should be obtainable!

And as for the definition, it could surely use revision. That's the trouble with words, hence the needs for subjects like linguistics and semantics. Words can only be so effective, especially for more complicated ideas.

 

[Orpingtonsarecool]

What makes a chicken land race

 

[Shadrach]

You're not wrong. I'm certain this will never be near complete, but I'd like to create something that compiles what everyone knows together into one document. Indeed, completion is impossible, but something comprehensive should be obtainable!

And as for the definition, it could surely use revision. That's the trouble with words, hence the needs for subjects like linguistics and semantics. Words can only be so effective, especially for more complicated ideas.

I would take the time to talk to a member here called kiaa. Use the search to look at some of his posts.

 

[sjango]

I would take the time to talk to a member here called kiaa. Use the search to look at some of his posts.

Thank you for mentioning Kiaa, he seems to be a wealth of knowledge on birds I have never heard of! Fantastic. I'll be reading through what he has posted. I feel many of the types originating in West Asia get left out of discussion unfortunately.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you for mentioning Kiaa, he seems to be a wealth of knowledge on birds I have never heard of! Fantastic. I'll be reading through what he has posted. I feel many of the types originating in the Middle East get left out of discussion unfortunately.

There was a man from China who contributed a few posts to BYC and I thought I had kept a link to one of his posts in order to find him again. Unfortunately I can't find the link. If I do find it I'll post it on this thread. He had some unusual breeds.

 

[sjango]

There was a man from China who contributed a few posts to BYC and I thought I had kept a link to one of his posts in order to find him again. Unfortunately I can't find the link. If I do find it I'll post it on this thread. He had some unusual breeds.

That would be wonderful.