Does anyone have an old flock/line?

[Rare Feathers Farm]

A friend of mine and I were talking about old flocks of chickens--and by old, I don't mean the birds' ages...I mean like how long people have been raising & working on a variety with little to no new blood introduced. My great-grandfather raised & showed RIR's in the 1920's in Burien, Washington and had the same flock until he died in 1988. After his death, the chickens were all sold off and not to the same person. I was only 7 or 8 years old at the time and not yet into chickens. I have tried to find out what happened to these particular birds because I thought it would be awesome to get some from his old line but I've had no luck. For all I know, the line is lost forever.

My friend has extended family on the east coast that has a flock which they started in the late '70s. They are also RIR...not great type or anything, they don't show and don't ship eggs...but I just thought it was interesting and wanted to see if anyone else had "old" flocks???

I'd love to get hatching eggs from an old, old RC RIR line and have them on my farm to range around.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I know very few people who stick with poultry for decades. I've had ducks for a very long time, but every time I move, I get new birds. Sometimes I don't have any birds at all.

Right now, I know a lot of people who are getting out of show birds, or else getting out of some of their breeds. People are cutting back on the feed bill.

BYC is not the place I'd be looking for long time serious breeders of poultry.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Thanks....I know what you mean about feed bills. I cut back myself...I got rid of five of my breeds back in March. It was sad to see them go but it was costing me $200/month to feed them all. Now, it's down to about $100/every 6 weeks...so not as bad. Plus, now that the grass is green and the geese are all done breeding for this year, they're out on pasture now so I don't have to feed them nearly as much now.