Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Yellow House Farm]

You bring up a point that I have been trying to get to : which birds do well , say foraging, rather than standing around the feed bucket sucking down expensive grain.

I know this isn't your favortite breed YHF, but I would like to bring up the Buckeye for a moment. My understanding of this breed is that is wasn't designed for the showroom but rather a homesteading situation. THe ABLC picked this breed for what ever reason, perhaps it was Don Schrider that actually picked this breed, and from what I understand, he was able to increase the rate of gain and put on a full pound of body weight more in three years of selection. ( I"m sorry I can't remember where I read this. ) In many respects this bird fits my needs: forager, small comb, thrifty, camoflauged, spry, and easy going temperament, meaty and some eggs.

COmments welcome.

Well, I guess it's true. The Buckeye isn't my favorite breed, but that doesn't need to stop it from being your cat's meow.

Still to this comment,, "My understanding of this breed is that is wasn't designed for the showroom but rather a homesteading situation." They same can be said for the vast majority of all breeds in the American, English, Continental, and Mediterranean classes. They're all farm fowl. If any old-school American breed has a claim to having been developed out and out as a utility breed first and foremost, it would probably have to be the RI Red and, then, they're offshoot, the New Hampshire.

To Don's progress with the Buckeye, I say that that wasn't a comment on the Buckeye, so much as proof of the potential of good breeding.

"forager, small comb, thrifty, camoflauged, spry, and easy going temperament, meaty and some eggs." It certainly does, but I wouldn't put much stake in the "camouflaged" notion. A hungry Goshawk will see a Buckeye just as fast as a White Dorking or Columbian Wandotte. Ultimately, if the Buckeye's your breed of choice, that's awesome just know that your criteria can be met by a number of breeds. The current hype around Buckeyes is just ALBC hype. They're cool, most certainly, but not any better than a Dominique or Chantecler. But if you want them, go for it! I believe Warren Carlow might have some.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Why didn't the NH develop the RC? I would have thought with the colder weather you experience Rc would be preffered.

There may be a couple of reasons that had to do with fads at the time, but I have often wished that it had. I would probaly have had trouble resisting them. As they are, I had a NH cock whose come roasted down to his skull. Not a pretty sight. It was a particularly bad winter, but it put many a nail in the coffin of SC birds for our farm.

 

[Ivagrove]

The Buckeye was bred to be a farm chicken and can hold its own against any other. While it has been overlooked or neglected over the years by the showroom crowd, it has recently enjoyed a surge in popularity. We who raise and love the Buckeye, know that there is more to it than "albc hype". It is a fine breed, as any member the American Buckeye Poultry Club can attest, it can survive on its own merits, and we are not puppets of anybody's hype. A bird that has been a recognized breed for 108 years is not the product of hype or fad. Thank you.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I was actually introduced to Buckeye's by a "student" of DOn's, THe student has some from Paige and BOb Rhodes. The fact that BOb RHodes is a possible resource is a big plus. As well as DOn. Isn't that what BOb BLosl keeps saying, to have a mentor to guide us newbies.

DOn favors the three pen rotation. Perhaps that broad genetic base was the basis for such a quick improvement in weights in a lines otherwise under performing.

HAAHAA, yes camoflauge is rather over rated. I lost my best SS hen to a coyote. . . . . predators will find a way.

 

[bnjrob]

I also have concerns of "getting my wife inline" with the whole eatin chickens aspect. We tried a couple of Cornish X's last fall that I thought turned out pretty good, but she called them kinda tough. Does anyone have tips for cooking home grown chicken that'll ease her transition? Also, what about the tenderness of various breeds? Are all heritage breeds going to be the same or are some different? This type of information is missing on all of the breed descriptions I can find.

We just ate a 7 month old Java cockerel a couple of days ago that was tender and juicy. He sat in the fridge to "rest" after slaughter - ended up being a week because of time. Then I brined him for a couple of days before roasting. Even though he was a runt and didn't have the biggest breast, my husband was absolutely thrilled with the taste and texture. I've really fallen in love with brining for tender and juicy meat.

 

[7961]

The Buckeye was bred to be a farm chicken and can hold its own against any other. While it has been overlooked or neglected over the years by the showroom crowd, it has recently enjoyed a surge in popularity. We who raise and love the Buckeye, know that there is more to it than "albc hype". It is a fine breed, as any member the American Buckeye Poultry Club can attest, it can survive on its own merits, and we are not puppets of anybody's hype. A bird that has been a recognized breed for 108 years is not the product of hype or fad. Thank you.

No one is dogging the breed. Yes in the last 5 or so years the Buckeye has seen a rage of popularity and interest among exhibition breeders and small flock breeders. Part of this rage benefits from the fruits of the marketing and educational ploys made by groups like ALBC. They put a brand on the breed, people took note of this, and the Buckeye has seen a resurgence. People like the Buckeye, rock on, but in the end it was the efforts of people like ALBC, Don Schrider, Laura Haggerty bringing forth this new popularity of the Buckeye chicken. Just M.O.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

No one is dogging the breed. Yes in the last 5 or so years the Buckeye has seen a rage of popularity and interest among exhibition breeders and small flock breeders. Part of this rage benefits from the fruits of the marketing and educational ploys made by groups like ALBC. They put a brand on the breed, people took note of this, and the Buckeye has seen a resurgence. People like the Buckeye, rock on, but in the end it was the efforts of people like ALBC, Don Schrider, Laura Haggerty bringing forth this new popularity of the Buckeye chicken. Just M.O.

Precisely, there is nothing disrespectful in assserting that the current rage in the Buckeye following is a direct result of the fires being stoked by key communtiy members that have our ears. I did not say that the Buckeye was unworthy but there is nothing in its history or in its development that would lead one to say that it is more worthy. It is indeed on par with several other fowl.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Popularity of any breed is linked to advertising, whether purposely or inadvertently. Like the surge in Dalmations when Disney releases 101 Dalmation = THe demand increases for a while. I suspect this is what happened with the BUckeyes, too when the ABLC used the buckeyeas an example of how to improve a breed. Many other poultry breeds are just as worthy as the BUckeyes and hopefully the overall effect by the ABLC is an increased interest in more of the heritage types rather than the hatchery types. JMO.

Edited for clarity.

 

[Ivagrove]

The words 'hype' and now 'ploy' imply dishonesty or deception,

 

[7961]

If anyone is a fan of P. Allen Smith and the Heritage Poultry Conservancy, there is a nice interview in this month's Exhibition Poultry http://exhibitionpoultry.net/