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geof40, are you from New Hampshire, or live in New Hampshire? If so, you definately should have good New Hampshires.
Hi
Both, born here, live here. I would LOVE to have this strain in my coop, and would have them and only them. I am set up for a dozen birds only, so what I would be after would be a couple of roosters and the rest hens. I don't have the means or the desire to expand my coop size right now, but one doesn't need to be big to work exclusively with a specific strain of bird.
Years ago I had a larger coop/operation. I've worked on a couple of farms when younger, including caring for livestock great and small. I have been doing this whole thing on and off for many years, but usually with just hatchery day olds, usually not even knowing what hatchery my chicks came out of. When growing up my grandparents had a working dairy farm, with a chicken house, they had bantams and leghorns in those days. Only in the past year or so have I suddenly began to self-educate about chicken bloodlines and the older breeds of birds.
For me, being in NH, what breed I wanted is a no-brainer. I've played around with several breeds, but I started with NH Reds and I keep coming back to them, even if they are just hatchery birds. All I can say is that if someone is willing to help me with some chicks in the spring, I'll do my best with them, and in turn be willing to ship eggs and maybe some day olds back and forth. It would be neat to bring this strain back to NH! No doubt that just through word of mouth along with this community forum I'd be as busy as I'd want to be, as I don't doubt that once others here in NH became aware of what I had, I'd be getting inquiries from good people who would also want to obtain some. Interestingly, I have 2 young kids who are very much a part of my chicken keeping, and not 2 miles away is a fairground that hosts 4H and other agricultural events throughout the year, including venues that birds are judged at. And there are other fairgrounds within easy driving distance that do the same thing. I've never showed a bird, but there is a first time for everything. My kids would love the show thing, no doubt about that.
I agree about preserving this breed, by sharing it, this is what is important, much like Heritage Barred Rocks. The market is inundated with hatchery stock, that is crowding out the heritage pure bred fowl. I too, choose to limit my capacity to about a dozen birds, but will do all that is possible to introduce these birds in Maryland and surrounding areas. I have access to an incubator, but would like to hatch eggs naturally with a surrogate, and hopefully integrate young birds easier into my flock (and replace a few while I'm at it). Then sell the the others in this area. I want to enjoy a beautiful heritage flock, and act responsibly with the rest. I was dumbfounded by local sellers who had no conscience about pushing Production Reds as Rhode Island Reds. When I asked why - the woman behind the counter just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Same Difference!" No freaking way! I made inquiries to the hatchery in Ohio, who showed the same lousy attitude. I'm still ticked off by the apathy- they just don't care . This is where I am folks! I do care, and can contribute in my small way, and make it happen. I already made plans with jwip for Barred Rocks, and would appreciate, very much to do the same with German New Hampshires. I do the same with Heirloom Tomato seeds, and helped to bring back a variety, that was on the brink of disappearing forever. These seeds had a 50 year history in an aging family who gave up gardening, and I saved them.....
