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- #31
I'm glad you mentioned your direct experience with the Niederrheiners as this mirrors mine exactly. VERY small chicks for a bird that grows so large. I just hatched out a few from Brice with Sunbird Farms, and they are dinky little chicks. That being said, they seem much more robust than my Greenfire Farms batch. Shipping takes a huge toll on chicks, and that is magnified when the chicks are smaller in size.
I also agree on the whole 'rare breed' theory. These are breeds that fell out of favor for a variety of reasons, but most importantly that stronger birds have been more readily raised. Rarity is also a bit of a misnomer in some cases so I like to call them 'boutique' chickens. I think they are GREAT for the backyard hobbyist or someone that can dedicate loads of time to them. For homesteaders or folks raising larger numbers of birds, finding the time necessary to...hmmm...coddle some of these fragile fowl may be difficult. I doubt we will continue to breed Niederrheiners past what we have now. If they happen to get stronger and improve, things could change. The fact that the Lemon Cuckoo variety isn't auto-sexing is also a strike against them in my book. I'm raising Bielefelders as well, and they are not only auto-sexing but just some of the hardiest and fastest-growing birds I've ever seen. And I have not seen them picking on their smaller roommates.
Oh well, I have learned a LOT this year, and thank goodness for the community here at BackYardChickens!
I also agree on the whole 'rare breed' theory. These are breeds that fell out of favor for a variety of reasons, but most importantly that stronger birds have been more readily raised. Rarity is also a bit of a misnomer in some cases so I like to call them 'boutique' chickens. I think they are GREAT for the backyard hobbyist or someone that can dedicate loads of time to them. For homesteaders or folks raising larger numbers of birds, finding the time necessary to...hmmm...coddle some of these fragile fowl may be difficult. I doubt we will continue to breed Niederrheiners past what we have now. If they happen to get stronger and improve, things could change. The fact that the Lemon Cuckoo variety isn't auto-sexing is also a strike against them in my book. I'm raising Bielefelders as well, and they are not only auto-sexing but just some of the hardiest and fastest-growing birds I've ever seen. And I have not seen them picking on their smaller roommates.
Oh well, I have learned a LOT this year, and thank goodness for the community here at BackYardChickens!