Hamburg thread!

[flower]

LOOK AT THIS PRETTY PENCILED HAMBURG In the UK

http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/images/lanark2010/two-hens.jpg

 

[Marengoite]

When looking for rare poultry, I always check to see if there is a breeder's club.
Most member's are very knowledgeable and share breeding tips etc.

Hamburg Club breeder's directory:

North American Hamburg Society

I tried contact some of those folks last year and Hardy is the only one in LF that would respond.

 

[carrieb62]

I agree. I bought some SSHs from Meyers and even though they were billed as LF, they were clearly bantams. I saw one pair of LF at the Ohio National last year and none this year. There is almost no web presence for the breed, and certainly nothing current that I could locate. Hardy in GA is the only online breeder of LF SSHs that I could find. Have found a couple off-line sources that I plan on looking into the first of the year. Would like to get back up and running with my affectionately named "Silver Spangled Nutjobs." They are the most striking breed of chicken I've raise. Yes, they are independent (mine NEVER flocked with the other chickens but stayed to themselves when turned loose), love to fly (at one month of age they were roosting six feet off the ground in a mulberry tree) and crazy as junebugs. However, I have never lost one to a predator and they are about the lowest maintenance bird I've ever had. Can't say enough good things about them.

I did a research essay about them for school and the polls said that there were fewer than 1000 breeding pairs left. Even though they aren't the first choice if you want clam, docile, chickens that lay large eggs, they do make very fascinating active pets. There is almost never a dull moment in my flock because of one SSH hen I had the fortune to get for free. She will not hesitate to put my roo to shame, even though he's much larger than she is. I think that because I have larger hens like the Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, she is more docile than what the "breed description" says.
Needless to say, she has inspired me to keep this species of chicken. I have recently bought seven more SSH. 2 roos and 5 hens.

Thank you for the wonderful information I really appreciate it! I love learning about all the different breeds! This little girl I bought yesterday is actually quite docile - maybe because she's been alone for so long she's enjoying the attention now

 

[Alaskan]

I have some Hamburgs on order for the spring from Urch/Turnland. He has gold and silver, pencilled and spangled.

I am hoping to get his golden pencilled.

 

[jamieme]

So if the Meyers birds are really bantams, maybe I should buy some of those? I am trying to grow my bantam flock and it is hard to find birds. Good idea, or bad? What do you think?

 

[flower]

jamiene I think that you should order Hamburgs from Meyers so you can tell us how they turn out !

Seriously I have some nice birds from hatcheries and I have some nice birds from private breeders. Always there are some birds that need to be culled because of one thing or another. Some times I cull birds just because I do not like their personality. For example, I had some very pretty White Ameraucanas which were very good producers of nice BLUE EGGS plus they were very pretty but they were always pecking on the rest of my flock. When I processed them they were full of eggs. I did not like them beating up my other hens, so they had to go.

So order from Meyers and let us know what theri stock is like, please.

 

[Marengoite]

jamieme and flower, I can tell you that Meyer's SSH's are small, on the order of bantam size, with bantam crows (screechy rather than full and throaty like my Buckeyes and Barred Rocks). They have smutty tails and only moderate definition of the spangles. A girl from my daughter's 4H club picked up a pair of bantam SSH's at an auction last year and got 1st or 2nd place in bantams at our county fair this year. Much cleaner spangling and no stippling or smut in the rooster's sickles. If I were going to order from a hatchery again, I'd go with Murray McMurray (have heard good things about their birds, but haven't seen any) or Cackle. See: http://www.cacklehatchery.com/silspangledhamburgpage.html The chicks are much cuter in person. LOL.

 

[bhj123]

jamieme and flower, I can tell you that Meyer's SSH's are small, on the order of bantam size, with bantam crows (screechy rather than full and throaty like my Buckeyes and Barred Rocks). They have smutty tails and only moderate definition of the spangles. A girl from my daughter's 4H club picked up a pair of bantam SSH's at an auction last year and got 1st or 2nd place in bantams at our county fair this year. Much cleaner spangling and no stippling or smut in the rooster's sickles. If I were going to order from a hatchery again, I'd go with Murray McMurray (have heard good things about their birds, but haven't seen any) or Cackle. See: http://www.cacklehatchery.com/silspangledhamburgpage.html The chicks are much cuter in person. LOL.

I just bought some and will post pictures soon. I have two Roosters and five hens. What I have come to notice is a "high white" coloring in two of the seven. Is that a DQ?

 

[bhj123]

Sorry, for clarification the chicks I ordered are from McMurray Hatchery.
I have had much success with them and LOVE their stock.

 

[bhj123]

So I have a question...
do hamburg roosters crow as much as other breeds or are they somewhat quiet?