Heritage Breeds for Pets

[EdnaAndEdith]

Hi there,

With so many of the health problems in our hens related to being bred for maximum (and sometimes unnatural) production it got me thinking... for those of us who really don’t care that much about production but would love a bird with a long, healthy lifespan would it make more sense to seek out heritage or more rare breeds? Maybe seeking out breeds that have been “altered” less by humans? If the answer is yes, then which breeds would make the best pets? And does anyone have pictures or experience/history?

 

[JaeG]

I love my bantams, especially Old English Game Bantams. Even our chicks raised by a hen are friendly and docile and can easily be picked up, and our rooster is the sweetest little gentleman. I have never had to worry about the kids being around him even when he was a cockerel, but any larger breed cockerel has not lasted long because they always seem to view the kids as a threat as they start to mature. OEGBs really are pets. We have other bantam breeds and when crossed with our OEGB roo we've ended up with some super sweet, very pretty girls. I've also kept one of his sons and they get on really well. It's so cute watching their interactions.

None of our bantams are laying at the moment (it's winter at my end of the world) and I really miss their little eggs for doing egg washes on pastry etc (rather than wasting half of a large egg), and adding to recipes when our other hens eggs aren't quite as big as a standard egg.

Our larger breeds tend to lay well for a few years, but after that it does taper off rather quickly. But our bantams still lay well much later in life, and our bantam Wyandottes who are 7 years old still lay incredibly well, a trait I hope their daughters have inherited.

Finding someone, whatever breed you choose, who breeds for production rather than 'show quality' birds is probably the key. Some breeders only concentrate on breeding birds that meet the standard to be entered into shows, neglecting other traits that are the whole reason most of us keep chickens.

Another option would be 'barnyard mixes' which can be healthier than pure breeds due to a much more varied gene pool.

 

[Perris]

that's what I did, and I recommend it.

I have pretty hens living a wonderful life, and adding a lot to my enjoyment of life too. I started with Swedish Flowers, as a landrace (a breed that, left to free range by farmers, has evolved in a given area; they weren't selectively bred by anybody). I've bought in other heritage breeds (Araucana, Rhode Island Red, Norfolk Grey, Welsumer), more recently via hatching eggs as my hens have gone broody (Barbezieux, and currently have one sitting on Penedesenca eggs); in my case I am looking for large fowl heritage breeds with good predator awareness and foraging abilities, as they free range from dawn to dusk, and ideally lay a different colour egg from those I've already got, to simplify knowing who laid what when they lay. Here's a group of them communal dustbathing

 

[Apollo89521]

Hi all chicken breed experts. I am really new to the chicken thing, I have had many different birds in my life like parrots and cockatiels so I know and love the personality of birds and I have met a few hens in my life and really enjoy them. I'm in the process of building my coop & run and hope to have it complete this this year so I can hopefully get my flock in the spring of 2021. I live in an area of Nevada near Lake Tahoe where the weather is in the low 40's and as low as the teens 8 months out of the year. I'm looking for birds that can handle the cold, are on the large side that will lay large brown eggs. The eggs are not my reason for having the birds but if it's a byproduct of what I get I would like large brown eggs.

Anyway, I have done my research and it looks like Rhode Island Reds would be a good match for my climate. I'm a 65 year old single man no kids come around and the only contact the birds will have is me and my 3 dogs. I'm planning on 5 hens to start. The coop will be designed for max of 12 birds but I thought I would start with 5. The predators in my area are VERY high so the coop / run has to be built with maximum security in mind. My question is: Are the Rhode Island Reds a good choice?

 

[Perris]

Are the Rhode Island Reds a good choice?

I have seen them described as bombproof, and they are popular amongst preppers, so I'd guess they're amongst the toughest, but I can't speak to the sort of climate you have round there; mine was only faced with very occasional snow, with which she was fine. They lay a mid brown large egg, and I liked mine a lot (passed on now, sadly).

 

[Texasclucker]

I for sure suggest cochins duccles old English game bantams Orpingtons they are all very sweet but the smartest sweetest birds I've ever had that survived the longest were the oegb (old english game bantams)

 

[Texasclucker]

and they come in so many colors porcelain self blue spangled mottled the list goes way farther than that if you are looking for eye candy that isn't stupid i would really go for oegb

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

Great insight. Thank you for the suggestions. I just always feel like when buying chicks from feed store stock it’s always a limited selection or birds that were not bred for good health and longevity but rather to lay for a year or two then be culled. And that’s not who I am. I’d much rather be a great retirement home then a mass egg producer. I also liked the comment about mixed breeds as this is a great point that when you get a mutt they are often much healthier in other species so it seems to make sense it would ring true in chickens as well! I’m going to look into the breeds mentioned here.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

I have seen them described as bombproof, and they are popular amongst preppers, so I'd guess they're amongst the toughest, but I can't speak to the sort of climate you have round there; mine was only faced with very occasional snow, with which she was fine. They lay a mid brown large egg, and I liked mine a lot (passed on now, sadly).

My two RIR were very good and have both passed away now but they were hearty and healthy right up until the end. I got them as adults so their exact age was unknown. They had wonderful dispositions.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

Is the lifespan of a bantam similar to a standard?