Heritage New Hampshires

[Illia]

Same here.



And gosh does that statement from ALBC upset me. Either I'm just severely biased against hatcheries, or. . . That's ridiculous. If they're going to count hatchery populations, WHY even bother mentioning Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds being separated as commercial vs true breed?

 

[gootziecat]

Kathyinmo, We'd like to get an update on your NHs. Are they laying yet?

 

[kathyinmo]

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Nope. No eggs yet. I am impatiently waiting!

 

[NYREDS]

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Check out used book stores. I have a library of about 80 old chicken books I've found in them. I have a copy of the first APA Standard that I got for $10.

 

[TomNY]

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Check out used book stores. I have a library of about 80 old chicken books I've found in them. I have a copy of the first APA Standard that I got for $10.

Your're lucky you got there one day before me. I walked into the store and was greeted with "Guess what we sold yesterday." Tom

 

[OverEggstended]

I was told to report in... but my NH are just feed store girls,so not heritage. As a mater of fact... I am wondering what they actually are since they are a bit blonder than they should be, mottled with white, and do not have black tails.

They were hatched in April... so should have their full color by now.

In any case, they looked like NH chicks (chipmunk striping and all), and are great layers of large/jumbo deep brown eggs. We really adore them. Not breeding, so no worries that we are helping to destroy a breed or anything at least.

 

[Katy]

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Check out used book stores. I have a library of about 80 old chicken books I've found in them. I have a copy of the first APA Standard that I got for $10.

What year did they print the first one? I've got several old ones....the oldest from 1898.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Here's some info I found at the library the other day on Delawares. I got this out of Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. I thought this was an appropriate place to post it as it does involve New Hampshires.

In 1940 george Ellis, a poultryman from Delaware, was using a common cross of the time, Barred Rock roosters with New Hampshire hens, for broiler production. Through the breeding of one special sport of this cross with New Hampshire hen, Ellis developed the Delaware breed.

Normally the Barred Plymoth Rock-New Hampsire cross resulted in barred females and either black or red males, but sometimes it happened to produce some sports, or birds with a distinctive and different color than is normal. Ellis's cross produced a bird that was mostly white, with black barring on the hackle, tail, and wings.

This type of sport had excellent qualities for broiler production, yielding a meaty carcass that, thanks to the white feathering, did not have dark coloring under the skin at butchering. But the production of such sports was inconsistent. However, one of Ellis's sports, a rooster named Superman, was an exceptional specimen, and when Ellis began breeding Superman to New Hampshire hens the cross stabilized with the sport's coloring, and the foundation of the Delaware breed was established.

The Delaware quickly ascended to dominance in the broiler industry of Delaware's Delmarva Peninsula, which at the time providied chicken for the entire East Coast. Though the Delaware's dominance was short-lived, giving way in just twenty years to the Cornish-Rock cross it still makes an excellent dual-purpose barnyard breed. Unfortunately, it is now quite rare.

Delawares can adapt to either confinement or free-range operations. They are hardy and early to mature and have a calm disposition. Hens lay large, rich brown eggs and will go broody, and they make fairly good mothers.

The Delaware was first admitted to the APA in 1952.

catdaddy

 

[kathyinmo]

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I have been in contact with 3 genetics experts, and they all 3 told me that the cross should produce 100% barred chicks. We know how that goes, though .... ya just never know. Not knowing the history of the birds that George Ellis used, who knows if they were pure? He was a hatchery man, and I am wondering if he used a cross-bred Barred Rock rooster for this mating.

I find this sooooo very interesting. I have my stock now penned. I am going to make this cross with my Barred Rock roo (who is pure) over the New Hampshire girls I have. Now, just waiting for eggs......

Thanks catdaddy!

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
I have been in contact with 3 genetics experts, and they all 3 told me that the cross should produce 100% barred chicks. We know how that goes, though .... ya just never know. Not knowing the history of the birds that George Ellis used, who knows if they were pure? He was a hatchery man, and I am wondering if he used a cross-bred Barred Rock rooster for this mating.

I find this sooooo very interesting. I have my stock now penned. I am going to make this cross with my Barred Rock roo (who is pure) over the New Hampshire girls I have. Now, just waiting for eggs......

Thanks catdaddy!

Yeah I know and I cant wait to see the outcome also, its been an intrest for me since I was in high school, Ive just now gotten back around to this lost passion of mine. Back in the eighties the first chicks I ever ordered were New Hampshires (15) pullets and Barred Rocks (10) actually 8 cause 2 turned out to be Australorps, and out of the New hamps 3 were roos btw I ended up with my favorite/prettiest roo I ve ever had to even now and I got some good ones now. Anyway I got a BR roo from my Granny and was crossing him over the New Hampshire hens then. When I was looking for some of the old info I told you (Kathy) about I found my old 4-H ribbons from the forestry festival in 1984, I had 2 blues(1st place) one for a New Hampshire pullet, one for a Barred Rock pullet, 2 reds (2nd place) one for a trio of BRxNH crosses, one for NH cockerel, and a white (3rd place) for a BRxNH cross cockerel. I was crossing them way back then and they all came out the same, mostly barred with a lot of white in the head and neck area esp. the roos. And recently(the past year) been crossing my BR over Prod. red pullets still getting the same results in color.

So I hope your results show up different as it a cross that really intrigues me.

I'm gonna keep up with this thread,

catdaddy