how rare are

[call ducks]

i know wow !!!

 

[10ducks]

Bourbon Reds aren't rare to us, but when I tell people I'm raising them, the vast majority have never heard to them, or any other heritage breed. And when you think of the millions upon millions of BBW being sold, they are comparatively quite rare.

But I don't know what's with the ALBC, either. Their numbers seemed really low to me when I noticed that numerous hatcheries carry them (as Steve pointed out), and saw how many people on this forum have them. Someone, I think it was Harp, said in another thread that they only count your numbers if you are a member of ALBC, in which case all their numbers may be way off.

 

[call ducks]

yes i have thought about that. And with the hatchery turkeys are not the best for breeding or consrving.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
but that doesn't mean they are from heritage lines. they have to come from certain breeders to be considered or some crazy business like that.

edited to add: i do believe strongly in preserving heritage breeds, but at the same time, if we want the animal to be preserved properly, then let's get them going and quit bickering over if it is actually the actual animal or not!

That is not true, a Bourbon Red turkey or any other animal defined as heritage is heritage regardless of who owns or breeds it.

Steve in NC

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
but that doesn't mean they are from heritage lines. they have to come from certain breeders to be considered or some crazy business like that.

edited to add: i do believe strongly in preserving heritage breeds, but at the same time, if we want the animal to be preserved properly, then let's get them going and quit bickering over if it is actually the actual animal or not!

That is not true, a Bourbon Red turkey or any other animal defined as heritage is heritage regardless of who owns or breeds it.

Steve in NC

really? that is different info than that of which i have received in the past. i'd like to learn more about this.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

In this case here is the definition of a heritage turkey by the ALBC

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/turkdefinition.html

I'm curious as to where your info came from?

Steve

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
Ha! To think I have over 1/10th of the BSW turkey population in Canada! I think the statistics may be grossly underestimated!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Ha! To think I have over 1/10th of the BSW turkey population in Canada! I think the statistics may be grossly underestimated!

When talking a variety like the BSW you have to really know your breeder. They are very simular to the Midget White and have been mixed together. Here in the states there are only 2 "lines" that can be traced back. One side I know for a fact is the real deal since I know the person that got the hatching eggs from Ames, Iowa USDA research station and have spoken to the two people that had them. The other side has been mixed from another source. The history of the BSW is interesting to say the least, I have spent quite a bit of time researching them over the years, some of the info is easy to get some is like pulling teeth. lol I have saved all the info and emails from the people I have spoken to with the purpose of writing down the current history of them - still a work in progress.

On a good note for you northern folks, I heard a few times that some of the stock at Guelph came from stock from Beltsville MD, USDA research station and that would make them closer to the original meat birds that exsisted in the 40's. Also when Guelph passed the birds on they were spread out. The ones at Ames were mainly used for parthenogenesis research and were being bred for egg production vice meat.

Steve in NC

 

[call ducks]

wow that is a lot to take in ... But cool none the less

 

[chickenannie]

Well, I think BRs are rare, because at Thanksgiving, sooooo many people from quite a far distance (2 hours away) wanted to buy them from me and seemed to think there were none others in the area. So just because "we bird people" know others out there raising BRs, the population is not necessarily that large. I think people have a pair, or several pair, but then they die, or they lose them and they turn out to be more rare than you'd think.