kentucky specks?

[Red Barn Farms]

I'd never heard of them either and I'm from the same state, LOL. I'd take a couple of them!!

 

[Poultriary]

Emily,

I am not familiar with "Bow Lake Fowl", but I have seen a strain (sub-breed) of game fowl sold on eBay called Morgan Whitehackles that show a remarkably similar spangling pattern with red in the hackles and saddles of the males.

And Greenfire Farms is selling (for over $200 a pair (shipped)!) a remarkably similar bird:

http://greenfirefarms.com/store/category/chickens/olandsk-dwarf/

In both the other cases, the mottling on the females is more of a brown but they are otherwise very similar. Maybe if I start calling mine Olandsk Dwarfs I can sell the eggs for $25 each instead of $1-3.

 

[Poultriary]

One last comment is that I do agree with Emily that it would be a shame if Roy Stacey embellished the story in an attempt to promote the breed to the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities. It is the sort of thing that sets back acceptance of a breed.

However, I suspect he's telling the truth that he obtained his foundation stock from his father in Kentucky, who, in turn may have obtained some then mutt strain of brood bantam for hatching quail eggs from some neighbor. They were kept under Roy's stewardship for many years and they take their current form based solely on his ideas of how they should be standardized. But, that's still a pretty substantial history, longer than some recognized breeds such as the American Game Bantam, which Frank Gary developed from pit fighters and red jungle fowl in the 1940s. The Specks may have only been kept by a fairly small group of family farmers in hollers of Eastern Kentucky for generations. Only Roy Stacy knows the truth of the matter.

But, again, what matters to me is that these are great chickens and I think they should be recognized. They lay well, provide a lot of interest with their behavior, and seem to be perfect for a back yard city flock that don't take up as much room as large fowl layers. Those are some great merits and I really hope the ABA will consider them for admission into their standard.

Anyone interested in working with me to that end, please introduce yourself and feel free to check out the group on Yahoo.

 

[The Breaker]

I am on the yahoo group I am willam and I am interested i just don't know where to start am just a teen ever since a purcased my birds from jay I sayed i would do my best to help the breed

 

[Poultriary]

William, that great! It sounds like Jay's birds ended up in good hands!

You know how to get a hold of me.

I think the next step is to get Roy to share his draft standard so we're all on the same page.

 

[The Breaker]

thanks I mean its not every day you get the chance to help out with what is probably the rarest chicken in America. oh and call me Matt

 

[Poultriary]

Well, maybe the rarest American Breed in America. I'm sure some of the Greenfire Farms imports are rarer. I think we've demonstrated with this thread that there are a growing number of them.

Anyhow, that is a good contribution, to help breed these.

I am trying to keep two breeding coops of them, which I'm running in a 2-family breeding family. I'm trying to get to two roosters and six hens per pen. The roosters get along pretty well with each other.

 

[The Breaker]

ya mine should start laying and mating within a month.my roosters not only get along I have too.straight comb and rose and they are literally inseparable if I separate them for a second to clean out the cage they start to holler untill i put them back together.

 

[Poultriary]

Yes, I think they form family groups very similar to red jungle fowl.

I just hatched 9 over the last 36 hours, aloing with my bantam Barnevleders and American Game Bantams. I think there are 27 in all.

 

[The Breaker]

can you post a pic of the chicks I have never seen a Kentucky speck chick.