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Actually, Jesse bought Wade's very FIRST hens and roos - which is very, very important - read on. He bought the hens directly from Wade's brother Kelvin (who started out with Wade), the roos from neighbors/men who bought them directly from Wade. I've confirmed everything by talking to all men involved in getting these birds in this country and getting this breed started.
I don't want to start a debate or a war - I'm just stating my own knowledge and experience with the flock I purchased from Jesse. Since others are allowed to post their opinion, based on negative experiences, I should be allowed to state mine.
Yes, no matter what others say, there are many more "Wade Jeane" birds out there than Bev Davis. Which are "better" is up for debate and personal opinion. In Bev Davis' case she was pretty much the only breeder of her birds and had control of the line. She initially had year-long waiting lists. In the Wade Jeane case everyone and their brother, who ended up getting a bird or two, began to breed them and promote them as Wade Jeane. However, most of those people mixed several other bloodlines with them or inbred them. The results are the bad experiences you hear people refer to when they say they had "webbed toes" or "too much mossiness".
In my case, it's important to note that since Jesse bought the very FIRST birds, the ones that hatched from eggs from France, and never mixed bloodlines, his flock is one of the purest around. I initially bought a dozen chicks from Mr. Jessee - the very first chicks his flock produced - I eventually bought his entire flock of original French Black Copper Marans - the same ones that used to live with Wade/Kelvin. The same ones that came from eggs from France. Like Jesse, I've never mixed any other bloodline in with them.
Unfortunately anytime this issue comes up it ends up starting trouble so I've tried to stay out of it. I know what I have and the quality of same. But, I need to defend the reputation of my flock. Jesse still had the original flock he first bought and I have that flock and they are in enclosed pens so there's no co-mingling going on here.
So, when and if you hear someone refer to a bad experience with the Wade Jeane line, you need to consider the source. A lot has happened to the Wade Jeane line since Wade first started selling birds and he did, in fact, eventually sell off the rest of his flock. So, unless someone has the original flock (and that would be me) and has never mixed any other line into it, they really shouldn't refer to them as Wade Jeane birds. Personally, I'd like to get rid of that name all together and am selecting and breeding the best of the best of my FBCMs and will eventually call them the Bethel Line (after my farm). Because really, after three (or more) years and hundreds of people buying/breeding/selling these birds, the Wade Jeane name is meaningless today - Wade stopped selling these birds long ago.
So, if someone says "Bev's are better" or "Wade's are better" they need to be talking about birds that came directly from Bev or Wade and even then it's no more than their own personal opinion and we all know what they say about opinions don't we.