Most expensive breed of chicken?

[Yellow House Farm]

I wouldn't wish that place on an enemy. They swindle newbies into believing their birds are special and make a mint on gullibility. If one wants exotic birds of quality, check out the Standard of Perfection. Crosses and color projects from Highway Robbery import spaces are no way to learn about breeding proper chickens.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Fair enough. I'm new myself and jave enjoyed window shopping their "pretty chickens," but a minimum of $99 for an unsexed chick is ludicrous. ^_^

MrsB

 

[blklangshandude]

Unfortunately, there is an enormous difference between high end and expensive chicks, when discussing on-line chicken sales.  The most expensive chickens you can find on the internet are a bunch of rubbish.  They are marketed to newbies who buy a silly song and dance and who then walk away in search of another newbie willing to believe the malarkey.  APA/ABA breeders tend neither to mess with these mutts nor engage those selling or buying them.

What do you think about the Ayam Cemani or the American Breese chickens for sale at (name withheld) Farms? Do you have any advice or alternate breed recommendations for someone interested in the ayam cemani or the American Breese?

Doesn't the black silkie have the same black gene as the ayam cemani? I have also heard that the Turken has a distinct quality flavor to its meat just like the American Breese. Any thoughts, suggestions or alternatives? I may be too quick to judge but it appears you are standing firmly on a principle and ignoring the opportunity to offer specifics or practical information. If my judgement is wrong feel free to answer the above questions.

When we reference the standard of perfection, what can we expect to find? Weren't these recognized breeds at one time considered mutts? Somebody had to be the Pioneer. Right?

 

[blklangshandude]

Check out Greenfire Farms (www.greenfirefarms.com) for rare and exotic breeds. You'll see some of these birds go for thousands of dollars.

A little rich for me, but I wish you luck!

MrsB

I'm very curious about the American Breese sold on that website. They cost $29 for one day old chick and that's before the shipping costs.

 

[blklangshandude]

If one wants exotic birds of quality, check out the Standard of Perfection.

Can you give a few good examples?

 

[maranfarmer563]

Ayam cemani were most expensive and hard to get,now svart eggs are running 55.00 an egg before shipping,and hopefully the post office will be gentle on them.

 

[Canieldonrad]

Not quite sure of a reason to raise "high end" chickens. I think most will find that no matter the breed or variety there is no way to make a consistent or substantial profit. All chickens are expensive when you get down to crunching numbers. Why not raise a type you enjoy looking at or enjoy the purposes of?

 

[MrsBrooke]

The all-black chickens are said to be healthier to eat than any other breed.

MrsB

 

[blackraven]

Greenfire is a rather amusing site.

If you can speak other languages, and/or can get connections with locals, you can get most of their super rare super expensive birds for a song as hatching eggs. I know of someone, a friend and one reason why I'm considering chickens, who arranged to get ayam cemani hatching eggs for a quarter of what Greenfire asks for so-called rare eggs. For the 2 grand asked by Greenfire for immature pairs he could buy nearly a 100 hatching eggs. Even if half didn't make it, that's fifty chickens. Even if a quarter made it, that's 25 chickens.

The difference is, is the average person doesn't want the hassle. Greenfire has done it for you, so they can charge as they like for the birds.

I wouldn't wish that place on an enemy. They swindle newbies into believing their birds are special and make a mint on gullibility. If one wants exotic birds of quality, check out the Standard of Perfection. Crosses and color projects from Highway Robbery import spaces are no way to learn about breeding proper chickens.

Actually most of those birds are "unique" to some degree. Most of them are imports from other countries after all. The problem isn't that they're swindling it's the fact that they have connections and the average person doesn't. It happens with dogs [which I am used to] and cats as well as horses, etc., etc.

If you bought from a breeder who breeds 100% to the Standard of Perfection you'd be spending $1,000+ per bird depending on rarity.

Unfortunately, there is an enormous difference between high end and expensive chicks, when discussing on-line chicken sales. The most expensive chickens you can find on the internet are a bunch of rubbish. They are marketed to newbies who buy a silly song and dance and who then walk away in search of another newbie willing to believe the malarkey. APA/ABA breeders tend neither to mess with these mutts nor engage those selling or buying them.

If the Brahmas mentioned above were being sold at the Ohio National, then i know that breeder, and he is one of the best breeders and poultry judges in the country.

High end poultry is standard-bred stock from recognized breeders. Sometimes it is very expensive, sometimes not, but it is the quality that is the measure of the bird.

That's what's ruined about 90% of the popular modern dog breeds and is currently threatening some of the more uncommon breeds. Sticking with one set [even when it's wrong, because people think otherwise] of a standard... example the roach backed GSDs that win tons of awards nowadays [the 2009 Westminster dog if I remember the year for example, horrid hips yet it was good enough quality to win] and would be considered in the 50s as subpar dogs.

Example, according to what I found Croad Langshans' average egg color is poor standard. Yet I don't doubt that birds which meet the standard in everything else make a pretty penny despite this while the "mutt" Croad Langshan that may lay plum eggs won't get a second thought.


As for breeding, if you have some idea of genetics you can use those "mutts" and get pretty far. My parents started off with poor quality Thoroughbred horses and now have animals that are competing & winning rather high end races.


Nice thing about chickens is compared to most other breeds they mature, apparently, quickly = more chance for experimenting & finding something that gives the "diamond in the rough".

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Can you give a few good examples?

Of course, "exotic" is in the eye of the beholder. But:

1.For blue eggs: Real Ameraucanas and, especially, Araucanas are quite rare, in need of preservation, lay blue eggs, have a unique history, certainly more so than any "-bar" especially the Araucanas which are shrouded in actual mystery. They are available (in theory) in sundry varieties. The duckwing patterns are , more or less, autosexing. They are actually in the in American Standard.

2.Meat breeds: First and foremost, there is absolutely NOTHING exotic about a Bresse--at all. Those of us who actually live, or have lived, in France know that the La Bresse is the New Hampshire of France, excepting that the NH is a far more fetching bird. That's all they are--period. They're awesome, the way a NH is awesome. They're common; they're not rare, they're like the Roma tomato of French meat chicks. The mere title "American Bresse" offends, firstly, because there in no such thing as an American Bresse, secondly, because they're overly playing on American, perhaps, inflated patriotism to make silly people buy a chicken. It's like me saying "The American White Dorking", but at least White Dorkings actually have a very long and substantial American history, thirdly, because the "American Bresse" is the "New Hampshire". We have an American Bresse; it's called the New Hampshire.

Secondly, and EXTREMELY IMPPORTANTLY, the real, old-fashioned French meat breeds, the Crevecoeur, Houdan, and La Fleche, are on the brink of extinction. They have a much longer history of culinary excellence, they are some of the most unique and "exotic" dual-purpose poultry extant on the globe, and they are actually rare. They're actually worth everyone flocking to, but the majority of people who "flock" do so without a foundation of knowledge which is how these places make their money.

3. The entire AOSB--All Other Standard Breed--class is full of the unique, rare, and exotic. If one wants an all black chicken, there are Sumatras which have been in the Standard for well over 100 years, and they are a better developed, more perfected fowl than the Ayam Cemani. For long tails, there are the Phoenix and the Yokohama, both of which, especially the later, are in need of defenders--in a serious way. the Cubalaya is simply lovely--absolutely lovely. All of the Old English Games need defenders. Shamo's are out of this world unique. Have you ever seen a good one at an APA show?

4. This import scam session is bringing in all of these "dual purpose" breeds and layers, the vast majority of which are just color mutts. Things that anyone on here can produce in a year or two with a little bit of genetic knowledge and a few breeding coops. Its a scam. It's gross, and it's introducing a bunch of underdeveloped genetics into the US chicken data base. Moreover, they're not in the Standard; so master breeders aren't going to touch them; so they're only going to attract newbies, which means those newbies are breeding without more experienced guidance so they're not getting any better and learning everything the hard way. Then, when they finally start to figure it out, they're going to realize that they've been barking up the wrong tree for a decade. The only choice then will be to depopulate and start over with a real chicken.

Rare and "exotic" "productive" breeds with actual history: Redcaps, Lakenvelders, Campines (in two varieties), Barnevelders, Welsummers, Red Sussex, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Polish, Golden Laced Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Rose Comb Black Minorcas, Blue Andalusians, White Faced Black Spanish, Sicilian Buttercups, White Dorkings, Red Dorkings, Silver Grey Dorking, White Laced Red Cornish, Jersey Giants, etc... These are actual breeds, with actual Standards, with actual history, and they are rare as all get out. They are all so much more sustantial than the imported scams, but people don't even know about them because they don't have a Standard. They'll buy a hundred dollar chick because some website says they're cool, but they won't buy a fifty dollar book to find out that the website is a scam. Honest to Pete!! It actually baffles my mind....and makes me laugh.... For a very, very long time, as long as Games and Dorkings have been Games and Dorkings, we have said, "a fool and his money are soon parted."

5. Hamburgs. the hamburg is one of the classiest chickens ever bred on the planet. They were being bred to feather way before there were even chicken shows to show them off at. They exude elegance unlike the frumpy little ??-bars. On top of it, they are ancient. All six color patterns...all six..were included in the original APA Standard--all six. That is baffling and speaks volumes upon volumes unto their development and historicity. The writer of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, actually wrote a whole book dedicated to them. There are so classy, and yet they are completely ignored because newbies are buying funky colors in Orpingtons of very boor quality. It is mind blowing.

Rare varieties of commoner fowl, Then there are those rare varieties of fowl that are common in one or two varieties but practically nonexistent in the other varieties: Half of the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, and Leghorns are on the brink of extinction.


Thus to my original statement, the most exotic beautiful, rare poultry breeds are already in the Standard, which does not mean, in any way shape of form, that they are commonplace. indeed, the vast majority of the culls that are being vaunted as "imports" are about as commonplace or underdeveloped as it gets. I wouldn't pay fifty cents for them.

The only one that might--MIGHT--be positively impactful is the Ayam Cemani. However, no skilled breeders are EVER going to pay that price. So, like with the Marans, we'll wait until all of the gullibles drain their checkbooks, flood the market, and the market bottoms out. Then, those few breeders who are actually interested in dedicating valuable infrasture to them will collect the pieces, because the original purchasers will have destroyed any quality in them because the original purchasers aren't breeders and don't yet know how to maintain quality and will breed them into the ground. Then, slowly, they'll rebound among a few and go on to be a moderately frequent occurrence at shows--maybe, just maybe. (This scenario has happened more than once).

Thus, if anyone wants to learn how to breed chickens, buy a Standard, subscribe to the Poultry Press, and join the APA and/or ABA. Start hanging around with breeders. Once any of us sees that you're both serious and able to take advice (that part is big) you will be taken right in, sheltered and spoiled. Why miss out on such a broad experience for such a silly, predictible, and obvious scam?