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