Most expensive breed of chicken?

[Yellow House Farm]

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

MrsB

Yes, and swindlers originally advertised Easter Eggers as tasting like quail.....it is of course convenient that quail tastes like chicken, capisci?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

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.


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.



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".

Yes, they are unique, and all you need to do to create them yourself is spend month or two studying some genetic literature, and then you can create rare and unique birds to your hearts content.


Hmm...four-leg breeding and two-leg breeding are not the same. You will almost never find an actual chicken breeder explaining chickens via dogs or horses. It is, interestingly, something that happens rather commonly on this website. The equation si something like "Irish Setters have been undermined = Breeding chickens to the Standard is a questionable practice": of course, the one positing the statement is not a breeder of chickens, thus the entire thing becomes wrapped up in some reductio ad absurdum, i.e. "because horses therefore chickens."

 

[blackraven]

Yes, they are unique, and all you need to do to create them yourself is spend month or two studying some genetic literature, and then you can create rare and unique birds to your hearts content.


Hmm...four-leg breeding and two-leg breeding are not the same. You will almost never find an actual chicken breeder explaining chickens via dogs or horses. It is, interestingly, something that happens rather commonly on this website. The equation si something like "Irish Setters have been undermined = Breeding chickens to the Standard is a questionable practice": of course, the one positing the statement is not a breeder of chickens, thus the entire thing becomes wrapped up in some reductio ad absurdum, i.e. "because horses therefore chickens."

That same non relation to dogs/horses and chickens has me understanding the more common genetics in less than a week's time frame. I'm now looking into the more limited / recessive ones. All I need when I do start is chickens of the genes I want and I'm set.

That's the advantage - dogs / horses that a lot more time [at least two years] to be bred meaning much more thought has to be put into a crossing than an animal that'll be breeding in 8 months & can have 50 to 100+ offspring from one cross & more of course with multiple breedings.


But as it was, I didn't mean my comments in the most literal of senses... don't get your feathers in a bunch.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

That same non relation to dogs/horses and chickens has me understanding the more common genetics in less than a week's time frame. I'm now looking into the more limited / recessive ones. All I need when I do start is chickens of the genes I want and I'm set.

That's the advantage - dogs / horses that a lot more time [at least two years] to be bred meaning much more thought has to be put into a crossing than an animal that'll be breeding in 8 months & can have 50 to 100+ offspring from one cross & more of course with multiple breedings.


But as it was, I didn't mean my comments in the most literal of senses... don't get your feathers in a bunch.

Ah, don't worry, my feathers aren't in a bunch, in the five plus years I've been on this site I have encountered the same logic many times. I'm not certain what draws folks to pre-conclusions about standard-bred fowl, unless it is actually the reputation of standard-bred dogs or what have you. One frequently encounters very firmly placed opinions on this site about the nature of standard-bred fowl, but if one scratches the surface, one finds that the opinion holder is really just beginning his or her career in poultry breeding.

Good luck in finding those genes as you begin this journey!

 

[Easter eggers]

The most expensive bird are probably gamefowl in my opionon

 

[blklangshandude]

Thanks a lot Yellow House Farm. That was a lot of great information. It's the kind of answer that I really wanted. You really turned off my fancy for the American Breese. I do greatly appreciate your input. It was wonderful.

 

[Canieldonrad]

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.

Classiest? Oh I would beg to differ(but I may be partial). But that would likely be what I would suggest to someone starting as well. Hamburgs are great, and a wonderful breed for eggs.

 

[CrazyTalk]

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.


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.

I haven't bought birds from Greenfire - and yes they import - which most people can't do. My problem with them is that - for the breed I have, judging by the pictures of their birds online - their birds are worse quality than the hatchery birds I bought. Any they want $100 each for unsexed chicks, instead of the $2 the hatchery does (the hatchery also has imported birds)

That just screams 'taking advantage of people' to me.


It's funny to me that someone mentioned Swedish Flower Hens - I just came back from a big regional poultry swap a couple weeks ago, and almost every booth had them.

 

[BGMatt]

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.



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.



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".

Do better research please. The Langshan lays a dark brown egg according to standard. If you're in the US, Langshan and "Croad" Langshan are the same thing (since we never imported the other types of Langshan we did not need to differentiate) The "plum" egg thing is a misconception and a lie told by folks who are trying to swindle uneducated folks, you will not find any reference to anything but brown eggs in the oldest texts related to the breed, save for one line citing the occassional occurrence of a "bloom, like that of a plum", which if you note does not imply the color, but refers to a coating on top of the shell, similar to the white bloom you find on plums and wipe them off.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I'm also amused by this quote. I've been breeding "100% to the Standard of Perfection", more properly known as Standard-bred birds, for about 40 years. I've heard of some prices in the few hundreds, but none that approach $1000. Certainly not consistently. In fact, many breeders swap birds with other reputable breeders for little or no money. Often those who are sold birds for high prices are those who are not serious, similar types as those who fall for the Greenfire marketing ploys. Serious breeders often recognize the amateurish mentality of those who will not further the aims of the fancy, and so realize a little money for the headache of dealing with them. Also, Iamong serious breeders, rarity seldom has anything to do with how much a bird is sold for. It's usually the quality of the birds and the line which is valuable. This is another concept that an amateurish mentality has a hard time grasping. Swedish flower hens, legbars, calico Cochins, I could make an entire list of breeds and varieties which are sold for lots of money which are in incredibly poor states of development, and are no where near the quality of some of the Standard-bred birds seen at APA and ABA sanctioned shows today.

Agreed to 100%

PS: This is spot on.