Old and Rare Breeds

[Yellow House Farm]

this is very useful information. Once you realize which pairing(s) produce the chicks you are looking for, what's next? Say you keep 3/20 chicks and you still have the 2 parents. What do you do next year?

Well, if I had birds that I considered of extreme quality, I might be careful to maintain a breeding, but at this point it's always pushing forward to the next generation.

 

[Totalcolour]

Like I always tell people when they ask how we get such good birds- hatch lots and cull hard, it's the best way to improve. Way back when we had buff laced polish, we started with chicks from a hatchery. Within a couple generations we had birds that were winning top largefowl at decent sized shows on the coast just because we hatched every egg we got and culled down to the best 2 trios per season and bred from them.

I'm really glad I saw this post. I am getting some Dorkings in a month or so, and I really had no idea how to proceed.

When you say cull, are you saying you sell them or do you eat them or what? I don't have any problem with them going into the pot. Just need to get another freezer I suppose

 

[ramirezframing]

cull some sell them off others eat them

 

[Totalcolour]

cull some sell them off others eat them

Hey, my daughter lives near you. I even came and visited once. I like it there. Love the architecture of the houses.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

I'm really glad I saw this post. I am getting some Dorkings in a month or so, and I really had no idea how to proceed.

When you say cull, are you saying you sell them or do you eat them or what? I don't have any problem with them going into the pot. Just need to get another freezer I suppose

It just depends on the different factors. If they have an obvious defect at hatching like the wrong comb, feathered legs on a clean legged bird or the opposite, we cull at hatching by either putting them down or selling them in a batch of chicks to the pet store. As they get older, we'll sell some on as started birds. As adults for roosters, we send them off to Camp GE and the pelt goes for fly tying/crafts. The females go as mixed layers. If they have a flaw and are culled because of it, we take them to the pet store or some of the traders in the area where they can't be traced back to us. Normally it takes too much to raise them up for butcher. Some birds like faverolles and buckeyes do make tasty meat birds though...

 

[saladin]

this is very useful information. Once you realize which pairing(s) produce the chicks you are looking for, what's next? Say you keep 3/20 chicks and you still have the 2 parents. What do you do next year?

It all depends on what you are trying to do.

For example, are you working toward improvement? If so, then if the chicks are better than the parents, you discard the parents and proceed.

If the parents represent, in your opinion, the ideal of the breed you are working with, then keep them and hatch from them every year until they are dead or the female quits laying (whichever comes first). Save a few each year and in 5 to 7 years you'll have a good number from which to work.

 

[Pozees]

Anyone here ever have Egyptian Fayoumis, or have any words of wisdom to share with regard to keeping and assessing them? I got some from Cackle and I am enchanted, another local keeper and I are going to split them and raise them for a few months and see how they look.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Anyone here ever have Egyptian Fayoumis, or have any words of wisdom to share with regard to keeping and assessing them? I got some from Cackle and I am enchanted, another local keeper and I are going to split them and raise them for a few months and see how they look.

Congratulations! Enjoy your Fayoumis. They're a landrace breed that isn't truly bred to a Standard. They're a relatvely new bird on the scene in this country. If you find that you're into their type and pattern and would like to develop it, I'd actually recommend, at that point, shifting to either Silver Campine or Silver-pencilled Hamburgs, which are thought to proceed from a cose genetic base and which share the same pattern and similar personalities. The latter two have a a long tradition and poultry and are both exceedingly rare and would benefit frm a champion, especially a team of breeders hoping to do well by them.

Best to you and good luck!

 

[saladin]

I couldn't have said it better myself Joe.

I think lots of folks believe something is 'ancient' if it has the right word in front of it; here that would be 'Egypt.'

If you look at the art in the tombs of Egypt you will find Geese (Egyptians and Pom types) and Ducks but no chickens. The art of tombs representing everyday life seems to be very accurate. Thus, the chicken came very late to Egypt. That doesn't mean there is a thing wrong with the Fayoumis; there are just better choices.

The Ancient chicken of the Medit. world is the Old English Game which was bred in antiquity by the Persians and traveled west. It was then spread throughout the Medit. world by the ancient Phoenicians.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I couldn't have said it better myself Joe.

Yes, but you certainly could have spelled it better!! I have no idea what is becoming of my tying skills.......




The Ancient chicken of the Medit. world is the Old English Game which was bred in antiquity by the Persians and traveled west. It was then spread throughout the Medit. world by the ancient Phoenicians.

On this, considering the three fold utility of game, eggs, and meat, one learns a lot about European chicken history from juxtaposing OEGs, Dorkings, and Leghorns.