Old and Rare Breeds

Quote:
I like this idea. What about using the term "Traditional" for the time set you are currently describing as "modern"? They were the breeds traditionally kept in towns, on farms and small holdings throughout Europe and the colonial Americas, for the most part the result of a regional adaptation, certainly before anyone "industrialized" or otherwise "modernized"poultry keeping.
Reserve the use of the word "Modern" for breeds created after 1940, where it more logically applies. (to me anyway)

I've actually been thinking lately along the same lines. I was thinking: Ancient, Old (I like your traditional better) and Modern, but I complete understand why you want to go with Modern from 1940 onward.
The only thing is this, from just before 1900 there was enormous excitement generated across the US and Canada with 'egg-laying' competitions. The resulting birds were then the base for the modern commercial egg industry. The breeds included were all the Medit. breeds and many birds from the American and English classes: including the Wyandotte and the Orp. If that isn't modern what is?

Not all the Mediterranean breeds; being well represented in egg competitions doesn't change the fact that several of those breeds handily predate early 20th century attempts at improving them. I'd think that special competitions held on this continent aside, most people keeping chickens in the early part of the last century were not doing it to win prizes, but rather, to provide eggs and meat for their tables with perhaps a bit left over for market. They were very "traditional" about their poultry, both in the breeds they kept (economy ruled), and they circumstances they kept them under.

But then, if we were going to classify breeds according to the most up to date, scientifically advanced system available at the time regardless of how the vast majority of birds were being raised at the time, we should remember that the ancient Romans had built hatcheries capable of producing 10,000 chicks. As you said, if that isn't "modern", what is?
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Redcap Chickens (Derbyshire Redcap) --

History
The breed shares a common ancestry with other fowl such as the Hamburgh and the Old English Pheasant Fowl and many similar now lost Northern English breeds. Like many of the rarer breeds they have a reputation for flightiness but if kept in coops are reasonable layers with a solidly fleshed body. They were bred to accentuate their comb which in shows has a marking of 45% of the total marks. Redcaps originated in Derbyshire, England, probably from Hamburg crossed with other breeds. The very large rose-comb is the most striking characteristic of the breed.

Characteristics
Broad backed with a solid broad breast close fitting wings of red brown with a beetle green webbing on the feather. Legs and feet lead coloured. Comb rose with a straight leader full, of fine spikes size about 8x7cm. Mainly large in the UK some miniatures around.

Breed Tips
They are good producers of eggs and they are non-sitters.

Purpose
Egg layer

Classification
Light / Soft feather / Rare

Egg Color
White

Egg Numbers
200 per annual



Dorking Chicken --

History
The only purely British breed makes the Dorking Chickens possibly the oldest pure breed lineage. A Roman writer described birds with five toes of the Dorking Chicken type at the time of the invasion by Julius Caesar. The Dorking Chicken was detailed by Columella, a Roman writer, before the breed was popular in England. Columella spoke of large, broad-breasted hens that were sqaure framed with large heads and has small upright combs. He also stated that the purer breeds were five clawed. The combs are still allowed in two forms the rose and the single. Historically the rose combs were northern as were the Redcaps; Hamburghs etc. and the single combs were southern. They featured in the first Poultry show in 1845 and were used to create the Light Sussex and Faverolles as well as other breeds, they were used to produce excellent table birds.

Characteristics
n/a

Purpose
Dual

Classification
Heavy / Soft feather / Rare

Origin
Great Britain

Egg Color
Tinted

Egg Numbers
140 per annual



Polish Chicken --

History
The Crested Dutch, or Polish, of early writers were imported from eastern Europe, and upon landing in England, these were called 'Poland Fowls'. On the Continent of Europe, the name 'Padoue' is applied to crested breeds. Charles Darwin classifies all the races of fowl with top-knots as 'Crested or Polish' but does not give any data regarding their origin.
Polish is a long established race of domesticated poultry. It was mentioned as a pure breed as early as the sixteenth century.There was even a class for them at the first poultry show in London in 1845. There are many illustrations in old poultry books of the Polish. It is among the most ornamental and beautiful breeds of poultry, highly prized for exhibition and the production of white-shelled eggs.

Characteristics
The most striking characteristic of the Polish fowl is the large protuberance or knob on top of the skull from which the crest of feathers grow and the large cavernous nostrils are found only in crested breeds.

Breed Tips
n/a

Purpose
Ornamental

Classification
Light / Soft feather

Origin
n/a

Egg Color
White

Egg Numbers
120 per annual

Sources - poultrypages.com

Chris
 
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Quote:
Raven, I am curious about native New Zealand breeds of chickens. Considering that people first came there 1,000 years ago, (and they brought chickens), I'd think those would get to over count as "ancient" under anybody's standard.
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Is there an effort to preserve them as a living historical treasure?
 
Quote:
Raven, I am curious about native New Zealand breeds of chickens. Considering that people first came there 1,000 years ago, (and they brought chickens), I'd think those would get to over count as "ancient" under anybody's standard.
big_smile.png
Is there an effort to preserve them as a living historical treasure?

X2
 
Quote:
I've actually been thinking lately along the same lines. I was thinking: Ancient, Old (I like your traditional better) and Modern, but I complete understand why you want to go with Modern from 1940 onward.
The only thing is this, from just before 1900 there was enormous excitement generated across the US and Canada with 'egg-laying' competitions. The resulting birds were then the base for the modern commercial egg industry. The breeds included were all the Medit. breeds and many birds from the American and English classes: including the Wyandotte and the Orp. If that isn't modern what is?

Not all the Mediterranean breeds; being well represented in egg competitions doesn't change the fact that several of those breeds handily predate early 20th century attempts at improving them. I'd think that special competitions held on this continent aside, most people keeping chickens in the early part of the last century were not doing it to win prizes, but rather, to provide eggs and meat for their tables with perhaps a bit left over for market. They were very "traditional" about their poultry, both in the breeds they kept (economy ruled), and they circumstances they kept them under.

But then, if we were going to classify breeds according to the most up to date, scientifically advanced system available at the time regardless of how the vast majority of birds were being raised at the time, we should remember that the ancient Romans had built hatcheries capable of producing 10,000 chicks. As you said, if that isn't "modern", what is?
wink.png


There is truth there for sure (the Romans: I've read the Egyptians built 'fire' incubators that were capable of the same.

I didn't mean to imply that the Med. breeds were modern. Many of them pre-date the 1600 mark that I had set to determine Ancient fowl. Of course, most Med. breeds are really just degenerate Games: dunghills that were selected to lay eggs.

I was hoping to stay away from words like 'traditional,' 'heirloom,' 'heritage' and the like. Not that that is some hard and fast rule mind you; just something I had in my mind. Can you think of another word other than traditional or modern?
 
saladin,

Main Entry: modern
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: new, up-to-date
Synonyms: avant-garde, coincident, concomitant, concurrent, contempo, contemporary, current, cutting-edge, fresh, last word, late, latest, latter-day, leading-edge, modernistic, modernized, modish, neoteric, new-fashioned, newfangled, novel, now, present, present-day, prevailing, prevalent, recent, state-of-the-art*, stylish, today, twenty- first century, up-to-the-minute, with-it
Antonyms: ancient, antiquated, obsolete, old, old-fashioned, outdated, passe

Chris
 
In the Dec 2009 Backyard Poultry I first called for a more accurate way to classify poultry other than heritage or heirloom. I believe, and still do, in both accuracy and in utilizing recognized historical time periods. I wrote:

Ancient Fowl (existing before 1600)
Modern Fowl (1600-1845)
Industrial Fowl (1845-1940)

I am curious as to why there is a need to "classify" further than function? It appears from these that this is an attempt to distinguish an age to a breed. I'm not certain it is necessary for a "Classification" The age of the breed has no bearing on anything other than history.

There is already a class system that distinguishes origin, which only serves to partition breeds. The only functional classifications are for purpose. Ornamental, egg, meat, and dual purpose. These are quantifiable by standard and functional. Any other classification or partition would only serve the market or the show ring.

It seems to me that if we as the keepers of livestock would put more emphasis on the purpose of the animal and less on vanity, nature would help us maintain better breeds.

Just my humble opinion.​
 
Quote:
anyone know of any breeders??? or do i go to mcmurry???

Sandhills carries Redcaps. I think you are going to find a great deal of variation in the Redcaps. I'd personally order from two different hatcheries in this case, cull to the best of both and then cross them.
 

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