Old Sturbridge Village Chickens, What Breed Are They?

[cicene mete]

Old Sturbridge Village is a historical re-creation site (made to look like a small village in preindustrial Massachusetts). Here are two different kinds of roosters and a few hens. Any guesses as to the breed or breed mixes?

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Second cock down is a Cubalaya. The first, well... If it were a true phoenix, it would have white ear lobes and more tail growth although the tail could be missing in part by sparring with the other cock and just general wear and tear. The tail position and comb/wattle shape/size on the bird leans towards phoenix. He's not a true brown leghorn type either, he's missing the white earlobes for a leghorn and the shape of the tail isn't correct for a leghorn. So, I'm going to say some kind of game cross with a breed that doesn't have white lobes because white lobes are hard to breed out. That's real helpful, huh?

The Cubalaya is an old bird, the other one is much younger.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Not sure but wanted to say just how cool I remember Sturbridge Village to be. Sometimes I miss Mass so much.

 

[kipper]

The hens look a lot like Welsummers?

 

[DTchickens]

They're Sturbridge Village chickens. They do not note any specific breed, but I would say there is game in them mixed with other breeds. Games were for awhile pretty popular, in some countries they still are the most popular chicken and in doing so some have reverted to a feral nature, and at times are crossed with yard breeds to make some beautiful yard ornaments. Down the road from me, literally about a mile, maybe a mile and a half is a house where probably 50+ chickens run loose and they can come just about any shape, size, and color. I've seen some similar to the birds you posted.

The story behind them is my grandfather grew up with the kids of the old man who lived there and died just last year. My family was big into the gamefowl, still is, and Mr. Tony wanted (or already had barnyard breeds) some chickens so my grandfather ended up giving some game cocks and hens, this was around probably the 60's-70s (maybe the early 80's). They ended up crossing with the barnyard breeds, eventually were turned out to free range and since then have just interbred in their own little flock since then, with maybe the occasional cock or hen being introduced by someone giving them to him (though it isn't sure if that's even true, I've heard nothing else has ever been introduced, and I've heard very few have) or a "fly a way" (Chickens are really popular in my area, especially games and sometimes hens just "show up". I had a hatch American game hen show up the other day from somewhere and we haven't had any hens like her since at least 2007).

I tend to want to drive by his house sometimes just to look at them, they're pretty neat even if not full games. And if anything it really shows the instincts of the game breeds in them, as I don't know many other birds that could survive as long as them with little to no human intervention other than maybe tossing some scraps out to them. And driving by, honestly I have never seen one sick or deformed bird in the flock, which is why I don't see a problem with inbreeding if you use a good culling practice

.

-Daniel

 

[adarc]

My daughter works at the village - the rooster appears to be one of the Red Dorkings that run around in the center of the village. They also have Domiques up at farm they have one other breed up at the farm, but i can't recall it right now. the Dorkings are very friendly and will beg for food from the visitors.

 

[adarc]

The other breed they have is Dunghill's - Here is link to their supplier - http://vnsseed.com/html/red_dorkings.html