Picking an endangered breed.

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I raise Delawares, Dorkings and Buckeyes. The Buckeyes would be the best for very cold weather, due to their combs, unless you get White Dorkings. So far, Delawares are the best layers, with Dorkings coming in second. Delawares mature fastest for meat birds. Dorkings & Buckeyes are good roasters. Any of those breeds have the potential to go broody.

If you are serious about breeding, it's very important to get birds from a reputable breeder! Do not buy hatchery chickens if you want to preserve the breed as it should be. The Buckeye Club has wonderful people who do ship chicks, so that breed is easiest to get good stock. The Delaware thread, here on BYC, is a good place to get info on Delawares. Good quality Dorkings are harder to come by. There are a lot of new people breeding them who are mixing colors and even breeds, so buyer beware. Yellow House Farm is an excellent place to get cold hardy White Dorkings, also Ed Hart.

Good luck!
Kim

I have Buckeyes on my radar too. Delawares are nice but they are not really doing it for me. Dorkings... time to read up on those now.

Yep, the American Buckeye Poultry Club has some great people involved. Both Delawares & Dorkings really interested me before I chose my Buckeyes. Both are the kind of chicken I like.
Mitch

 

[Illia]

Quote:
The big problem I ALWAYS (sorry) have with the ALBC though is that they count hatchery stock and don't count small scale breeders, thus, some of their info is confusing, not counted, or wrong. For example neither Araucanas nor Ameraucanas are counted due to the hatchery issue, which honestly is as easy to solve as going to the breed clubs, then there's the heritage vs commercial strains issue. Some of the breeds on their recovering, watch, or threatened list are actually far more endangered than listed due to the fact that hatchery stock takes up about 90% of the general population for the breed.

For example, New Hampshires to them are considered common, yet really, true to type, heritage, purebred New Hampshires are as rare as hen's teeth.

 

[budda]

Russian orloffs will be living at my home next spring!!

 

[patman75]

Well with everyones help andy just a few hours of reading I'm liking Chanteclers and Buckeyes so far. Nothing set in stone I can always change my mind

.

Redcaps are neat but their cool looking combs would probably not do too well here in the winter. I have a New Hampshire pullet (hatchery stock), maybe she will win me over.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Quote:
I agree that their numbers are off and that the hatchery birds should usually not be considered in the same category as the breeders' birds. You may be wrong about them excluding small scale breeders in all cases. My flock of Buckeyes were included in their census of that breed, because the American Buckeye Club was asked to provide information to them. Only breeders who were actively breeding stock were asked to provide numbers, so the people without roosters did not get their birds counted. Someone needs to do an accurate count of the non hatchery Dorkings because I fear that those may be nearing extinction in the US.

Kim

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Quote:
I raise Delawares, Dorkings and Buckeyes. The Buckeyes would be the best for very cold weather, due to their combs, unless you get White Dorkings. So far, Delawares are the best layers, with Dorkings coming in second. Delawares mature fastest for meat birds. Dorkings & Buckeyes are good roasters. Any of those breeds have the potential to go broody.

If you are serious about breeding, it's very important to get birds from a reputable breeder! Do not buy hatchery chickens if you want to preserve the breed as it should be. The Buckeye Club has wonderful people who do ship chicks, so that breed is easiest to get good stock. The Delaware thread, here on BYC, is a good place to get info on Delawares. Good quality Dorkings are harder to come by. There are a lot of new people breeding them who are mixing colors and even breeds, so buyer beware. Yellow House Farm is an excellent place to get cold hardy White Dorkings, also Ed Hart.

Good luck!
Kim

Thanks for the good information and good advice. I have promised myself that I'll wait out this winter with my new chickens (2 each White Plymouth Rock, Barred Plymouth Rock, Welsummer, Jersey Giants from MyPetChicken) and see how they do with our harsh winters and wide variety of predators. But I have definitely caught chicken fever. I figure I'll have this fall to do a bunch of research and be ready to make a decision in plenty of time for spring. Already what I've learned has moved me towards purchasing from a breeder, rather than a hatchery, although I'm pleased as can be with the chicks I received I understand what you say about responsible breeders. I've been watching this debate regarding dogs (responsible breeders vs puppy mills) for years and know that there is a huge difference in the product of someone who is simply in it for a profit and those who are in it for the love of the breed.