Quote:
Exactly the point I have been trying to make. Unproductive chickens become "heritage" and very vulnerable to disappearance since not many people are interested in raising chickens "just for pretty," especially in difficult economic times. More and more people are obtaining backyard chickens and small farm flocks. They eagerly get chickens, frequently "heritage" breeds - and then are deeply disappointed. We need heritage utility chickens, and we need them now. There needs to be an introduction of carcass examinations and verified laying pens into the APA show criteria.
I've gotten to the point that I advise all people looking for practical poultry to get Black Stars, Black Sex Links, or a utility strain of Barred Rocks from specific hatcheries. This helps reduce the number of people discouraged by vicious, flighty, panicky, or unproductive birds, they are more easily sexed, and all of these tend to make a reasonable carcass if there is a sexing error.
Interestingly enough, some of the people I've talked with grew up on farms with small domestic flocks of Leghorns and were considering chickens but didn't want to deal with the cannibalism and people avoidance. One visit to the ladies in the back, and they leave feeling much better about getting back into having chickens. The folks who grew up with bantams are pleased at the prospect of friendly birds that lay larger eggs more frequently.
Exactly the point I have been trying to make. Unproductive chickens become "heritage" and very vulnerable to disappearance since not many people are interested in raising chickens "just for pretty," especially in difficult economic times. More and more people are obtaining backyard chickens and small farm flocks. They eagerly get chickens, frequently "heritage" breeds - and then are deeply disappointed. We need heritage utility chickens, and we need them now. There needs to be an introduction of carcass examinations and verified laying pens into the APA show criteria.
I've gotten to the point that I advise all people looking for practical poultry to get Black Stars, Black Sex Links, or a utility strain of Barred Rocks from specific hatcheries. This helps reduce the number of people discouraged by vicious, flighty, panicky, or unproductive birds, they are more easily sexed, and all of these tend to make a reasonable carcass if there is a sexing error.
Interestingly enough, some of the people I've talked with grew up on farms with small domestic flocks of Leghorns and were considering chickens but didn't want to deal with the cannibalism and people avoidance. One visit to the ladies in the back, and they leave feeling much better about getting back into having chickens. The folks who grew up with bantams are pleased at the prospect of friendly birds that lay larger eggs more frequently.
