Raerest breed

[MeowPonyMix]

And if anyone in the Maryland/Delaware/PA corner is interested, I have some nearly-breeding-aged Sebrights (on the LC Threatened List) in need of a home where someone will help rebuild the breed. It has to be fairly local (or at least within driving distance,) as I won't ship in this heat!

Hi MROO,

We are in Cecil Co MD and will be ready for chickens later this month. Perhaps we can touch base? Very interested!

 

[The Moonshiner]

The rarest breeds are the ones you've never heard of.
ACs are not rare anymore nor that pricey (compared to a few years ago)
Don't think anything on the livestock conservancy list are all that rare either. Been a while since I looked at it but last time I did they had some breeds listed that you could get from several hatcheries. Sebrights being one of them.
Also if GFF has a breed then people are bound to be buying them up with dreams of riches just as they did with the ACs so not the rarest there either.

 

[336White Phoenix]

The rarest breeds are the ones you've never heard of.
ACs are not rare anymore nor that pricey (compared to a few years ago)
Don't think anything on the livestock conservancy list are all that rare either. Been a while since I looked at it but last time I did they had some breeds listed that you could get from several hatcheries. Sebrights being one of them.
Also if GFF has a breed then people are bound to be buying them up with dreams of riches just as they did with the ACs so not the rarest there either.

I get what ur saying
It's really hard to determine what's rare or not

 

[MROO]

The rarest breeds are the ones you've never heard of.
ACs are not rare anymore nor that pricey (compared to a few years ago)
Don't think anything on the livestock conservancy list are all that rare either. Been a while since I looked at it but last time I did they had some breeds listed that you could get from several hatcheries. Sebrights being one of them.
Also if GFF has a breed then people are bound to be buying them up with dreams of riches just as they did with the ACs so not the rarest there either.

Okay - so we're supposed to just give up on these "fake rare breeds?" It took me nearly three years to find Nankin Bantams. Even the hatcheries ran out before they finished their orders ... and some of those that came through aren't as pure as the hatcheries want you to believe. They're crossed out, or at the very least, bred without careful selection, in order to multiply numbers ... and profits ... quickly. I got very lucky and finally found someone who was dedicated to preserving the breed.

As far as hatcheries selling rare breeds, look closely at some of the stock - not the stock photos, the actual stock - that comes from some of these mass-produced birds. The "Sultans" that most of the hatcheries are selling are bantams - not the true Sultan chicken. And the Sebrights. Have you seen some of the Sebrights from the hatcheries? Someone there got hold of a few pairs and cashed in on them, like many have done with the Cemanis. There's cranberry "bleeding" all over the AC's combs and white flecks in their feathers. The rare breeds have suffered for all the "attention" the hatchery mass production has given them.

I'm not trying to "bust" on anyone, here, and I'm not saying don't buy from the hatcheries. By all means, if you find a rare breed at a hatchery and can give it the attention needed for careful breeding, then do it! Hatchery chicks, while not always the best option, can be the only option for some people. Think of them as a good starting point for your own careful breeding program - and work to improve them from there.

Just remember that responsible breed conservation is important if we are going to save any of these truly rare breeds. Start with the best you can find, and move forward from there.

And if it helps any to know - The Livestock Conservancy updates the priority list every year. Their methods are outlined on the website. No "fake birds" there!

 

[BlackHackle]

Nothing that greenfire farms has is all that rare. Might have been before they got a hold of it, but definitely not after. My guess would be real honest to goodness Old English Game Standard Fowl. Probably a hundred and fifty Ayam Cemani in this country for every single Standard OEG. Strains of American Game are pretty rare too. You don't see any koopman's blue toppies on your local Craigslist.

I totally agree, I have never found one Large Fowl OEG breeder and I have found over 12 Ayam Cemani breeders. I would say Lamonas are also pretty rare

 

[BlackHackle]

Green Jungle fowl are also extremely rare and beat out Cemani's in price

 

[The Moonshiner]

Okay - so we're supposed to just give up on these "fake rare breeds?" It took me nearly three years to find Nankin Bantams. Even the hatcheries ran out before they finished their orders ... and some of those that came through aren't as pure as the hatcheries want you to believe. They're crossed out, or at the very least, bred without careful selection, in order to multiply numbers ... and profits ... quickly. I got very lucky and finally found someone who was dedicated to preserving the breed.

As far as hatcheries selling rare breeds, look closely at some of the stock - not the stock photos, the actual stock - that comes from some of these mass-produced birds. The "Sultans" that most of the hatcheries are selling are bantams - not the true Sultan chicken. And the Sebrights. Have you seen some of the Sebrights from the hatcheries? Someone there got hold of a few pairs and cashed in on them, like many have done with the Cemanis. There's cranberry "bleeding" all over the AC's combs and white flecks in their feathers. The rare breeds have suffered for all the "attention" the hatchery mass production has given them.

I'm not trying to "bust" on anyone, here, and I'm not saying don't buy from the hatcheries. By all means, if you find a rare breed at a hatchery and can give it the attention needed for careful breeding, then do it! Hatchery chicks, while not always the best option, can be the only option for some people. Think of them as a good starting point for your own careful breeding program - and work to improve them from there.

Just remember that responsible breed conservation is important if we are going to save any of these truly rare breeds. Start with the best you can find, and move forward from there.

And if it helps any to know - The Livestock Conservancy updates the priority list every year. Their methods are outlined on the website. No "fake birds" there!

Where did I say or imply to give up on breeding anything?
We can all have our opinions and if yours is to follow what the livestock conservancy says that's all good.
Its just not my opinion.
If you want to believe seabrights or quality seabrights are in a critical state that's all good too but again not my opinion.

 

[Amer]

As a serious answer, the Ayam Cemani is pretty rare. Even if you can find a real, legit breeder, it's expensive as heck. I've never seen one of these chickens with my own eyes. Only in images online.

Ayam Cemani are actually fairly common nowadays.


In terms of rare poultry from the standard. When have you seen Redcap chickens ever? I've even seen photos and reports of Lamonas, but not the Redcaps. Think about that. Saving the Redcap is like reinventing the wheel. It is possible, breeders have done such a thing before.

 

[Amer]

I totally agree, I have never found one Large Fowl OEG breeder and I have found over 12 Ayam Cemani breeders. I would say Lamonas are also pretty rare

I have seen enough Large Fowl OEG before though. There is a row just for all the large gamefowl at all the shows I've been to. The breeders who do have it do support the breed a lot.

 

[Amer]

Dorkings are another rare English breed. When have you ever seen one of those? I've seen one legit online breeder in my life.