Rare or Endangered Breed

[RebelsHope]

I would like to get a heritage breed. One I was interested in is the Cayuga duck. I see them different large hatcheries, but they are on the threatened list on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy page. There are chickens that are listed as threated too that I see in the hatchery catalogs, like the Lakenvelder.

I am just wondering how a breed of chicken can be rare or endangered when I can find it at many of the big hatcheries. And if I buy those birds from the big hatcheries am I really helping to save the breed?

 

[chickenshadow]

Even though the hatcheries may have them they are still not a popular breed, therefore
they are on the endangered species list.

Delawares are considered an endagered heritage breed but thousands of people
throughout the country have them. The ratio of Delawares to Leghorns but be tiny
since there are so many Leghorns out there.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

And just cause the big hatchery's have them in their catalog doesn't mean they are readily available. We have been working on getting Dorkings for a couple of months now. Folks who say they have they have been presaleing their eggs months in advance.

 

[kstaven]

It is beyond presaling with breeds like the Dorking and a few other heritage breeds up here. Everything was spoken for last year.

 

[JustChicky]

Dominiques are on the "watch" section of the list and it took me 10 weeks to get them from the hatchery, but I am glad I waited and didn't get the Ameraucanas that would come in 2 weeks.

Conservation isn't the only reason I chose that breed, I love their color pattern and they are so sweet. The other chicks that came for warmth are a little bit feisty but still adorable. I have a list of other breeds, rare and common, that I want (will have).

 

[RebelsHope]

Thank you for all responses. I am not sure that I can buy that rarity is based on percentage of one breed as compared to the percentage of all breeds of chickens. I am sure compared to commercial breeds all (or at least most) other breeds of chickens would be rare.

I was also wondering if it had anything to do if the fact that most of the birds in the hatcheries come some a singular farm, so that most if not all of those breeds were related. Which is what make me think, if most of those breeds are from one larger farm and shipped to the hatcheries, won't the gene pool from those lines be rather shallow? Maybe there is more diversity on those farms that I realize.

Just chicky- I understand what you mean. I think I would need several acres to try and get all the breeds of chickens I like! I also just like things are are rare or different.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

There are several rare breeds out there, but has anyone thought of conserving a rare variety? For example, has anyone ever seen a good red leghorn? Mcmuurey sells them but they look like RIRs, they could use improvement.
In the American class there are white and barred Hollands that need to be saved, or a rare variety of a common breed, like columbian rocks, or buff wyandottes. Some rare breeds that are gaining in popularity are the chanteclers and buckeyes.
Those are just my suggestions.

 

[NYREDS]

The bigger issue is that the ALBC's data collection methods are less than scientific.
They rely largely on self-reporting to determine who raises how many of what. So if there are 1,000 people raising [pick a breed] but only 3 people report raising them the ALBC lists them as threatened. They have some very common breeds/varieties listed as threatened.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Oh, thats how they do it. I thought they counted the better quality birds and not the production type birds.

 

[RebelsHope]

I have to tell you the more I learn on here the more confused I get

I read on another post that a lot of the big hatchery birds are actually mutts, and that the pure heritage breeds are hard to find.

Then I read some where else on here that the breeders of those quality birds don't want to sell their stock to just anyone and many will not sell to anyone.

What is a person to do?

I would like to raise qualilty birds but I don't even know where to get them from.