Rarest breed of chicken in the US?

[Pyncheon guy]

The Olanks Dwarfs are very beautiful and even have a closer resemblance to the Belgian Tournaisis breed. If you notice the color pattern on the females is both breeds...it almost has a light brown leghorn mottled with white pattern or Mottled BBR pattern (in some of the few birds I've seen). The males are very close to the Mille Fleur pattern. I really like these two breeds as well.....too many chickens and not enough space and time.

I did notice different colored legs on some...(?) I think the Pyncheons resemble bantam versions of the Swedish Flower hens but with willow colored legs. I am VERY tempted to order some of these in the future so I can have Standard size birds that resemble my Pyncheons and to help perpetuate another unique and historical breed.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Good job! I always enjoy seeing someone who really cares about some of the old breeds and has the knowledge and fortitude to stick with improving them.

Walt

 

[Pyncheon guy]

Thank you mississippifarmboy and Walt for the kind remarks. Walt....I checked out your website.....VERY nice birds!!!! Keep up the great work! Best to all, Rusty

 

[saladin]

Rusty can you estimate how many Pyncheons there are left in the US and Canada (breeder stock only)?

I have always admired your birds and your work. What you need is someone like Mary Ann Harley. Mary Ann has been hatching and sending out around 500 Nankin chicks a year for the past several years.

My work has been mainly with the Orientals: particularly Asil and Cubalayas. Neither of which are anywhere nearly as rare as Pyncheons. Still, I enjoy them.

The trouble I've always had with the Cubalayas is that there are very few serious breeders in the US. There are folks every year that buy hatchery stock, but seldom do they turn into breeders.

I know of 2 main breeders on the West Coast (one of which usually wins all the Shows), a couple in the middle section of the country and about 4 of us back East. That's not very many.

 

[cubalaya]

hey saladin, the one on the west coast that is winning all the shows, what line is his birds from? are they duane urch hatchery cubalayas?

walt, still waiting to see the urch cubalaya pictures that are winning in cali.

 

[saladin]

cubalaya,
Anthony Rose and his son have excellent Cubalayas and have had them for several years now. They are not hatchery stock. I don't know anyone else in CA that has been showing and winning in the AOSB class with Cubalayas except the Roses.

Anthony has been asking me now for a few years for some of my birds, but I keep telling him for improvement he needs to send me birds! He and his son are wonderful people.

 

[Pyncheon guy]

Thanks saladin, I don't know that there are any Pyncheons is Canada...only here in the U.S.. I really couldn't say how many pure or close to pure Pyncheons are left. There are quite a few that still need to be (tweeked) abit. Plumage color is all over the place....earlobe color needs help on some....the biggest problem that I've seen is leg color......white legs and blue legs seem to be the norm in some of the flocks. They HAVE to have Willow legs. No one would breed Leghorns with blue legs...or Polish with yellow legs......I will admit...I have had ALL 4 colors of legs in mine as well and even now will breed from a yellow or blue legged bird...ONLY to Willow leg colored birds and only if I know that the off leg colored bird will benefit the breed. I'm now down to my top 45 or so birds.....many very nice ones and many with (some) minor fault or two that I'm willing to work with. We have had too few dedicated breeders to get them back to the correct Pyncheon standard. I almost gave up on them because of inbreeding and VERY poor fertility. I did acquire another bloodline which helped me greatly....it did however...introduce some less desireable characteristics that I'm still working on to improve....BUT...I do believe my original line could have been lost without the help of the other line and a couple of out-crosses. I wouldn't even think of selling Pyncheons in great masses until they are ALL as close to the original Pyncheons and the current ABA standard. I still get faults popping up in my chicks....I can work with that... I do hesitate to pass too many birds out there knowing that these faults may come back to surprise the unknowing (green) breeder and deter them from perpetuating the breed. Thanks for your concern and interest and to any and all Pyncheon breeders out there.....Please breed for tassels and willow legs....these are a MUST! Rusty Hart (Irish Acres)

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Thanks Rusty, I am in the process of updating my site. It will have a lot more birds.

Walt

 

[Scraps]

Well, I feel like a big dumdum. I knew that RIW's were hard to come by but I had no idea they were THAT rare. I have some beautiful ones

I hatched out at least 100
last summer and had the hardest time selling them. Unfortunately, I'm down to just a few adults but I have a few young ones that I'm growing out and several eggs sitting in
the kitchen ready to go in the bator. Here's a few pics that I took of them this morning...
This is the oldest roo:

His son...

I also bought a trio of Orloffs a few weeks ago. I don't know squat about them other than they're really pretty. How do they look?

 

[punky rooster]

your RIW hens look good the roos um not as grea from what I can tell.......