Quote: Ok, I might get crucified for this... but here's my take on the Orloffs.
First let me state that I love the breed, raise hundreds most every year, and have been working on them for years with both breeder and hatchery stock. I'm in no way knocking the breed or any breeder out there. I'm proud of my birds and what I've accomplished so far with them and I know the other breeders are just as proud of their stock. This is just one old farmer's opinion. I've only got a few minutes to post so don't have time to look up and quote the references, just posting from memory here.
The APA if I remember correctly dropped the Orloff (Russians) from the SOP in the early 1900's (I think it was 1905) for "lack of interest". It was never a very popular breed due to it's "mean, cruel and vindictive" look. It is very unlikely it will be re-admitted into a future SOP any time soon, but a few of us are working and hoping to get it there someday.
As for being "critical".. you have to remember that they are very rare in any form compared to other breeds and the winter numbers are what really counts. For example I have raised hundreds, maybe thousands over the years. But my winter flock is never more than 12 birds. That is the number you look at, not how many there are in the summer. My best guess knowing as I do how many winter birds myself and several other breeders keep is that in January each year, not counting hatchery birds, there is less than 100 breeder birds alive. The true number of QUALITY breeders alive in any given winter is probably closer to 50.
I know nothing about bantams, Orloffs or otherwise, just not my thing. I like big chickens.
In my opinion - and please note; this is just MY opinion... there are NO great, bred to the original SOP standard sized Orloffs IN THE USA today. Period. I am going by the original SOP description in this. There are a few breeders with good stock, some are getting closer every year, but over the years someone has pooped in the genetic gene pool.
My uncle used to have a flock of large fowl spangled Orloffs when I was a kid. He called them "Russians", but they were huge, massively built, beautiful birds with an upright stance reminiscent of a Malay or Shamo. I have never since seen one single bird that could measure up to those he had when I was a kid although my entire breeding program is geared towards getting back to that type bird.
ChrisF I think it is, once posted a picture of a cross he was working on that was as close as I've ever seen to the birds I remember as a kid. With a little searching you might could find it, or later I can PM him and ask him to post it here. I'm not sure if he's still working with that project or not, I haven't talked to him in a while, but it was a fine looking bird.
Again, I hope I haven't offended, and I hope that helps answer some of the questions.
Terry
I was reading some information after I posted, and apparently the 'bantam' variety is not on the critical list, but the large fowl is? That's all the info I was able to find. That and the APA no longer recognizes them - but I couldn't find a reason as to why. The ABA does - but only the bantam version, so the original large fowl are pretty much forgotten and thus 'critical'?? This is more a question than a statement, just trying to verify with other people what I've read (don't know if it is true).
