Saipan Jungle Fowl Thread

[D3invertebrates]

No you didnt...

 

[centrarchid]

This guy looks shamo-ish.
A couple years ago I had a buff cornish cockerel that looked just like your cockerel.

To my untrained I they do look similar as well. That is in part because, regardless of what the true nature of the Siapan is, it is still somehow related to the Shamo and Aseel bunch,

 

[D3invertebrates]

no...just no

 

[centrarchid]

no...just no

Explain / describe differences so I can know them as as well. Only obvious difference to me is that your "Siapan" is prettier or more functionally feathered than any shamo or aseel I have seen.

 

[Feasant Farmer]

Your right ...hes 3 months old

 

[old_cowhunter]

This is my first posting. I wanted to offer some information on Saipans. The breed was previously known as the Saipan Jungle Chicken and the Giant Jungle Chicken. It first came to the United States via a Navy man, Beryl Saylor returning home from the Pacific after World War Two. I wrote a letter to the Governor of the Commonwealth of The Northern Marianas Islands back in the 1980's, and found that they were extinct on the islands.

In the 1980's, I was able to purchase a beautiful pair of Saipans from Hazel Matthews, of Tennessee. A few years later, a hurricane destroyed my pens, so I gave them to a co-worker (who is also an American Poultry Association judge) with the agreement that once I rebuilt my pens I could get a start from him. While rebuilding, I noticed that the exotic pet market had "discovered" Saipans, and the price for chicks jumped to $500.00 each, and the cost of adults rose to thousands per pair. In their haste to make a fast buck, many unscrupulous breeders bred Saipans to Shamo and Malay, to produce Saipan look-a-likes to sell as pure birds. My APA judge "friend" said that the birds "ate too much", so he gave them to a friend of his that lives in North Carolina. I was able to track down that individual, and he said that raccoons had gotten into his barn and killed all of the Saipans. I have no doubt what really happened to them.

Anyway, pure, or true Saipans, were almost bred out of existence by man's greed. Several commercial hatcheries now carry Saipan Junglefowl, but what they are unknowingly selling mixed breed birds as Saipans. Many of those selling mongrel birds told those interested in buying Saipans that their bird came from Hazel. This has largely destroyed her reputation, even though she had nothing to do with their lies.

All of the commercial hatcheries selling Saipans today are selling descendents of the mongrels produced and sold during the brief Saipan Craze. Most honestly believe that they are selling real Saipans, but they are definitely mistaken.

Saipans that came to the U.S showed two different comb types; pea comb and a walnut/strawberry type comb. I feel that the walnut / strawberry type, or a flat (no comb) is most probably the original type comb. With color, Saipans are usually Black Breasted Red. The first Saipan cocks I had were what some people have described as silver platinum, with wheaten colored hens.

I have traveled extensively in search of true Saipans, and was at last successful when I was contacted by phone one day from a man out west. He had raised Saipans for more than fifty years, with no introduced stock. He is in poor health, and had decided to sell most of his remaining birds. My wife and I drove out to Texas and picked up his senior cock and six hens. He has since sold all but two hens.

When we got home I immediately started up the incubator and set every egg that was laid. That was fortunate, because I walked into the pen a few weeks later and found the cock dead of unknown causes. I set every egg that was laid after he died in hopes of getting as many offspring as possible. Eggs proved fertile for 29 days after his death. Since I prefer the walnut / strawberry comb, I am breeding for that comb type. I culled all offspring that showed the pea comb, giving those to my brother in Central Florida as a satellite flock in case something were to happen to my flock.

Of those raised in 2011, I shared a few birds with a friend in North Carolina. That left me with a flock of six cocks and twelve hens. Some of the hens showed slight evidence of pea comb, but my goal for 2012 was to produce as many offspring as possible before our spring vacation. After culling twice thus far, I still have more than one hundred young Saipans to go though before deciding on my 2013 breeding pens.

I plan to develop seven different bloodlines in order to decrease the possibility of breeding depression such as that which I encountered when I raised Tomaru Longcrowers for several years.

While others raising mongrel stock are concentrating on height of the birds, my primary goal is to conserve the breed. Secondary goals here are breeding for the silver platinum color my first Saipans had, and for the walnut / strawberry comb. I am considering breeding a line for no comb or wattles.

A national conservation organization offered to do free DNA testing on my Saipans last year, but with the down turn in the economy, they lost their funding for the project. I am in hopes that the offer will be made again within the next year.

Ralph Wright
Lake City, Florida

 

[welasharon]

This is my first posting. I wanted to offer some information on Saipans. The breed was previously known as the Saipan Jungle Chicken and the Giant Jungle Chicken. It  first came to the United States via a Navy man, Beryl Saylor returning home from the Pacific after World War Two. I wrote a letter to the Governor of the Commonwealth of The Northern Marianas Islands back in the 1980's, and found that they were extinct on the islands.

In the 1980's, I was able to purchase a beautiful pair of Saipans from Hazel Matthews, of Tennessee.  A few years later, a hurricane destroyed my pens, so I gave them to a co-worker (who is also an American Poultry Association judge) with the agreement that once I rebuilt my pens I could get a start from him.  While rebuilding, I noticed that the exotic pet market had "discovered" Saipans, and the price for chicks jumped to $500.00 each, and the cost of adults rose to thousands per pair.  In their haste to make a fast buck, many unscrupulous breeders bred Saipans to Shamo and Malay, to produce Saipan look-a-likes to sell as pure birds. My APA judge "friend" said that the birds "ate too much", so he gave them to a friend of his that lives in North Carolina. I was able to track down that individual, and he said that raccoons had gotten into his barn and killed all of the Saipans. I have no doubt what really happened to them.

[SIZE=12pt]Anyway, pure, or true Saipans, were almost bred out of existence by man's greed. Several commercial hatcheries now carry Saipan Junglefowl, but what they are unknowingly selling mixed breed birds as Saipans. Many of those selling mongrel birds told those interested in buying Saipans that their bird came from Hazel. This has largely destroyed her reputation, even though she had nothing to do with their lies.[/SIZE]

All of the commercial hatcheries selling Saipans today are selling descendents of the mongrels produced and sold during the brief Saipan Craze. Most honestly believe that they are selling real Saipans, but they are definitely mistaken.

Saipans that came to the U.S showed two different comb types; pea comb and a walnut/strawberry type comb. I feel that the walnut / strawberry type, or a flat (no comb)  is most probably the original type comb. With color, Saipans are usually Black Breasted Red. The first Saipan cocks I had were what some people have described as silver platinum, with wheaten colored hens.

I have traveled extensively in search of true Saipans, and was at last successful when I was contacted by phone one day from a man out west.  He had raised Saipans for more than fifty years, with no introduced stock. He is in poor health, and had decided to sell most of his remaining birds. My wife and I drove out to Texas and picked up his senior cock and six hens. He has since sold all but two hens.

When we got home I immediately started up the incubator and set every egg that was laid. That was fortunate, because I walked into the pen a few weeks later and found the cock dead of unknown causes. I set every egg that was laid after he died in hopes of getting as many offspring as possible. Eggs proved fertile for 29 days after his death. Since I prefer the walnut / strawberry comb, I am breeding for that comb type. I culled all offspring that showed the pea comb, giving those to my brother in Central Florida as a satellite flock in case something were to happen to my flock.

Of those raised in 2011, I shared a few birds with a friend in North Carolina. That left me with a flock of six cocks and twelve hens. Some of the hens showed slight evidence of pea comb, but my goal for 2012 was to produce as many offspring as possible before our spring vacation. After culling twice thus far, I still have more than one hundred young Saipans to go though before deciding on my 2013 breeding pens.

I plan to develop seven different bloodlines in order to decrease the possibility of breeding depression such as that which I encountered when I raised Tomaru Longcrowers for several years.

While others raising mongrel stock are concentrating on height of the birds, my primary goal is to conserve the breed. Secondary goals here are breeding for the silver platinum color my first Saipans had, and for the walnut / strawberry comb. I am considering breeding a line for no comb  or wattles.

A national conservation organization offered to do free DNA testing on my Saipans last year, but with the down turn in the economy, they lost their funding for the project. I am in hopes that the offer will be made again within the next year.


Ralph Wright
Lake City, Florida

Pictures would be wonderful! I too am in FL up near Marianna. Welcome to the thread. How horrible that people would let a breed die out. Good job in helping to restore them.
sharon

 

[D3invertebrates]

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

 

[big4bantam]

Yes please cow hunter show us pictures.

 

[old_cowhunter]

Hello All,

I thought I would introduce myself a bit more. I have a small farm in North Central Florida where I raise Florida Cracker cattle, Florida Cracker sheep, Cotton Patch geese, True Saipan Junglefowl, and Marans chickens. The cattle and sheep date back to the Spanish introduction in the 1500's, while the geese date back to the 1700's. I love history, and that love of history shows in the breeds I raise. I am a life member of the SPPA.

There are less than 900 Florida Cracker cattle in existence. There are lass than 400 Florida Cracker sheep left, but we are in hopes that once the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy changes their status from the Study category to the Critically Endangered Category, we can get a registry started and work toward both conserving and promoting the breed. There are probably less than 300 Cotton Patch geese, but with the work that Tom Walker has done, the breed's future seems secure.

Aside from the Saipans, I raise Marans.

I was unable to find the egg color I wanted from hatchery Cuckoo Marans, so I bred those to Wheaten Penedesenca, and have since added hatchery Copper Black Marans to the mix. Remember, I am breeding for egg color, not to meet the Marans standard. I took a dozen eggs to the Florida Sunshine Classic poultry show in Lake City, Florida, and my eggs were# 8’s and #9’s on the Marans Color Chart, which means they were as dark (or darker) than the eggs entered in Dark Egg Contest. So, I guess I am doing alright with that breeding program. As the laying season progresses, Marans eggs laid are lighter in color. Right now mine are #4 and #5 on the Marans Color Chart. I plan to add one or two pure lines of Copper Black Marans to the program next year to see if I can consistently produce eggs that are never less than #6.

Now back to the Saipans: In researching the Saipan combs, I have recently found (through online research) that the walnut/strawberry/cushion combs are intermediate between the pea comb and the rose comb. I have noticed some walnut/strawberry combs with a single point at the base ( like a rose comb), and other Saipan chicks, with two ridges on their (fairly flat) combs that remind me of a rose comb with no points or bumps.

Needless to say, with the work on the farm, and working in church, etc. I am fairly busy. I wioll try to take time to photograph the adult Saipans in the near future and post photos.

Take care,

Ralph