Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[3KillerBs]

I was at the NC State Fair last week and in the short amount of time my mother (who loathes poultry), and my 4yo (who was frightened by the turkeys), allowed me to look at the birds I got to see the 4-5 Delawares that had been entered.

In my amateur ignorance I thought the rooster with the blue ribbon was a fine-looking, handsome, muscular fellow but I noted that his upper surface was glaringly yellow -- as if he were wearing a blanket. Not quite banana yellow, but far more than a touch of brassiness. Maybe lemonade.

Is that genetic, dietary, or environmental?

Being dragged quickly along the rows I saw the same yellow on a few individuals of other white breeds, but none so severe. Are Delawares more prone to yellowing?

Next year either I don't go with my mother or I suggest that she visit the craft displays while the 10yo and I look at the poultry.

 

[walkswithdog]

Rude Delawares that break into the scratch/corn, yellow up thoroughly exactly as you describe. My Roo did that - the awful beast. He'd broken into the scratch without me knowing about it and ate his fill for about a week before I noticed him in there pigging out. Very yellow bird. And it's staying until he moults again... sigh.

Some people feed a high degree of corn and then wonder when white birds yellow up. Could be sneaky darn Delaware or over feeding corn. Either way you get stuck with months of yellow bird.

 

[speckledhen]

Some lines are more genetically predisposed to yellowing and as Delawares age, they tend to yellow a bit anyway, especially if they are out in the sun, or on too much corn, as Cher mentioned.

 

[kathyinmo]

One thing I don't understand, about heritage breeds especially, is why some would want to breed them and NOT consider the SOP. It just seems common sense to me, to breed toward the SOP.

I intend to breed toward the SOP, and cull heavily. I will have a freezer full of great meat, I'm sure, as well as some great layers of x-large eggs. I don't want to send the culls out to others. Wouldn't that be a step back in the progress of the heritage breeds? I can see that this may be a very lengthy process .... but what fun along the way!

 

[TimG]

In my opinion the measure of the quality of a chicken depends entirely upon the purpose for which it was bred. It makes very little sense to me that the SOP for a Delaware includes the need for five distinct points on the comb. The Delaware was bred to be a broiler and unless the shape of the comb affects it's ability to produce a good meat carcass, then I care very little. There are qualities in the SOP, such as size and shape, that have a direct relationship to the breed purpose. Of course, there are also certain traits, such as color and type of comb, that have little or nothing to do with meat production, but are distinguishing characteristics of a breed.

Although I am more interested in practical qualities like egg production, meat production, heartiness, foraging ability, etc., I also recognize that a valid purpose of breeding is for show. And, that means breeding to sometimes arbitrary standards.

I think it is a mistake to think that there is only one way to measure quality, context and purpose is important.

Someone has mentioned "heritage quality". When I think of "heritage" I think of something that has been handed down from generations past, in the case of livestock, I think of animals that have good qualities for a productive farm life, one that provides food for the farmer and his (or her) family (either directly or indirectly). In the case of a chicken, that means production of eggs, offspring and meat in a practical way for the farmer. So, when someone says "heritage quality" I don't think of the SOP, I think of the practical qualities of the chicken.

Tim

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I am interested in certain so-called heritage breeds because if they were on the family farm 100 or 200 or more years ago, they must have been useful for subsistence and well suited to sustainable living. I am interested in the qualities that made them suitable for the family farm, not exactly how they match the SOP. I do recognize that sometimes the qualities that make a chicken suitable for farm life are covered in the SOP, but the overlap is not 100%.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I think it is called Standard of Perfection for a reason. It is meant ultimately for the "ideal" form of the bird.
I do not believe egg production or foraging come into it due to each individual owners desires, breeding and raising techniques. That is just too broad to pin down. But the form is not.
I don't see any reason that all the desired traits can't be combined and still be a SOP. If the birds are shown then the egg production will most likely suffer and possibly a few other traits may also.
But to obtain a SOP without "showing" shouln't really affect the qualities such as egg production, meat quality. It just may take a little longer to make sure those qualities are bred into the birds. Once you reach a SOP then you cull for the next desired traits such as egg production or health, or foraging ability.
If only egg production, foraging and health are important to an owner then they may not want to try for the SOP.
A Delaware may still be a high quality Delaware (despite where they come from) but they won't be high quality SOP Delawares.

 

[kathyinmo]

When I refer to, "heritage," I am referring to the breeds on the list of endangered species, listed as "critical," "threatened," "watch," "recovering," .... Am I using the term incorrectly? If I am, accept my apology for ignorance.

The point I intended to make is that .... Why try to produce LESS than SOP when they are so endangered? I would think it wise to cull heavily and get the breed to standard (or near) as the better way to increase it's population. Is my thinking flawed?

 

[Cetawin]

Well this is the info I found on that subject Kathyinmo

Definition of Heritage Chicken by The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Purpose:

Chickens have been a part of the American diet since the arrival of the Spanish explorers. Since that time, different breeds have been developed to provide meat, eggs, and pleasure.

The American Poultry Association began defining breeds in 1873 and publishing the definitions in the Standard of Perfection. These Standard breeds were well adapted to outdoor production in various climatic regions. They were hearty, long-lived, and reproductively vital birds that provided an important source of protein to the growing population of the country until the mid-20th century. With the industrialization of chickens many breeds were sidelined in preference for a few rapidly growing hybrids. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy now lists over three-dozen breeds of chickens in danger of extinction. Extinction of a breed would mean the irrevocable loss of the genetic resources and options it embodies.

Therefore, to draw attention to these endangered breeds, to support their long-term conservation, to support efforts to recover these breeds to historic levels of productivity, and to re-introduce these culinary and cultural treasures to the marketplace, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is defining Heritage Chicken. Chickens must meet all of the following criteria to be marketed as Heritage.

Definition:

Heritage Chicken must adhere to all the following:

1. APA Standard Breed. Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) prior to the mid-20th century; whose genetic line can be traced back multiple generations; and with traits that meet the APA Standard of Perfection guidelines for the breed. Heritage Chicken must be produced and sired by an APA Standard breed. Heritage eggs must be laid by an APA Standard breed.

2. Naturally mating. Heritage Chicken must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating. Chickens marketed as Heritage must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.

3. Long, productive outdoor lifespan. Heritage Chicken must have the genetic ability to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems. Breeding hens should be productive for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years.

4. Slow growth rate. Heritage Chicken must have a moderate to slow rate of growth, reaching appropriate market weight for the breed in no less than 16 weeks. This gives the chicken time to develop strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass.

Chickens marketed as Heritage must include the variety and breed name on the label.

Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” “old-fashioned,” and “old timey” imply Heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided here.

Abbreviated Definition: A Heritage Egg can only be produced by an American Poultry Association Standard breed. A Heritage Chicken is hatched from a heritage egg sired by an American Poultry Association Standard breed established prior to the mid-20th century, is slow growing, naturally mated with a long productive outdoor life.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has over 30 years of experience, knowledge, and understanding of endangered breeds, genetic conservation, and breeder networks.

Endorsed by the following individuals:
Frank Reese, Reese Turkeys, Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch, Standard Bred Poultry Institute, and American Poultry Association;
Marjorie Bender, Research & Technical Program Director, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD., Technical Advisor, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and Professor, Veterinary Pathology and Genetics, Virginia Tech;
Don Bixby, DVM. Independent Consultant, former Executive Director for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy;
R. Scott Beyer, PhD, Associate Professor, Poultry Nutrition Management, Kansas State University,
Danny Williamson, Windmill Farm, Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch, and American Poultry Association;
Anne Fanatico, PhD, Research Associate, Center for Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas;
Kenneth E. Anderson, Professor, Poultry Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University.


Having read and posted all of that, the SOP is not something I am truly concerned about for my "pets" but I do like the fact of having heritage breeds because we have come close to losing so many of them.

I personally will not cull any of mine because of 2 things...

First, they are my pets so perfection is not as important to me; and

Secondly, mine came from good breeding stock so I am happy with them

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
Ahhh I did not know that. Interesting. Thank you.