In some of the old literature the authors warn the reader to be careful, don't rush into the poultry business, because you can quickly loose your money. That is probably true of any business, but I can undertand why the people moved on to hybrids and left the older breeds to the fanciers. Today we have a new and growing number of small flock holders (like me), who may not be a chicken farmer (producer), but are interested in an easy to maintain, multipurpose breed for general consumption and may also have an interest in the aesthetics and history of the breed as well. Given the interest in local food, sustainability etc. combined with what we know about breeding, I honestly think that the best days for the heritage breeds is yet to come - if we make sure that they are productive!