Tips on getting involved raising endangered breeds - please advise

[cubalaya]

Quote:
years ago we picked the cubalaya as our rare breed that needed more breeders. we also saw that the delaware as a breed was endangered and picked them. as a breed i think you need to find at least 3 strains. buy what you can afford from the best breeder. also find someone local that has some and buy a few of them. buy from breed preservationist (sandhill) or someone using the albc breeding methods(whitmore farms). breed best to best and cull the rest. get a picture in your mind from the apa standard and birds that you have seen that represent the breed and breed towards that goal. now you have a diverse flock other breeders can breed to, to improve their rare breed of chicken. as far as a plan for the culls, people will buy hens just for the eggs, you can eat your extra roosters, and you can sell adult pairs or trios after you have accomplished your breeding goals with them.

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you are serious about preserving and you intend to sell chicks (which is important if you are preserving a breed), then start with the very best quality birds that you can afford. Buy them from a serious show and hobby breeder who studiously breeds to the SOP for that breed and considers things like temperament and laying and feed conversion rates.

It does the breed no good if you produce a bunch of maybe purebred chicks from possibly purebred, but very poor quality, birds that you bought from a hatchery. Preserving a breed involves preserving the very best features, plus preserving the essence of the breed, what makes it a unique breed of chicken. It isn't just about numbers. Breeding a whole bunch of junk mutts isn't doing your job as a preservationist.

Nobody can pick a breed for you. Only you can tell when a breed reaches out and touches your heart.