Top Ten Endangered Chickens In The Usa

[xyresicchick]

oh and i will second on the sultans -- ESPECIALLY black sultans. my friend Ashlee has been looking for quality sultans for a long time and every time she tracks some down they are SUPER CRAPPY ones. even if they have super sweet personalities, the quality of their "type" is just not great by any means.

 

[BGMatt]

I think that if you're talking about USA only, you can only count breeds recognized by the poultry organizations in this country, the APA and the ABA. So if they're not recognized, they don't count period. It's not like these groups are new or something the APA is the oldest livestock organization in America.

Given that guideline, I have a hard time including bantams on the list (unless they are bantam only) because there was that whole thing where breeds that had a large fowl counterpart were accepted with reckless abandon at one point even without qualifying amounts of specimens (Jersey Giant bantams being one), that's probably the biggest mistake APA has ever made...

My personal list is going to ignore variety because color is easy enough to create. (The two rules above are in effect for my list as well).

1) Lamona
2) Catalana
3) Redcap
4) Nankin
5) Holland
6) Campine
7) Sultan
8) Modern Game
9) Chantecler
10) Java

 

[Bluebonnet]

It seems like there is a good deal of debate on this thread and I would like to add my own two cents.

What the deal with Old English Game chickens? There are apparently a ton of varieties but the 'true' original variety is critically endangered? I'm not sure I understand that. I have read articles where people are alleging that people have paid over $600 and more per chicken. Is this true and with such money at stake, how do you tell them apart?

I run into the same issue with the Araucana and Ameraucana chickens. How do you tell them apart and sort them from the Easter Eggers? It seems like people have various opinions on what counts as quality in each breed and I have yet to see a true version of each. I was interested when I first came to these forums about purchasing some Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas but it seems like finding the right birds is difficult and there have been people paying a good bit of change for what they thought were quality birds only to wind up with Easter Eggers.

Lamona Chickens - Are these functionally extinct like the Baiji River Dolphin? When I envision a chicken, a Lamona chicken is what springs to mind and it would be a shame if these were truly extinct because to be honest they look like they would be delicious eating birds. I mean they look like they should be pan fried in a cast iron skillet to me. Too bad I will probably never get the chance to eat one.

Yokohamas - They are pretty birds but from what I have read, rarely lay eggs, are flighty and other than showing them off, do not serve man with either eggs or meat which means they will likely go extinct because not only do we not have a place for them, but they seem like they would be a 'conservation dependent' species that will not survive without human intervention.

Chanteclers - Pretty birds but unfortunately they would not do well in the Texas heat.

Nankins - This is a breed worth saving because it is a parent of many other varieties of chickens. Losing this chicken would be like losing the 'Talbot' of the chicken world.

 

[BGMatt]

It seems like there is a good deal of debate on this thread and I would like to add my own two cents.

What the deal with Old English Game chickens? There are apparently a ton of varieties but the 'true' original variety is critically endangered? I'm not sure I understand that. I have read articles where people are alleging that people have paid over $600 and more per chicken. Is this true and with such money at stake, how do you tell them apart?

I run into the same issue with the Araucana and Ameraucana chickens. How do you tell them apart and sort them from the Easter Eggers? It seems like people have various opinions on what counts as quality in each breed and I have yet to see a true version of each. I was interested when I first came to these forums about purchasing some Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas but it seems like finding the right birds is difficult and there have been people paying a good bit of change for what they thought were quality birds only to wind up with Easter Eggers. 

Lamona Chickens - Are these functionally extinct like the Baiji River Dolphin? When I envision a chicken, a Lamona chicken is what springs to mind and it would be a shame if these were truly extinct because to be honest they look like they would be delicious eating birds. I mean they look like they should be pan fried in a cast iron skillet to me. Too bad I will probably never get the chance to eat one.

Yokohamas - They are pretty birds but from what I have read, rarely lay eggs, are flighty and other than showing them off, do not serve man with either eggs or meat which means they will likely go extinct because not only do we not have a place for them, but they seem like they would be a 'conservation dependent' species that will not survive without human intervention.

Chanteclers - Pretty birds but unfortunately they would not do well in the Texas heat. 

Nankins - This is a breed worth saving because it is a parent of many other varieties of chickens. Losing this chicken would be like losing  the 'Talbot' of the chicken world. 

Old English Game are rare (in standard size) because people like animal rights activists are ill informed and associate them with cockfighting and vilify people who raise them which probably accounts for lack of popularity. The bantams are popular for show.

Aracauna's and Ameracauna are drastic different then the mutt chickens called Easter eggers. Aracauna are rumpless with large tufts on either side of their head and lay blue eggs. Ameracauna come in standard varieties, have beards and muffs, breed true and lay blue eggs. "Easter Eggers" have no uniformity to them, with many different features and mishmashed color patterns, but lay tinted eggs.

Lamona's only have a couple flocks (closed, not sellin right now as far as I can find out) of the original creation, but since they like many other breeds are a composite breed and we know the recipe originally used to create them I don't know how they could be called extinct.

Yokohama and other similar fowl are seasonal layers calling back to the wild fowl that all birds descended from. You could select them for egg production easily, but it'd be a long process, so they exist primarily as a fanciers fowl. But just like the wild game birds of today are seasonal layers left to their own devices, they'd do fine and would not go extinct on their own unless people stopped keeping them.

 

[Bluebonnet]

That is a shame because those Old English Game Chickens look like beautiful birds.

Thank you for explaining the difference to me. It seems that the trick is to know who you are dealing with. Can anyone recommend someone here who sells the real deal when it comes to either of those breeds? I wonder how the Silver and Golden Duckwing colors look along with the Black Breasted Red color. I bet they are beautiful birds. I still believe that Blue Wheaten is the prettiest color for an Ameraucana chicken but that lavender color sure is beautiful too. I wonder what the statistics are in terms of rarity of color or if they are all equally rare?

I stand by my statements on the Lamona chicken. If that bird ever comes off the endangered list I will be happy to serve that beautiful bird for dinner! I hope they can save it.

About the Yokohama - exactly. Unless people stop keeping them and given that they are best as a show bird, I could see that happening but I hope that never becomes the case.

How about the Phoenix chicken? Also a beautiful and allegedly rare chicken.

 

[BGMatt]

That is a shame because those Old English Game Chickens look like beautiful birds. 

Thank you for explaining the difference to me. It seems that the trick is to know who you are dealing with. Can anyone recommend someone here who sells the real deal when it comes to either of those breeds? I wonder how the Silver and Golden Duckwing colors look along with the Black Breasted Red color. I bet they are beautiful birds. I still believe that Blue Wheaten is the prettiest color for an Ameraucana chicken but that lavender color sure is beautiful too. I wonder what the statistics are in terms of rarity of color or if they are all equally rare?

I stand by my statements on the Lamona chicken. If that bird ever comes off the endangered list I will be happy to serve that beautiful bird for dinner! I hope they can save it.

About the Yokohama - exactly. Unless people stop keeping them and given that they are best as a show bird, I could see that happening but I hope that never becomes the case. 

How about the Phoenix chicken? Also a beautiful and allegedly rare chicken.

On here? I think NYREDS either has or is involved with standard Old English Game, can't recall what variety.

Lamona's should be around a 5-10 year project to recreate, I believe someone on this forum is doing exactly that, someone just posted a picture in the Heritage Large Fowl thread of a cockerel.

Phoenix you go back to hatchery vs standard again, many hatcheries have them, but they aren't good examples of the breed. There's a thread on here somewhere for them, not sure where to go for good ones, sorry.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Sorry about that! I meant to imply that I am still looking for sellers on the varieties of Ameraucana and Araucana's.

I might be interested in English Game or Phoenix Chickens if they can hold up well in Texas. I am working on getting myself some acreage and plan on stocking my property with plenty of wildlife.

I only need some chickens for hobby breeding and eggs. I do not have the heart to kill the birds myself and I wouldn't want to hire anyone else to do it either but I would not mind having some run loose as pest control on the property. I would be concerned about releasing non-native species into Texas though and that is not something I would want to do. Hmm.. A topic for another time.

Back to this thread!

Rare chickens, can anyone tell me more about these Iowa Blues and what is the story about them being sired by a pheasant? Is that even possible?

 

[Penny Hen]

Oh yeah! I forgot about those....not many want to hear this:

What a great sound effect for a Horror House! A little modification with a mixer and you would have wonderful Living Dead sounds!

 

[Penny Hen]

i have been looking for good sultans and cant find any any wheres :-( (thats bantams by the way) so i had no choice but to order from a hatchery :-(

oh ive also been looking for d'uccle and havent been able to find the colors im looking for...black being one of those colors

There was a black D'Uccle on the ebay egg auction this last month. I can't say more than he was black because I am not familiar with the standard.

 

[Penny Hen]

Rare birds.

Nanking
*Pyncheon Bantam
LaFleshe - standard and bantam
Favorelle - particularly colors other than Salmon
*Whitefaced Black - standard and bantam
*Iowa Blue
English Game standard
Crevecours
Brabrant
Spitzhauben
Russian Orloff
Manx (Persian) Rumpie
Auracana
*Cubalaya
Sumtaler Appenzeller(sic.)

* American breeds


Now I have to take exception to the attitude about landraces that many have. All chickens came out of landraces until someone decided to breed to a particular standard. I do not think that they hold the same purpose that "purebreds" do but I am a little tired of landrace being equated with mutts. Mutts being cute or interesting but of no real commercial value. Landrace means that the land itself formed the breed. These are the survivors that can breed under less than ideal conditions. They may never be wormed. They may have to hatch eggs in subzero temperatures. They may have to survive ˚120 heat an no clean water. No frivolous notion of color is imposed on them except that which keeps them safer from predators. Size is regulated by what the food and temperature of their environment demands. There is usually some minimal input from the humans they are attached to but it is usually in the form of which cockerals get eaten. They may be slanted for docility or aggression if the humans are looking for a fighting bird. But still most of the genetic decisions are left up to nature. As such they are treasure troves of diverse and adaptable genes and worth preserving for that reason.

Odlansk Dwarf
Egyptian Fayomi
Collanas
Sweet Potato Quecha
Black Quecha
Koro Sea
Hustatec
Icelandic


I am sure there are some more that I just can't bring to mind at the moment.