Top Ten Endangered Chickens In The Usa

[BGMatt]

Correction to the above, White Faced Black Spanish are NOT an American breed. They are one of the oldest races of fowl and come from the mediterranean region (probably developed from the extinct Castillian breed, definitely developed at the same time as the Red Faced Spanish which is now known as the Minorca). They were however the first non-Game chicken brought to America from Europe.

 

[Penny Hen]

Correction to the above, White Faced Black Spanish are NOT an American breed. They are one of the oldest races of fowl and come from the mediterranean region (probably developed from the extinct Castillian breed, definitely developed at the same time as the Red Faced Spanish which is now known as the Minorca). They were however the first non-Game chicken brought to America from Europe.

You are quite right and I should have qualified that marking. They are not developed here but had a large historic population in the Southeast before the Civil War. The Civil War tore up more than ground and people. The raiding Army of the North plundered the breeding stock for provisions and left many people to starve. The population of this chicken fell at that time and with the introduction of other breeds in the Reconstruction period the White Faced Black Spanish died out here. I am not sure when they were reintroduced. That is my understanding of it. If I have got that wrong let me know.

 

[BGMatt]

You are quite right and I should have qualified that marking. They are not developed here but had a large historic population in the Southeast before the Civil War. The Civil War tore up more than ground and people. The raiding Army of the North plundered the breeding stock for provisions and left many people to starve. The population of this chicken fell at that time and with the introduction of other breeds in the Reconstruction period the White Faced Black Spanish died out here. I am not sure when they were reintroduced. That is my understanding of it. If I have got that wrong let me know.

Not sure. I had only known they lost popularity due to perceived lack of hardiness, and of course being larger ate more and had lower conversion rates than something like a Leghorn, but not enough meat to compete with dual purpose fowl of the day either. Seems like the Spanish is on the rise again. Seeing a lot of chatter about them, more new breeders all the time, and even have some winning classes and such.

 

[Bluebonnet]

It was not only the North who engaged in such behavior.

I hail from Texas Confederates and I know for fact they used to take whatever they could get to eat as they marched through the Southern States just to survive. It wasn't out of malice or spite but just from sheer need.

Same thing happened on both sides of the Revolutionary War too.

The bottom line is that when people are desperate, they will do whatever it takes to survive.

The South had better provisions but supply lines were not as good so the actuality was that the Confederates received worse rations that the Yankees and when the Yankees got the South, they were like the British during the Revolutionary War in the sense that they took whatever they wanted and burned everything they didn't.

The result was not only destruction in human terms but in terms of habitats. Plantations and acres once managed were now burned outright or abandoned out of necessity and left to rot and overgrow with imported species.

Case and point? Check out Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and all of the invasive species he planted there. Well managed during his time but after his death, it fell into decay before being sold off and the cost to repair and bring the land back to a shadow of what that man once had it has been enormous.

No doubt this took a serious toll on wildlife throughout the United States.

 

[draye]

I think I've read that the White Holland is extinst. (spelling). Does anyone know the recipe for the recreation of them?

 

[Penny Hen]

It was not only the North who engaged in such behavior.

I hail from Texas Confederates and I know for fact they used to take whatever they could get to eat as they marched through the Southern States just to survive. It wasn't out of malice or spite but just from sheer need.

Same thing happened on both sides of the Revolutionary War too.

The bottom line is that when people are desperate, they will do whatever it takes to survive.

The South had better provisions but supply lines were not as good so the actuality was that the Confederates received worse rations that the Yankees and when the Yankees got the South, they were like the British during the Revolutionary War in the sense that they took whatever they wanted and burned everything they didn't.

The result was not only destruction in human terms but in terms of habitats. Plantations and acres once managed were now burned outright or abandoned out of necessity and left to rot and overgrow with imported species.

Case and point? Check out Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and all of the invasive species he planted there. Well managed during his time but after his death, it fell into decay before being sold off and the cost to repair and bring the land back to a shadow of what that man once had it has been enormous.

No doubt this took a serious toll on wildlife throughout the United States.

Yeah, Quantrell's Raiders were probably the worst of the Southern lot. There was nothing civil about the Civil War. A lot of people not from the South think that everyone here is just hillbilly/redecks and don't realize how cultured the South was before the Civil War. It was also racist and brutal too before someone jumps in there. But refined culture retreated to a few large cities in the South and have only been making headway back out this last 40 years.

I mean as a kid despite a large talent for art my grandmother discouraged it because "it wasn't a real job". Nashville has had a history of trying to keep art locked up in galleries because if it was allowed to run rampant in the streets (street artists and musicians) it could be dangerous. Selling art on the street (except at art fairs that you pay an exorbitant price to have a booth) and busking (the verb for what street musicians do) are considered synonymous with panhandling/begging.

Whoops sorry for getting up on my soapbox. I'll be shutting up now.

 

[Jake Levi]

Dont shut up!!

Its good, and refreshing to read of real honest observations of history.

We are the land of the free, because of the brave, but we wernt always rightous. By a far cry.

The civil was as said wasnt civil, but it was a real war, and we are only now really seeing it in its fullness.

Our livestock breeds suffered just as people did, not only ours but also Canadas', horses and cattle both. Need for union cavalry horses more the decimated it, it almost became extinct.

I have 3 homestead breeds, one non-native that remained pure right at a 1,000 years, and 2 other American ones of the past century almost forced out by factory birds.

There are several others I hope to add, real American heritage breeds.

This is an excellent thread, thanks for all of the input.

 

[kimi]

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

UG!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

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

the problem with this is the rarest breeds are not yet recognized as there are not enough people breeding.

 

[randyblank]

I am thinking Golden Campines and Nankins.