What breed would you save?

[Bullitt]

The Livestock Conservancy (formerly The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy) lists breeds of livestock that are in danger of being lost.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/conservation-priority-list

What breed of chicken or other livestock would you breed and save, if you could, or if you are already?

Looking at the list of chicken breeds, I think I would save the threatened Java, which was used to create Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Jersey Giant, and probably other breeds.

The breed is recognized by the APA in black or mottled. But there are also white and auburn, which was used to create the Rhode Island Red.

"The Java is considered the second oldest breed of chicken developed in America (after the Dominique). Its ancestors were reputed to have come from the Far East, possibly from the isle of Java. Sources differ on the time of origin of the Java, but the breed was known to be in existence in America sometime between 1835 and 1850."

The Java is a breed that deserves to be saved.

 

[Bullitt]

Here are the chicken breeds that originated in the United States and are on the list.


Critical: Holland

Threatened: Buckeye, Delaware, Java

Watch: Dominique, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire, Rhode Island White

Recovering: Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red (non-industrial), Wyandotte

Being studied: Iowa Blue

 

[Bullitt]

How rare is the Iowa Blue chicken breed?

It is being studied by The Livestock Conservancy.

 

[Bullitt]

It is interesting that the Java is related to so many breeds on the list.


Critical: Holland

Threatened: Buckeye, Delaware, Java

Watch: Dominique, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire, Rhode Island White

Recovering: Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red (non-industrial), Wyandotte


The Java was used to create Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, and Jersey Giant. Rhode Island Reds were used to create New Hampshire chickens. Delaware chickens are a cross between New Hampshire and Plymouth Rock. Holland chickens were created using Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and other breeds. Buckeye chickens were created using Plymouth Rocks and other breeds.

Holland, Buckeye, Delaware, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, and Rhode Island Red would not exist without the Java.

 

[gallorojo]

That list is severely flawed and every real poultry person knows it.

Critical: Holland

Threatened: Buckeye, Delaware, Java

Watch: Dominique, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire, Rhode Island White

Recovering: Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red (non-industrial), Wyandotte

True standard bred Dominique's, giants, New Hampshires are incredibly rare. True Rhode Island Whites are scarcer than anything on the list except Hollands. True standard bred Rocks and reds are not recovering, they are extremely rare. The survey counts Hatchery birds. A hatchery Red or Rock simply put isn't a Red or a Rock. The only accurate thing on it is the Holland as critical.
Really, nearly all standard bred poultry is critically endangered.

 

[Bullitt]

The survey counts Hatchery birds. A hatchery Red or Rock simply put isn't a Red or a Rock.

They are if they meet the APA standards. I am sure many don't, though.

You didn't answer which breed would you choose to save.

By the way, the people who run The Livestock Conservancy aren't "real" poultry people?

 

[gallorojo]

Hatchery Reds and Rocks NEVER match the standard, not even close, therefore, they aren't the breed. That group may have some good poultry people, but, counting hatchery stock is a JOKE.
I've been working on improving the Cubalaya breed for 5 years now. So that's what I'm doing. I dislike the term " saving".
As to what anyone else shoud work with, the breed chosen needs to match your climate, style of management , way of feeding, personality, production goals etc. Not chosen at random. There is a breed for every niche.

 

[Bullitt]

If there are few of a breed and the breed is in danger of disappearing, a person who increases the number of that breed is helping to save that breed. I do not know what else it could be called. That person is saving the breed from extinction.

Cubalaya chickens are beautiful birds. You mentioned that a breed should match a person's climate. I thought the Cubalaya was a warm-weather bird?

 

[gallorojo]

Just simply hatching a breed is not helping to save it. A person that's ignorant of how to breed correctly, and how to cull, can do enormous damage to a breed in a year or two. I dislike the term " saving" because its a feel- good term that people latch on to and then pat themselves on the back because they are "saving" whatever breed. Keeping a few birds isn't saving the breed. Hatching without a standard, a mentor, is not saving the breed. Selling every bird you hatch and lots of eggs is not saving the breed. It's not about getting the birds out there. It's not about increasing numbers. It's got to be about IMPROVEMENT ! A lot of rare breeds are hopelessly neglected in many cases because they don't fit into either the commercial system, or the typical backyard pet flock system. A lot of rare breeds have been neglected so long they are undersized, poorly fleshed, weak, slow to mature, poor layers, temperament problems, etc. Just spreading around birds isn't helping matters. It doesn't address why they are rare in the first place. We need dedicated breeders to work with breeds and actually breed towards improvement via the SOP, consulting with mentors. It takes years to figure out how to breed and manage one breed well. Then many more years of work improving them. Most people lack the patience and the stomach for killing this entails.

I didn't choose the Cubalayas, they choose me. I was gifted a decent start in the breed and found I liked them and that they worked well for me, so I keep working with them. As for being a warm climate breed, remember that there have been no meaningful imports from Cuba in maybe 60-70 years. Most of the breeders in the past who worked with the breed lived in the Northeast. 70 generations is a long time to acclimate to cold weather. To my mind a breed with no wattles, a tiny comb , and abundant feathering is quite well suited to cold! I'd consider the Mediterranean breeds, Naked Necks, and hard feathered game breeds more suited to warm climates.

 

[Bullitt]

We need dedicated breeders to work with breeds and actually breed towards improvement via the SOP, consulting with mentors. It takes years to figure out how to breed and manage one breed well. Then many more years of work improving them. Most people lack the patience and the stomach for killing this entails.

I agree that if someone is going to breed that they should breed to the standards for the breed. You are right that most people are not dedicated enough to carry out a project like that.

But I still think that if someone is breeding an endangered breed to the APA standards that the person is helping to save the breed. Is it a feel-good term? Sure. There's nothing wrong with that.