What breeds originate from Ecuador?

[Coloradan]

Hello out there. I was wanting to start a new updated thread or post on the topic of South American heritage breeds mainly from Ecuador. When I was a young boy I visited Ecuador with my father on sabbatical who was a biology professor. The one thing that really sticks out and I remember is the variety of chickens down there. Every city, town and small village we visited had birds running all over the place. So I was wondering if all these birds just run free, don't they propagate rather well on their own and what is that doing with genetic diversity. Where did these birds come from exactly? Jungle fowl crossed with European birds? When and where did it occur? What tribes bred and domesticated what birds? What European birds were they crossed with? Are there any real South American heritage breeds still out there? Does anyone out there specialize in raising any of these rare birds? Are any of these breeds especially good dual purpose birds? Which is the best cold hardy, winter layer?

I understand there is some of this information out there. I was just wanting to consolidate some of the information and get other people's opinions on all questions presented above. The more research I do the more fascinating some of these birds become. I am by no means an expert at anything and am new to raising chickens as well. I am trying to continually educate myself on this topic. The one thing I have noticed in other posts and on other websites is the lack of any real concrete scientific evidence regarding these questions. I am not saying I am going to fulfill that by supplying any scientific data nor do I really need the scientific aspect of it. I am curious to know if it is out there though. Has anyone really scientifically supported their statements on the origins and genetics of these birds. Anyway I am starting to ramble, if you are still reading this then you are probably as interested in these birds as I am and will be able to give me some thoughtful insight. I am interested in acquiring a couple pullets from several different breeds fitting the above requirements, meaning South American dual purpose heritage breeds. If such a bird truly exists, which I am sure it does. Please let me know your experiences.

Thanks for reading

 

[junebuggena]

There are two modern day breeds that originated in South America, from native birds. One is the Ameraucana, the other is the Araucana.

 

[Coloradan]

Does anyone know what breeds the Ameraucana and Araucana have derived from?

 

[junebuggena]

http://ameraucana.org/history.html
The Ameraucana Breeder's Club has done a good job of explaining how both the Ameraucana, and Araucana breeds came to be.

 

[Coloradan]

Wow, how did I not find this before! That link on the history of the breed is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks

 

[junebuggena]

Your welcome.

 

[Ricky23456]

Hello out there. I was wanting to start a new updated thread or post on the topic of South American heritage breeds mainly from Ecuador. When I was a young boy I visited Ecuador with my father on sabbatical who was a biology professor. The one thing that really sticks out and I remember is the variety of chickens down there. Every city, town and small village we visited had birds running all over the place. So I was wondering if all these birds just run free, don't they propagate rather well on their own and what is that doing with genetic diversity. Where did these birds come from exactly? Jungle fowl crossed with European birds? When and where did it occur? What tribes bred and domesticated what birds? What European birds were they crossed with? Are there any real South American heritage breeds still out there? Does anyone out there specialize in raising any of these rare birds? Are any of these breeds especially good dual purpose birds? Which is the best cold hardy, winter layer?

I understand there is some of this information out there. I was just wanting to consolidate some of the information and get other people's opinions on all questions presented above. The more research I do the more fascinating some of these birds become. I am by no means an expert at anything and am new to raising chickens as well. I am trying to continually educate myself on this topic. The one thing I have noticed in other posts and on other websites is the lack of any real concrete scientific evidence regarding these questions. I am not saying I am going to fulfill that by supplying any scientific data nor do I really need the scientific aspect of it. I am curious to know if it is out there though. Has anyone really scientifically supported their statements on the origins and genetics of these birds. Anyway I am starting to ramble, if you are still reading this then you are probably as interested in these birds as I am and will be able to give me some thoughtful insight. I am interested in acquiring a couple pullets from several different breeds fitting the above requirements, meaning South American dual purpose heritage breeds. If such a bird truly exists, which I am sure it does. Please let me know your experiences.

Thanks for reading

There have been genetic studies that prove that chickens first came to South America with humans from the pacific archipelagos and then they interbred with the chickens brought by the Spanish invaders much later.

 

[raingarden]

There have been genetic studies that prove that chickens first came to South America with humans from the pacific archipelagos and then they interbred with the chickens brought by the Spanish invaders much later.

That paper has been discredited. The Polynesian's chickens did not arrive before the European chickens. This will get you started:
https://www.science20.com/news_rele..._polynesians_introduced_them_to_south_america

The anthropologists have since focused their attention on the sweet potato when looking for evidence of Polynesian contact with South America.

My personal opinion is that the Polynesian voyagers must have gotten to Central and South America because they went everywhere else in the central Pacific. But, the Polynesians were looking for uninhabited lands to settle. They would have seen the cooking fires and coastal structures of the indigenous americans and known that it would be foolish to go ashore and confront them.