What's the difference between a high production and a heritage chicken

[Illia]

Heritage qualifications:

Heritage Chicken must adhere to all the following:

1. APA Standard Breed. Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) prior to the mid-20th century; whose genetic line can be traced back multiple generations; and with traits that meet the APA Standard of Perfection guidelines for the breed. Heritage Chicken must be produced and sired by an APA Standard breed. Heritage eggs must be laid by an APA Standard breed.
2. Naturally mating. Heritage Chicken must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating. Chickens marketed as Heritage must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.
3. Long, productive outdoor lifespan. Heritage Chicken must have the genetic ability to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems. Breeding hens should be productive for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years.
4. Slow growth rate. Heritage Chicken must have a moderate to slow rate of growth, reaching appropriate market weight for the breed in no less than 16 weeks. This gives the chicken time to develop strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass.

Chickens marketed as Heritage must include the variety and breed name on the label.
Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” “old-fashioned,” and “old timey” imply Heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided here.

Abbreviated Definition: A Heritage Egg can only be produced by an American Poultry Association Standard breed. A Heritage Chicken is hatched from a heritage egg sired by an American Poultry Association Standard breed established prior to the mid-20th century, is slow growing, naturally mated with a long productive outdoor life.





Production bred birds are bred solely for egg production and often for profit. In most cases they're from hatcheries, who keep them indoors in large, crowded areas and most live a short life. They are not slow growing, often have their traits such as broodiness or gamefowl behavior bred out, and are not bred to the standard (And, who and what mentioned perfect show quality? The standard is simply the breed standard. Breed away from it and you don't have the breed anymore. . It's just a bird that is labelled as such but doesn't adhere to any of the labelled breed's standards.

)


For example -

A Production Red is simply that. Often it originates from the Rhode Island Red and still can be, however in general it is a yellow shanked, red (or reddish orange) colored, brown egg laying, single combed bird that lays a LOT of eggs.

A Rhode Island Red is a yellow shanked, dual purpose, slow growing, large breed with dark red plumage, a single comb, a level set tail, and good amount of brown eggs. It also should at LEAST weigh 7 lbs for a cock, 6 lbs for a hen. It should also have a long span of life and production, regardless of how good its production is. It should be self-reliant, allowing both meat and eggs for a long time.

 

[Sarahbethk]

So my leghorns would be considered production birds right? What about my other ones?

 

[Mervin]

Here's another question I have about the definition of "heritage". Per the definition, "Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) prior to the mid-20th century." Okay the breed must be established, what about a new variety? Here's a hypothetical. Let's say I breed Black Australorps and all of sudden I start getting white sports which I isolate and breed until they are a well established, true-breeding line. Per the definition, the breed has already been established. So this new variety is awarded the lofty "heritage" status without historical significance? What is also curious is that by that definition a true Ameraucana will never be eligible for that lofty status because they weren't established prior to the mid-20th century. Even though they've enjoyed wide popularity and have made a significant cultural impact in the poultry world, they can never be canonized as "heritage". Man, is Martha Stewart ever going to be peeved. You know, it's kind of like saying Peyton Manning can never be in the hall of fame

 

[Bossroo]

The Standard of Perfection describes what the top ranked ( 10%) individual is supposed to be and represent that breed and the rest to hopefully to achieve. All breeds follow the bell curve in quality, size, color , etc. The breed average is just an average individual of that breed. The Standard of Perfection was described a half centuy or more ago. With this span of time every Tom, Dick and Harry has put their own interpritation of that standard ( or lack there of) and breeding selection footprint on the breed that is now a far cry from the original high standard. Most of these breeds have lost favor due to timing of their development or short hayday or development of new breeds or new terminal crosses that far surpass the originals for the market demands. Most have also fallen into a fad or small niche of the market share and now do not meet the original qualities that made that breed a breed. Today's neophite to that breed is led to believe that what they see is indeed a quality animal in front of them, but alas, it ain't so. Sadly, in most cases, individuals of that breed resemble the original breed in appearance only.

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
I wasn't commenting about what you said at all. You're answer is line line with what is being promoted as "heritage". I just think the "heritage" definition, or least a lot of people's perception of it, is a bit narrow and short-sighted. Heck, I like a lot of the heritage breeds. I just thinking slapping that title on a breed just b/c it was around before 1950s or 1960s isn't really being a good steward of history. Neither is shunning breeds because they excelled at only one aspect of being a chicken. That's like saying, "Troy Polamalu can never be a Hall of Famer unless he plays offense too."

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

That's only the ALBC's definition of heritage. They probably ought to be called Heritage(TM) Breeds because their definition is hardly the "plain meaning" of the term.

I think most people would say that the production strains are not really breeds - they're terminal hybrids designed to produce eggs for one generation and out. Or meat for one generation and out.

The breeds that exist with some semblance of reproducibility and some predictable value due to unique traits that other breeds do not ahre are what most people refer to as "heritage."

Some people show heritage breeds; they are not better breeders of heritage breeds than the ones who breed for the utility of the breed. There are hatcheries that take advantage of the current pet market for chickens that have the right breed name; those are less desirable breeders in most opinions.

So there's...

Production - terminal hybrid
Heritage - breed or variety that has unique traits worth preserving and breeds predictably
Show - close adherence to the APA standard
Hatchery - (at least on this board) Heritage minus most of the unique traits
Dual-Purpose - decent meat plus decent eggs.

You can have combinations of any of the above; you can have someone who shows heritage dual-purpose chickens and someone who breeds a utility strain of heritage layers and someone who breeds production dual-purpose. But they're different concepts; not every heritage breed is dual-purpose, not every dual-purpose breeder shows, etc.