What's the next HOT breed/color?

[rancher hicks]

Seems to me it's all up to the buying public.

As far as a "breed" is concerned there is a new one in Australia that took years to develop. The APA does not sanction a bird unless it breeds true and that takes time. Stabilizing the gene pool.

The heritage breeds were developed for "utility" purposes. Either meat , eggs or both. Because poultry keeping is a hobby and not a necessity thing , I believe we are seeing and reading more requests for the "Why's": why aren't my chickens laying?, why are they sick? , why aren't they heavy enough for the standard?

You get the idea.

I like the Isbar but am not so sure it's laying percentage is worth the price. It's benefits are "green" eggs with out cross breeding to another breed, such as the Amer and EE's and all that to get an the ever popular "Olive" egg. Of course I''m not sure of it's egg size either.

I bought Birchen marans, but do i want a bird that lays 150 very dark eggs a year or one that lays 220 a couple of shades below scale?

Do I want an Elizabeth Taylor breed? She was a gorgeous woman but she had a lot of health issues to deal with. Some breeds are the same. Dainty , nambi , pambi birds.

Right now I have 11 Dels on one side and a mix of Orps and EE's on the other for a total of 29 birds. Yesterday I got 21 eggs. Not bad at this time of year I'd say. All are pure except the EE's. 4 of the Dels are over two, I recognize their eggs, and half are over a year. If I had the space I'd fire up the brooder.

 

[bantiehen]

I have red brown partridge silkie hen and I have her with my Porcelain silkie rooster. Should be interesting to see what color the chicks will look like. I like the game fowls

 

[hallerlake]

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In this country that's true. There are decorative breeds in Asia hundreds of years older than our breeds.

 

[blaundee]

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Gotcha you're making your own version of EE's.

I did some myself too, just messing around back in the spring. I used a blue wheaten hen (I'm sure was an EE and not Am) and crossed her to a big ol Delaware rooster and got 5 olive-egg laying Delaweggers

No, you misunderstand. I and other Ameraucana breeders are working on color varieties that aren't accepted as Ameraucanas yet. Therefore, they must be called EEs until they are accepted. In order for a new color to be accepted, there has to be at least 5 breeders working on the project for at leat 5 years. Good try at criticizing me, lol, keep trying! hahaha

 

[blaundee]

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Speaking of- Id like to know what's up with the Icelandic chickens? What's the history, and why do they look like hodgepodge mutts? lol When looking to buy some, how can you know that they are true Icelandics and not just somebody's leghorn/polish/rir crosses?

 

[boykin2010]

I dont see anything wrong with buying rare breeds of chickens from all over the world. YES some of the heritage breeds need a little revamping but some breeds really need to be introduced to the U.S for us to enjoy. I recently bought a pair of Cream Legbars from GFF and plan on breeding them for a long time improving the breed in America.
I also really like the Isbars.
On the top of my want list is the Olandsk Dwarfs. Just because they are very unique and rare.

 

[lcw1995]

those beige colored birds posted early in this thread sure r interestin
i never seen anythin like them i dont belive
any1 no what they r

 

[Gresh]

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If I'm not mistaken, barred rocks and other heritage breeds didn't spring fully formed from the breeders' heads like Athena. They started out as mutts, someone bred to suit their own purposes. Those purposes fit other people's needs, and they spread. The only truly pure bred chickens are the various jungle fowl.

I'd love to see the Pavlovskaya chicken become the next big thing. It is supposed to be the ancestor of the various crested breeds. In the mean time, I'll settle for some of it's descendants.

I agree and disagree. Firstly, I do agree that many heritage breeds began as "mutts" (better called "Landrace fowl"), but today they are recognized as breeds. Also, some of the heritage breeds were "sprung" from the minds of intentional breeders. For instance, take the Buckeye. Mrs. Metcaff was very intentional in her originating this breed in the purpose she wanted and the look she wanted. She tried many things and worked hard, and introduced the Buckeye once she was satisfied. Now that's not something that's a "mutt." That's intentional thinking.

I'm not sure if you're advocating the disregarding of breeds or you're just trying to make a point. If the former, I would have to disagree, but if the latter, than I see your point quite well

~Gresh~

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
If I'm not mistaken, barred rocks and other heritage breeds didn't spring fully formed from the breeders' heads like Athena. They started out as mutts, someone bred to suit their own purposes. Those purposes fit other people's needs, and they spread. The only truly pure bred chickens are the various jungle fowl.

I'd love to see the Pavlovskaya chicken become the next big thing. It is supposed to be the ancestor of the various crested breeds. In the mean time, I'll settle for some of it's descendants.

I agree and disagree. Firstly, I do agree that many heritage breeds began as "mutts" (better called "Landrace fowl"), but today they are recognized as breeds. Also, some of the heritage breeds were "sprung" from the minds of intentional breeders. For instance, take the Buckeye. Mrs. Metcaff was very intentional in her originating this breed in the purpose she wanted and the look she wanted. She tried many things and worked hard, and introduced the Buckeye once she was satisfied. Now that's not something that's a "mutt." That's intentional thinking.

I'm not sure if you're advocating the disregarding of breeds or you're just trying to make a point. If the former, I would have to disagree, but if the latter, than I see your point quite well

~Gresh~

I would never advocate the disregarding of breeds.

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[[[[[...........but do i want a bird that lays 150 very dark eggs a year or one that lays 220 a couple of shades below scale? ...........]]]]]]]

There is another, and very good, option. You can have your birds that lay very dark eggs and selectively breed to improve your flock up to the point that you have hens that lay very dark eggs and a lot of them. Increasing the number of eggs laid is one of those things that is easy to do.