Many breeds of heritage chickens are now in danger of becoming extinct. In order to remain viable, commercial poultry owners have had to specialise. Modern egg-producing breeds lay a great many eggs without needing time off to go broody. Meat birds gain so much weight so rapidly that their legs sometimes cannot support them.
While commercial breeders have gone to great lengths to breed birds for specific purposes the older breeds still have some wonderful qualities, especially as backyard birds. They also provide genetic diversity. Keeping these older breeds alive is important.
Not all the older breeds are dual purpose, although many are. Some tend to be more productive in one area than another. Some are kept purely for their beauty. Dual purpose chickens were popular in days gone by. They laid an acceptable number of eggs. They went broody from time to time and would raise a batch of chickens to replace ageing stock. Unwanted roosters would be kept until they were fat enough for the table. Heritage breeds tend to retain enough primitive instincts to make them good foragers when kept under free range.
Heritage breeds are generally slow to mature but have quite long productive lives. The English county of Sussex has given its name to a breed of chicken which has been around for a very long time. There are at least eight different colour types of the Sussex which was first developed as a bird for the table. The carcase was fleshy and succulent. As it also lays plenty of eggs, it is now recognised as a dual purpose breed.
As well as being a good producer, the Sussex is also very attractive. For instance, the Light Sussex has a white body with black wingtips and tail. The feathers on the neck are black with a fine lacing of white around the edges. The Buff Sussex is ginger where the Light is white but has the same black markings with buff edging. Cocks reach up to nine pounds in weight. They have a long, broad back and a single, erect comb. The legs and feet are white and the earlobes red.
The Barnevelder gets its name from Barneveld, a Dutch town which was home to the first of the breed. These are heavy birds, renowned for its large, brown eggs which are produced right through winter. The double-laced colour is the best known. Double rows of a lighter colour edge the dark brown feathers.
Another popular heritage breed is the Hamburg or 'Everlayer'. This was developed in Germany and Holland prior to the 18th century. There are small, skittish birds, available in about ten different colours and patterns. Exhibitors of poultry look for attractive spangles and pencilling in their show birds and the pencilled Hamburg is a firm favourite as an exhibition breed.
These are hardy, active chickens with cocks reaching perhaps five pounds and hens being slightly lighter. They have a rose comb. They are quicker to mature than some heritage breeds. They are good layers although the eggs are on the small side. They fly quite well and can be difficult to confine. They do best if they are able to fend for themselves at least some of the time. Heritage chickens are great fun to own. These older breeds should be kept alive for their many positive qualities.
While commercial breeders have gone to great lengths to breed birds for specific purposes the older breeds still have some wonderful qualities, especially as backyard birds. They also provide genetic diversity. Keeping these older breeds alive is important.
Not all the older breeds are dual purpose, although many are. Some tend to be more productive in one area than another. Some are kept purely for their beauty. Dual purpose chickens were popular in days gone by. They laid an acceptable number of eggs. They went broody from time to time and would raise a batch of chickens to replace ageing stock. Unwanted roosters would be kept until they were fat enough for the table. Heritage breeds tend to retain enough primitive instincts to make them good foragers when kept under free range.
Heritage breeds are generally slow to mature but have quite long productive lives. The English county of Sussex has given its name to a breed of chicken which has been around for a very long time. There are at least eight different colour types of the Sussex which was first developed as a bird for the table. The carcase was fleshy and succulent. As it also lays plenty of eggs, it is now recognised as a dual purpose breed.
As well as being a good producer, the Sussex is also very attractive. For instance, the Light Sussex has a white body with black wingtips and tail. The feathers on the neck are black with a fine lacing of white around the edges. The Buff Sussex is ginger where the Light is white but has the same black markings with buff edging. Cocks reach up to nine pounds in weight. They have a long, broad back and a single, erect comb. The legs and feet are white and the earlobes red.
The Barnevelder gets its name from Barneveld, a Dutch town which was home to the first of the breed. These are heavy birds, renowned for its large, brown eggs which are produced right through winter. The double-laced colour is the best known. Double rows of a lighter colour edge the dark brown feathers.
Another popular heritage breed is the Hamburg or 'Everlayer'. This was developed in Germany and Holland prior to the 18th century. There are small, skittish birds, available in about ten different colours and patterns. Exhibitors of poultry look for attractive spangles and pencilling in their show birds and the pencilled Hamburg is a firm favourite as an exhibition breed.
These are hardy, active chickens with cocks reaching perhaps five pounds and hens being slightly lighter. They have a rose comb. They are quicker to mature than some heritage breeds. They are good layers although the eggs are on the small side. They fly quite well and can be difficult to confine. They do best if they are able to fend for themselves at least some of the time. Heritage chickens are great fun to own. These older breeds should be kept alive for their many positive qualities.
About the Author:
You can visit the website www.whynotfarm.net for more helpful information about The Advantages Of Raising Heritage Chickens
No comments:
Post a Comment