AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

So your point is about taking on rare breeds not just pure breed's?

I do agree it would be nice if everyone could take on one rare breed, but possibly the people on acreage (who can keep a rooster) would be the better type of person to do this? They can at least help increase the numbers which would be more beneficial, rather than a backyarders buying the few culls which might be around and taking them away from potential breeders. This could potentially be more detrimental to a rare breed. As stated on the rare breeds trust of Australia website when talking about the top 10 rare breeds: http://www.rbta.org/poultry.htm

In saying that if they are available for sale and they suit what a backyarder can afford and wants then go for it!

No I think it’s all relevant to rare & pure breeds. I think we should all do what we can to preserve all pure breeds. Thanks for that link good to read.

The way I see it is when a backyarder buys a rare or pure breed for their backyard they are basically funding another breeder to continue their work. They aren't exactly increasing breed numbers by keeping them to die of old age in their yard.

I think its all well and good to say everyone should buy a purebred or rare breed but generally something becomes rare because it has been superceded by something which does the job better. Not everyone has the room or funds to keep the lesser of the two. Some families have chooks to help save money and feeding chooks which might not be good layers but eat a lot is not exactly economical.

It would be good to know which pure breeds (in Australia) you think need to be preserved the most and are good for the backyarder? Also if you are aware if these breeds are obtainable without breaking the bank? I would be interested in looking further into them and posting research about their characteristics, availability and laying ability to help encourage people to look out for them.

I think all of these
Campine
Silver Grey Dorking
Belgian Bantam
Croad Langshan
Hamburg

ok heres a bit about them. I'm thinking I'd like a Croad Langshan after doing this!
For more detail go to: http://www.rbta.org/campine.htm

CAMPINE
General:
Campines are a light breed of fowl originating in Belgium and can have either silver or gold barring with the same coloured (but pattern-free) hackle
Thought to be rare, not because of its qualities but because of the whims of the post WW11 Poultry Industry.

Positives:
They are a friendly and attractive breed and can be excellent foragers
The eggs are around 60 grams for a light breed and the birds are relatively prolific
Once laid all year round, unsure now whether this is so.
Good fertility and hatchability
Another feature of interest is that you can mate a gold and silver and get equal hatchings of both.

Not so positive
Flighty
Some problems occur with the fast growth rate and feathering which can lead to feather picking which can be
solved by using a high protein feed and supplying clumps of grass for them to pick at with some success.
They do better in a pen on their own.
Not particularly hardy and are susceptible to frostbite

SILVER GREY DORKING
Standard size only
General:
5 toes
Does best free ranging
Need a large low perch

Positives
Good table bird
Friendly and easily tames
Good sized egg (but only a moderate layer as its considered a meat bird)
Inclined to go broody
Good mother
Good fertility

Not so positives
Moderate layer
Can fly quite well
Males fertility is not the best until 2-4 yo
Can be bullied if kept with other breeds

BELGIAN BANTAMS
General:
True bantam – no standard equivalent
There are three types of Belgians available in Australia at the moment.
There is the Barbu d'Uccle, which is a crested and feather legged bird,
the Barbu d'Anvers, which is a rose combed, clean-legged bird and lastly
the Barbu d'Watermael, which has a tri pointed comb and is clean legged. All the birds have a beard and whiskers.

Positivites
Large range of colours
The d'Uccle is generally a quiet passive bird
Small, easy to handle and with a little care, low maintenance

Not so Positives
It does not necessarily breed to a true and consistent colour.
Small egg
The d'Anvers are the most flighty and highly strung
Feathered feet so they can become matted and dirty


CROAD LANGSHAN
http://homepage.virgin.net/mike.kellawa ... gshanclub/ (very interesting website)
Some bantams around but many don’t lay the correct coloured egg
General:
Huge alert fowl which lays a dark brown to plum coloured egg

Positives
Gentle giants with a quiet friendly personality
Males rarely show aggression
Placid enough for children to handle
Reputation as being winter laying
Large egg
Relatively hardy and easy to maintain
Adapt well to confinement or free range

Not so positives
Eat a lot due to their size
Low numbers and not many breeding lines
Hens may lay only 140-150 eggs per year
Not suited to very exposed conditions

HAMBURG
General:
Apparently bantam and standard
Hamburgs are small, light framed birds from Northern England
Black, splash, pencilled, spangled (spectacular!)

Positives
Relatively consistent layer of smallish eggs
Excellent forages
Non-broody

Not so positive
Flighty - requires high fencing
Active – happiest when free ranging
Fly well
Inclined to roost in trees (which at least means they’re safe)

There's way more info out there but thats all I had time for

A friend has some Croad Langshans she reckons they are really placid and great with her small kids.

Interesting comments in this thread. I disagree that back yarders don't increase breed numbers. If every backyarder demanded purebred birds, breeders would pop up everywhere for them. While backyarders may not actually breed the purebreds, they have a capacity to increase demand and therefore encourage others who do have the capacity and the space to breed. For this reason I always recommend that people buy purebred birds.

I agree some purebreds are fantastic. Are there any particular breeds people should be demanding or just as long as it purebred? There are heaps of purebreds out there which are really popular, look at Wyandotte's, RIR, Australorps and Orpington's etc.

I think if a breed is worth keeping then people will naturally talk about how great they are and they will become popular that way too. It seems it's mostly word of mouth which sells alot of breeds anyway. There are people asking all the time on forums like this what breed will suit me best and I've never seen anyone say 'croad langshan' or 'dorking' or 'belgian bantam'.

In regard to egg layers I think the reason previously popular breeds become rare is because they stopped performing somehow. Or maybe people don't want a tiny egg like the belgian's might lay? I've often wondered if its the showies themselves who have caused the demise of some of the rarer breeds (or even the not so rarer breeds). The standard is mainly driven toward how the bird looks and it seems generally that egg laying ability isn't considered. Then you have all their culls created whilst working toward the ideal and these are the purebreds mostly available to the public for sale. I think it could be safely agreed that the show birds don't lay as well as the utility strain.

Anyway, I can see the point of keeping rare breeds and pure breed's alive but I think they have to serve a purpose too. (Obviously this is all just my opinion..it doesn't mean I'm right! )