HOLD THE PRESSES: Duane Urch is Done?!/Future of American Purebred Poultry

[Bullitt]

Okay, what significant breeds would you like to see people breeding more of?

I think the New Hampshire is a good breed that deserves saving. I think it has been overshadowed by the Rhode Island Red because people are more focused on egg production than meat production in recent times.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Leave it to the country boy to take it on a hard right and do some off roading.
My point was that the backyard chicken movement and the movement towards viewing chickens as pets is heading a lot of people away from the concept of breeding and showing poultry as well as any efforts to conserve any breeds.
I've been raising chickens since the 70s. Back then I showed and raised SOP bred birds for myself as well as others to show.
I know how things were back then and how they've evolved to where they are now.
I have also evolved myself and changed views and directions of why I keep birds. I'm sorry you didn't see where I was coming from or what my point was or why it was brought up.
I meant no offense nor did I mean to take your thread off the path you wanted it on.
What happened with the breeder and the other program mentioned is nothing new. It was happening 40 years ago in my poultry world and has continued ever since.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Duane Urch at Turnland Poultry was an APA judge that ran more or less a hatchery dedicated to standardbred birds. He was the only real go-to resource outside of commercial hatcheries for several breeds, including my beloved Houdans, and was a popular go-to for 4-H kids and others seeking quality birds to show or breed. Losing that resource has been a big blow to a number of breeds and varieties which now may be left with NO dedicated and knowledgeable breeders that can be counted on to maintain flocks and hatch numbers and select breeders with the SOP in mind.

Oh, i see. That sucks.

 

[Cyprus]

Leave it to the country boy to take it on a hard right and do some off roading.
My point was that the backyard chicken movement and the movement towards viewing chickens as pets is heading a lot of people away from the concept of breeding and showing poultry as well as any efforts to conserve any breeds.
I've been raising chickens since the 70s. Back then I showed and raised SOP bred birds for myself as well as others to show.
I know how things were back then and how they've evolved to where they are now.
I have also evolved myself and changed views and directions of why I keep birds. I'm sorry you didn't see where I was coming from or what my point was or why it was brought up.
I meant no offense nor did I mean to take your thread off the path you wanted it on.
What happened with the breeder and the other program mentioned is nothing new. It was happening 40 years ago in my poultry world and has continued ever since.

To be fair, urban agriculture has been hurting a lot of people who are actually involved in real agriculture.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

My point was that the backyard chicken movement and the movement towards viewing chickens as pets is heading a lot of people away from the concept of breeding and showing poultry as well as any efforts to conserve any breeds.

This is exactly the point. It's evident the lack of care or concern when perusing the "Breeding to the SOP" forum and see it packed with "what will I get if I cross this to that?" or "starting a new breed or color thread". There is little collective effort to take on a breed and work with it. People want six breeds and then see what they get if they make mutts. That curiousity may lead some to more serious attempts of breeding. In general I think there is a lack of awareness to the problem.

@Bullitt The New Hampshire is currently in some very qualified hands. There was an insurgence of interest in them with the importation of German New Hampshire stock. It is a staple breed that did need this attention.

The Buckeye is still enjoying revival since the Conservation and Improvement effort not even a decade ago- or has it been a decade? I'm getting old. It's still an overlooked breed but is surviving and with breeders working with them. Very important breed.

Wyandotte have always enjoyed a niche of breeders. I don't worry about them at all.

Oddly it's America's most iconic breed, next to Rhode Island, that I worry about- Plymouth Rocks. Because you see them everywhere as hatchery birds people think they are fine. Only the Whites are fine. All other varieties, even Barred, need attention. The Good Shepherd Line is all but inbred with poor vitality, Shaffer line is disappearing, Fred's Hens Barred didn't get spread around enough. Even the Barred need attention.

The almost overlooked foundation breeds could use admirers. Java and Lamona are key foundation breeds that should be conserved. Holland? Meh. Was it ever a foundation breed? If it lost favor then let it be a dead end. Kind of like Jersey Giants should have been. But that's my opinion.

 

[The Moonshiner]

It's evident the lack of care or concern when perusing the "Breeding to the SOP" forum and see it packed with "what will I get if I cross this to that?" or "starting a new breed or color thread".

I've seen you make this point before and you always refer to it as the "Breeding to the SOP" forum.
What you continue to miss is the rest of the title. It's the "Exhibition, Genetics, & Breeding to the SOP" section. The section is for questions and threads about genetics as much as it is about breeding to the SOP.
The threads on there you so passionatly dislike are about genetics and belong in that section until the powers that be decide to change it.
If it wasn't for the genetics threads that section would be all but dead. Which we both agree that there are very few that are involved or care about breeding to the SOP or exhibition.

 

[Bullitt]

@Bullitt The New Hampshire is currently in some very qualified hands. There was an insurgence of interest in them with the importation of German New Hampshire stock. It is a staple breed that did need this attention.

The Buckeye is still enjoying revival since the Conservation and Improvement effort not even a decade ago- or has it been a decade? I'm getting old. It's still an overlooked breed but is surviving and with breeders working with them. Very important breed.

[/QUOTE]


The author of the article argues that the Buckeye was never an important breed.

He also writes: "The New Hampshire, like the Rhode Island Red, is one of the most impactful breeds of poultry to have ever existed. It and the RIR are two of the six breeds that established the bedrock of the industrial edifice. Whereas the the color of the Rhode Island Red is a study of beauty in unity, the color of the New Hampshire is that of harmony in diversity. Are there three anchor breeders of American, as opposed to German, New Hampshires?"

He is trying to encourage breeders in the United States to put more focus on breeds like the New Hampshire. I cannot find fault with that. Any time one person states that this breed is important and this breed is not, there will be arguments. However, there is basis for his argument that breeds like the Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire are historically important chicken breeds.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

There are anchor breeders of New Hampshire. The two I know infused German to bring the American back to standard of perfection. The German was used as improvement and currently I only know of one anchor breeder that kept the German line pure.

Buckeye were confused as Rhode Island in the beginning. Though Buckeye was older and better established in traits it was the Rhode Island name that prevailed. Rhode Island genetics are filled with Buckeye. Buckeye are Buckeye. Important breed.

With awareness and education the current trend can be curbed.

 

[Bullitt]

There are anchor breeders of New Hampshire. The two I know infused German to bring the American back to standard of perfection. The German was used as improvement and currently I only know of one anchor breeder that kept the German line pure.

Buckeye were confused as Rhode Island in the beginning. Though Buckeye was older and better established in traits it was the Rhode Island name that prevailed. Rhode Island genetics are filled with Buckeye. Buckeye are Buckeye. Important breed.

With awareness and education the current trend can be curbed.

It seems Joseph Marquette, the author, disagrees with you.

The Buckeye is not as good at laying eggs as the Rhode Island Red nor as good a meat bird as the New Hampshire. I can agree with the author on that.

Well, the Rhode Island Red "got the name", and it is the better chicken breed for practical purposes.

I have not read anything about the Buckeye being part of the breeding for the Rhode Island Red. From what I have read, the Rhode Island Red was developed before the Buckeye. Breeds like the Malay, Java, and Brown Leghorn were used to create the Rhode Island Red.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Both breeds were developed separately but later stock were exchanged and both breeds used the other for improvement. The buckeye was actually renamed the pea comb rhode Island red to try to help its popularity. It was found that it was hurting its popularity so they went back to the name buckeye.