NORTHERN NEW YORK POULTRY FANCIERS APRIL 2007 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Semi-Annual Swap Meet will be on Sunday, May 6, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 2 P.M. at the Madrid Community Center in Madrid, NY. Lunch will be served. Please bring something for the raffle table. If you have any questions, call Melvina Reid at 265-2269, Gary Wells at 322-8993 or Floyd Rood at 379-9498.

Annual Poultry. Small Animals and Related Items AUCTION: Auction will be on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at the Madrid Community Center in Madrid, NY. Horses must have current Coggins Test. Consignments will be taken from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. People with Consignments will be paid the day of the Auction. Auction will start at 10 a.m. Any questions call Gary Wells at 322-8993 or Floyd Rood at 379-9498.

LOST AMERICAN BREEDS
by Melvina Reid, President

Many of our old time American breeds are becoming scarce. It is hard to believe that R.I. Reds or Plymouth Rocks could be put on the "critical" list, but some colors of Rocks and Wyandottes and the R.C.R.I. Reds have been on "watch". I haven't seen a really good Barred Rock in a long time.

Rhode Island Whites were almost extinct a few years ago. I understand while they are still scarce, that some breeders are bringing them back. Why did they fail? The White Rock surged ahead. They crossed well with White Cornish to become the number one broiler-fryer cross. Now, large 6-8 lb. Roasters are being offered in stores. These topped the Barred Rocks because there are not black pinfeathers. New Hampshires were used to cross with Dark Cornish to make the past famous Vantress Cross. The Cornish Rock proved hardier and faster growing and dressed out better.
Some breeds have been accepted by the Standard of Perfection that I feel should not have been. While all our American Breeds are composite breeds, some (in my opinion) should have stayed on the commercial list. Delawares, for instance, were an. outright cross developed for commercial purposes. I have had them. I liked them, but never thought of them as purebred. The same with the Hollands.

A few years back, Poultry Press printed a picture of Lamonas. This breed was developed here in New York State. I wrote a letter to the Press asking others for information on them. Alex Duffy answered with some old brochures on them. He had been a good friend of the breed's developer, Harry Lamone. I also got a letter from Paul Kroll. He also knew much about the rise of the Lamona. He said that he had not seen one in a long time, even though he had had some birds put before him to be judged as Lamonas, they were not. I do not know if this breed has been re-established, but have not heard that it has. They were rounder and larger than Leghorns. They had red ear lobes and laid white eggs. At the time, there were lots of Leghorns to lay white eggs, but the Lamona also offered a plump body for meat purposes. Throughout our Country, there are many "Landrace" breeds. This means that a breed was developed in an area and stayed in it.

I have heard there is a large Silkie In one section of the South.- Ana in New - England, there is a large white breed called White Mountain or Mountain Whites, and that it has been in existence for quite awhile. Have you ever heard of the Harko? I understand it is a game, that is extremely hardy and a very good layer. (This is hard to believe) but I was told that the pullets hatch white and the cockerels black. During the great back to the land movement they were quite popular in New England.

I remember reading about and I have a picture (somewhere) of a large fowl called a New Yorker. It had lots of White Cornish blood in it. It stood fairly tall and was close feathered mostly white with red hackle and shoulder and secondary wing feathers. It was bold looking and was said to be a good layer. This was in the forties. Application was made to the Standard of Perfection, but was not accepted.

And now bantams. In the thirties, my father was urging the area (Stockholm) farmers to take part in a milk strike. We went, with horse and buggy from farm to farm asking farmers to hold back their milk. I made out like a bandit. Many of the wives brought out cookies or doughnuts to us. One lady gave me an orange kitten; another gave me a big old New Zealand white buck. When another lady saw the buck, she gave me a chocolate Dutch doe. These gifts set me up in a nice little rabbit raising business that lasted several years.

We came to a farm where a rangy, rough mannered farmer came out to talk to my father. Four tall, skinny sons and a small pretty wife joined him. Running around near by were some bantams. I was trans-fixed. The farmer was surly and said his milk was going in, he had a mortgage due, and he stalked off to his barn. The wife smiled at me. . "You like those little chickens?" I assured her I did. So, she had her boys grab some up for me. They're called American Pit Game Bantams she told me. To my father she said "me and the boys'll see that the milk gets dumped".

They were Black Reds. They were bigger and lower to the ground and rounder than Old English. They (and those that followed) all had slate legs. They were nothing like the American Game pictured in the A.B.A. Standard. Their behavior was unique. They did not mix with other chickens but stayed in little groups by themselves, often ranging quite far from the barns... They were very tame. During the years that I had them, both as a kid and later on the old Bagdad, I hatched out some Spangles and one really gorgeous Silver Duckwing cockerel. They really were very prolific and soon became known as Barnyard Bantams or Kid's Chickens.

At a Finger Lakes Show a few years back, I struck up a conversation with a man and somehow we got on to these little birds. He had had some, and in his area they called them New York Game Bantams. Some breeders had tried to get them in the Standard, but here again they never made it.

This has been long and tedious and probably of not much interest to some of you. I only want to point out - What's here today may be only a memory tomorrow.

How did you get started with poultry? What are your memories? What were some of your experiences with some of the different breeds? I'm interested. I know most of you aren't as long winded as I am, but write it up, a memory on an experience, a little story, send it on in to Tonya Rood, Secretary to share with the rest of us.

Created on ... October 09, 2007