Enjoy Heritage Chickens

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“They are big enough to produce generous portions of meat, but are also pretty good layers,” says Craig Russell, president of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities in Owatonna, Minn. “It is a good dual-purpose breed, more than simply the meat bird that Metcalf tried to create.” Buckeye hens lay medium-sized, brown eggs.

Buckeyes can readily adapt to a variety of living conditions, but because of their active nature they do best when allowed to free-range, or live where they have room to move around. These chickens like to explore and to scratch the ground, so care should be given to pen them away from your flower beds. Because their very small combs and wattles are unlikely to be damaged by freezing, Buckeyes are one of the best choices for climates with cold winters.

CHANTECLERS

Brother Wilfred Chatelain noticed that there were no chicken breeds of Canadian origin while tending the flocks of chickens at the Cistercian Abbey of Notre Dame du Lac, in Quebec. Plenty of American and English breeds were being used commercially in Canada, but no breed had been developed that would thrive under Canada’s rigorous climatic conditions.

So in 1907, Brother Chatelain began experimenting. He crossed White Leghorn, Dark Cornish, Rhode Island Red and White Wyandotte, and he later added White Plymouth Rock. From his flock he selected good egg layers that could produce ample meat and that had very small combs and wattles. He called them White Chantecler. His results were so successful that in the 1930s, J.E. Wilkinson of Alberta crossed Brown Leghorn, Dark Cornish, Partridge Cochin and Partridge Wyandotte to create the Partridge Chantecler.

The Chantecler is a calm, gentle and personable breed of chicken with a reputation for excellent egg-laying ability. Having almost no comb or wattles, they tolerate heavy winters very well, says breeder Erin Traverse of Poultney, Vt. “Here in Vermont, where 30-degrees-below zero is common for days, even weeks at a time, frozen combs are unheard of on Chanteclers. Up along the Canadian border and points north, the winter laying ability of this breed is very much appreciated.”

Chantecler hens are noted to lay plenty of brown eggs, even during winter when there is less sunlight (light stimulates egg production). Traverse says his hens average 180 to 200 eggs a year. With 20 years of experience as a chef, he says he also finds the meat as delectable as the finest of Indian Games, Old English Games, Dorkings and Houdans.

DELAWARES

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