Enjoy Heritage Chickens

(Page 6 of 6)

February/March 2005
 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

“They were developed so the small farmer who didn’t have a market for brown eggs would have white eggs from a meaty bird,” says Duane Urch, a member of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities. “They are a good bird for homesteaders and small acreages. Hollands like to run and are good foragers. They are not a timid breed, but they are not aggressive either.” Hollands are a good choice if you are looking for a productive breed and you prefer white eggs.

RELATED CONTENT

FINDING RARE BREEDS

Chicks can be obtained from mail-order hatcheries, farm stores and individual poultry breeders. To locate local poultry breeders who sell fertilized eggs for incubation, chicks and mature birds, check with the groups. Individual breeders are good sources for quality breeding stock if you become interested in maintaining a breeding flock of your own. You may also find heritage birds for sale at poultry shows, fairs and, on occasion, farmer’s markets. In Silex, Mo., for example, breeders of Delawares and Mottled Javas sell live birds at the city’s farmer’s market.

Not all hatcheries will have rare poultry for sale and if they do, demand may exceed supply. To improve your potential for success, place your order early — January is not too early to pre-order next spring’s chicks. If your order doesn’t get filled, mark your calendar and try again the following year. Each order helps increase market demand. “Every time you buy some rare-breed chicks from a hatchery, you are giving the hatchery a reason to hatch more next year,” says Donald Bixby, the ALBC’s technical programs director.

Christine Heinrichs is the publicity director of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities.on Schrider is the communications director for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • urb2165 12/21/2007 2:03:43 PM

    Very good article. Don't you have articles describing raising
    Chickens and caged rabbits in a greenhouse. I would like to have
    those articles to read over again. I am interested in doing this.

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.