An A to Z of poultry: H is for Hamburg (From Smallholder)

An A to Z of poultry: H is for Hamburg

2:10pm Wednesday 26th May 2010 in

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In recent times the Hamburg doesn't seem to receive the true acknowledgement that it deserves. It was once the undisputed darling of poultry show judges; nowadays it isn't up on the championship row as often as it deserves to be.

The simplest reason is fashion and the world of poultry appears to have been a slave of fashion since Victorian times. However timeless elegance and quality only fades, it never disappears. So if you're looking for a breed which reflect the perfection which British breeders can achieve then Hamburgs would be the perfect choice.

It's not as if this breed doesn't have top flight aficionados. It’s kept by more than its fair share of poultry legends but it has inexplicably failed to attract the numbers it deserves to bump up the entries at smaller shows which in turn would hugely increased the numbers gracing our countryside.

It was an exquisitely impressive Silver-Spangled cockerel, belonging to the legendary David Kay from Lancashire, that made me realize how close to perfection a breed can become in the right hands.

A Lakeland sage once suggested that the Hamburg had been badly labelled. On reflection his comment is precisely true; its name suggests a German ancestry. However its name is completely misleading as this breed links to the city of Hamburg are tenuous at the very least.

Its origins lie somewhere in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire but Durham, Cumberland, Westmorland and Northumberland had birds which may have been part of its genetic makeup. That's the problem with Hamburgs, where ever you go for source material, either through historical documents or word of mouth, you'll get widely differing accounts of their origins.

The undisputable fact is that Hamburgs have been around for hundreds of years gracing the gardens and farms of Lancashire and Yorkshire. However back in the mists of time they certainly weren't named after a German city, they were called Mooneys or Pheasants.

They have been remarkably unfortunate with their names because we nowadays associate the word Mooney with an American religious sect. However the name Mooney simply comes from the fact that its spangled feathering should be moon shaped. Simple really.

The Pencilled varieties probably must take the blame for the name Hamburg. It appears that they can trace their lineage back to the Low Countries. If they originated there then they may have made their way to Britain via the port of Hamburg. However this isn't a breed that relies purely on its good looks. It matures remarkably quickly; it's a great forager and is notably hardy.

Stories and records about its egg production are as varied as its ancestry. There are passionate Hamburg advocates who insist that for pure breeds they're good layers but undoubtedly their phenomenal Victorian egg laying records have been lost in their pursuit of good looks.

Another negative aspect of the breed is its flightiness; Hamburgs certainly couldn't be described as placid. Consequently, as with all very active breeds, they don't make reliable broodies.

Although we tend nowadays to associate the breed with the glorious feathering of the Spangled and Pencilled varieties the Black Hamburg has an enviable ancestry. In fact Blacks were recorded at early as the beginning of the 1700s. In addition to the Blacks there are two Pencilled varieties, the gold and the silver. Similarly the Spangled also come in silver and gold. There is detailed mention of them in Thomas Hardy's book 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles'.

The large Hamburgs are relatively light weight with the males only being around 5 lbs and the females in the region of 4lbs. The bantams should be just less than half this weight.

It seems apt that the Hamburg Club secretary should live on the border of the two counties which lay claim to this splendid breed. His name is: Peter Harrison, 60, Dean Summit, Littleborough, Lancashire,OL15 9LZ Telephone: 01706 377 653 For a more detailed breed description please refer to The British Poultry Club Standards.