Tread Cautiously Read Wisely (from Smallholder)

Poultry

Tread cautiously, read wisely

By Jeremy Hobson

Black Wyandotte

I DON'T like using the expression "run before you can walk" as we all have to start somewhere, but in poultry keeping, in particular, it is very easy to get carried away with enthusiasm and end up with a garden full of back-to-back chicken runs, each containing a different breed chosen as a result of the heart ruling the head.

This, it must be stressed, is only my personal opinion, but I wonder whether it wouldn't be better for the novice to build up slowly with just a single breed and learn as much as one can about that one before diversifying into something completely different?

Recently, I've read several letters and articles in the poultry and associated press of newcomers to the fancy starting out with a pen of one particular breed two or three years ago and who have already, in the ensuing months, "dabbled" with several others. Don't misunderstand me, if you're intending breeding under bantams then it sometimes makes sense to have a little mixed pen of nondescript breeds kept purely to act as hatchers and mothers of eggs and chicks from a breed in which you are particularly interested. Otherwise, however, it is surely better to be absolutely certain of the type of bird that really takes your fancy, buy a breeding pen of really good quality from a reputable breeder (many of whom advertise in this erstwhile magazine) and learn all there is to know about it's make-up, foibles and advantages before trying something new? This has to be a case of where it's best to be a master of one trade rather than a master of none.

Some of the Wyandotte breeds, for instance, illustrate perfectly the varying degrees of knowledge one might require in order to build up and maintain quality breeding and potential exhibition stock. The good old-fashioned White must be somewhere at the top in ease of breeding simplicity (and I'm not talking here of general management, where, for example, it would be necessary to keep them under cover in order to prevent "brassiness" which would preclude showing, at least until the bird's next moult), making it the perfect beginner's bird. The Black variety of Wyandotte is perhaps somewhere in the middle with its tendency for recessive genes to periodically throw chicks with wrong-coloured legs, but the Partridge is potentially a regular minefield, needing, as it does, separate pens of cock and hen breeders in order to accommodate their complicated plumage patterns. And complicated it surely is, with a hen-breeding cock requiring black/brown coloured breast feathers to produce well-marked females whilst the black breast of a perfect show cockerel is derived from indistinctly marked cock-breeder hens.

Writing earlier of letters and articles, I was very interested to read a recent piece by David Bland. David is, as most readers will know, an extremely knowledgeable poultry expert, successful author and was, for a long time, a regular contributor to this magazine. His wisdom and enthusiasm have helped set generations of amateur poultry keepers on the right track.

In his article, David touched on the ever-increasing numbers of tyros who, having seen birds in a show or having read about them in a glossy magazine, rush into buying stock, having done little or no research on how to deal with them on a day-to-day situation.

There can be no substitute for picking the brains of a local breeder or a qualified judge of a certain poultry breed in which you are particularly interested, but failing that, it pays to purchase a copy of one of the vast number of poultry keeping books currently on the market. David made a similar observation in the piece to which I refer and then went on to very accurately point out the fact that although there were one or two reasonable books on the market, others have the obvious disadvantage of having been written by people who have not had the experience of keeping poultry at a professional level.

So, following on from all this, my opinion is even stronger than it was at the outset of this article - tread cautiously and read wisely before being tempted too far into embarking on a hobby that has an undeniably wonderful way of taking over one's life!

White Wyandotte

You will see good examples of poultry at the rare breed sales plus the opportunity to talk to breeders direct. Melton Mowbray's sale is card graded so you know exactly the quality of the stock you are buying.

Traditional Native Breeds National Show and Sale, Melton Mowbray 7th & 8th September Melton Mowbray Market Tel: 01664 562971
www.meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk

Rare Breeds Show and Sale of Livestock and Poultry, Chelford 22nd September Frank Marshall Auctioneers and Valuers Tel: 01625 861122 www.frmauctions.co.uk

The following is taken from The Poultry Club of Great Britain's website. www.poultryclub.org. Do remember that the secretaries of breed clubs are voluntary and don't ring too early in the morning or too late at night.

Most popular breeds kept in Great Britain have their own "Breed Club," a specialist club or society formed to look after the interests of the particular breed. The clubs accept membership applications from anyone interested in their breed. The Rare Poultry Society looks after a number of breeds who do not have their own breed club. Contact details for all clubs are detailed below.

Most of the clubs hold an annual show in conjuction with the Poultry Club's National Championship Show - the UK's Premier exhibition of poultry, held in December each year and featuring over 6,000 exhibits.

Please note: The Poultry Club is not responsible for the content of external websites and refer to our Website Terms of Use.

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