Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and science, he created many excellent crosses. He had an eye for detail and a desire
for perfection.
He never brought adult stock onto his farm. He wanted to keep things as biosecure
as possible, so he started only with hatching eggs or day-old chicks. He would go to
swaps and shows for inspiration and then find a source for young chicks or eggs to
keep things biosecure at home. Ron inspired many young people and got them started
in poultry. He was constantly reminding me I had too much going on and then would
pass on one of his breed preservation projects to me.
When I visited Ron's farm I was amazed at the calmness and serenity of his flock.
As I drove into the yard it was like an enormous moving bouquet of four or five
hundred adult chickens all roaming the yard and then surrounding me as I exited
my vehicle. They all came looking for their treat, as Ron was always bringing them
something special. The diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes was amazing.
Ron didn't live to see the completion of this topic, but right up to the end, from
his hospital bed, he was directing his farm helper to set up this or that breeding pen
for either breed preservation or for working on a cross for a particular trait. We can
all hope that each of those young people he inspired over all of those years is now
carrying on at least a little of Ron's enthusiasm and dedication and is inspiring yet
another generation to continue the work.
Shamos, Malays, Aseels,
and
Saipans
all have undeserved bad reputations as being
nothing more than fighting chickens. While it's true that these breeds all have been used
for cockfighting, they are also quite people-friendly. I have raised Shamos for years and
have only had one that has ever been aggressive towards humans. These breeds will
fight with other chickens for their territory, however, and this combative behavior is not
just a male trait. I have seen vicious fights among the females mixed together at the
wrong time of the year. It is really best to introduce new birds to existing flocks only
when breeding season is over. I make a habit of introducing new birds only during the
molting season when the birds are not so proprietary.
Though none of these four breeds is easy to obtain from commercial sources, they
all exist in a variety of colors. Typical are the Black-Breasted Reds, Red Pyles, Darks,
and Blacks. Each breed has its own selection of colors. Obtain true quality stock from a
breeder.
Still (a Bit) Wild Breeds
For the person who wants breeds that are rather independent thinkers and have some fer-
al traits, consider Egyptian Fayoumis and Kraienkoppes. Rather small in stature, both of
