While I have had chooks for over 40 years now it was in 1990 that I started to look at rare breeds rather than the mixed breeds we kept just for eggs and meat in the past.

  While we have tried numerous rare breeds in the past we now have  

 

Chickens

Golden Laced Wyandotte’s- lay a reasonable amount of white shelled eggs they also dress up a reasonable carcass 2.5kg ave.

They really give a great carcass when cross bred with others 2.5-2.9kgs

Silver Penciled Wyandotte’s- not even listed on the rare breeds register to my knowledge, very pretty and lay reasonably with a nice white egg.

Wellsummer- this rooster is the traditional Kellogg’s rooster on the pack very pretty and feisty, even as day old chicks these are the leaders of the pecking order. The females are plain colored giving a good camouflage for egg sitting, they lay a nice brown egg and are pretty good layers they are also the leaders of any flock especially when there is no rooster present.

Plymouth Rock- while I have my girls I am waiting for a rooster to continue breeding.

One of the reasons for wanting this breed is they are strong carriers of the “Silver gene” when crossed with a “Red gene” breed you get “Auto Sexing” although the progeny are cross breeds there are goods benefits, Hybrid vigour gives good carcasses and you can separate them for correct feeding immediately plus the same applies to egg laying- more eggs per year as with most cross breeds. These are the principles applied by suppliers of chickens for eggs and food.

You always should use pure parents ( even use a pure rooter if producing  breeds)

so this is another good reason to keep rare breeds going.

  Geese

Brown Chinese Geese- beautiful, elegant and bossy

Australian Farm Geese- a breed now being recognized in their own right, the males are always white and the females have grey patches similar to “Grey backs” this is ideal for separating those young to feed differently if you wish to say eat the males as we did this last Xmas.

And for selling trio’s it is very accurate not so with the Brown Chinese who can trick you up till 2 years old.

  Ducks

We have reduced these now to just a few ducks but previously we have had

Elizabeth Mallards Cayuga Saxony Blue, Black & Silver Swedish  

All of these are from the Domestic Mallard type, my preferred type, more docile, heavier and low set as opposed to the taller runner Duck varieties; theselatter ones are noisier and more flighty in my opinion.