Developing Sustainable Flocks of Poultry
“We Must Eat These Birds to Keep Them Alive!”
By Jim Adkins, Sustainable Poultry Specialist
So, what makes a flock of poultry sustainable? What is Standard bred Poultry? If you purchase chicks from a hatchery are they true to the breed? Why does every hatchery sell Rhode Island Reds and they all look different? Why do the Cornish Cross meat chickens have so many problems? Raising standard poultry is the only true way to improve the sustainability of quality local food while preserving the strength of Heritage birds. Farmers are looking for sustainable sources of poultry to start a flock. What does it take? Let me suggest to you that there is a lot of misunderstanding about this.
Let me share with you a personal experience. For several years I worked in the commercial turkey industry and 100% of all the turkeys we raised were unable to reproduce naturally! We raised breeder flocks that needed us human beings to assist in the process of reproduction. We trained hired men to collect semen from the toms and then spend the next day inseminating the hens to fertilize the eggs. These turkeys cannot reproduce without the “assistance of man”. This is true of the entire commercial, factory like turkey industry. Poultry that cannot reproduce naturally are not sustainable. This is also true in the commercial chicken industry; using sophisticated, proprietary crosses of specific industrial stocks which can only produce predictable results when managed on a commercial scale. All hybrids of meat chickens and egg layers that are crossed for production reasons, you cannot reproduce and hatch the same species of birds. They are genetically controlled by the companies that own them .This is also true of the “Freedom Ranger” and the “Label Rouge”- you cannot reproduce these birds on your own local farm. So, think about this, if you are dependent upon a “company” to send you baby chicks every year because you cannot reproduce your own flock, is your flock of poultry sustainable? Absolutely not! If these genetic companies of turkeys and chickens would ever just go away, you will no longer have a flock of birds.
This is why we are very excited about teaching farmers about heritage poultry. We believe that sustainable, healthy breeding of poultry is defined by historic, standard bred poultry, some that are defined as heritage breeds; but are all recognized by the American Poultry Association. This includes natural mating with 70-80 % expected fertility rates, long productive life span and slow growth rate that allows and promotes natural and proper growth.
Recently we have organized the Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition several farms that are committed to seeing standard bred poultry back on the kitchen tables of American families. The mission of the Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition is to develop, produce and maintain authentic, historic, heritage poultry as described by the American Poultry Association – Standard of Perfection. Birds will be produced for breeding, and growing to provide meat & eggs for the dining tables of American families. The participating farms stretch from the very western part of North Carolina, to the southern part of South Carolina and even in eastern Tennessee and Georgia. Farmers that are participating in this movement are committed to the core values listed below.
Standard Bred Poultry: Flocks will be certified by the Center for Poultry – Farmers involved in the Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition, must be breeding flocks of poultry that are identified in the American Standard of Perfection. Genetic lines must trace back multiple generations; and traits that meet the APA standard guidelines for breed.
Natural Outdoor Environment: Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition is committed to allow the birds to behave naturally; to allow them the opportunity to perform natural and instinctive behaviors essential to their health and well-being including daily access to natural, outdoor pasture.
Local, Sustainable Farming: Farmers involved in the Carolina heritage Poultry Coalition, are committed to local poultry farming that promotes and encourages sustainability. This is defined by selling our poultry products locally, by raising poultry that can reproduce, is local and not dependent on “outside breed resources” to provide eggs, chicks and/or poults to our farms. We are committed to preserving genetics that are reproducible at the local farm. Commercial/industrialized hybrids are not permitted.
Commitment to providing training, coaching & mentoring for farmers: Farmers involved in the Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition, are committed to networking with other local farmers. Within the coalition, farmers receive ongoing education, training for understanding, coaching for implementation and mentoring for multiplication. Our goal within is to reproduce other local, sustainable poultry farmers who are self supporting.
Welfare of the Bird: Farmers in the coalition must be committed to the welfare standards of the CHPC. Farmers will be distinguished by a humane and conscientious attitude toward the birds in their care as well as by housing and husbandry. The premise of our welfare standards is that animals are allowed to behave naturally, ensure social interaction, comfort, physical and psychological well being. Within our standards we believe that genetics play a very significant role in the welfare of all breeds of poultry; the best welfare for the bird is for them to be standard bred.
These last couple of years we have hatched and distributed over 1000 heritage chicks and turkey poults to these farmers. We have been very intentional to focus on these breeds of poultry listed below. Remember, in the world of standard bred poultry the name of the breeder and the longevity of the strain determines the quality of the birds. An example; when I was a teenager, the late Oliver Bowen of Watsonville, California had the very best White Plymouth Rock large fowl. He raised them for over fifty years and I had the honors of getting started with some of his bloodlines. Although Mr. Bowen is passed away, his bloodlines are still apart of Plymouth Rock flocks throughout the USA and are still talked about. The quality of a strain is bred and reproduced by specific individual breeder who improves the quality of that particular breed and ends up becoming well known for such excellent breeding based on the Standard of Perfection.
Buckeyes: We are excited to be working with the Buckeye chicken. In 2006, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy conducted a Buckeye Recovery Project led by Don Schrider. Several farmers throughout North Carolina were involved in the project and were mentored by Don as they bred the birds and work to improve the quality of the breed. We are working with the same Schrider bloodline of Buckeyes; they are an excellent representation of the breed. Don works with us to teach consult and select our birds as we mentor additional new breeders in our coalition. In 2011, we distributed over 500 Buckeye chicks to farmers.
Mottled Javas: Mottled Javas are quickly disappearing in North America. There are very few left as they are part of the critical list which means there are fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States. We are honored to have a small flock within our coalition and the breeding stock comes from Mr. Duane Urch of Minnesota.
Dominiques: We are working with two Dominique flocks in the Carolina Heritage Poultry Coalition, Billy Addair of Mount Ulla, North Carolina and Phillip Kirtland of Rome, Georgia. Billy has been raising Dominiques for several years. When I showed up on his place to see the breeders, I was thrilled to see such quality birds. The Dominique is one of the oldest American breeds and we have several farmers that are excited to see this breed coming back to life and producing good meat.
Barred Plymouth Rocks: The quality of the Barred Plymouth Rock has greatly declined in North America! It is actually a popular breed that large hatcheries are producing hundreds and hundreds of chicks but they are not even close to standard bred Rocks. As I judge all over the country, we seldom see a quality Barred Plymouth Rock. But, we did find a very, very good flock in Kenly, North Carolina. Jamie Duckworth was breeding Buckeyes (and being mentored by Don Schrider) when Don discovered the Barred Plymouth Rocks at his place. Jamie enjoyed the Rocks much more than the Buckeyes – so now he is breeding the Rocks alone and we are benefiting from some of the off spring. They are some of the best Barred Plymouth Rocks that I have seen in 25 years!
Delewares: The Deleware and the New Hampshire were the top two meat birds in North America before the terminal Cornish cross came along. The Deleware is a breed that does not have any real quality stock anywhere in the USA! We are working with two different “average flocks” and seeking to get the birds back to where they once were.
Light Brown Leghorns: Our Light Brown Leghorns come from the very best in the United States, Don Schrider of Virginia. I have judged and observed Leghorns all over North America and this is definitely one of the best strains of Light Browns. We are honored to have off spring of this bloodline.
Black Australorps: We found an amazing flock of awesome Black Australorps in Claremont, North Carolina. The breeder is Carol Hipps. She loves the breed and has been working with them for several years. They are excellent stock and we are honored to have her bloodline.
Chanteclers: One of the breeds that we are highlighting is the wonderful Canadian breed, the Chantecler. Up until this spring, there have been no breeders of Chanteclers in either of the Carolinas! Thanks to breeder, Robert Rennolet of Menno, South Dakota – we now have over 300 Chanteclers (buff, white and partridge) on five different coalition farms. I had the privilege of judging at the South Dakota State Fair last year and saw the hard work that Mr. Rennolet was doing in his Chantecler breeding program. I knew then that we wanted to have his breeding stock in our part of the country and a part of our coalition work.
Bourbon Red Turkeys: Our Bourbon Red Turkeys were stumbled upon in South Carolina. A farmer, who was getting rid of them, called me and invited me to see the flock; I went to see the flock and was impressed. We quickly acquired the adult birds and hatch several hundred of them this year. We have several farmers that will be breeding them in our coalition.
Narragansett Turkeys: These bloodlines come from Sam Ortmont in South Carolina. Danny Williamson and Frank Reese (of Good Shepherd Poultry) had seen these birds when they were in the area and highly recommended them. Gra Moore of Pamplico, South Carolina took over the flock and we acquired some of the offspring and are breeding this line. Note: Anytime Frank Reese recommends a flock of turkeys they are good one! I recognize him as a mentor and top breeder of standard bred turkeys.
Hopefully you have noticed that we only work with poultry that are from proven flocks of breeding stock. Our commitment is to not accept breeding stock unless we have first seen the adult parent stock; ideally we like to see the grandparent stock as well.
We are very, very excited to begin marketing these historical, heirloom breeds of poultry, getting them back on the tables of American families. As my very good friend and mentor, Frank Reese says, “We have to eat them to keep them alive!” Think about that! Why should we feed and keep these large birds alive? They consume plenty of feed and need lots of space to live. It is very important that we breed the birds and see that they are being used for their original intend of development.
We are committed to training farmers for understanding, coaching them for implementation, and mentoring them for the sake of multiplying sustainable flocks of poultry all over the region and across the USA. This is a very exciting movement. I invite you to stay tuned as we develop this coalition of farmers and working to see these as a significant part of our preservation work.
If you are interested in learning more, go to our website: www.centerforpoultry.com