Heritage breeds

[NH Homesteader]

Yeah they are a little creepy! And so darn expensive! Other than their looks, are they actually a productive bird? Or more a showpiece? I've always wondered that about them...

 

[sumi]

I'm trying to remember who that member was that I interviewed for BYC, she told how she had an Ayam Cemani cockerel shipped to her and the PO regulations needed her to open the box in the PO to check if the bird arrived safely. The clerk was already freaked out by the thought of an actual live CHICKEN in there… There's a YouTube moment waiting to happen

 

[lcertuche]

Certain ethnic groups here will buy those up in a flash. I personally think I would have a hard time eating black meat. I'm sure it taste the same.

 

[Hinotori]

Silkies aren't as dark as the ayam cemani, but I'm always asked how I can eat their meat. Yes it tastes exactly the same as the ameraucanas I've raised.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I guess I could eat it with my eyes closed! Maybe...

 

[Beekissed]

Tastes like chicken. I had a silkie here, collected with a large group of free roosters, and the meat was black in places, the organs were black, etc. It all tasted like chicken, though.

 

[samssimonsays]

I just recently brought home 5 straight run Icelandic chicks due to their notoriety for being good foragers and great in tough climates, which Minnesota really can be most of the year. I would love to add in other Heritage breeds and rare breeds that are seemingly being lost.

 

[Britesea]

If you want to preserve a Heritage breed though, you need to be either isolating them from other breeds, or raising only the one breed... unless you want to start a whole new breed?

 

[NH Homesteader]

We do some of both... We aren't 100% committed to only purebreds (at this point). We will hatch out purebreds to sell, keep or eat, and mixed breeds, mostly to eat. We plan to move birds around for breeding season for specific pairs though. We have 3 purebred heritage breeds of chicken and 1 pure breed of turkey, plus some random mixed breed turkeys and some totally random chickens.

 

[samssimonsays]

I don't mind if they hatch out random chicks but come spring i will be separating to collect eggs maybe. Maybe not. I only have the icelandics that may have Roos. I think i got three hens and two roos of the five but not sure. We are still new to this all.