Why keep a rare breed?
It’s quite simple really, rare breeds will not survive without people who are prepared to keep them. Some breeds have only survived because just one or two people have kept them. The variety of rare breeds means that there’s likely to be one that is suitable for your environment. There are birds that are great for free ranging in a field and roosting in trees at night or there are those breeds which are simply a conversation starter because of their unique characteristics.
Why is it important to breed rare breeds?
Many breeds were designed because of a specific trait or are simply not desired for because the hybrids are deemed more popular for our food and egg production. With evolving diseases and the constant need to adapt to the changing environment, the genetic diversity represented by these breeds could be vital in the future. By breeding them you are keeping a living heritage alive.
Where to start
There are a couple of different ways to being, but it’s best to contact the Poultry Club of Great Britain or the Rare Poultry Society (RPS). Either of these websites will put you in touch with the relevant breed club (if there is one) or the RPS breed registrar. If they don’t have a breed registrar then they will put you in touch with breeders.
If you want to start with live birds then you must be prepared to travel or arrange collection with specialised couriers. For some specific breeds there may be waiting lists for stock. If you don’t want to start with live birds, then you can purchase hatching eggs. Although you need to be aware that while there are some reputable breeders selling eggs online, there are issues with eggs being sold that were not as they were advertised. Ideally you should obtain eggs from a source that you can go back to if you need any further information. Take a look at the hatching eggs that we’ve got for sale. We have had really good feedback on the success rate of our eggs and we successfully hatch around 500 chicks a year using our hatching eggs.
How to start breeding
The best general advice will come from the relevant breed club as each breed can be different and they will normally be happy to encourage people to get started and to help you understand what you need to look for when choosing breeding stock.
The general advice is that you should breed a few generations in order to understand the genetic make up of the birds you are starting with. Then if you only have space for one breeding pen, you can swap out the cockerels to bring in new blood. Ideally you could have three pens. One for the stock you are breeding, one for the stock that you’re going to introduce and one for test matings between the two stock before you commit to introducing your new line into existing stock. Birds are more resilient to inbreeding depression than mammals, so you are able to breed a couple of generations before introducing new blood.
You need to ensure that you have the space and can deal with the excess cockerels responsibly. This is how the rare breeds survive.
