Heritage chickens may not produce as many eggs or put on meat as quickly as their conventional counterparts, but their unique qualities can make great additions to your flock. Cold-resistant Chanteclers are well suited for Canadian winters, the meaty carcass of a Light Sussex makes a great table bird, and just about any heritage breed has strong survival instincts that can pay big dividends in free-range production.
Rare Breed Canada’s poultry coordinator, Adam Mastine-Frost.
Once you’ve decided on the right breed, how do you go about finding your heritage hatchling? Rare Breed Canada’s poultry coordinator Adam Mastine-Frost advises against conventional suppliers. “The big hatcheries aren’t going to give you the quality of chick that you may be looking for,” he says. Nor do they tend to offer a good selection. And in his personal experience, they don’t always ship the correct breed.
You’re better off finding a good breeder, he suggests, so you can see what the parents look like and make sure they have the attributes you want.
Browse online forums and Facebook groups for breeders, or contact Mastine-Frost via rarebreedscanada.org Then pat yourself on the back for helping keep birds like the Silver Grey Dorking alive. Because as Mastine-Frost points out, once they’re gone, they can’t be recreated.
- Julie Stauffer