Spring dates now available for 2012!

           1.  About Yellow House Farm School

           2.  How do I register for a class?

           3. Homesteading Heritage Poultry

About Yellow House Farm School

        In 2009 we launched Yellow House Farm School, and it has been a resounding success.  We look forward to the 2012 season, we are excited to offer once again these seminars in traditional poultry husbandry. 

       We have come to realize that some things serve us better when we do them ourselves.  They are more creative and fulfilling.  We feel more connected and centered.  Food is easily among this rank of noble pursuits.  Indeed, little is as satisfying as a wonderful meal that comes primarily from your own backyard.  Further, it may be that there is also nothing quite so balanced and healthy as homegrown food.  By eating those things that sustain themselves from the piece of Earth where we live and make our life, we foster a vital connection between our physical selves and the outer world we inhabit.  There is no pill or quick fix that can rival this primal connection.  The end products are health and joy.

       Nonetheless, there is the great difficulty that many of us have strayed far from the roots which would have taught us the necessary skills to live in a more Earth-centered way.  The farms that were once the centrifugal force of hundreds, even thousands, of years of human life have become so rare that they are just shy of being the stuff of legend.  The end result is that we often no longer know how to be close to Mother Earth, how to live on our soil and derive life from it.  Ultimately, the only remedy for this kind of cultural forgetfulness is re-education.  We must relearn what we have forgotten.

       To that end and for the success of our emerging culture of doers for positive change, Yellow House Farm offers these poultry husbandry seminars to help friends and neighbors rediscover the basic skills of the homestead.  In so doing, those desirous of returning to a more Earth-rooted and bio-secure life will be well equipped for the adventure that is homesteading.  Together we shall learn that a little good old-fashioned dirt rarely does any harm, and the stuff of bucolic landscapes full of rich textures and flavors can actually be your own backyard.   

How do I register for a class?

TO REGISTER: Send pertinent contact information, including, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, as well as a check made out to Yellow House Farm, to Yellow House Farm, 463 Washington St.(route 202) , Barrington, NH 03825.

Classes are held at Yellow House Farm.  Seminars are one-day intensives held on Saturdays from 9:00am-4:00pm.  The Spring course is our standard Homesteading Heritage Poultry seminar,   In the Fall we will add dates for the all new poultry processing workshop.    The cost of the Homesteading Heritage Poultry seminar is $45.00/individual and $75.00/couple.  Please pre-register for the series following our general guidelines for course registration.    Reimbursement for cancellation s available up until one week before the booked seminar.  Thereafter no reimbursement is possible.

Dates for Homesteading Heritage Poultry: 

April 21, 2012 (This class is now full)

May 5, 2012

REFUNDS AND CANCELLATION:  Registrations may be canelled up to one week before the scheduled seminar for a 100% refund.  Thereafter, no refund will be possible.

RETURNED CHECKS:  Any returned registration checks will be assessed a $20.00 courtesy fee.

Homesteading Heritage Poultry

           The Yellow House Farm seminar Homesteading Heritage Poultry is designed to give you a complete introduction to the various aspects of stewarding poultry for the homestead.  The class is divided into four sections, each designed to provide a thorough base in the targeted subject matter.  The term "poultry" refers to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl.  Homesteading Heritage Poultry focuses specifically on the needs of heritage chickens, although much of what is discussed is pertinent to the farming of other sorts of fowl.  It is not geared to matters concerning the production of factory layers and broilers.  Our goal is to present the best of traditional methodologies in the light of modern poultry science to build an understanding of the kinds of practices that lead to envigorating and environmentally friendly farming, based in respectful stewardship.  A full description of the seminar is given below.

An overview for Homesteading Heritage Poultry is as follows:

I. Introduction to Heritage Poultry

II. Starting Stock Right

III. Laying and Breeding Flock Management

IV. Health, Predation, and Local Marketing

Introduction to Heritage Poultry

We will discuss the origins of domestic poultry and the history of poultry farming.  We will explore the differences between heritage poultry and factory poultry product.  We will consider the many products and uses heritage poultry provide to the homestead.  We will discuss the value of meaningful stewardship and how to best procure quality stock.

Starting Stock Right

This is designed to provide the homesteading poulterer with all the information necessary to be prepared for the arrival of chicks, ducklings, goslings, poults, and keets.  We will discuss what is needful to insure a healthy start and successful rearing.  Matters of concern will include: set-up and equipment, floor space, feed, and heat requirements.  We will discuss raising various types of poultry together, as well as those concerns that may arise during the first weeks and months of life.  We will also discuss criteria for selection and modes of culling.  Although this session will not deal with the minutiae of slaughtering, we shall discuss what a homestead slaughtering schedule will look like and how to best prepare stock for slaughter.

Laying and Breeding Flock Management

We shall consider the many aspects of procuring powerful production, as well as breeding methodologies that will insure that production through subsequent generations.  We will consider, housing, feed, lighting, and floor space.  We will discuss various production models and their advantages from confinement to total free-range.  We will talk about improving laying strains and traditonal modes of developing strong laying flocks.  Rolling mating as well as line breeding will be thoroughly explored.  We will discuss breeder selection, with particular emphasis on breeding for farming utility.  We will learn about the differences between artificial incubation and natural incubation and discuss the pro's and con's of both systems.  

Health, Predation, and Local Marketing

The final focus area in the Homesteading Heritage Poultry seminar will deal with the various glitches that can occur in any backyard flock, as well as modes of offering your homesteading products to your local community.  We will discuss ways of developing a healthy flock and how to keep your flock healthy, as well as how to best respond to health concerns should they arise.  We will learn about local predators, and how best to insure the safety of your flocks.  Lastly, we will discuss marketing your products to the community, how to understand market regulations, and how best to insure food safety.   

            One of the great culinary treasures that so easily enhances the quality of our cookery is heritage poultry.  Rich in flavor and toothsome, in texture, it varies from exceptionally fine-grained, e.g. Houdan or Dorking chicken breast meat, to more course grained fare, as in that enjoyed from Narragansett turkey breast.  Aside from the these delicious staples of the American kitchen, heritage duck and goose are de rigueur classics that simply must be explored by all those wanting to enrich their palates and flatter family and friends with easily prepared, yet exquisite, delicacies.  And, not to be forgotten is the subtly rich flavor of the guinea fowl, or faraona, meaning little Pharaoh, which is a secret worthy of anyone’s Dutch oven.

The following are reflections on the various aspects of heritage poultry meat that are of special note.  This is by no means an exhaustive discourse nor a finished product, per se, for I am sure that time will bring new experiences to flesh out these preliminary musings.  Still, it is a beginning in the attempt to answer the many questions that we at Yellow House Farm are often asked, as we all rediscover the joys of heritage poultry in our kitchens.

1. What makes “Heritage Poultry” heritage poultry? 

2. Why is dark meat dark and white meat white?  Why is supermarket meat only white?

3. Why does Yellow House Farm heritage poultry sometimes have little dark feathers close to the skin?

4. What do the terms broiler, fryer, roaster and fowl, actually mean?

5. Are ducks and geese really fatty?

6. Why is heritage poultry smaller than factory produced poultry?

7. Why does Yellow House Farm heritage poultry taste so good?

8. What is a guinea fowl?

9. If our heritage breeds are almost extinct, why are we butchering them for market?

10. Why is heritage poultry so much more expensive that factory-type poultry?

11. Can I afford heritage

poultry?                                                              

What makes “Heritage Poultry” heritage poultry?

           Well, this may not be the silly question that it may at first seem.  There is a lively debate among poulterers as to what a proper definition might be.  As in all debates of definitive nature, there are varying degrees of micromanagement, depending on the source consulted.  Frank Reese, a heritage poulterer from the mid-West offers the following in conjunction with other currently prominent thinkers in the heritage farming world:

 Heritage Chicken must adhere to the following: 

1. APA Standard Breed--Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association prior to the mid-20th century; whose genetic line can be traced back multiple generations; and with traits that meet the APA Standard of Perfection guidelines for the breed.  Heritage eggs must be laid by an APA Standard breed. 

2. Naturally mating--Heritage Chickens must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating. Chickens marketed as "heritage" must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock. 

3. Long productive outdoor lifespan--Heritage Chicken must have the genetic ability to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems. Breeding hens should be productive for five to seven years and roosters for three to five years. 

4. Slow growth rate--Heritage Chicken must have a moderate to slow rate of growth, reaching appropriate market weight for the breed in no less than 14 weeks. This gives the chicken time to develop strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass. 

In principle, there is much to be said for this argument.  Indeed, it fits, more or less, the conservation goals of Yellow House Farm.  However, it should be stated that, although the notion of "heritage breed" is safely attached to the mandate of the American Poultry Association, the fixing of a specific cut-off date is, perhaps, a bit dubious.  An exceedingly sound argument could be made for the sole inclusion of foundational breeds pre-dating the mid-1800’s or even earlier.  Thus, in the interest of avoiding all sorts of opinionated silliness, we at Yellow House Farm are contented to state more simply that heritage poultry must be an APA Standard breed and leave it neatly at that.

   Why is dark meat dark and white meat white?  Why is supermarket meat only white?

            Well, darkness of poultry meat comes from age and use, especially use.  The more a muscle is used, the darker and more lubricated (i.e. oily) it will be. 

Chickens, turkeys and other pheasant-type fowl are non-migratory creatures that prefer to run, as opposed to fly, away from danger.  They do fly, however, rather well, but tend toward quick bursts of speedy flight heading for the nearest thicket in which the intention is to hide out until the danger has past.  Otherwise, the only flight in their daily routine is to and from their nightly perch up on a secure tree branch or, for domesticated poultry, in the coop or barn.  Consequently, they never truly develop those breast (flight) muscles, which remain white.  Their, legs and thighs, however darken nicely, often becoming so dark that one can see the darkness of their flesh right through their skin.

            Ducks and geese, on the other hand, are accomplished aviators, making yearly migrations over long distances.  Moreover, they are busy swimmers, paddling the day away in search of yummy bits.  It is understood, thereby, that they develop both their breasts and leg/thigh muscles rather thoroughly.  Hence, duck and goose meat is all dark.

            Considering the aforementioned trend in turkeys and chickens to have dark, toothsome legs and thighs, why is it that factory-type meat chickens (Cornish-crosses) and big white monster turkeys (the broad breasted type) possess ever whiter and mushier leg meat?  Well, in the push to become fatter and fatter more and more quickly, an alarmingly high percentage of factory-type meat chickens and turkeys lose the desire (and often the ability) to move about, staying closely positioned to their food hoppers in an attempt to cram their stomachs with the feed needed to fuel a body developing at rudely unnatural rates.  The result is leg and thigh muscles that never attain their natural tone or rich flavor.  Current marketing trends are busy trying to sell us on “All White Meat” as a means to keep us from discovering that modern chickens and turkeys are nothing more than pathetic veal-poultry. What is the answer to this sad development?  Heritage poultry.

  Why does Yellow House Farm heritage poultry sometimes have little dark feathers close to the skin?

            Well, feathers tend to grow in over long periods of time.  Subsequently, there are only specific periods at which a plucked bird will be completely free of feathers.  Commonly, there are tiny little feathers, referred to as pin-feathers still lodged in the skin.  Does this matter?  Not in the least.  Usually, commercial birds are white feathered, which eliminates the visibility of pin-feathers. 

            The only difficulty with using only white feathered birds for meat production is that the vast majority of varieties of fowl are colored, rather beautifully colored.  When they are not used for production, this neglect leads to their ultimate demise and extinction.  Here at Yellow House Farm, our first goal is the preservation of these fine, lovely breeds of traditional poultry.  Thus, we and hopefully our customers, too, will come to accept the presence of pin-feathers as an expression of each bird’s unique beauty.

            Learning to overlook pin-feathers is a key point of heritage poultry survival.

  What do the terms broiler, fryer, roaster and fowl, actually mean?

          Well, these terms were traditionally used to refer to chickens in their various stages of development.  Strictly speaking, they are references to age and not to size.  A broiler is a young chicken, usually a cockerel of the traditional egg-laying varieties, slaughtered by twelve or thirteen weeks of age, at which point they are still tender enough to be cooked under the intense, dry heat of the broiler oven.  This is real chicken veal.  They tend to be outstandingly tender if not the most richly flavored.

            Fryers are birds butchered between fourteen and twenty weeks, more or less, they tend still to be tender enough to be fried, hence the name. 

            Roasters are those birds butchered usually between 4 and 9 months of age.  They have more size and are generally meatier that fryers.  They are, however, at this point too strong of muscle, i.e. tough, to be fried.  They are slowly roasted, often in a Dutch oven or other appropriate covered roaster, until tender and delicious.  Usually, roasters are more flavorful than both broilers and fryers.

            Fowl is the term given to all poultry over a year old.  At this point the muscles of the birds are too strong to be simply thrown on the grill.  The exposure to such raw heat will cause the muscles to contract, thus toughening the meat up in the expression of a flexed muscle.  Whenever one hears of “tough” poultry meat, one knows that the bird in question was cooked too quickly and at too hot a temperature.  Remember the term: Low and Slow.  Moreover, fowl needs a wet preparation.  These are the braising fowls of times gone by: coq au vin, pollo al cacciatore, fricassee, all of  these richly flavorful dishes were created to utilize traditional farm fowl.  Moreover, Nonna’s chicken soup came from fowl.

Are ducks and geese really fatty?

            Well the answer is “yes” and “no”.  Our domesticated ducks and geese are creatures of the Northern Hemisphere.  They are evolved to inhabit places with colder, even inhospitable, temperatures.  Often one sees flights of ducks and geese napping lazily in the dead of winter at the mouths of rivers flowing into the sea.  Their natural fat deposits allow them to weather this weather rather swimmingly.

            On the other hand, most commercial ducks and geese are raised as “green” ducklings and goslings, which means that they are stuffed with protein for a month or so and then stuffed with fatty foods for an equal period of time.  Lights remain on twenty-four hours a day to enable constant consumption, and then they’re ushered off to the slaughter, obese and oily.

            What can one do, then, to avoid that less than savory image?  Well, only eat free-range heritage ducks and geese that are allowed to develop more slowly over a longer period of time.  They will be much less fatty and much more flavorful.

  Why is heritage poultry smaller than factory produced poultry?

            Well, most factory-type poultry has been genetically engineered over the last half-century to be shockingly oversized.  A mixture of marketing and bad habit has shaped our culture into a conglomerate of megalomaniacal eaters obsessed with ever bigger portions.  As time has passed, with few of us ever seeing a naturally proportioned bird, we have become conditioned to accept these mutants as normal.  They are, however, not. 

            Those large, even round breasted chickens and turkeys are anything but natural.  Indeed, most are now incapable of reliable natural reproduction.  This does, of course, mean that almost every bit of turkey we eat nowadays is the product of artificial insemination, i.e. a worker is paid to extract semen from thugly, unnaturally proportioned male birds in order to be inserted into equally thugly and disproportionate female birds for the mass production of yet another generation of mutant fowl touted to be the traditional fowl of your great-grandmother’s day.  Sadly, our great-grandmothers would not recognize most of what most of us eat today.  From a heritage farmer’s perspective, these foul fowl are pathetic at best and at worst rather icky.

            On the other hand, heritage fowl are possessed of natural and healthful proportions, being fully capable of naturally perpetuating themselves into the future for yet another generation’s nutrition and enjoyment.  Moreover, one might add that the smaller portion size will do most of us a lot of good.

  Why does Yellow House Farm heritage poultry taste so good?

            We are truly pleased to hear so much positive feedback about our poultry.  The response has been overwhelming, which is also rather exciting for the survival of these rare breeds.  One of the questions we are most often asked is why does Yellow House Farm meat taste so good.

Well, there are a couple reasons for this.  First of all, flavor develops with age and use, a rather poetic image it would seem.  The older a bird is at time of slaughter and the healthier and more natural the environment in which it lives, the richer its flavor will be when it comes to the table.  Hereby, it is fairly safe to argue that all heritage breeds will taste better than factory hybrids on the simple account that they have in general lived out a longer, more natural, more satisfying existence.

Still, not all birds are created equal.  Here at Yellow House Farm we have carefully selected birds to meet various criteria.  To begin with, they are rare and in need of conservation efforts.  Several of our birds are recognized by Slow Food’s Ark of Taste: the American Buff goose, the Cayuga duck, and the Narragansett turkey.   

Our chickens, too, have been selected with great care.  When consulting texts regarding the traditional breeds of chicken, five breeds are consistently mentioned as being those of superior quality: the Dorking, the Houdan, the Crevecoeur, the La Fleche, and the Old English Game.  They are all recognized for their fine-grained flesh, with special note given to the extreme whiteness of their breast meat.  They are fine-boned and exceptionally juicy.  Indeed, from experience and from the feedback of many customers.  One hasn’t tasted good chicken until one has tasted these five breeds. 

It should be noted that we cannot take any credit for their deliciousness.  These breeds have existed for hundreds, even thousands, of years.  Perhaps, it could be asserted that there is a reason for this.  Interestingly, none of these breeds were suited to the heavily stressful conditions of commercial poultry factories.  Thus, flavor was sacrificed in the name of raw profitability and the rest of us have had to make do with ersatz alternatives.

We are grateful to be able to reintroduce these delicacies to your table.      

What is a guinea fowl?

            Well, guinea fowl are a type of sub-Saharan pheasant.  You have probably often seen them on nature specials with views of watering holes.  In Italian, they are called faraona, meaning little pharaoh.  This would seem to be a more beautiful name.  They have been celebrated for millennia; indeed some of our oldest references to this delicacy go back to ancient Greece.  Nevertheless, whether you call them guineas fowl or faraona, you’ll assuredly call them delicious!

If our heritage breeds are almost extinct, why are we butchering them for market?

            This is a very good question, indeed.  The answer comes when we consider more deeply the raison d’etre of the farm fowl.  These birds exist to be farmed.  When not actively farmed, they fall into oblivion. 

            In the traditional cycle, many are hatched; the best go on to become the new breeders, while the inferior stock heads to market.  In this way, the breed is strengthened with every year.  All birds are not created equal.  A relatively small percentage of hatchlings matures to embody the finest qualities of each breed.  Only these select birds should be saved to produce the following year’s generation.  The rest are culled to market.  It goes, then, that the more any one farmer is able to hatch, the greater his chances of obtaining high quality breeders, subsequently, the more culls he will have for his customers’ tables.

            The alternative is the ultimate degradation and extinction of the breed.

  Why is heritage poultry so much more expensive that factory-type poultry?

            Well, in an eggshell, it takes two to three times as long for heritage poultry to reach market size.  Moreover, they cannot be raised in such highly concentrated, read cramped, conditions as factory-type birds.  In extension to this, they tend to be raised in a more free-range situation in which they are expected to find a larger portion of their daily diet.  This, of course, is yet another reason that signifies that they cannot be overly concentrated in their environment.  The result is a higher quality product that can only be raised in a limited number which drives up the ultimate price of each bird.

            We remember the famed wish for "a chicken on every table".  This came from a time when chicken wasn’t the simple throw-away commodity that it is today.  At that time, chicken was more costly, but it was much better chicken.  The price of cheap chicken has been cheap chicken.

  Can I afford heritage poultry?

            Well, I suppose the reality is that there are, and will always be, those with greater and lesser buying power than ourselves.  I say this, of course, as a poor teacher turned poorer farmer, who has never owned a new car and probably never will, who buys a new pair of reasonably priced jeans only when I really can no longer ignore with any decency that ever widening hole in the old pair, and who thinks that brand names are for special occasions.  However, gross is gross, and if we can avoid it, that’s not a bad thing.

            One way to look at the picture is to consider the way we use chicken and other poultry.  Nowadays, we can buy inexpensive family packs of mutant bits at prices so cheap that we can forget about them on the bottom shelf and only ceremoniously mourn for the waste of product when we discover the fowl origin of that foul odor coming from the vague direction of the refrigerator.  On the other hand, in the old days, one bought whole birds to avoid any sort of waste, and, of course, purchasing whole birds avoided elevated prices due to any further processing such as the cutting up of the birds.  Then one portioned the bird out for various dishes.  We think of pot pies, chicken salad or duck salad sandwiches, made from the leftovers of the original roast or braise.  Then, of course, there were the myriad soups and risottos made from the healthy stock that was always made from the carcass.  When looked at this way, every bird should represent two to three meals.  When one divides the original cost over the many meals, it seems less burdensome.

            Ultimately, the only way for all of us to have huge portions of meat every night of the week will be to rely uniquely on factory-type meat produced in factories with factory methodologies.  The alternative is to enjoy healthier, more delicious meat in smaller portions a few times a week, being grateful for great food.

1. Introduction

2. Heritage Breeding: the Key to the Whole

3. Heritage Chickens

4. Heritage Ducks and Geese

5. Heritage Turkeys

Introduction

           It is wonderful to see, hear, and read about the current resurgence of interest in heritage fowl.  They are a dear possession in the passing of time, and time has, indeed, passed since they were last recognized by the broader community for the intrinsic value they offer to the maintenance of local culture and the establishment of sustainable food systems. 

             Over the course of the last several decades of neglect, they have suffered much in the way of poor breeding.  It cannot be understated that the stability of their future depends on a renaissance of active engagement in good breeding methods that aim first and foremost at the revival of their useful farm qualities.  Every homestead, even the most humble, is able to contribute to this reemergence of traditional farming fowls. 

             As of early summer 2009, major hatcheries across the country are sold out.  The demand is so great that stock cannot be procured.  At first impression, this might lead one to concur that the fate of heritage fowls will be thereby assured.  However, if the destination of the majority of these fowls is to be maintained only as a laying flock, without the presence of a cock for in-house flock perpetuation, then this boom is sadly finite.  Many hatcheries depend on the same small breeders for their stock, if one depends on hatcheries to maintain the requisite biodiversity for the preservation of our breeds, this dipping repeatedly back into the source only repeats the genetics, it does not improve or diversify them.   Moreover, there is real potential for the genetic exhaustion of the flock of origin.  Without other homesteaders working to develop lines of their own, the flocks of origin have no possibility for the refreshment of their own bloodlines. 

            I have heard many as of late state how much they enjoy their chickens.  Internet sites are abuzz with eager enthusiasts, but are these same folks open to taking the relatively simple step of becoming a breed steward?  Let us hope, for the sake of our heritage breeds and the future of our sustainable, small-scale, locally focused agriculture, that the rush of newness and sentimentality does, indeed, mature into an understanding of these breeds' need for us to resume the stewardship that was once the cause of their thriving.

            In order for this to come to pass, certain basic principles must be understood and maintained.  A sort of cultivated discipline, based in breed appreciation and knowledge, must be fostered, and certain practices must be avoided.  If our collective efforts are consistent and enduring, our success is ensured.

            For the would-be steward, these two gaffes must be avoided:

1. First and foremost,  factory chickens are verboten.  They are largely hybridized, removed from the land, and represent genetic dead-ends.  Such fowl are: Cornish X; anything referred to as a broiler (red, black, or otherwise); any fowl whose name includes the term "sex-link"; any bird whose name sounds like a space staion, i.e. Golden Comet; any bird whose name includes a number; and it's generally good to avoid birds whose descirptions make them sound like an egg-producing robot.  As a hint, you will discover that the vast majority of heritage fowl are named after a specific place.  There is a distinct reason for this, having directly to do with that fowls' particular heritage.  Indeed, many are so specific as to be named for the very town of origin, or which at least made them famous: Dorking, Crevecoeur, La Fleche, Houdan, Ancona, Leghorn (Livorno), Faverolles.  Others represent regions or islands: Minorca, Andalusian, Sussex, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Catalana, Sicilian Buttercup, Marans, Lakenvelder, Spitzhauben, Barnevelder, Paduan (a.k.a. Polish), Hamburg (even if it's arbitrary), and the Delaware (a heritage fowl by the skin of its teeth).  A few enjoy a unique name that speaks to their region, original breeder, traditional use, or some remarkable physical atribute: White-faced Black Spanish, Orpington, Dominique, Russian Orloff, Old English Game, Scots Dumpy.
2. Choose one breed and do it well.  Buying a hodgepodge of this, that, and the other thing, might be fun, but it does nothing for the good of the breeds selected.  It's always disheartening to hear someone announce that they raise heritage fowl only to find that they have one of this, three of that, four of the other, and a Silkie rooster because he's so cute.  Such flocks might amuse the owner, but that is the end of the benefit derived therefrom.  In order to maintain your laying/breeding flock, have the space for raising the young, and have the time to learn about your selected breed, it is necessary to restrict the number of breeds.  The alternative is treading water and the further degradation of the fowl.  Remember that there is no stasis in nature; either there is evolution or there is entropy.

           Described quickly, heritage breeds of poultry are all those old breeds that have served our homesteads and communities for generations, centuries, and even millennia.  A heritage breed is a purebred and breeds pure.  Almost all heritage breeds are represented in the Standard of Perfection, the vade mecum of the American Poultry Association.  Those few breeds of heritage poultry, with long histories of service on our farms, hitherto excluded or retracted from the Standard, e.g. the Russian Orloff, the Rose-combed Red and Colored Dorkings, among a few others, should be added or reinstated as soon as possible in order to insure their continued existence.

 Heritage Breeding: the Key to the Whole        

           Aside from being rare, or, in many cases, in danger of extinction, one could safely assert that virtually every heritage breed still in existence has suffered from neglect, a.k.a. bad or one-sided breeding.  A shameful proportion of stock available from large, industrial hatcheries is simply bad stock.  The birds from these institutions show very little sign of any sort of breeding program whatsoever.  Worse, it is usually in the rarer breeds that one sees the most deplorable stock.  Deceived by pretty images and fancy descriptions, the unexpecting buyer forks out sums that should only be paid for stock of quality. 

            One-sided breeding is the curse of the single-minded fancier, whose eye often falls first on the superficial.  For many generations poultry writers have been warning about the negative effects of breeding for fancy points.  Is the crest large enough?  Globular enough? Full enough?  Are the feathers fluffy enough?  Profuse enough?  Tight enough? Is the comb too big or too small?  Is the spangling just so?  Is the white the purest of whites?  The list of fancy point concerns seems endless and is often of little value to the farmer or homesteader.  Although culling is extremely important, even a sure sign of the serious poulterer, some fanciers cull their birds so tightly that one can literally feel the constricting bloodlines in their vaunt.  Indeed, one could posit that the obsession over Standard-based fancy points has potentially damaged every heritage breed.  On the other hand, one could also suggest that, were it not for fanciers, these breeds would already be extinct, which is in truth a rather tenable argument.  The question, then, of reconciling breeding goals to the ultimate future good of the fowl gives pause and asks one to reconsider the American Standard of Perfection or rather one’s reading of the Standard.

            In his work Domestic Geese and Ducks, first published in 1947, Paul Ives offers this with regards to the proper breeding of fowl, “Select for the following qualities in the following order.  Vigor, temperament, correct size, true breed-type, approved color.”  This mandate is clearly advantageous to the homesteading worthiness of heritage breeds.        Vigor reflects health and the ability to transfer that healthiness to progeny.  It is the inner expression of a fowl's ability to live well with and in nature.  Temperament is, via generations of experience, of the utmost importance with regards to the farming utility of the breed.  The best layers are spry: fast on their feet, often flighty, and wary.  Asiatic meat birds are lethargic and gentle.  The best dual-purpose breeds tend toward the Golden Mean, the balance between the two.  Correct size also serves a fowl’s usefulness.  Layers are light.  Meat birds are heavy, and dual-purpose breeds are, again, somewhere inbetween.  True breed-type speaks to shape, or confirmation.  There are shapes that serve meat production.  There are shapes that serve egg production.  There are shapes that serve practically nothing at all.  Lastly, there is color which, in most circumstances of domestication, serves nothing but beauty.  It has been said that this is the purpose of beauty: to serve nothing save beauty.  Now, all things being equal, selecting for beauty is noble indeed, yet this statement rests on “all things being equal”.  In The Biggle Poultry Book: A Concise and Practical Treatise on the Management of Farm Poultry (1911), the author, John Biggle, offers this didactic quote, “Don’t estimate the size of the egg from the length of the cackle.  Fine birds are not made by fine feathers.”  With this in mind, we return to the question of the Standard and how we might best use it to the advantage of the fowl and the homesteaders and farmers for whom they are destined. 

            A textbook’s format tells much about its purpose, and the Standard is nothing if not a textbook.  Each entry follows a specific pattern, which, when read as representing an order of importance, is rather useful.  In the Standard, each breed is introduced with some in-depth information concerning its history, i.e. its heritage.  Following right behind is an expression of its economic qualities, which are the legacy of its heritage.  This heritage is of primal interest insofar as it points to what ought to be its present and future.  Next are any breed disqualifications, which alert the breeder as to when one is completely off base.  The following matter of interest is standard weight, i.e. correct size.  The next category is shape, i.e. true breed-type.  Lastly comes color. 

            Considering then the format of the American Standard of Perfection, it would appear that Ives’ mandate for proper breeding and the ordinal emphasis of the Standard are in complete agreement as to what is important for the breeding of useful farm fowls.  This is, of course, from a farmer’s perspective and with regards to farming utility.  For the homesteader and farmer, a Houdan with a stellar crest and perfect plumage coloring is of very little worth, if it also lays poorly and is severely underweight.  When poultry breeders conform themselves once again to the aforementioned principles, it will be a boon both to farmers and to the breeds they protect.  From a farming perspective, the vast majority of breeds still in existence today are but a shadow of their historic potential.

            Carefully reflecting, we recognize that our heritage breeds are in desperate need of rejuvenation through breeding methodologies that celebrate their outstanding utility: delicious meat, wonderful eggs, excellent foraging capabilities, superior disease resistance, and a purebred history ready and able to project itself into another future of healthy and appreciative consumers, i.e. you.  If we continue to allow heritage breeds to fail and disappear one by one into oblivion, we further the purpose of industrialized farming and a misguided USDA who would see us completely dependent on the currently ubiquitous, factory produced hybrids that serve the sole purpose of advancing the profit margins of rich conglomerates.  No greater proof of their combined nefarious intent need be supplied than to invoke the imperialistic regulatory potential for decimating traditional American farming representated by the National Animal Identification System   

Heritage Chickens 

1. Foundational Breeds vs. Composite Breeds

2. The Classification of Chickens

3. Meat Breeds

4. Egg Breeds

5. Dual-purpose Breeds

Foundational Breeds vs. Composite Breeds

            Heritage breeds of chickens can be divided into two groups: heirloom, or foundational, breeds and composite breeds.  An heirloom heritage breed is one of the many foundational breeds of poultry whose origins are obscured by centuries.  They are the fowl, which simply are.  They are part and parcel of their place of origin.  Their time of origin can only be speculated.  Their mode of origin, i.e. parent stock, etc…, can only be guessed.  They shaped the indigenous diet of their place of origin as much as they were informed by that same diet.  These indiscernible beginnings make them irreplaceable.  They are a particular treasure.  Once extinct they will never be revived.  Too many are on the brink of oblivion.  They are the Dorking, La Fleche, Houdan, Crevecoeur, Old English Game, Redcap, White-faced Black Spanish, Ancona, Sicilian Buttercup, Brahma, Cochin, Hamburg, and, perhaps, the Dominique, to name but a few.  Should they disappear it would be to our cultural impoverishment, another bridge burnt in the wake of this hullabaloo we continue to call “progress”.

            Composite heritage breeds are those breeds that rose up in the hustle and bustle of international trade and the push for progress that was the rhythm of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  The opening of the Far East in the days of the Clipper Ships led to the importation of new breeds of poultry, drastically different from the old vanguard of the European front.  Their arrival in Europe and the Americas eventuated a fusion of bloodlines, resulting in many relatively new breeds of poultry that went on to be highly influential in the poultry circles of the 19^th and especially the 20^th centuries.  They are the Faverolles, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, New Hampshire, Orpington, Australorp, and Holland, among several others.  Though theoretically replaceable, insofar as they could be developed again by following the original breeding program, which lead to their existence, they hold such a place of importance historically and culturally that their loss would be that of an entire epoch.

The Classification of Chickens      

            The American Poultry Association classifies breeds with reference to their point of origin: American, English, Continental (European), Mediterranean, etc.  This is of great historic, thus heritage, interest.  However, for this discourse, it should be more useful to divide them into their old farming designations, which are four: meat breeds, egg breeds, dual-purpose breeds, and ornamental breeds.  These designations speak more to their potential for profitability as farming fowl, were we to recommence the practice of breeding them for the farm and homestead. 

Meat Breeds

              What are referred to traditionally as meat breeds, are those breeds, whose egg production is slight, or the hens are too large to be used for the economical production of eggs.  In the past and on account of their size, the fowls classed here were the Brahma, Cochin, and Langshan, effectively the Asiatic class of the A.P.A. Standard.  However, the flesh of the Brahma and Cochin is usually considered to be course-grained, which in chicken is not the ideal.  It would seem that the tendency to class these as meat birds is more on account of their poor laying skills than in recognition of their quality meat attributes: "The Asiatics are not infrequently referred to a meat breeds, but their slow maturity has prevented their e bcoming popular for this purpose.  Generally, they are placed more properly among the ornamentals" ( Lippincott et al.  Poultry Production. 1946).  Recognizing that feed cost is the number one obstacle to profitable poultry farming, the modern poulterer is almost certainly wiser to choose one of the dual-purpose breeds as his or her meat birds.

            The flesh of the Langshan is reputed to be of higher quality.  They are also said to have potential as layers.  Indeed, there are some that suggest that the Langshan would be best considered a dual-purpose breed, but I should leave it to those with more experience with this breed to give the final word.

            These three breeds are all to be considered “heirloom” or “foundational”, being part of the foundation used to develop the many composite breeds.  Indeed, it is from them that originate brown eggs, foundational European breeds’ eggs being white or creamy tinted.  The utility of the breeds could be strengthened by emphasizing impressive meat quality and good winter laying, as well as strong laying in their second year.

            In addition, to the aforementioned breeds, several of the game breeds are suited to meat production.  Two in particular, the Cornish and the Old English Game, are of particular interest, the former for its size, the latter for its quality.  Neither is appropriate for egg laying, although Craig Russell, president of the SPPA, asserts that well bred Old English Games should evince dual-purpose laying capacity.  The Old English Game is one of the most respected broody hens in the chicken roster.        

            Lastly, it would, perhaps, be appropriate to place the Jersey Giant among this classification.  Although generally considered a respectable layer, its sheer mass and slow rate of growth are a distinct liability.   Economically speaking, it is simply too big for its own good.

            Egg breeds are small, spry fowl, light weight and capable of sustained flight over a fence and across the field.  They are full of nervous, busy energy, delighted to forage for a large portion of their keep.  They are more wary of people, especially if their caretaker is not gentle while tending them.  However, when managed in a calm fashion, they do tend to tame easily.  They consume markedly less feed, lay noticeably more eggs, and, as a whole, are disinclined to set on a clutch, although there is an exception to every rule.  There is more than a little wisdom in looking first to this class of hens, if one's goal is profitable egg-production.

            The vast majority of heritage egg breeds originates in Europe.  The most famous are, by far, those in the Mediterranean class. These are all foundational breeds, being rather ancient.  The best layers are the Italians, Leghorns and Anconas.  They have one sole raison d’etre: the efficient production of abundant eggs.  The fowl of Spanish origin are also of high repute: Minorca, Andalusian, Catalana, and, one of the oldest extant breeds of purebred poultry known to man with one of the longest histories in the New World, the White-faced Black Spanish.  In their heyday, the Spanish fowl were generally renowned for producing numerous eggs of impressive size.  Another advantage often cited for the Spanish fowl is that, being larger than their Italian counterparts, they fetch a higher price as stewing fowl when culled for market.

            Most of these breeds have rose-comb varieties, which, although exceedingly rare at the present-day, offer northern poulterers the possibility of efficient egg-production without the incurrence of damaging frostbite.  One approach to dealing with this problem of limited rose-comb availability is to procure a number of rose-combed birds and another strain of single-combed birds.  The gene for rose-comb is dominant to that for single comb, and through a process of selection, one will soon have a flock of rose-combed birds with the combined vigor of the two strains. 

            For preservation purposes, a special note here goes out to the White-faced Black Spanish.  These are almost certainly the first of the laying breeds to have crossed the Atlantic with settlers in the New World.  Indeed, there is the rather real possibility that they are the longest standing European fowl in the Americas.  They were known as excellent producers of notably large eggs, and their white faces earned them the endearing nickname of Clown-faces.  Here is also an example of a breed that has been highly damaged in the name of fancy points.  The push to develop their white faces to ever greater size has led, for decades now, to the disregard for their impressive production qualities.  The White-faced Black Spanish is in desperate need of dedicated breeders who are willing to look beyond the superficial to realize the excellent homesteading potential that this bird offers to the public.

            The rest of Europe is also possessed of efficient egg producers.  The Netherlands, with a nod to Britain and Germany, give us the Hamburg, an excellent producer of small to medium eggs.  There telling nickname is “egg-a-day layer”. 

            Closely related to the Hamburg is the Redcap, a productive breed from the north of England.  Ideally they should be classified as a dual-purpose breed, intended meaty enough to stand its own as a roaster..  However, this rare and ancient breed has suffered from both general neglect and from breeding for large and exaggerated rose-combs at the expense of their productive qualities.  This breed lies at the brink of disappearing.  Only a concerted effort to revive its numbers and impressive productive qualities will save it from otherwise certain extinction.  

            Other European layers of note are the Lakenvelder, Appenzeller-Spitzhauben, Campine, and Sicilian Buttercup.

Dual-purpose Breeds

            The dual-purpose breeds are those which lay a respectable, often impressive, number of eggs, while also furnishing a well-fleshed carcass for the table.  The capacity of each breed to produce eggs varies from strain to strain.  With concentrated efforts to select for heavy egg production, your strain can be ameliorated.  However, be careful not to sacrifice size to eggs.  These are our true meat breeds, and they need to remain such.  Most strains available today do not live up to the Standard requirements for weight.  As stewards of these breeds, we need to undo this unfortunate situation.  If a light weight egg-layer is required, turn to the established egg breeds.  It is better to honor one of these with your cares than to dishonor the heritage of a dual-purpose breed with incorrect selection intentions. 

            The most ancient of this classification are four foundational breeds of special note.  These four fowl, in company with the Old English Game, are praised above all others in the traditional literature for the quality of their meat.  They are the Dorking, Houdan, Crevecoeur and La Fleche.  Their meat is excellently juicy, fine-boned, fine-grained, and deeply flavorful.  Moreover, they are good layers of white or tinted eggs.  The Dorking are among the most accomplished broody hens in the chicken world.  An added bonus to these fowl is their striking appearance.  Each is uniquely beautiful.  These four breeds are in need of serious conservation.  All four have suffered on account of neglect and the overemphasis of breeding for fancy points.  Concerted efforts can still save these four gems of the poultry world for yet another generation of gastronomic excellence.

            Among this rank are found the vast majority of the many composite breeds originating in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  As a group they are thrifty foragers, of relatively mild temperament, good to excellent layers, nice eating fowl, with a general tendency toward broodiness in the late spring and early summer.  Among the dual-purpose composite breeds are found the Chantecler, the oldest Canadian breed, and the Dominique, the oldest American breed.  Other composite breeds are: the Faverolles, Orpington, Sussex, New Hampshire Red, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Buckeye, Wyandotte, Black Australorp, Holland, Marans, and Lamona.

            The Java is considered an American breed, and yet it is not.  It, like the Dorking, is an import.  On the other hand, the Java's American history is almost as old as the Dorking's American history, which makes it rather important to the US, almost as imprortant as the Dorking.  Indeed, the Dorking is considered the first fowl to be imported with English settlers.  For this reason, it is the fowl of honor at such places of historical relevance as Plymouth Plantation and Jamestown.  The Dominique is considered America's first breed to be developed on American soil.  This is most certainly true.  The difficulty in documenting its parentage suggests that it could be America's closest thing to a foundational fowl. 

            The choice of which heritage dual-purpose breed to raise is important; each has something to offer.  All are worthy for the self-sustaining homestead; however, in truth, some need to be bred up before they are ready for small-scale commercial farming.  Make no mistake, they all need to be bred up; the difference is in how long it is going to take.  For the self-sustaining homesteader who is primarily focused on providing meat and eggs for his or her family, the pressure is not so severe to produce truly market quality fowl.  Thus, they are in the ideal situation to rescue the rarest and bring them up to par.  

            It is always difficult to deal in division, but here I make the plea for the non-commercial homesteaders to come to the rescue of these breeds and varieties needing care to bring them up to be worthy candidates for local heritage poultry production.  They are as follows:

1. The Houdan, Crevecoeur, and La Fleche need to be bred extensively for superior size.  They have excellent meat quality and strong egg production, but are currently way too scrawny.
2. The Java, though of good size, is too slow in maturing to market weight and fleshing.
3. The Buff, Partridge, Black, and Siver-penciled Wyandottes need some serious farm breeding.
4. Like the aforementioned Wyandottes, the Partridge, Silver-penciled, Blue and Columbian Rocks need some good farming breeding before they can be depended upon for income.
5. The Red Sussex, Blue and Black Orpingtons, White Faverolles, Holland, and Lamona simply need to be brought back to the radar screen.

With proper attention from dedicated homesteaders, all of these fowl can be reclaimed for the farm and sustainable food production.  Please consider one of them carefully.  In your hands is their renewal.

            When considering those fowl that are readier for serious small-scale farming, it must be emphasized that they are still in need of focused breeding programs in order to hone in their productive attributes.  Many of them are available in outstandingly pretty form, but underneath that prettiness we need to see some major gusto:

1. The Dorking, in all varieties, possesses the highest quality flesh of all the farming-ready dual-purpose breeds.  They are good layers.
2. Second place for flesh quality probably goes to the Sussex and Faverolles, undoubtedly on account of their Dorking parentage.  They are good layers.
3. The best in carcass shape to promote quality meat dimensions are the Dorking, Dominque, and Wyandotte.  They are good layers, with a special nod to the Dominique in this quality.
4. The New Hampshire Red is definitively the fastest maturing.  They are generally strong layers.
5. The Plymouth Rock and Orpington are both recognized for their sturdiness.  In carcass presentation, they're rather similar--long, if a bit narrow in the breast.  Of the two, the Plymouth Rock is the better layer.
6. For winter hardiness in northern climates, where the risk of frostbite is a serious threat, the rose-combed Dorking varieties, Dominique, Chantecler, Buckeye, and Rose-combed RI Reds and Whites are to be recommended.  Single-combed birds are prone to severe frostbite damage.
7. Those poorest in meat qualities are the RI Reds and Black Australorps; however, they are probably the best layers of the lot.
8. Several of these varieties are prone to roosters that "go mean".  A good pair of jeans goes a long way.  Remember, you are bigger than a rooster.  Nonetheless, if docility is a necessity than the Dorking is easily the best choice.
9. In matters of foraging, they are all rather persistent scroungers.
10. In matters of heritage, the Dorking reigns supreme.  All of the others combined have about fifty percent of the Dorking's curriculum vitae. 

            These fowl are, each and every breed, representative of the hopes and aspirations of our collective agrarian legacy.  Each is possessed of enduring qualities that plead its case for the future.  Correct husbandry is our responsability.  We must resist the urge to raise them only for what they give us, without a care for their needs as our partners in sustainable, local agricultrue.  We recognize honestly that such a tendency is born of modern complacency and the habit of unbridled consumerism.  If we are to look to them on the horizon of our future, we must be mindful of what is needful in their present. 

            For the homesteader, whose primary goal it is to provide meat and eggs for one's family, consider one of the very rare breeds mentioned above.  Choose one breed, even if it is difficult.  You will assuredly be their champion.  Choose one breed, and may it accompany you throughout your life time, supplying you with nourishment and the sight of their beauty to bring you peace after the long day.

            For those intending to enter into a local market economy, based on the production of meat and eggs, the scope of your intention may necessitate the choice of two breeds: one heritage layer, whose eggs are had at a profit, and one heritage dual-purpose breed, whose eggs serve to augment the total egg-production of your farm and offset the cost of meat production, generally increasing overall profits.  Consider carefully.  Choose once.  Choose well.  Be independent, and listen to your inner thoughts.  Don't just follow the crowd.  The uniqueness of your selections is a strong marketing edge.  In thirty years may they say of your stock that there is none better to be had.  

Heritage Ducks and Geese

Happily, ducks and geese have been shielded from the industrial hybrid invasion.  The Pekin, which dominates industrial duck production, and the ]]>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:58:54 -0500Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:57:33 -0500 

A True New Englander

       Here at Yellow House Farm, we raise one variety of turkey, New England's own Narragansett.  Quite possibly the most stunning of turkey varieties, it is also exceptionally tame and full of friendly, dog-like personality.  Toms strut about the yard, following all visitors about in a comically desperate attempt to be noticed and impress.

       The origins of the Narragansett are lost in the early days of New England turkey farming.  It is thought that Norfolk Black turkeys made their way over from old Europe with the English settlers that first colonized this area.  However, it is related in many old breed books that indigenous, wild turkeys were known to enter barnyards, best the poorly prepared domestic toms and usher the newly won harem of females out into the woods.  The consequent crossing of these two varieties is thought to hold the origins of what was to become New England's common barnyard turkey.

       Tragically, the Narragansett was almost annihilated by neglect in the 20th century, as the Broad-breasted White, a gastly mutant of a turkey, came to dominate the commercial landscape.  The BBW "turkey" has, at this point in history, been completely distorted from its natural form.  It is prone to leg-issues and heart attacks, prolapsed rectums and a host of other health issues.  Moreover, it has an abysmal immune system, requiring more protection from exposure to nature than any "natural" animal ever should.  Furthermore, on account of the genetic distortion of its frame and general lack of thrift, the BBW is no longer capable of natural reproduction, signifying that all commercial turkeys that are not of a heritage (non-broad breasted variety) are the result of artificial insemination.  

The good news?  The Narragansett.  Being a premier heritage breed, the Narragansett is free of all of these troublesome issues and defects.  They are naturally reproduced, hardy, free from the need for noxious chemicals, able to live in nature as nature, and, moreover, they are simply delicious.

This Thanksgiving, think Narragansett!

       The Dorking is a foundational chicken breed of old Europe.  By "foundational breed" we intend those honorable, old-fashioned breeds that have played a role in Western civilization for centuries or even millennia.  For the most part, their origins are obscured by the passing of one age into another.  However, they have stood the test of time, and from the villages of ancient Britain, Gaul, and Rome, they continue on here at Yellow House Farm to serve yet another generation of homesteaders.

       Unlike the more modern "composite breeds", such as the Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte and Orpington, which are all the fruit of crossbreeding various foundational breeds, the foundational breeds represent a unique genetic resource that cannot be reproduced.  If they are lost, they are lost forever.   Sadly, with the advent of modern factory "farming" practices, these breeds have fallen into the shadows.  Both the ALBC (American Livestock Breeds Conservancy) and the SPPA (Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities) list those breeds that are in need of serious conservation efforts.  Here at Yellow House Farm we work diligently to answer this call to support our ever dwindling bio-diversity.  With your support, we shall attain our goal of a new Renaissance for these ancient treasures, bringing this valuable breed back from the brink of extinction and reintroducing them as productive farm fowl in our agricultural landscape.

       The Dorking is among the most noble and ancient of poultry breeds.  It's origins date back to time immemorial.  Our earliest record of them is found among the writings of Columella, a Roman agricultural historian of the first century A.D.  They are believed to have been brought to England with the invasions of Julius Caesar.  It is from this importation that they receive their name as Dorking.  In the region of Surrey, England, the town of Dorking boasts proudly of the Dorking on their coat of arms.

       The Dorking remained a prominent breed throughout our history.  Ulisse Aldrovandi, an agricultural historian of the Italian Renaissance, refers to the White Dorking as being an ancient fowl, indeed.  In more recent times, Queen Victoria prefered the Dorking about all other chicken for her plate. 

       Moreover, the Dorking has a long history in North America, coming over with early settlers.  Many an American homestead benefitted from the superior qualities of the Dorking.  New England has long been graced by the Dorking fowl.  In 1853, the Rev. Edmund Saul Dixon, in his work A Treatise on the History and Management of Ornamental and Domestic Poultry, wrote of several accounts of the Dorking in New England:

       "A correspondant, writing from Boston says, 'You ask me what kind of Fowls I prefer?  I wish to be understood that, when I speak of Fowls, I recommend or condemn from my own experience--not from the representation of others.  I prefer the white Dorking before any other breed known in this part of the country.  They have all the good qualities in full, which other breeds possess only in part; they are hardy, handsome, prolific, easily raised, and, when they are brought upon the table, 'they are food for Emperors and Kings (Dixon 184).'" 

        It is, indeed, on account of quality that the Dorking has endured for over two milennia.  Few other breeds can rival the Dorking when quality and flavor are the measuring stick.  The breast meat of the Dorking is very white, fine grained, and juicy; the flavor is excellent.  The dark meat is richly flavored:

"The [Dorking] approach the ideal for general purposes [...] American breeders prize the Dorkings highly for the quality of flesh, and also for the small proportion of bone.  They are especially noted for a broad, deep breast, and the breast meat is distinctly fine in quality (Watson, George C. Farm Poultry.  1914)." 

     As layers, they are good, although there are breeds that lay better.  Dorkings are considered dual-purpose breeds, which means that they are esteemed for the production of both meat and eggs, but this title is ambiguous at best.  Very few breeds, if any, could be said to be the ideal for both meat and eggs.  Most dual-purpose birds excel in one area and are passable in the other.  Dorkings are an excellent meat bird with acceptable laying abilities.

     As broody hens, they are tough to beat and make excellent natural mothers.  Because of their size and reliability, Dorkings can be used successfully to hatch out the eggs of other fowl such as turkeys, ducks, and even geese.

     Moreover, they are good foragers.  They roam carefully over their terrain looking for various treats.  Indeed, they are no slouches, but remain busy the day long in search of their fare.

             At Yellow House Farm the Dorking is our breed of choice.  We are proud to be a part of the long heritage of this fine fowl and look forward to seeing its population increase in New England as we rediscover the superior flavor and quality of heritage poultry.

       Duck meat is delicious and nutritious.  On account of their all around active natures, duck meat is all dark.  It is, perhaps, most commonly roasted, but duck meat is outstandingly versatile.  It is wonderful grilled with a sage marinade or braised with tomatoes, red wine and a bouquet garni.  Duck meat is also lovely made into lean sausage and used in all sorts of delicacies, from meatballs to stuffed grape leaves. 

       Duck meat is often thought to be extra fatty, but this is not necessarily the case.  The commercial duck industry is dominated almost exclusively by the Pekin.  It grows fast and fattens quickly.  Indeed, it is the fattiest duck, and its monopoly of the meat market has hurt the reputation of duck in general.  Duck meat, when not raised for fattness and quick gains, can be quite lean and remarkably flavorful. 

       At Yellow House Farm, we raised old-fashioned farm breeds that live in a free-range environment.  They are fit, muscled, and lean birds, hearty and tasty.  The difference between our birds and the commercially raised ducklings found at the supermarket is considerable.

       Another little known secret about ducks is that they are remarably prolific layers.  Indeed, the best laying duck lays more than the best laying chicken.  Moreover, duck eggs are larger, richer in protein and omega 3's, and are simply delicious, a gourmet addition to anyone's cookery.

           The Muscovy is a particular fowl, indeed; of this there can be no doubt.  Its large-sized, head-bobbing, caruncular appearence definitely makes for a curious first impression.  For some they are ugly, for some beautiful.  Still, for some, they look like a turkey.  Nevertheless, regardless of one's opinion as to their physical beauty, the muscovy is one personality-rich duck!  Moreover, they are excellent producers of flavorful meat in an easy-as-pie, hands-off manner, which makes them sine qua non for any serious homestead.

       The Muscovy is indigenous to Central and South America.  It was domesticated long ago by the Incas and first found its way to Europe via the explorations of the Spanish Conquistadores.  Ever since, it has been a staple of our cookery.  By nature it is a tree duck, which means it roosts in trees and nests in abandoned woodpecker hollows.  In its domestic form, it still loves to roost, lounging on fences and roof tops and flying about the yard.  Although the hens are strong flyers, the males are often to ponderous to sustain flight for long.  However, when the males are strong flyers, they are stunning, striking a massive appearence of power and agility.

       Hens are outstanding natural mothers, bringing off large broods of independent and adorable little ducklings multiple times a year.  A small flock of muscovies could supply an average-sized family with nutritious meat year-round.  Aside from being flavorful, they are also leaner and meatier than mallard-derivitive duck breeds.  We have found that the breast meat is particulary well used as the base for delicious sausage meat.

       When next you buy a muscovy roaster from Yellow House Farm, try preparing it in a slow roaster, marinated in red wine, blackberries, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks...not so shabby.

Once again, geese are back at YHF!  After a two year respite from raising geese to give our fruit trees a chance to get more established we've heard our customers and have decided to once again offer Christmas Goose!

We acquired breed stock for the Pilgrim Goose this past fall 2011.   Our hope is to develop this heritage breed to meet our customer demand for Goose.

We'll keep you posted how this venture develops.  The Spring hatch will determine availability for the Christmas market.   All of our geese are hatched and raised naturally by the mother goose and then live out the season free ranging.

Since we'll be building up our breed stock the number of geese available for this Christmas 2012 will be on a limited basis.   We'll reserve first to those clients who have been requesting goose.    We hope to have an even greater availablity for Christmas 2013.

ORDER YOUR SPRING 2012 HATCHLINGS NOW!

2012 offerings

Ordering information (scroll down)

2012 Offerings 

We are currently accepting orders for started White Dorkings, Rose comb Anconas, and Black Muscovies, as well as day-old Narragansett turkeys poults. Shipping is available for White Dorkings, Rose Comb Anconas, and Black Muscovies.  We are currently not offering shipment of turkeys.

White Dorking and Rose comb Ancona chicks are shipped at four to five weeks of age in groups of ten.  All Dorkings and Anconas will be toe-punched as a means of tracking their lineage and to aid in setting up potential breedings.  For a fee of $1.00 per chick, customers may request that they also be wing-banded to aid in the identification of individual birds throughout the growing process.  

Ordering Information 

1) To order Dorkings or Anconas, please contact us via phone or, preferably, e-mail before sending payment in order to insure availability of stock and for a quote on shipping charges, which will vary depending upon destination.    Chicks will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail. 

Upon contact, we will also be able to inform you of their approximate date of shipment.  Shipping of started chicks will begin on May 7th.  Earlier shipment is not possible, as we must first fill our own hatching needs before selling stock. 

Upon shipment, we will phone to alert you of their pending arrival.   

2) Pricing:

Dorkings and Rose comb Anconas: 10/$120.00 + shipping.

Narragansetts: 6/$54.00, 12/$102.00, 25/$200.00.  On farm pick-up only.

Muscovies: Please contact for availability and pricing.

 3) For on farm pick up, pick-up days are Saturday between 9am and 12am.  Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis.  Upon receipt of your order, you shall receive a post card announcing the expected hatch date.

4) To order turkey poults, send check or money order to: Yellow House Farm, 463 Washington Street, Barrington, NH, 03825.  Be sure to include any appropriate contact information and pick up date if there is a preferred time.  Any returned checks will be assessed a $30.00 fee. 

5) Orders are not considered booked until full payment is received.  An e-mail or phone call of inquiry does not constitute an order. 

6) Orders are non-refundable.  

7) We specialize in rare heritage breeds that are excellent for homesteading.  In our breeding programs, we breed to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection.  We are pleased with the progress we have seen with our stock thus far.  However, there is still much work to be done, and by ordering stock you become part of the process of saving and improving these fine breeds for future generations.  We cannot guarantee that any particular hatchling you receive will be of show quality.  Nevertheless, your hatchlings will come from the same matings from which we draw our own stock and thus represent the best we have to offer at this time.

One advantage of selling started chicks is that it allows us to remove stock showing undesirable qualities early on.   We will do our utmost to send you stock of the highest health and quality.   

Greeting Cards

Featuring photography of the farm by Robert Gibson

Available at farmer's markets

For a full color catalog  Click Here

Please email us if you would like to place a mail order so we can arrange shipping costs.