Selection
by J. M. Affleck
Selection is the most direct and powerful means of improvement at the disposal of the breeder; indeed it is almost the only means of permanent improvement that is under our direct control.
In most phases of the breeding problem the poultry man is an onlooker merely; but by selection he becomes an active agent, and his acts are powerful for the good or evil in controlling the destiny of the breed or variety which we handle. To a large extent he supplants natures selection, and if he is to succeed he must be well grounded in four fundamentals when he thus takes a hand in the course of nature.
Heritage Chicken Definiton
by Frank Reese
Purpose
The purpose of marketing Heritage Chickens is to maintain, improve, and expand populations of high quality chickens for the production of meat and eggs that conform to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection for poultry breeds from genetic populations established prior to the mid-20th century. Chickens must meet all of the following criteria to be marketed as Heritage.
HPC Asks the Experts: Frank Reese
by Heritage Poultry Conservancy
Frank Reese (www.ReeseTurkeys.com) is a fourth generation poultry farmer who started raising and showing turkeys at the age of five. He currently owns and operates Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch in Tampa Kansas, the first turkey farm to be certified by the Animal Welfare Institute. Frank is a founding member of the All-American Turkey Growers’ Association and a lifetime member of the National Poultry Association. He is the only licensed turkey judge for the American Poultry Association.
The Heritage Poultry Conservancy talked turkeys with Frank and asked about his views regarding the history of heritage poultry and the future of the industry.
Poultry Palaces
by P. Allen Smith
I’ve been a poultry enthusiast since I was 10 years old. In the summer of that year I proudly showed a white silkie hen at the Warren County Fair in Tennessee and was thrilled to take home a blue ribbon. Since then I have raised hundreds of domesticated fowl (chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese) and several flocks of swans. I’m continually fascinated by the amazing variety of their shapes, patterns, textures and colors and am amused by their quirky personalities. To me, they are the ideal type of livestock for homesteads of any size.
And Never the Twain Shall Meet
by John M. Freeman
This article is reprinted from the 1975 APA Yearbook
Since its inception in 1873, the American Poultry Association has been dedicated to the to the development, improvement and promotion of standard-bred poultry of all categorizes. Without this guidance and promotion there is no telling what position in economic importance commercial poultry would occupy today, but it is a certainty that it would be decades behind its present prominence.
Heritage Breeds for Pastured Production
by Frank Reese
All breeds are created to perform a specific purpose within a given production system. Poultry breeds can be divided based upon products – eggs, meat, or both. Productions systems include the form of culture to be used, such as intensive confinement or pastured production, as well as regional considerations, such as temperature extremes and rainfall. Heritage poultry breeds were developed to match regional challenges and production systems. Profitable production relies on matching breed abilities to the system of production to be used.
HPC Asks the Experts: Danny Williamson
by Heritage Poultry Conservancy
Danny Williamson is the owner of Windmill Ranch and runs the business side of Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch. He is a licensed American Poultry Association Judge, Grand Master Breeder of Black turkey, Grand Master Breeder of Dark Brahma chicken and Grand Master Breeder of White Call duck.
The Heritage Poultry Conservancy asked Danny a few questions about his experiences raising heritage poultry, the future of the industry and life as an APA licensed judge.