As you know, I teach breeding to many types of breeders. My students include – poultry exhibitionist, breeders of domestic chickens of all kinds, heritage breeders, gamefowl breeders from all over the world, backyard breeders, and yes, commercial poultry breeders of all sizes.
Having a wide range of students has given me a great perspective on the subject of genetics and evolutionary biology, and its effects on selective breeding. I’ve also learned that, although, the genetics and the traits we select for may be different, depending on the type of animal or breed you are raising and breeding, the principles and practices, and the breeding programs are the same.
This brings me to today’s episode – A coaching call with a chicken farmer, who’s a producer of both eggs and meat. I encourage everyone, who raises chickens, of any kind, to listen to this show.
Today’s guest is William Vogl, from “The Vogl Homestead Farm,” a “Regenerative Agriculture Farmer” from Colorado, who is looking to start up a breeding program that will allow him to create his own strain. He raises a number of different breeds on pasture for the purpose of producing eggs for the local consumer, and plans to expand his business as well.
However, Will is not satisfied with the birds he is getting from hatcheries, but at the same time, wants to take his farm and fowl to the next level.
To achieve his goal, Will wants to combine the qualities of each breed to create a strain that will meet his needs. He wants a strain that will have a high rate of lay, produce high quality eggs, and have a strong constitutional vigor and good health. And, raise birds with less stress.
He wants fowl that can survive the effects of his particular environment (weather and predators), and have fowl that can survive and thrive, while being raised on pasture.
Is this a tall order? We’ll listen in and find out, as I talk with Will, and work together to come up with ways to bring his desires and goals, for his farm, to reality.
Will also talks about his incredible farm, which I find extremely interesting, motivating and inspiring. The information on breeding is great, but listening to him talk about his farm is awesome! So, make sure to listen all the way to the end.
Yes, Will is a domestic chicken farmer, not an exhibitionist or gamefowl breeder. So, why should this matter to you? Not very many breeders are on the production side, but I do believe our discussion will benefit all who listen, in one way or another.
Like Will, many of us are starting with hybrid crosses or mongrel flocks, and are not sure what to do. This is true with gamefowl, as it is with domestic chickens.
Here is an interesting and important quote, we should read and take waring of:
“I have seen many of the best and most valued of the old strains lost entirely by falling into the hands of unskillful breeders, or those who have the inveterate propensity for constantly crossing with fresh blood, or a desire for something new, and striving after perfection, which was more certainly obtained by judicious mating and breeding a known breed in its purity with right selection, than by introducing fresh blood, however good, with its attendant uncertainties, and the certainty of throw-backs to faults and weakness long since bred out in both strains appearing in the fresh cross.” – Herbert Atkinson
This quote should make many so-called breeders take pause. Think about what Herbert Atkinson is saying here. Here is a man who knows what he’s talking about, because he lived it. We owe him a Debt of gratitude, for we would not have the fowl we have today if it were not for H. Atkinson.
Well, we are living it now too. Breeders of today are doing everything possible to ruin the American Games through crossing and infusing outside blood. Soon, they will no longer look like American Games, but like Aseel mutations.
The truth is, the American Games are losing their identity, more and more every day. When I look at birds on Facebook, I don’t see American Games, I see mongrels.
It’s funny, but gamefowl breeders have no problem with the term “Cross,” but come completely unglued when you use the term “Mongrel.” When in truth, 99% of the gamefowl that exist today are mongrels.
Look at the birds posted on Facebook – the conformation is completely wrong (heavy Aseel influence), and countless defects, and the color of plumages are muddied or mixed.
It’s obvious that very few understand the true makeup and structure of the American Gamefowl breed, and have never opened up and read the Standard of Perfection.
Why is this a problem? Because we are going to lose the American Gamefowl Breed. In time, they will no longer represent the breed and will lose all qualities related to form, function and beauty. Remember the Modern Games? In only 40 years they changed the breed.
Peddlers and inexperienced breeders are crossing and re-crossing every breeding season. And, good breeders are not selling or letting out pure, high quality fowl that properly represent the breed. They are either selling hybrid crosses or selling their culls.
That is why we, the average backyard breeder, need to become breeders again, and not rely on others to produce our fowl.
As we know, breeding mongrels and hybrid crosses results in offspring that are unpredictable and inconsistent.
The sad truth? That’s how most of us are forced to begin. Very few are able to obtain purebred families that have the high quality we desire and deserve. It is for this reason, that I created The Breeders Academy. To help backyard breeders, like you, to create, maintain and improve their strains.
This coaching call hits at the heart of what we are working to achieve. So, sit back, take notes and enjoy the show with “Will Vogl”
