Do you grow old fashioned chickens?

I didn't know silkies were old-fashioned. We have 4 that we were given by somebody at work. One of the hens is a great mama. She is sitting on her second set of eggs. We leave the chicks with her about 2 weeks, then put them in a pen especially for them. She goes back in her pen and in about a week, she is ready to set again. Much better than heat lamps and hassle!

We're beginning a flock of Heritage Buckeye chickens this year.

Yes Houdan

We're raising our first flock this year, they are Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, and a few Light Brahmas.

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Some of you may find this link of interest:

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html#chickens

This is true.

It's because too many hatcheries don't really perform any selection of their birds to retain their good characteristics. So long as they look more or less like their type they breed them.

Selection is what it's all about. You could start with the grand champion laying breed of all time and ruin them in only a few generations if you don't keep weeding out the poor performers.

.....Alan.

If you don't mind the asking, where did you get them?

We're going to be moving to Maine this summer and they sound like they would be a very nice breed for that part of the country.

I'm sorry, but immediately, I thought of one silkie that I have--He's as old fashioned as you could get. He stands almost straight, is a blue/fur type all over, almost no comb--but a ruff of fur from his ears to his chin. In overalls and a black hat he would, never mind. The other silkie is red, with a great huge mass of comb, walks like a chicken.
I have all pure breeds from murray mumurray, but cant think of the breeds without the catalog. BIG black and white speckled hens, few brown and gold smaller--then my banties--love them!

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They also breed for egg production and birds who eat as little as possible. Thus the puny carcasses, they have no meat on their bones. And they still want to call them dual purpose. Ha