Shepherd’s Way Farms Heritage Broilers

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Dedicated to the preserving of heritage farm breeds and as part of our mission, Shepherd’s Way Farms’ is pleased to continue our heritage poultry program. By ordering your broilers from Shepherd’s Way Farms, you will be participating in a worldwide effort to preserve the genetic diversity of our food. Simply fill out an order form and submit with prepayment of $15.00 and you will be notified when a freshly frozen broiler of roughly three to four pounds can be picked up at at Mill City Farmers Market beginning in the spring of 2010.

The breed of chicken chosen for this program is the Buckeye. The Buckeye is defined as a rare, Heavy Breed. They appear on the Critical List of the American Livestock Breed Conservancy, meaning there are less than 500 breeding birds in the United States and that they are globally endangered. While your broiler may be a Buckeye or a Buckeye-cross, your participation will allow Shepherd’s Way to continue to expand its flock of pure Buckeyes.
The Buckeye is also listed on the Slow Foods USA Ark of Taste.

Buckeyes are unique in the American Class of chickens in that it is the only breed created entirely by a woman. Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio started by breeding a Buff Cochin male to Barred Plymouth Rock females. This produced what she considered a large, lazy fowl. The next year she purchased a Black-Breasted Red Game male and crossed this male over the half cochin pullets. This cross-produced several red offspring and from there she developed the breed. It is interesting to note that her creation predated the introduction of Rhode Island Reds into the mid-west.

This is a dark red, muscular bird with pea comb, closely held feathers and broad shoulders. There are no other varieties of this chicken as it is very rare.

The Buckeye breed was admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1904. It was developed as a dual-purpose breed with the distinctive color of the buckeye nut. Breeds used in its development include Cornish, Game, Rock, Cochin and Pea Combed Rhode Island Red.

Parameters of Poultry Breeds on ALBC Conservation Priority List (2007)

Poultry breeds on the ALBC Conservation Priority List generally conform to certain genetic and numerical parameters.

1. The breed is from one of the four traditional U.S. poultry species (chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys).

2. A bantam breed may be listed if there is no large fowl counterpart.

3. The breed census satisfies numerical guidelines:

• Critical: Fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more), and globally endangered.

4. The breed is a true genetic breed (when mated together, it reproduces the breed type.)

5. The breed has had an established and continuously breeding population in North America since 1925. Or, if imported or developed since 1925,

• The foundation stock is no longer available.
• Must meet numeric guidelines for inclusion.
• Must have at least five breeders in different locations in the United States.

Contact: www.slowfoodusa.org

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