Re: Shetland Chickens?
- From: " Jill" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:33:54 +0100
"krys" <krys.brennand@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1146333541.198364.263160@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hey Jill,
Saw some Shetland chickens advertised on ebay. From Llanidloes near
where I used to live.:-)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-RARE-SHETLAND-HATCHING-EGGS-BLUE-EGGS_W0QQitemZ776252674
8QQcategoryZ3211QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I remember your talking about them some time ago & was curious. What do
you make of them? Is this what they usually look like?
I've heard of a few people finding Shetland chickens up in the islands
recently. One person has said that they are not regular in colour or
type. The descriptions have sounded somewhat different than I had
imagined....one was apparently crested & lavender in colour?????
Good luck
krys
Hello !!
Hows life?
From the older folks living up there and the others around the Hebrides Ihave gleaned that around the farms there have always been small to medium
sized birds with a smallish egg, generally in the black/red genre. These
birds would be part way between bantams and medium large fowl, frequently
with some small amount of crest/muff/tuft features and often laying eggs
that were pale and could be blue tinted.
There has never been any effort to create/maintain a "breed" but over the
generations some islands have pretty stable populations
Up until the mid 1950's the Shetlands were Major egg producers - the habit
of housing birds all winter from the weather and having good shipping links
to Aberdeen meant that the Victorians realised they could get good winter
eggs when these were hard to come by elsewhere
The major industrialisation of egg production saw the demise of many units.
Birds were dispersed and many of the older generation have suggested that
this is when the "local" type was much more diluted
I am pretty sure they have Araucana in - all the Hebrides folks who lived
through the war years here have confirmed this.
The supply ships spent much of their time in these waters. They would stock
up whereever they could -- Shetland / Orkney was the source of eggs amongst
other things. I have had a number of first hand accounts of lasses and their
families who all struck up friendships with the sailors as they waited in
these and similar waters waiting for orders. They have described trays of
eggs which they would buy some of, including plenty of "blue" ones - which
were of course commented on. There must have been SO much Araucana blood
around as they often hatched a few of them! I know its dilute but it would
have been interesting!!!
I have heard of the various tales of "pure" Shetlands being sold down south.
Whatever floats folks boat! Considering what is now being punted around in
the fashionable hybrids its probably no worse!
Your contact who observed inconsistancy is right - in places there is a
"type" but there is no breed.
Some of the more remote islands may have a tighter type but that is all
there is - they will be pretty mixed - there have been commercial birds all
over there since the late 1800's
Hope you and yours are keeping well
--
regards
Jill Bowis
Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk
.
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