Livestock get the stamp spotlight with new U.S. stamps featuring heritage breeds. Heritage livestock breeds were the province of a small group of dedicated farmers a few years ago. Now, everyone can appreciate them on postage stamps. The U.S. Postal Service is selling stamps that feature 10species. “Rare farm animals represent an irreplaceable piece of […]

Jeannette Beranger shares fascinating information about Asiatic breeds of chickens that we know and love. All Photos courtesy of the Livestock Conservancy. There are many numerous breeds of chickens found throughout the world but few can claim to have ignited a literal revolution and renaissance of love for chicken breeding that was aptly named the […]

 Author Christine Heinrichs recently visited Mudchute Farms and the Dorking Museum in England, sites dedicated to preserving English chicken breeds and history. Read about her adventures in this conversation with Community Chickens Managing Editor Carla Tilghman.   The Adventure Begins Carla: How did you decide to visit England and especially English chickens? Christine: I’ve been […]

Marissa Buchanan writes about the importance of genetic diversity for worldwide food security and how she practices breed conservation with her own flocks. Conservation and Genetic Diversity “Conservation” and “poultry” are two words that aren’t always put together by backyard poultry owners. More often, we use words like “rare” or “heritage” to describe breeds that […]

 Christine Heinrichs shares how living history farms in the U.S. preserve heritage poultry breeds. Stay tuned for her upcoming article on British living history breeds, such as the Dorking. A flock of chickens brings a historic site to life. Visitors can’t resist the allure of chickens clucking in a run. At living history sites, historically […]

First of a three part series. Dr. Jacquie Jacob shares her research on how to effectively use heritage breeds for small-scale meat production operations. Here’s a link to Part 2. Small-Scale Chicken Production Small-scale broiler chicken enterprises are often competing with large commercial companies for a share of the consumer market. But there are ways […]

If you are a small flock owner who breeds their own chickens, how do you ensure genetic diversity,  but also maintain the integrity of your heritage breeds? Jennifer Sartell shares useful tips about “Clan mating.”   For the past few years I have been concentrating on raising high quality Buff Orpingtons. When I say “high quality”, […]

Jennifer Sartell, veteran chicken raiser, walks us through how to effectively use leg bands on your flock. When I first started out with chickens, we had a mixed flock of hatchery birds. Each one was a different breed, each one had a name and a different personality. I loved our little flock. I knew each […]

Blogger Clair Woods tells us a bit about Brahma chickens. The Brahma is widely known as one of the most majestic breeds of chicken. It is a favorite among beginners and veteran chicken owners alike. There was lots of debate among U.S. chicken owners in the mid-nineteenth century about the origin of the Brahma chicken. […]

Want to know more about chicken breeds?  Enjoy this excerpt from The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens by Christine Heinrichs. Stay tuned for her June article Guineas Create a Sensation here at Community Chickens. The Mediterranean Breeds Mediterranean breeds are associated especially with Italy and Spain, warm climates with long histories of chicken breeding. They’re […]