Ultra-Utility

FRED HAMS makes the case for a new dawn in Utility Breeding

- Fred Hams

Last month's notes covered the changes that the concentration on show selection has brought to breed standards. The exaggerations of characteristics largely covered the range of fluffiness and roundness that we have come to associate with exhibition strains of many breeds.

It is tempting to move on to looking at the varying effects of all exhibition selection, however as nearly all of my not inconsiderable post bag now seems to relate to things utility, it is probably best that at least the next few editions concentrate on the development of the utility strains of the pure breeds.

Here it is important to remember, first that nearly all of the breeds that went on to become the bed rock of the old pure bred based poultry industry were, if not ‘man made’,were created by years of selection out of, either accidental or deliberate crosses between if not breeds, then existing regional fowl populations. Many of these had been imported from the Far East c 1839-1890. We need to remind ourselves that in nearly every case the original purpose of these crosses was some form of utility with an aim of a Utility bird.

The importance of a strain

Even the first Wyandottes that were originally bred and selected with a stated aim of producing a large fowl with lacing with the same degree of perfection as Sebright bantams, when first produced were, probably due to the inclusion of Hamburg’s in their make-up, reasonable layers. As poultry keepers noticed what appeared differences to be differences of laying ability between different breeds, then laying trials began to be organised (c1900). Here it was perhaps surprising just how well the ornamentally coloured Wyandottes laid.