About the various birds we sell

   According to the Livestock Conservancy: 

The Bourbon Red turkey is named for Bourbon County in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region where it originated in the late 1800’s. It was developed by J. F. Barbee from crosses between Buff, Bronze, and White Holland turkeys though the initial steps actually took place in Pennsylvania, where Buff turkeys of darker red hues – called Tuscarora or Tuscawara – were bred and then taken west with settlers bound for Ohio and Kentucky. These dark Buff turkeys would be the primary foundation for the new variety.
After some years of selection, Mr. Barbee was able to produce consistently good-sized dark red turkeys with white wing and main tail feathers. He christened these “Bourbon Butternuts.” For some reason, perhaps because the name did not appeal to the public, the birds did not attract attention. Barbee rechristened them “Bourbon Reds,” Bourbon for his home county and red for the rich, chestnut color of the plumage. The name change seemed to work, and better sales were reported. 

 According to the Livestock Conservancy:

The Royal Palm is a strikingly attractive and small-sized turkey variety. The first birds in America to have the Palm color pattern appeared in a mixed flock of Black, Bronze, Narragansett, and Wild turkeys on the farm of Enoch Carson of Lake Worth, Florida in the 1920s. Further selection has been made since then to stabilize the consistency of color and other characteristics. As an anonymous breeder wrote to Feathered World magazine in 1931, “Turkeys of this type of coloration do crop up by chance where different color varieties are crossed . . . but it takes years to perfect their markings.” The Royal Palm was recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1971. It is similar to a European variety called the Pied, Crollwitz, or Black-laced White, which has been known since the 1700's.

 ​According to the Livestock Conservancy:

The Black turkey originated in Europe as a direct descendant of the Mexican turkeys carried home with explorers in the 1500s. Black colored turkeys became popular in Spain where they were known as “Black Spanish”, and in England, especially in the Norfolk region where they were known as “Norfolk Blacks.” After being selected for meat production for more than two centuries, the Black Spanish turkey made the voyage back to the Americas with early European colonists. Once here, the variety was crossed with Eastern wild turkeys, which formed the basis for the Black turkey variety in America. This Black variety was commercially viable through the early part of the 20th century though not as popular as Bronze, White Holland, Narragansett, and Bourbon Red varieties. A 1937 Turkey World article states that Blacks were bred in large numbers along the East Coast including Maryland and Virginia, their popularity enhanced by selection for a calm disposition, rapid growth, and early maturation.

 While Bourbon Slate is not an accredited breed we think you will find them as beautiful as we do. They  come from breeding Blue Slate with Bourbon Red turkeys and their colors  vary from chocolate to blue to red and all hues in between. They are relative size to the Bourbon Red or Slate.  

 One of the Belgian true bantams (meaning there is no standard-sized form), the bearded and booted Mille Fleur d ‘Uccle is one of the prettiest of fowl. We also have d 'Uccles  in other color varieties,  Porcelain and Black Mottled. They are single combed birds and the Mille Fleur pattern consists of a ground color of mahogany, with each feather marked with a crescent shaped bar of black and tipped with a V-shaped white spangle. The true coloring does not usually appear until the first adult molt. The Porcelains are patterned the same way, but the ground color is straw, and the barring blue with a white tip. 

Also known as Antwerp Belgian Bantams
Another of the true bantams, meaning there is no standard bird of the same type, these little bearded birds have been bred for exhibition for many years in Britain and on the Continent. We also have Mottled D’anver. They are delightfully pretty little birds and the hens are very friendly and make wonderful pets. 

 Of all the ornamental chicken breeds, the Silkie Bantam is one of the most popular and beloved, and certainly one of the most entertaining to watch. They're the lap kitty of the chicken world, complete with hair-like plumage and an incredibly sweet temperament. Silkies originated in the Far East, where they are still kept (and eaten) today. They have black skin and bones and 5 toes instead of the normal 4. In addition, Silkie hens make wonderful brooders and mothers, and are even known to adopt baby ducks if given the chance!
Our Silkies come in white, black, grey or gold.
Feet are also grey, and a real Silkie has five toes. Earlobes are a beautiful shade of turquoise blue and the wattles and comb are black or a dark, mulberry shade and
The 'walnut' (also known as 'cushion') comb is a feature.
If you're looking for a friendly, chatty, sweet-natured breed of poultry as a first bird for your children or a companion for yourself, you may just have found your ideal. 

 The Serama breed originated in Malaysia and is the result of the selective cross breeding of many breeds of chickens.
The Serama is the smallest Bantam chicken in the world and they are highly prized as living works of art. The weight of Class A Serama cocks is under 10 ounces and Class A Serama hens are under 8 ounces. Serama cocks, when standing upright, measure from the ground to the top of the comb only 6 to 10 inches. They come in size A, B, C & D. There is even a Micro Serama now.
Serama are usually people friendly and with a little attention will actually crave human attention and company.
Serama come in all colors and do not necessarily breed true to any one color. Over 2000 different color variations have been documented in Malaysia. 

 The Faverolle chicken breed comes from the village of Faverolles, located just southwest of Paris, France.
The breed was developed by crossing many other chicken breeds and then selecting for production qualities alone.
Faverolle chickens come in several color varieties, but in America the Salmon is most popular. We also have Faverolles in Mahogany.
Salmon is a unique color pattern found exclusively on the Faverolle chicken. The males appear as a much lighter colored Golden Duckwing compared to males of other breeds. The females appear as a much more lightly colored Wheaten than females of other breeds.
Faverolle chickens are medium-sized, with deep compact bodies, feathered shanks and toes, and beards. With their “fluffy” appearance, it is easy to overlook the fact that this breed was developed with meat production and winter egg laying with the great Paris market in mind. Faverolle chickens combine early maturity, hardiness, and great egg-laying with fine flesh qualities.
Males weigh 8 lbs and Females weigh 6.5 lbs. Hens are expected to lay approximately 150-180 eggs per year. 

The Rhode Island Red is America's best known breed and remains an excellent farm chicken. Originally developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1880's and 1890's, its distinctive color and good production qualities helped it to spread rapidly.

The single combed variety was admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1904 and the rose combed birds were accepted a year later in 1905.
The originators of the Rhode Island Red wanted to create a bird that could lay a good number of eggs yet dress out nicely as a table bird. These birds are very good layers of brown eggs, perhaps the best layers of all of the dual-purpose breeds. They can lay 200 – 300 eggs a year starting as early as six months of age.

 Buff Orpington come from the Kentish town of Orpington, in England in the 1880's.The qualities that won all the Orpington chicken varieties recognition were fast rate of growth, excellent egg production, and excellent table-quality. Historically, Orpington chickens made excellent broilers weighing 2 to 2.5 lbs at 8-10 weeks of age, excellent roasting chickens at 5 months of age, and excellent old fowl for the table as well. They are first-rate layers of large light to dark brown eggs.Egg production is approx. 200 eggs per year. 

 These pretty birds hold their tails upright, nearly vertical. That paired with their long necks gives them a unique appearance. This ancient breed has its origin in the Nile Valley. They are relatively new to the US, and still quite rare here. They are also one of the most early maturing of chicken breeds: hens can begin laying eggs as early as 4-1/2 or 5 months! This breed is known to be naturally resistant to Marek's Disease and to many other illnesses. However, they are normally fairly nervous in temperament, and can be feather pickers if they don't have enough room. They can be territorial about their favorite nesting spots, and roosters are noisy. They are also fliers, so are not always the best choice for a backyard flock since they can and will clear most fences. With plenty of room, however, they can be a good choice for a small farm, since they are good foragers, economical eaters, independent, tough, aware of their surroundings and good at avoiding predators.