D.L. Patterson, J. L. MacLean, and M.A. Rankin. 1999. Performance of Heritage Breeds of Poultry. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 79:577

Small poultry operations and conservation groups are interested in older breeds of poultry, but there is little information available on the performance of these breeds in modern management systems. The performance of four breeds of Heritage poultry (origin University of Alberta): Barred Plymouth Rock (BR) , Light Sussex (LS), Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Brown Leghorn (BL) was examined over a four year period. Birds were housed in floor pens, under commercial laying flock lighting and temperature regimes, and fed standard laying flock diets ad libitum. Each breed was maintained using 15 males and 50 females, randombred with natural mating, with annual flock replacement. Hatchability of eggs as percent of total eggs set was BL: 51.9%, LS 57.7%, RIR 50.1% and BR 53.3%. There were significant breed differences (P<0.01) for egg weight and most bird body weights. Average hatching egg weights were 53.3g, 53.9g, 54.9g, and 58.1g; day old chick weights were 39.8g, 38.4 g, 37.4g and 40.3 g, for BL, LS, RIR, and BR respectively. Corresponding five to seven week weights of females (1997 data) were 374g, 492g, 415g, and 520g, with 5 month weights of 1188, 1744, 1547, and 1750g. .

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