Spring Creek Heritage Farms
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​Spring Creek Heritage Farms

Home of Rare & Heritage Chickens & Seeds

Try it before you buy it!

12/30/2018

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Try it before you buy it.
Only available for the month of January.

This time of year we offer a short opportunity to purchase hatching eggs. Only available for the month of January. We select your hatching eggs on currently available stock and will send a minimum of three breeds to offer you a selection of numerous shapes, colors, and sizes of our rarest and sometimes the most expensive breeds of poultry available in North America. This allows you the opportunity to try it before you buy it. Come spring we are certain you will want to complete the breeds you receive from hatching over the winter season.  This offer extends to our breeds found on our webpage as well as unlisted breeds of poultry. (Excludes waterfowl.)

We offer no guarantees on shipped hatching eggs.  If you are local and want to pick up hatching eggs, we do offer a one time replacement of unhatched eggs under a 75% hatch rate. Again, we select the eggs offered.

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New Release for Winter 2018:   Blå Höna

12/30/2018

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These somewhat flighty birds are related to the extremely popular Svarthöns (Swedish Black Hen).  We imported these last year to the USA and continue to add genetics from other hard working NPIP farms to our flock to create the strongest and hardiest layers possible.  While the typical Swedish black hen can only be black, the Blå Höna produces stunning variations of blue genetics.  This is the most cost effective bird that we keep next to our imported Appenzeller Spitzhaubens.  Time and time again we are excited to offer ultimate backyard chickens! 

These birds carry the same type of fibromelanosis gene as the Ayam Cemani or Silkies.  The bones and intestines are a blue/ black color.  Our birds were developed North of the border in conditions similar to their homeland and are very hardy.  Our birds have been selected for the darkest, but the majority of selection has been made for winter production traits. These are our highest producer of winter eggs here in WA State. The hens produce approximately 200+  white eggs per year and birds weigh between 3.5-6.0 lbs.  The amazing thing about this chicken is that it produces 3 stunning colored birds in one depending on how you pair them!  See chart below:

The Blue gene theory according to Gregor Mendel's laws of inheritance

Blue x Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black, 25% Splash
Blue x Black  = 50% Blue, 50% Black
Blue x Splash = 50% Blue, 50% Splash
Black x Black  = 100% Black
Splash x Splash = 100% Splash
Splash x Black = 100% Blue

These lines were originally bred out of 2 "sports" ( or genetic variations) from large FM breeding programs. It has been developed into a desirable pool of affordable genetics for the masses. Some mulberry combs and other traits may exist. We have also found a pathway in which black can be switched off to allow red pigments to come through allowing for some very gorgeous fowl. 
Other cross bred varieties can be found and are known by other names such as Chinese Black, Asian Black chicken, Blue Fibro, Swedish Blues, and several other monikers.​
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Blue Birchen Marans

12/30/2018

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Our Blue Birchen Marans have proven to be good layers of terracotta colored eggs.  They are a decently sized bird. The males differ in size due to the genetics used in the creation of this colored bird.  Ours have been raised on pasture in a spacious mobile tractor their entire lives without issue, even in our inclement weather.  The hens we keep come in gorgeous colors of blue and splash.  The chicks you receive from us will come in all three colors of blue, black and splash due to the blue genetics.  We have not noticed any "leaky red" in the female line and only a very small percentage of males have this fault.  These are solid birds by the time they reach point of lay at 20+ weeks.  Don't overfeed them with treats if you want more productive hens.  We personally have a hard time not spoiling such gorgeous birds!  These birds are commonly found in Canada and Europe.  In the USA they are rare by comparison. 
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New Release for the Holidays!  The Spitzhuaben.

12/10/2018

4 Comments

 
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Spitzhaubens were originally imported from Switzerland.  They have a unique comb and an ultra exotic forward facing crest on the top of their head. Chickens with mohawks are awesome! We've raised multiple lines of Spitz, including the American stock rumored to be from the original imports.  As we furthered our breeding programs we acquired European lines as well as breeding stock in numerous colors from Canada. Each has their own qualities. The American is noted for its hardiness, the European has some inbreeding issues but are gorgeous when you get a bird that conforms to the standards. Our new Canadian imports are the most unique given the majority have new colors not yet found in Europe or the USA. Golden, blues, silvers, birchens, white, chamois, black and some colors we are in the process of sorting. 

Since our birds come in standard as well as non standard colors we are always looking for more breeders.  We are now in the process of selecting the traits we like the best without compromising productivity for our breeding programs.  These birds will lay a medium white egg about 3-4 times a week irregardless of the weather. Our 2018 breeding program are currently our best layers next to the Bla Hona. We have no lighting or heat and are currently smack dab in the middle of a Pacific Northwest winter.

Appenzeller Spitzhaubens prefer to be on range or bug hunting in a forest but do tolerate confinement.  One of our relatives raises them in the Colorado mountains and has found them not as winter hardy as marketing on the world wide web would suggest. A positive note is that the small v shaped comb is less likely to freeze. You cannot expect these birds to thrive if you just let them loose on the plains of North Dakota in January, you actually cant expect that of any domesticated fowl. If you've worked outdoors in North Dakota (or live there) you know exactly what I'm talking about.

The birds we raise are likely to command much more than our advertised pricing.  In some instances, we have found people charging up to 99.00 for a bird. (Das isch mir e chli z'tüür.)  Is it possible that some imports of Spitzhaubens have evolved to lay copious amounts of golden eggs and can fluently speak Swiss-German and English? Not likely. You may ask why ours are inexpensive by comparison. The simple fact is, we have some of the largest flocks in North America and we only sell them as straight run.  We also have hopes that this offering re-invigorates the enthusiastic poultry person to collect some of these rare breeds in their flocks.

Our birds are raised the old fashioned way on spring and summer pastures by the hundreds where we will select the best and home the rest.  These are a good choice for the fancier and the backyarder looking for a bird that can escape predators. It is also an all-around productive, happy, and lively chicken.

We are currently flock breeding multiple groups with assistance from our veterinarian and other poultrymen and do not take specific orders for colors. We do our best to send you a variety and can almost guarantee at this price you will order them again and again. They don't lay golden eggs, or have a Swiss accent but we are sure that you wont be disappointed.

Feel free to give us a yodel and place your order for the 2019 spring season!
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Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

12/6/2018

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A colorful and beautiful family of some of our rare breeds of poultry recently imported to the USA.
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Spring Creek Heritage Farms, Bellingham, Washington State

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  • Home
  • About
  • Chicken Breeds
    • Hungarian Yellow
    • Le Grand
    • Spitzhauben
    • Light Sussex
    • Silver Bielefelder
    • Bielefelder
    • Bresse
    • Cream Legbar
    • Ayam Cemani
    • Rainbow Egg Layer & Backyard Hens
    • Other Breeds >
      • Ixworth
      • Swedish Flower Hen
      • Blue Birchen Marans
      • Bla Hona
  • Order Live Birds/Price
    • Available Now
    • Price List
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Order Form
  • Blog
  • Meat Shop/Produce
    • Pasture-Raised Artisan Chicken Meat Shop
    • Pastured Heritage Chicken Recipes
    • Table Eggs
    • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Contact