In a previous article, I presented a simplified

version of Java, and more broadly chicken,

history. The view I presented is only partially

documented and faith in it depends on the

trust placed in certain early poultry writers.

There are two particular points of controversy

in my previous version. The first is whether

or not the Java arrived in America more or

J1 / JAVA HISTORY

We will take an exciting look at Java History written by Java breeder Jim Ward

J2 / SAVING ON FEED

Make your own organic chicken feed

J3 / JAVAS AND THEIR

KEEPERS

I finally got an article from Monte Bowen, well better late than never.

J4 / WASHING YOUR

BIRDS

Show season is getting ready to start and birds are in need of a bath, heres some tips.

When the American Poultry Association admitted the Java in 1883, it was placed in the American class.

JavaBreeders

“”

“EARLY JAVA HISTORY”

>> CONT. PAGE TWO

2012 Summer

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are needed to pay for club ads, breeders

club memberships in the American Poultry

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JAVA BREEDERS OF AMERICA195 NORTHGLEN LANE MARTINDALE, TEXAS 78655

MEMBERS PHOTOS:

The purpose of the Java Breeders of America Poultry Club is to encourage

the long term preservation of Javas through selective breeding, exhibition,

and through sharing knowledge. We also realize it takes alot of hard work and

determination. Here are the steps we will take In order to achieve our goals.

We must show quality sportsmanship among our fellow members.

Provide our members with adequate information on breeding Javas. Help

our members locate hatching eggs, chicks or breeding stock. Educate our

members with information on breeding and showing Javas. Help the general

public to recognize that the Java is on the threatened list and what we can do

to increase its numbers. Encourage and educate the junior poultry person on

the value of breeding Javas. With these goals the Java Breeders of America

Poultry Club will preservere. Members will learn about showing Javas and the

steps they need to take to become an exhibitor. The Java Breeders of America

poultry club publishes a quarterly e-newsletter. The newsletter is only sent out

by email. Membership to the Java Breeders of America Poultry club is $10.00

a year. Please send a check or money order to Got Java? 195 Northglen Lane,

Martindale, Texas 78655.

MISSION STATEMENT:

less as it is currently known. (When the

American Poultry Association admitted the

Java in 1883, it was placed in the American

class. This suggests that the APA believed

that the Java was an American creation,

and not a true Asiatic like the Cochin

and Langshan.)

JIM WARDS

Newsletter

The second, is whether or not the Java was used to create the Plymouth Rock,

and by extension, most of the other hybrid brown-egg-laying breeds of chickens.

For no other reasons than my personal biases, I accept the story of the Java’s

arrival in America as set forth by Dr. H. W. Harwood in the American Poultry

Journal (1921) pg. 612-613: This is not an American Breed, as has commonly

been supposed, but comes as its name indicates, from the isle of Java, in the

East Indies. About 1835 an old New England sea captain who made many voy-

ages to the East Indies brought home some of these fowls and presented them

to a friend, Amasa Converse, of North Hampton, Massachusetts. He in turn pre-

sented some of these fowls to a niece, who afterwards became Mrs. Lyman J.

Tower. Everyone agrees that these fowls were as finished and well established

a breed in their earliest years in the country as the breed is now. Mrs. Tower….

freely furnished her neighbors with stock until there was in Hampshire county

many families breeding them….I have my information concerning the origin of the

Black Java in this country from J. Lyman Kelly, of Malone, New York, formerly

of Hampshire county, Massachusetts, who was a grandson of Mrs. Tower, with

whom he lived as a boy, and who gave him the information aforesaid.”

I have not located any specific corroborating evidence for the story. No other inde-

pendent Java chicken histories of which I am aware mention Amasa Converse

or Mrs. Tower. Personal letters or documents may exist in the archives of North

Hampton and Hampshire County with references to the Java chicken, Amasa

Converse, and Mrs. Tower that might confirm the story. There may also be

records of ships arriving from the East Indies with cargo manifests that list chick-

ens and for whom they were intended. However these documents are currently

beyond my reach. Certainly if this chicken was as unique and spectacular as it

was supposed to have been, it would have made a splash in the local media after

its introduction in 1835.

The earliest reference to Java chickens of which I am aware was a brief line

in the Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society 1841 (pg 366)

that stated that a man in Haddonfield, New Jersey exhibited a big black chicken

in Philadelphia which he called a “Java fowl”. This 1841 reference is signifi-

cant because it puts the Java chicken in the United States prior to the gener-

ally accepted arrival in or after 1843 of Shanghais/ Cochins (Poultry and their

Varieties, Management, and Diseases; Piper, 1871), a breed with which the Java

was later confused. The 1841 reference though does not have enough detail to

resolve whether the black chicken in question was the Java as we know it today,

or the Java Game, a Malay-like bird. In the 5th Newsletter of the Java Breeders

of America, Christine Heinrichs quotes from John Bennett in the Poultry Book, A

treatise on breeding and general management of domestic fowls (1850) which

lays out the confusion between the Java and Malay. Bennett clearly states that the

Java is distinct and not like the later.

The next references I have found for Javas are the reports for the first poultry

show in the United States held November 14, 1849. For example: in the School

Journal and Vermont Agriculturalist, Dec. 1849 page 121, there is an account of

the show which states that John Giles of Providence, Rhode Island showed 3 Java

fowls. Others showed Malays and Shanghais suggesting the early distinctness of

the three breeds.

After the 1849 show, Javas regularly shows up in books about poultry. It is here

that I believe the story of the Java gets complicated. The authors of these books

either thought favorably of the Java and extolled its virtues as did Bennett in 1850,

or they thought the Java was unexceptional and barely worth raising. The stark dif-

ference between these opinions makes me wonder if they were talking about the

same chicken. Acknowledging this, recognizing that many chickens were called

Javas and that they were often confused, begs the question then what was the

“original” 1835 or 1841 or 1849 Java? Did the “original” Java die out because it

was unexceptional and some other chicken take its name and become the modern

breed, was the “original” Java’s blood fused with all of the other races of poultry

being called “Javas”, or did the “original” Java survive more or less as it was in

1835, 1841, or 1849 to become the breed recognized by the American Poultry

Association in 1883?

In Miner’s Domestic Poultry Book (1853), the author T.B. Miner says that he raised

Javas and that they had no merit except for size. He did not like them. He goes

on to say that a portrait of Black China fowls (Clean-legged Cochins) could serve

equally well for Javas and Great Malay fowl. He does however clearly love the

Black China fowls. “Those who fancy a black fowl cannot do better than to obtain

the Cantons (Black Chinas), for they are better and more profitable fowl than

the Black Spanish (White-Faced Black Spanish and Minorcas), Black Shanghai

(Feather-legged Cochins), or Great Java Fowl. They mature young, and have most of

the good qualities of the Dorking fowl.”

In the Ohio Cultivator (1855, page 5), a P. Drake writes, “In reply to ‘Hen-quiries……I

give the Java preference, by a great deal, yes they are 100 per cent better than either

of the others mentioned (Brahmas, Cochins, Hamburgs etc.) and all who are acquaint-

ed with them will say the same; at least I find it so.”

In the Treastise on the History of Ornamental and Domestic Poultry (1857, page 272),

Edmund Saul Dixon and J.J Kerr write, “….A lady, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, who

has had some choice foreign poultry for the last thirty years, has a variety that she calls

Java, but I am unable to discover anything peculiar about them. They are of almost all

colours, some feather-legged and some smooth; comb and wattles are freely devel-

oped as in the Shanghai and Cochin China….I presume that…. we must be content to

call our large black fowls, Javas.”

The allusion to feather-legged and smooth (clean)-legged Javas is interesting. I raise

Dominiques and Javas. In the non-breeding season they run together and occasion-

ally a hen will hatch out some cross-bred chicks. All of the mixed chicks have been

fully feather-legged, despite the trait never having been expressed in my pure Java or

Dominique hatches. I take this to mean that somewhere in the ancestry of my Javas

there was a feather-legged bird and its genes are still hanging around. I do not know

if that ancestor was a true Java, a Black Cochin, or perhaps a black sport of a Barred

Plymouth Rock (as suggested by Frank Platt in the American Breeds of Poultry 1921,

pg. 231-235.).

Today the American Poultry Association recognizes only feather-legged Asiatics

(Cochins, Lanshans, and Brahmas), but they were imported as both feather-legged and

clean-legged birds. Did Javas also come in both varieties originally? What then hap-

pened to all of the clean-legged Asiatics? Did the black clean-legged Asiatics simply

by default become Javas? Why did Javas end up being clean-legged and all Cochins

end up being feather-legged? Was it because Javas were always viewed as a utilitarian

breed, where as Cochins were prized primarily for their ornamental qualities?

Early writers, like Hugh Piper in Poultry, Their Varieties, Management, and Diseases

(1871) struggled with how to deal with feather-legged and clean-legged Asiatics, some

saying that they were the same breed, and some saying that the feather-legged ones

should be called Shanghais, and the clean-legged ones, Cochin Chinas. A column

about Royal Javas in an 1875 The American Poultry Review (Vol. 1, No.6) suggests

that a similar difficulty may have existed with Javas. The authors state that the “Royal

continued from page 1

“EARLY JAVA HISTORY”

J1

Javas” that they have seen, black chickens with feathered legs, were inappro-

priately named and should be more properly called Cochins. They state that

“feathered legs belong to fowls of a comparatively high latitude, not to a hot

climate like Java (the island).” However, the editors then go on to write that

they believed “Dr. Bennett’s Black Javas of 1850 were feather-legged, and that

they were not Black (Cochin) Chinas.” They also state that they didn’t think any

more of the feather-legged Javas were still in existence.

This brings the story to the creation of the Barred Plymouth Rock. The con-

toversy is presented by A. C. Smith in the Plymouth Rock Standard and Breed

Book (1919, pg. 69-91) published by the American Poultry Association. “By

common consent the cross that originated the Plymouth Rock was made in the

yards of Joseph Spaulding of Putnam, Connecticut. A few of the progeny of

the first cross were sold to D. A. Upham of Wilsonville of the same State who,

after breeding them for a few seasons, perhaps no more than two, was the first

to present them to the public. Plymouth Rocks as exhibition fowls made their

first appearance at Worcester, Massachusetts in March, 1869.” Then Smith

gives two different accounts of their origin.

“Mr. Upham tells this story to Poultry World (1876)….they were produced first

by a cross between a common hawk colored (so called) single comb dunghill

cock (Dominique), with pure black cochin hens, not Java hens….”

“Mr. Ramsdell publishes in the Poultry and Pet Stock Bulletin in March of

1873…..some thirty years since, John Giles, Esq….introduced a fowl into the

vicinity called the Black Java….I sold a few of these birds to a Mr. Thayer , of

Pomfret, of whom Mr. George Clark of Woodstock, Connecticut , purchased

some he supposed the same. Mr. Clark passing Mr. Spaulding’s yard one day,

noticed his fine flock of Dominiques and proposed bringing a few of his Javas

to cross with them, to increase the size. Mr. Spaulding accepted the offer and

when the chickens were grown rejected the black ones…..reserving to breed

from only the single comb birds which retained the Dominique color….”

In Smith’s article several early poultry writers are quoted to the effect that at

that time (1921) the consensus of breeders believed that the Java was the

ancestor of the Plymouth Rock. However Smith personally seems to support

Upham’s account, that a Cochin and not a Java, was used in the original cross

to create the Barred Plymouth Rock because early lines of Barred Plymouth

Rocks often produced culls with feathered legs. However I am not completely

convinced by this line of reasoning given the possibility that some Javas may

also have been feather-legged.

An alternative to seeking answers to these controversies in the old poultry

literature is to ask if the Java has any close cousins in Indonesia or more

broadly if it is descended from Indonesian chickens. The Feathersite lists sev-

eral Indonesian chickens. Pictures posted on the site of Ayam Kedu superficially

look like Black Javas, but they are reported to be much smaller than Black

Javas, and white-skinned instead of yellow-skinned. There are 31 indigenous

Indonesian chickens breeds (Sulandari et al., HAYATI J of Biosci, 2008). I

haven’t found detailed descriptions of each of the breeds. I can say though that

some of the Indonesian chickens are large and some have yellow skin so the

possibility exists that one of the 31 breeds combines all of the Java chicken’s

traits together.

Scientists have identified genetic signatures of Indonesia chicken sthat are dis-

tinct from Chinese and Indian chickens (Sulandari et al., HAYATI J of Biosci,

2008). Presence of mostly Indonesian genetic signatures would offer strong

support for the Harwood story that the Java arrived as a distinct breed from

Indonesia. Mixtures of Indonesian, Chinese, and Indian genetic signatures

would support the breed being created in the US. Absence of Indonesian genet-

ic signatures could suggest that the breed was obtained in a port other than one

in modern day Indonesia and/ or it might suggest that the Java is really a clean-

legged cousin of Cochins. Dr. Susan Lamont of the Iowa State University previ-

ously tested the Black Java flock of the Garfield Farm Museum in the 1990’s

(www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Java/JavaHomestead.html). Though not

conclusive because of the small number of birds tested, these tests suggested

that the Garfield Farm Black Javas were likely pure blooded and distinct from

Barred Rocks, Australorps, and Jersey Giants. It would require funds and revis-

iting the testing to answer questions regarding the Black Java’s relationships

with other Indonesian and Asiatic chickens.

In many ways the information I have provided in this article is academic. I do

hope that it helps to familiarize modern Java breeders with the old literature

and that it adds to the richness of the history of the Java. Whatever its history it

doesn’t change the fact that the Java is a distinct and wonderful heritage breed

of chicken that is worth raising, not just because of its long and interesting story,

but because it is still a productive dual-purpose meat and egg chicken, espe-

cially under the conditions provided by most back yard chicken keepers.

A Note on My Sources:

Most of my research to gain some insight into the controversies surrounding the

Java breed of chicken was done by searching Google’s free digital archives for

old poultry books from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Frankly, it

would have been almost impossible even a few years ago before Google and

its partner libraries began digitalizing copyright-expired books and periodicals.

There is a wealth of old poultry materials available online of which I have searched

only a small fraction for information about Java chickens. I encourage others to

continue to explore the digital archives for information that I have missed that could

add and correct what I have presented here. The archives can be accessed by

using the book function of the Google search engine. They are searchable by date

and keyword (title, author, poultry, chicken, fowl, Java, Black Java, etc). The Google

search engine even finds keywords embedded deep within scanned versions of the

books.

I offer a special thanks to Lyle Behl, of Auburn Java fame, for turning me on to the

electronic archives and providing additional photocopied material that he has col-

lected about Javas over the years.

Free range and pasture raised chickens eat a lot of forage. From mice to bugs

and grass to your prize tomatoes, chickens will peck at anything. Add in your

table scraps and your chickens are probably getting a pretty balanced diet. You

won’t need to worry too much about the proper balance of ingredients because

the feed will be a supplement to their diet rather than a primary component of it.

Obviously if you are going to make your own homemade organic chicken feed

you will want to use all organic ingredients. Beware of soy and fish meal, how-

ever. Soy has a high concentration of phyto-estrogen and this is of concern to

some people. Fish meal can have a high level of mercury and that is some-

thing you want to watch as well. There are so many good ingredients that can

be added to homemade chicken feed there is no reason to buy questionable

things.

You should be able to find all of the following ingredients in an organic variety.

Kelp and oyster shell do not come in organic varieties but they are acceptable

in a 100 percent organic blend.

Homemade Poultry Feed Mix

- 2 parts whole corn

- 3 parts soft white wheat

- 3 parts hard red winter wheat

- ½ part (food safe) Diatomaceous Earth

- 1 part hulled barley

- 1 part oat groats

- 2 part sunflower seeds

- ½ part peanuts

- 1 part wheat bran

- 1 part split peas

- 1 part lentils

- 1 part quinoa

- 1 part sesame seeds

- 1/2 part kelp

Mix the feed by hand so that it is thoroughly mixed. It doesn’t hurt to run your

hands through it before feeding in case something settles. This is based on a

good bit of Internet research from a variety of places. You may find Bird Farm

helpful. It has a lot of specialty mixes. Another good place for information is the

forum at Backyard Chickens.

Keep the oyster shell calcium in a container so the chickens can eat it as they

need to.

Keep It Fresh

When you make Homemade, organic chicken feed you have the opportunity to

completely control everything that goes into it. The tendency is to feel like you

should make huge amounts to save time. Don’t do it. Another benefit of home-

made feed is that it is often more fresh that the commercial feeds, retaining much

of the nutrients.

Store your fresh feed in an airtight, covered container.

MAKE YOUR OWN

“ORGANIC CHICKEN FEED”

J2

Ruth has been calling, emailing and calling, always asking if there is anything to

put into the newsletter. I continue to say “No”, and her blood pressure goes up, up,

and UP. When she reads this, it may go up some more. Oh, well. . . Many years

ago I had written an article in reply to a fellow who had emailed me with a myriad of

questions concerning the Java, and poultry raising in general. I titled the article “Java

Education 101” (a title used by others since) and sent it off to him, answering all his

questions, and addressing some he had not raised. I intended to send that article to

Ruth, but alas, I must have deleted it from the document file, as I cannot find it any-

where in the computer. I really had no intention of getting rid of that, but that is the

way it goes with these damnable machines and me, who prefers fewer moving parts in

equipment, less congestion of people anywhere I go, and the old ways of doing things.

MONTE BOWEN

“JAVAS AND THEIR KEEPERS”

A not-so-necessary evil are these computers.

Javas, as you know by now, are alleged to be the second oldest breed of chicken in the

United States, having been imported somewhere about 1835, give or take a few years.

They were a popular breed for many years along the sea coast, then gradually moved

west with the pioneers. It would seem they never got much further west than perhaps

Ohio or Illinois. Migration routes also seemed to follow mostly a westerly trend, with very

little stock making it to the South. New England states, New York, Pennsylvania, and a

slight westerly movement seems to be about the extent of the movement of this breed.

Perhaps that is due to the fact that the Java was one of the parent breeds for many of

the modern breeds we have today, such as the Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Reds,

Wyandottes, Delawares, and many more. All these breeds are composite breeds which

carry, albeit, many generations ago, some Java blood. Were it not for the Java, some

of these breeds would most likely not be here today, or would appear with a far different

type than they have today. The popularity of these “new”, composite breeds took on a big

favor with poultry keepers, thus the Java was nearly lost to us.

The Java was, at one time, known as the Saddleback. There is a very good reason for

that, and it is most evident if you take a profile view of a properly shaped Java. The head

and neck make a graceful swoop to the shoulders, where the back stretches out from

there to the base of the tail. This back should be level, wide, and LONG! The tail then

rises into what would compare to the cantle of the saddle. (For those city slickers amongst

you, that is the rear part of the saddle seat that keeps your butt from sliding off the back

end of the saddle)

The Java, as most old breeds, is a slow growing bird. You simply cannot cull too early,

or you chance tossing out some good stock. One MUST be patient when raising Javas.

If you cannot WAIT to cull and select the best birds, by using the Standard of Perfection

as a guide, then you need to find another breed of bird to work with in your life. You are

doing the Java and the poultry world, in general, a large dis-service by wasting the Javas.

If you must have instant gratification, go buy yourself a Polaroid and take instant photos;

leave the chickens to people who have a desire and the patience to improve them and

perpetuate the breed.

The pullets will grow well and start to look great at five to six months of age. By then,

you can choose the best typed pullets to carry on your line. They will have their type and

style by that age, and you will be safe in keeping the good ones in your breeding flock.

They just need a little more time to “bulk up” and get their full size. The males, however,

are another story altogether! It takes the cockerels a good ten to twelve months to grow

J3

into the cock they will become. This is where the patience comes in. Most of the old

breeds are slow growing, and you must give them time. The skeleton of the cockerels

will grow quickly, making the bird look a bit rangy and thin for several months. As the

muscle and feathers develop and fill in the framework, the bird will begin to look like he

should. Exercise, good feed and plenty of fresh water will bring out the best in the males

better than anything else. To build the muscles that fill the frame, the birds need room to

roam, forage, exercise and find the foods that will make them into the best possible bird

they can become. DON’T get in a hurry to cull the birds. So what if it takes you some

extra months, some extra feed, some time to let them grow. You will end up with a far

better breeding bird that way, so BE PATIENT !

The only things I cull Javas for early on are few. These include culling chicks in the

brooder with bad legs. It seems there is one or two each year that will have slipped ten-

dons. I suppose there is some way to correct that medically, but why? If it is ingrained

in the flock, you sure don’t want to perpetuate it, so dispose of any birds with this mala-

dy. Don’t breed it into your flock. Crooked beaks also get culled in the brooder. Do not

waste feed on these birds that will never amount to anything but something to take up

space and run around the yard.

The Javas should have yellow soles on the feet. This cannot be determined in the

brooder. Yes, often the chicks show good yellow color on the soles of the feet while in

the brooder. This can change, so don’t look at a brooder full of chicks, thinking you have

super foot color and ignore it from them on. You are fooling no one but yourself. The

Standard states that a disqualification is: “. . . skin or bottoms of feet showing a complete

absence of yellow”. Now, to read that as it is written, a bird could have a tiny, infini-

tesimal spot of yellow on the foot and be perfectly fine. That would not be a "complete

absence” of yellow coloration. True, but the more yellow you can find, the better the

bird. That is just common sense. Many of the birds today show a great propensity of

white or pink soles on the feet. I blame this on two things, and they are: 1) people have

cross-bred other breeds into the Java and, 2) people are not being as conscientious with

selecting breeders as they should be. Now, if you go through your flock of birds and find

very few, or none, with yellow soles, what are you to do? Well, you could spend a ton of

money importing stock, eggs or chicks from someone, OR you could follow the advice of

an old poultry judge and breeder of super Barred Plymouth Rocks, Ralph Sturgeon, who

wrote a little pamphlet on breeding many years ago. He was a proponent of “starting

where you are with what you have”. What does that mean? Well, for starters, you must

have a sense of patience, you must have an inkling of common sense, and you must

know something about breeding chickens, and you better know how to read and compre-

hend the Standard of Perfection.

Look over your birds; EVERY ONE in the flock. Pick them up, examine them for

proper eye color, proper plumage color, proper leg color, proper foot color, and DO

NOT FORGET THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS. Factor one is type. This

is most important. Factor two is type. This is even more important. And, Factor three

is TYPE ! If you do not have TYPE, you don’t have a damned thing. Without proper

type in a Java, you have a barnyard chicken. A dung pile chicken. A chicken to turn

up your garden soil and lay a few eggs, but you do NOT have a Java. I’ve often told

people that “if you have a bird with excellent eye color, foot color, leg color, plum-

age color, comb size, a great beetle-green sheen and the type is wrong, you ain’t got

anything but a poor chicken. IF you have a bird with fantastic TYPE, but the plumage

may have a few white feathers in it, the eye color may be off, the feet are a little yel-

low, in spots, you have a fine Java.” Type, Type, TYPE: IF THE SHAPE IS NOT

RIGHT, YOU HAVE NO JAVA ! As Craig Russell will tell you, “You gotta build the

barn before you can paint it!” That means get the TYPE right and then worry about

the color and all the other little parts that make a whole. Get the foundation for the

breed right before you start worrying about the color or the thought of “making” some

damned new color. Too much of that going on these days. People need to work on

the varieties that ARE standardized, then someday down the road work on the odd

colors they think would be cute, or cool, or neat, or whatever else. If you do wander

into an odd color, keep it to yourself and get it right before you foist it onto the public

the very first year just so you can be “the first kid on the block with a spangled pink

and purple java”. We don’t need that trash. We don’t need any other breed cross-

bred into the Java. We need people who have the patience, intelligence and time to

work on the recognized varieties and get them right first.

Back to Sturgeon; take a look at your birds. Breed the best male you can find in

your flock to the best females and go from there. Use a line breeding system from

this stage of the game, selection is key to making this work. You must know what you

are looking for, you must be able to remove the unfavorable birds from the breeding

pool, and you must continue, year after year, to select the birds which are better than

the parent stock and continue breeding for the traits you want in the flock. The first

year or two you may not have birds with the strong yellow foot that is required; keep

selecting for it and with time it should come. The shape and length of the back may

not be great for the first year or two, but by choosing the best cocks and hens, cock-

erels and pullets for breeding, you will get there. Be patient and KNOW what you are

looking for in the breed. READ, COMPREHEND AND KNOW YOUR STANDARD.

The Standard is the best tool you can have, so use it. It is not a pretty book to sit on

your shelf, used only to look at and ooh and ah over. USE IT!

Now, here is where I am liable to step on toes, so if you have tender feelings, don’t

read beyond this point. Forewarned is forearmed. A very good friend once told me

that “You are about as subtle as a train wreck.” I took that, and still do, as a com-

pliment. Those who know me know that I do not candy coat a reply when asked a

question. I call ‘em like I see ‘em and if someone is unhappy with that, then they

can get glad in the same shoes they got mad in, I don’t much care. I am also not

“politically correct”. Too damned much of that nonsense in the world today; molly-

coddling folks just to keep them happy. Grow up! Put on your big girl panties and

move on. All these milquetoasts running the country and establishing governmental

regulations pertaining to agriculture and animal welfare need to go somewhere else

and leave folks be. The NAIS regime was stopped by the grass roots people, and

now a thing known as APHIS is coming to take its place. You best wake up, write,

call and email your congressmen and let them know you are watching and request

they vote against this legislation. The chickens you save may well be your own!

More toe-treading; do not believe all the crap and nonsense you read on these

poultry web sites. Many of the people who are on those sites have had chickens

for maybe two weeks and are suddenly experts. Well, I’m here to tell you, there

ain’t no experts. People who have been breeding chickens for years don’t know all

there is to raising chickens, all the ins and outs of genetics, if a certain cock and hen

mated together will produce chicks better than they were. True, the long- time poul-

try breeders will have a pretty good idea of what will come from a certain breeding,

because they KNOW their birds. Even they will miss one now and again, that is just

being human, but you must have had a breed and a certain line of a breed for some

time before you know what may come of them. Use some common sense. I am

not saying ALL the folks on those sites are useless, but read carefully, strain out the

bull and keep what is worthwhile. Go to shows and ask questions of the long-time

breeders, but do it respectfully. Most are more than happy to talk to folks and give

some pointers, but don’t argue with them or you will find them walking away, and

perhaps giving you a good cussing before they do. I’ll give you some clues to tip

you off on what NOT to do. The things that turn off the breeders are people talking

about “Miss Lulu” their pet hen who just is so cute. . . blah, blah, blah. Chickens

don’t have names, and when you mention one, that tips the old-timers off to the

fact that you are one of those who may have 4 hens of 4 different, undistinguish-

able breeds in the backyard. Those sorts are doing nothing to perpetuate a breed

of fowl. Another thing that will get you a cold shoulder is calling a cock bird a “roo”.

That is for another country, not the United States. Get the terminology right before

you speak. The correct terms are cock, hen, cockerel and pullet. There are no

“roos”, no “peeps”, none of that cutesy stuff. Use the proper terms and you will get

farther with the old breeders.

WASHING YOUR BIRDS

When white plumage is soiled and dirty, it does not look good in a show cage. Birds with light-colored plumage (such as white, blue, or buff) should be washed before they are taken to a poultry show. Birds with dark-colored plumages such as Barred Plymouth Rock chickens, Rouen ducks, and Bronze turkeys, very seldom need to be washed unless their plumage becomes severely soiled. Learning to wash birds is not difficult, but it is best to practice on some birds not intended for exhibit. It is best to wash birds the day or night before they are to be exhibited or taken to the show. If you are washing a number of birds, the multi-tub method is best (a soaping tub & 2-3 rinse tubs). If you only have a few to wash, it can be done in the bathtub (large birds) or sink (bantam chickens and ducks). In either case, the area in which the birds are to be washed should be 80¡F-90¡F and free from drafts. You should have cages to place the birds in after they are washed. If the birds will be returned to floor pens after they are washed, it is important to place plenty of clean straw or shavings on the floor to keep the birds from becoming soiled again.

MULTI-TUB METHOD

Items required: • Detergent• Vinegar • Bluing • Sponge • Soft, old toothbrush and tooth picks • Four washing tubs • Optional: 50% malathion wetable powder

The multi-tub method requires four tubs for white birds and three for all others. To save strain on your back, it is best to place them on boxes or benches. The first two tubs should be filled with warm water (95°F) and the third with water at room temperature. The first tub is used for the actual cleaning of the birds. Soap or detergent is added to the tub. Make a good suds before putting the bird into the water. Grasp the bird with both hands and lower it gently into the water, holding the wings so they cannot be

flapped. With the bird standing on the bottom of the tub, release one hand but hold the bird firmly with the other. With the free hand, gently move the feathers on all parts of the body so the soap and water will penetrate to the skin. Then with a small brush, sponge, or your hand, work the soapy water through the feathers. Make sure to rub the feathers from base to tip to prevent feather breakage. Do not put the bird’s head under water. While the bird is still in the first tub, take a soft, old toothbrush and scrub legs gently to remove any dirt or molting scales. Malathion (1 1/4 ounces of 50% malathion wetable powder or emulsifiable concentrate per gallon of water) can be added to the wash water to help rid the birds of any external parasites. When the plumage has been thoroughly washed, transfer the birds to the second tub containing a small amount of vinegar and thoroughly rinse out as much of the soap as possible. The vinegar will help remove the soap. It is important to remove all the soap, otherwise the feathers will stick and be streaked. For birds other than white, the third tub should contain plain water and a fourth tub is not required. For white birds, the third rinse tub should contain a small amount of bluing (for example, Boraten), just enough to give the water a slight blue color. It is important not to get the water too blue or it will give the plumage a bluish tinge. The bluing helps whiten, condition, and give the feathers a sheen. Too much bluing may dye the feathers. White birds are then placed in a fourth tub, with plain water, for a final rinsing.

When the washed bird is removed from the final rinsing, the plumage should be dried as much as possible. Work as much water as possible out with the hands, then dry with a towel. After the birds are thoroughly dry, you can polish their feathers with a pure silk cloth. The birds should be placed in a drying cage in a warm room. Birds cannot stand excessive heat, so do not place them too close to a heat source. Take care that the birds do not soil their plumage during the drying process. If two or more birds have been washed, keep them separated until dry. A bird can be washed in 15 to 20 minutes, although it may take 12 to 18 hours for it to dry. Birds should dry slowly for best results, however a hair dryer can be used carefully to hasten drying. If you are grooming loosely feathered birds like Cochin or Silkie chickens, using a hair dryer will help puff

out the feathers. A hair dryer also works well on crests. Most breeds, though, look better if they dry slowly. Fluffing plumage with a hair dryer can be downright disastrous in tight-feathered breeds such as Cornish or Old English Game.

Crested breeds need more grooming than other birds. The crest especially needs a great deal of attention. After washing the body plumage, hold the bird by the legs, allowing the head to hang down. Submerge the crest feathers keeping the eyes above the water, working the suds into the topknot until it is well lathered. In the case of an extremely dirty crest, sprinkle a few drops of mild liquid soap into the head feathers. However, no amount of washing will brighten a crest that is yellow, brassy or dry from too much sun.

AFTER WASHING ACTIVITIES

After the bird has been washed and dried, examine it to make sure no dirt remains under the scales. If some is found, it should be removed with a toothpick. A small piece of cloth moistened with baby oil, vitamin E oil, or olive oil should be rubbed over the comb, wattles, beak, and shanks of the birds. A mixture of equal parts of alcohol, glycerin, and olive oil makes an excellent cleaning and polishing solution for shanks, feet, comb and wattles. Do not apply too much as the plumage may become stained. Buff the head and leg parts with a clean, soft rag until all the oil has been worked in, taking great care not to get oil on any feathers. Although it is extremely rare, a bird may develop stubs after the skin of the feet and shanks are softened with oil or cleaning solution. Therefore, it is a good idea to recheck all specimens before taking birds to the show. If you are grooming a breed with white ear lobes, such as Leghorn, Minorca, or Rosecomb chickens, coat the washed and dried lobes with baby powder to keep them clean. Check toenails and beak to see if any need trimming. If the toenails need trimming, use dog nail trimmers and then file lightly, with a nail file, to round off edges after. Use a toothpick to clean around the bird’s nostrils. Since a bird that spends much of its time caged can’t keep its beak properly trimmed by scraping it on the ground, trim back the upper beak if necessary. A pair of nail clippers and a nail file will work for this.

J4

Welcome from Texas has it been hot enough for everyone? We actually had a milder summer here with plenty of rain. I send my sincere con-dolences to the persons who live in the drought stricten states. We had a drought last year and I do remember how hard times were and how expensive feed can get. I have launched a Facebook page for Java Breeders of America. Feel free to join and share your Java experienc-es. I would also like to have a twitter account. Hopefully someone out there will volunteer to do that. If you would like to start a Java Breeders twitter page please feel free to do so. Let us know. I like using all available resources to spread the word about Javas. Show season is getting near so feel free to send any show times and all the details to me and I will post them on

Make sure and visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/javabreeders/

Make sure and visit us on line at https://www.javabreedersofamerica.com

the Java Breeders web siteIf your memberhip dues are late please mail them to me. All dues help to keep the website running, and to run ads and give out some cash prizes at shows. We currently don’t have an ad in the poultry press or in the exhibition poultry magazine. If someone would like to donate the funds to pay for a years ad in either publication please let me know.We do have a few area positions available. If you are interested in helping out in that area districts 1, 5 and 7 are open. What does an area director do? The Area Director is responsible for helping people in the area with questions about raising Javas, representing the Java club at poultry shows in the area and if possible, orga-nizing a district specialty show for Javas at a poultry show in the area. You are not expected to attend each and every show but if you could attend one or more and have a table to sign up new members that would be ideal.

Letter from the President

Java chickens are usually black, but

also come in white, mottled and auburn. They are

solid, sturdy birds.

The Java was developed as a pioneer breed in the

USA from various Asian breeds sometime before

the mid 1800’s.

Javas are large, well built chickens with stocky

bodies and large breasts. Java roosters average

over 9lbs and hens over 6 lbs.

Javas have gentle dispositions.

A hardy, dual purpose breed the Java are suited to

both meat and egg production.

Javas are great mothers.

“JAVA FACTS Javas are economical eaters and superb foragers”

Secretary letterThe Java Breeders of America poultry club publishes a quarterly

e-newsletter. The newsletter is only sent out by email.

Letter from the Secretary/treasurer

F A C E B O O K

I N T E R N E T

T W I T T E R

Social Media Sites

Well folks,

Summer is here and although it isn’t as hot and

dry as last summer, we have had some terrible

days to contend with. I did not lose any birds

this year to heat stress, thank goodness for

that. The Javas tend to withstand heat as good

or better than most breeds but they too can get

heat stressed. Nothing like a good old shade

tree to help with the stress and if you have

to, get a mister to hook up to the water hose

and mist them during the hottest hours of the

day. We are trying to get birds conditioned

for shows this fall but it is difficult. Keep up

the good work with spreading word about our

Java club and those of you that have put off

sending in your club dues renewals. please do

so as we can use the funds to further the clubs

objectives. We want to get as many young

people interested in showing and raising Javas

as possible so encourage the young folds to

look at showing birds. Have a great summer

and no more squash please. Ha ha

Roy J. Autrey

Autrey’s Friendship Farms

www.AFFPoultry.com

The Java Breeders of America club promotes

the welfare, and safekeeping of the second old-

est breed of poultry in America? Thinking about

selling live chicks or eggs? Would you like your

name added to our breeders list? Let us know.

Please email carondesign@yahoo.com to request

the membership application form and mail it with

your membership fee to....

Ruth Caron,

195 Northglen Lane,

Martindale, Texas, 78655

Are you going to a show in the near future? Please print our application form and pass it out to encourage new member-ships.

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