AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Pure breed poultry exported to Australia
Jake Davies
Wednesday 10 April 2013 10:50

British breeders are helping Australia restock its rare poultry breeds, to combat high levels of poultry inbreeding.

No new bloodlines have entered Australia for 60 years, following an importation ban in 1952. As a result, pure breeds are suffering from high rates of inbreeding and the loss of many breed specific traits, such as dark brown eggs from Welsummers.

An importation project was set up 10 years ago representing over 70 different breeds, including Bresse Gauloise, French Marans, Dutch Bantams, Welsummers and Appenzellers, a spokeswoman for the project said.

Around 6,000 hatching eggs from UK supply farms were taken into a pre-export quarantine facility, and were hatched to create an isolated parent flock. The first eggs from this flock have just been exported.

They will be incubated at Torrens Island quarantine station, near Adelaide, and raised with "guard" chickens, there to act as a check for any sign of imported diseases. With a 50% hatch rate expected, the facility hopes to raise approximately 3,000 chickens.

When they are six weeks old they will be blood tested and a culture of their droppings will be checked for any sign of diseases. If all of these tests prove to be negative, the chicks will be released to syndicate buyers at nine weeks of age.

The Australian Rare Poultry Importation Syndicate (ARPIS) consists of 64 members, who bought into the scheme five years ago. They selected breeds in "parcels" of 40 eggs, with two parcels being the minimum commitment. ARPIS is a private initiative overseen by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). The project has been supported by the Poultry Club of Great Britain and avian veterinarian scientist Dr David Spackman.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/10/04/201 ... tralia.htm

I have emailed them requesting a full list of the parent flock in the UK.

DO NOT REMOVE THIS TOPIC!

The Australian Rare Breeds Import Syndicate
10/01/2013 15:06

The Australian Rare Breeds Import Syndicate

The Australian Rare Breeds Import Syndicate is an initiative to bring previously extinct, non-existent or extremely rare breeds of poultry back to Australia, started by Meredith Parker in 2003. It is now nearing its successful conclusion, with eggs from 45 breeds and 22 extra varieties and colours due to arrive in Australia in May of next year. 19 of these breeds will be brand new, never before seen in Australia - including Dutch bantams, Jersey giants, Peasant Fowl, Sumatra and many others.


According to Meredith Parker “The facility in the UK is now working, and the source flock has been hatched in quarantine. Dr. David Spackman has been running the facility for us, doing a great job dealing with all the varie-ties and breeds. His practice manager Rob has been doing a lot of the hands on as well for us.”

This exhaustive and expensive process has taken almost ten years to set up - the project had to wait for space in Australia’s quarantine facilities, and have their own facility constructed in the United Kingdom. The source birds had to be hatched in quarantine, and their eggs will be sent to Aus-tralia where they must then be hatched in quarantine and undergo three months in quarantine once hatched. However apparently it has been a rewarding project; “What a great thing it has been to be involved in this - the way people have pulled together to make it work, and there has been some people who have put in a great amount of effort. It has been just an enjoyable effort!” Meredith Parker stated. “There have been times that it looked like it would fall into bits but it always came through. There have been people who have helped enor-mously, including people on the other side of the world who went to huge lengths to assist for nothing in return. It has been great how people helped out.”


Around four people in Tasmania will be bringing in birds as part of the pro-ject, while other birds will be going to every state except for the Northern Territory. “About 65 people are part of the project and bringing in birds, even a couple of poultry clubs have pitched in as a group.”



Read more: http://www.tasrarepoultry.com/news/import/

Add Sicilian Buttercups to that list so I read

Fowlman what happened to the other topic?

I am waiting to find that out from the Moderator

Thank you Fowlman

I wonder if green jungle fowl are on the list?

So good to get some info on this BIG secret, thank you

I will let you know after I get a reply email from the UK but you would think they would be.

I have heard there is 2 or 3 new colours in Orpingtons coming, I hope so

How many googy eggs came in?

7812, to be confirmed, I am seeking full info from AQIS under the right to information act if applicable.