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The Chantecler has the most unique beginnings of any of our present fowl.
The exact development of most breeds of poultry is either not known, or the exact method of their development blurred by time and circumstance. Some breeds just seemed to happen as a the result of the efforts of many people trying to improve the production qualities of the birds on their farm. Eventually these breeds gained recognition from poultry men and standards were developed.
In August of 1907 at a French speaking agricultural college in Oka, Quebec, Canada a humble Cistercian monk, Brother Wilfred Chatalain, had a visit from his father. Brother Wilfred, having been in charge of the poultry section of the college for several years, took his father on a tour of the flocks. He showed him the many breeds of chickens that were kept by the collage at that time. After observing the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, and several other breeds the elder Chatalain said; " This is all very well, but the Canadian breed-where is it?" As a result of his fathers question Brother Wilfred decided to create a unique Canadian breed.
The Chantecler was indeed a unique bird. From it's inception it was designed to fit into the Canadian climate and at the same time to have good production qualities. To avoid freezing the comb had to be small with proportionately small wattles. White plumage would cover a body abundant in meat and able to lay eggs in abundance during the cold Canadian winters. Characteristics of purely fancy character where to be avoided so that production qualities could be concentrated on.
In 1908 having first fixed the image of the bird he wished to create in his mind, the creation of the Canadian hen was begun with the crossing of a Dark Cornish rooster and a White Leghorn hen in one flock and the crossing of a Rhode Island Red cock and a White Wyandotte hen in another flock. Plymouth Rock blood was added in later breedings.
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In 1918 the war in Europe ended and in Canada "The Association of the Canadian Hen Chantecler" was formed. The members of this association were the only people allowed to breed this new chicken and they were controlled by some very stringent rules. 1) Members could not sell, lease, lend, give or exchange any live birds or hatching eggs to anyone not a member of the association. 2) Each member was required, on request, to give the directors of the association a complete list of all their birds with as far as possible a detailed description of each bird. 3) Each breeder was required to bring or send all his birds in their first year to an annual meeting.
Here judges appointed by the association directors would examine the birds. Birds deemed unfit for breeding were killed and the money paid to the owner of the bird. 4) The breeder must keep for breeding only the birds approaching standard type and breed only Chantecler.
In 1919 a registration system was started. A sealed leg band bearing the initials of the association was placed on the leg of each bird conforming to the standard.
One can see how it was possible to bring the Chantecler from nonexistence in 1908 to acceptance in the APA's "Standard of Perfection" in 1921 a mere 13 years.
Although, around 1979, some individuals thought this marvelous breed to be extinct this belief was based on research done at the hatchery level. The small farm and back yard breeders in Quebec and Ontario were not consulted and therefore their birds were overlooked. It is my opinion that the original Oka strain exists to day, along with a strain that was recreated from Brother Wilfred's writings.
According to Rare Breeds Canada's figures for the year 2003 there are between 1750 and 2250 Chantecler worldwide. Most of the population outside of Canada is in the United States.
The current Canadian population is estimated at between 1000 and 1500 with most of the birds Quebec and Ontario. As the figures show more breeders are needed if this breeds genetic diversity is to be maintained.
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