The Lincolnshire Buff died out … but in the 1980s some enthusiasts managed to re-create it! Terry Beebe reports
The Lincolnshire Buff died out … but in the 1980s some enthusiasts managed to re-create it! Terry Beebe reports The Lincolnshire Buff is a commanding, large bodied fowl that was very popular in the county during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bred in large numbers by farmers across the county for the London markets, it gained its popularity for its body size that adorned a really good white meat with the added bonus of producing a large number of eggs throughout the year. During the same period the standardisation of the Buff Orpington led to the breed being classed as a poor version of the Orpington. This eventually led to the Lincolnshire’s demise. Fortunately, in recent years, the breed has been recreated by a number of enthusiasts in Lincolnshire with great success. Even though the breed became extinct, it still had a genetic presence in the Orpington and, in the 1980s, this was used to redevelop the breed with the addition of bloodlines from the Cochin and Dorking, giving us a Lincolnshire Buff that we see today in all its glory. The breed today is an ideal bird for the smallholder as a production bird but also as an exhibition breed that is gaining in popularity. But be aware that some birds that are sold today as Lincolnshire Buffs are not the genuine article. It would be a very good idea for anyone who would like to keep this breed to firstly contact the breed club and ask advice on where to obtain good, reliable and correctly bred stock. There is now a very active and helpful club to promote and protect the breed (see contact at end). There are a number of people who are selling inferior/crossbred stock, so contact with the club will ensure you get a true example of this excellent breed. Look for buff plumage, a darker brown in the wings as well as no ‘black shiny feathers in wing or tail’, an upright single comb, clean legs with no feathering and five toes on each foot. MORE: The Lincolnshire Buff Poultry Society: email helen.mcsherry@btinternet.com
