History of Gamefowl

by Timothy A. Crane

I think he called them Queen Anne Whitehackles but I have forgotten for sure.The pea comb Kelso fowl owe much of their good qualities to the George Smith Roundhead (same stock as Lundy Roundheads) that was blended with Claret to make the McClanahans that Walter Kelso used in his initial cross.

I put the name in quotes because it refers (in the USA) to most any pea comb fowl that happens to be black breasted reds with white or yellow legs and that do not show too much of their Oriental lineage.Remember after England colonized India, the English breeders had access to the best Oriental fowl such as Asil and even Japanese.Will Allen of Mississippi obtained a Boston Roundhead gamecock from Dr.RE Walt Roundheads instead of Allens.

Will Allen of Mississippi obtained a Boston Roundhead gamecock from Dr. Fred Saunders and crossed him over some hens that a blend of Redquill and Grist Grady. The Gradys’ were originated seemingly as a succession of battle crosses by Col Grist of GA. Some of the breeds making up the Gradys were Claiborne, Shawl neck (Southern USA Whitehackles) and Warhorse, plus a bit of Spanish blue stock.

The original Kearney (and Duryea) Irish had a Whitehackles% combs peas and Irish Whitehackles raised by my friend John Irish Tynan.The Gradys were apparently home as a succession battle through a neck Grist GA . I have owned many “Roundhead” birds in recent years long.

There are jillions Oriental / American who peacomb cross and are called Roundheads which contain not a drop of the original Allen bloodline.So now it is used more as a generic term for poultry peas comb as the name of a race specific.

Some of these races that make up the Gradys were Claiborne, shawl collar (Whitehackles southern USA) and Warhorse, just over the Spanish blue stock.However, usually the name refers to the Roundheads and Allen Shelton (Shelton Allen was brother-in-law and they had all birds). In fact, in my youth, most Roundhead gamefowl around OK.Since all these breeds are directly comb, it would appear that Boston has very strong tail comb pea genes to give this feature to its offspring and descendants for generations to come So far after 100 roosters yrs.Spanish today.

There are also breeds called Blackhackle.But another” however” the Allen Roundheads were breed and to a great extent developed by another old man-R.Over the years, the English breeders bred out the pea comb but since it didn’t bother the Irish, they continued to breed both straight comb and pea comb Whitehackles.As is true for all other strains-some Roundheads are awfully good while others are awfully bad but most are somewhat in the middle.According to my sources, these fowl were known to be Irish Whitehackles-bred just like the more common English Whitehackles such as the North Britons, Earl of Derbies, and so on but many of the Irish had pea combs.

The Oriental crosses the size increased to about 5 lbs.Fred Saunders and crossed over to him a few hens Redquill a mixture of Oriental and Grist Grady.These lines were then added to the early birds English 500 years.

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