Professor Ralph Somes Jr.
The University of Connecticut - Storrs - USA

1-12-1985

Dear Professor Somes,

I thank you for your letter of 8-11-85 and the information contained therein. Pleased to hear you received the Chicken Bone book. Enclosed is a supplement to it containing further material to hand since it was published. This supplement will normally be included in the next book to be published, next in the series, The Gallus species hopefully during 1986.

Yes, the origin of the Araucana does appear to be somewhat a problem. I will look forward to receiving your material. Thank you very much for your thoughts in this matter. It appears that as I think you have stated the traits apart from the eggshell colour all seem pretty unstable.

I received a letter from Professor Schlatter in Chile who sent me a paper which referred to the Araucana but it was written in Spanish, I can’t read Spanish, however he estimated little is known of the origins. There were references to writings on the Araucana in this paper but I think they would also be in Spanish.

Dr Crawford from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, told me he had a Chilean student who was going to do some investigating on the Araucana. However the student advised him that the Araucana Indians themselves were extinct so that wouldn’t help much.

I have been corresponding with Professor John Skinner who has recently retired from the University of Wisconsin. He sent me a memo from Dr Bitgood, geneticist at the University of Wisconsin, regarding an attempt through a physiological route based on blood grouping etc to trace the ancestor of the domestic chicken.

I am afraid the terminology of the memo is way above my head, but the geneticist and veterinarian from our nearby commercial chicken processing establishment has simplified it for me a little. I have a little knowledge of genetics. Would like to be more skilled in the science as it I have found it most helpful in the breeding of chickens. Dr Bitgood reference however will serve as another avenue to pursue in the quest of ascertaining the origin of the chicken.

Thank you for permission to use the forward from bulletin 469 and congratulations to your wife. A job well done.

I have found over the years I have been seeking knowledge in the field of the domestic chicken I have received much assistance from people who have passed on their knowledge to me. Two people come to my mind who you would now, are Fred Jeffrey and Clive Carefoot who guided me some years ago when I was experimenting with the Columbian pattern in Pekin (Cochin) Bantams. They put me on the track and although I didn’t finish up with Columbian Pekins typewise if the experiment had been carried through I would have. Following their advice I had their colour pattern fixed. It was just a matter of repeating the process to the type being obtained with our Pekin Bantam Club out here. We passed the knowledge onto other breeders who in turn are using these methods with other colours.

Some of the information in the supplement is very recent and throws new light on the diffusion of the domestic chicken. The Chinese connection has been most helpful.

Regards,