Lamona
Encyclopedia
The Lamona is a breed
of chicken
originating in the United States
. It was developed in the early 20th century by Harry S. Lamon, who was the senior poultry expert at the Bureau of Animal Industry
, an agency that was eventually replaced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service
.
Working at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
in Beltsville, Maryland
, Lamon crossed White Plymouth Rocks
, Silver-Gray Dorking
s and White Leghorns to produce the Lamona. The effort began in 1912 and by 1933 it was recognized as a breed by admittance in to the American Poultry Association
's Standard of Perfection. A bantam
version was miniaturized from the standard Lamona, and it was recognized by the APA in 1960.
Lamonas weigh more than the light Leghorn, but less than the large Plymouth Rock and Dorking. They have yellow skin and white plumage, which makes them ideal meat birds for the U.S. market. They have single combs
and red earlobes, and while chickens with red earlobes usually lay brown eggs
, Lamonas lay large white eggs. Also unlike most chickens, Lamonas were once said to retain quality as a meat bird after they had passed their egg laying prime (2-3 years).
Due to their strong production characteristics, Lamonas endured a brief popularity in the first half of the 20th century. But after the 1950s, commercial chicken farms switched to the two breeds that dominate the industry in to the 21st century: the Cornish
-Rock
hybrid for meat and the White Leghorn for eggs.
By the 1980s, Lamonas were close to extinction
. The work of a few dedicated preservationists perpetuated the breed for a time. But today, the original Lamona is very rare. There are reports from American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
and anecdotal sources, the most recent circa 2005, of one or two breeding flocks still in existence, but none of these breeders offer Lamonas for sale.
Since the disappearance of the original large Lamona, Jeremy Trost used the breeds known to have first been used in its creation to reconstitute a new bantam Lamona which was finalized in the first five years of the 21st century.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
originating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was developed in the early 20th century by Harry S. Lamon, who was the senior poultry expert at the Bureau of Animal Industry
Bureau of Animal Industry
The Bureau of Animal Industry was an organization that was established in the United States Department of Agriculture by an act on May 29, 1884...
, an agency that was eventually replaced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture . ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area...
.
Working at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
The Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, or BARC, is a unit of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. It is located at in Beltsville, Maryland, and is named for Henry A. Wallace, former United States vice president and secretary of...
in Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,691 at the 2000 census. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.-Geography:...
, Lamon crossed White Plymouth Rocks
Plymouth Rock (chicken)
The Plymouth Rock, often called simply Rocks or Barred Rocks , is a chicken breed that originated in the United States...
, Silver-Gray Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
s and White Leghorns to produce the Lamona. The effort began in 1912 and by 1933 it was recognized as a breed by admittance in to the American Poultry Association
American Poultry Association
The American Poultry Association is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. Founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932 The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in response to the burgeoning need for an overseeing body to set standards...
's Standard of Perfection. A bantam
Bantam (chicken)
A bantam is a small variety of poultry, especially chickens. Etymologically, the name bantam is derived from the city of Bantam - currently known as "Banten Province" or previously "Banten Residency" - once a major seaport, in Indonesia...
version was miniaturized from the standard Lamona, and it was recognized by the APA in 1960.
Lamonas weigh more than the light Leghorn, but less than the large Plymouth Rock and Dorking. They have yellow skin and white plumage, which makes them ideal meat birds for the U.S. market. They have single combs
Comb (anatomy)
Anatomically, a comb is a fleshy growth, caruncle, or crest on the top of the head of gallinaceous birds, most notably turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens...
and red earlobes, and while chickens with red earlobes usually lay brown eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, Lamonas lay large white eggs. Also unlike most chickens, Lamonas were once said to retain quality as a meat bird after they had passed their egg laying prime (2-3 years).
Due to their strong production characteristics, Lamonas endured a brief popularity in the first half of the 20th century. But after the 1950s, commercial chicken farms switched to the two breeds that dominate the industry in to the 21st century: the Cornish
Cornish (chicken)
The Cornish, known as the Indian Game in its native country of Cornwall in England, United Kingdom, is a breed of chicken. Cornish chickens, as well as crosses of Cornishes, are the most-used breed in the chicken meat industry...
-Rock
Plymouth Rock (chicken)
The Plymouth Rock, often called simply Rocks or Barred Rocks , is a chicken breed that originated in the United States...
hybrid for meat and the White Leghorn for eggs.
By the 1980s, Lamonas were close to extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
. The work of a few dedicated preservationists perpetuated the breed for a time. But today, the original Lamona is very rare. There are reports from American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
and anecdotal sources, the most recent circa 2005, of one or two breeding flocks still in existence, but none of these breeders offer Lamonas for sale.
Since the disappearance of the original large Lamona, Jeremy Trost used the breeds known to have first been used in its creation to reconstitute a new bantam Lamona which was finalized in the first five years of the 21st century.