Few notes
about
some Correspondents




















Annie Banning-Vogelpoel

Mrs Banning has been involved with chickens for many years in the Netherlands. She is a breeder judge and author, having published to my knowledge at least two books on chickens. She co-operated with the late Mr Frank Gary, Chairman of American Bantam Association Standard Committee, when European breeds were being discussed.

Over the years Mrs Banning has assisted with much information for my researches. After corresponding with Annie for some years, on a recent visit to Europe I was able to visit her home four a couple of days and discuss many matters with her. This personal meeting was most pleasant.


Clive Carefoot

Dr Carefoot, M.Sc., Ph.D., of Chipping near Preston, Lancashire, UK, is a Poultry breeder from around 45 years, inheriting this pastime from his father and grandfather before him.

He is a breeder of quality stock, always aiming for perfection. Among his bantam breeds are Partridge Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks, Sussex, Silver Pencilled Wyandottes and Black Orpingtons. A recent addition is the Chocolate Orpington which came from his Blacks and now is breeding true to colour, this being governed by the gene Choc.

I have been fortunate to view Dr Carefoot’s stock and I must say the quality of the markings in his birds is without doubt high quality.

Dr Carefoot’s book published a few years ago Creative Poultry Breeding is a book any sincere Poultry Breeder should have on his bookshelf. He also has a number of papers on Poultry Genetics published in Poultry Science.


George Carter

Professor Carter before his retirement was Emeritus professor of Geography at the Texas A&M University - College Station - Texas in the United States. Professor Carter’s contribution to the subject of chickens stems from his chapter in the treatise Man Across the sea when he wrote of Pre-Columbian chickens in the New World, the Americas.

Although many do not agree with Professor Carter’s deliberations he has over the years stood firm on his argument of chickens in the Americas Pre-Columbian times. He is preparing a book on the subject but has been having difficulties getting it published.

He has contributed articles to a publication the Ellsworth American  from the States of Maine which discusses Pre Colombian matters over the years.

Professor Carter has been a most informative correspondent and I have received some very interesting letters from him.


Roy Crawford

Professor Crawford of the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, is another person with whom I have had correspondence which has also been must helpful.

A few years ago he took on the job of gathering and editing a comprehensive study on Poultry Genetics bringing all literature up to date. Previous to this F.B. Hutt’s Genetics of the Fowl  was the main literature on this subject. However this was published in 1949 and in the intervening years more information has come to hand.

Professor Crawford’s effort with his publication Poultry Breeding and Genetics is to be commended.


Frank Fogarty

Frank Fogarty of Taree, in the State of New South Wales, is a particular friend of mine with whom I have frequent contacts.

Frank has been working on the making of Barred Pekin - with some success. As far as I am aware he is the only breeder in Australia involved in this project at the moment. He also constructs unique carrying boxes for the transport of fowls which are eagerly sought by exhibitors to convey their birds to shows.


Frank Gary

I had much correspondence with the late Frank Gary of New Jersey in the United States during the years research was being carried out on the revising of the standard for the Pekin in Australia.

Mr Gary was most helpful with his advice in doing this time and we of the Pekin Bantam club of Australia consider ourselves most fortunate that we had someone of his experience to turn to.

Mr Gary was for many years Chairman of the Standards Committee of the American Bantam Association and through his drive and thoroughness the ABA produced, I believe, six editions of the ABA Standard.

There was no half measures with him. It had to one thing or another, no in betweens. In my opinion he was the best standard maker we have seen. His work should be an example for anyone compiling standards. I have always had great respect for this man.


Roger Green

Dr Green of the University of Auckland is emeritus Professor in Prehistory in that Institution.

Although I have not had a lot of correspondence with him, he has been most helpful when I have been searching for information on the Pacific area.


Leonora Hering

The late Mrs Hering from Saratoga, California, in the USA, was a Poultry Historian in that country and author of a number of articles in the American Bantam Association Yearbook. She assisted me a great deal providing much information for my researches.


Charles Higham

Professor Higham of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, through correspondence alerted me of the presence of chicken bones he excavated in North East Thailand some years ago.

This was an important discovery being dated around 3500 BC which enabled me to expand my researches. His assistance was much appreciated.


Edmund Hoffmann

I have been corresponding with Dr Edmund Hoffmann of Canning, Nova Scotia, Canada, for some time now and he has been most helpful with general and contact information. Also his comments on my researches have been most constructive.

Ed is most interested in ducks and geese, particularly the Muscovy duck, the history of which he has been researching for some years. He also published a booklet on quail.

Ed travels quite a lot as he as a number of waterfowl breeding experiments operating in Saudi Arabia and I do believe China. His assistance has been much appreciated.

March 31, 2003
Dr Edmund Hoffmann, poultry pioneer passes

Dr Edmund Hoffmann, Ph.D., passed away peacefully on March 31, 2003, in Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville, Nova Scotia.

Born September 4, 1914, in Woodhaven, New York, he was a son of the late Michael and Elsie (Aker) Hoffmann. Dr Hoffmann was an animal nutritionist, educator, renowned author of poultry books and a worldwide agricultural consultant. He had great intellect and a terrific sense of humour and spoke several languages.

His career in poultry started as an extension agent and progressed to University Professor and consultant. Over the last 50+ years he was a breeding consultant to many large breeding operations throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He developed many excellent broiler strains of poultry, several of which contained the sex-linked dwarf gene. He was also an expert in breeding commercial waterfowl and worked for over forty years with the Taiwanese duck industry. He earned his BS from Cornell University in 1937, his Master of Science from Rutgers in 1947 and his Doctorate from the University of Maryland in 1950.

Dr Hoffmann’s 1946 book "Successful Broiler Growing" (1st edition with Hugh Johnson and 2nd & 3rd editions with "Jimmy" Gwin) was the first on the commercialisation of the broiler chicken. He was key in developing a white-feathered broiler and was one of the originators of the Delaware Breed.

An active individual all his life, at the time of his death, he was facilitating the transfer of a unique broiler strain to the Middle East. In later years he wrote the definitive book on the Coturnix Quail and was working on the second edition at the time of his death. It will be published posthumously.

A conservationist, he donated the Muskrat Farm Wildlife Preserve in Canard, Nova Scotia to the Province. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Hoffmann, Canning, NS; brother John Hoffmann, Dunedin, FL; sons, Michael and Robert, Pennsylvania; Thomas, West Virginia; eight grandchildren.

Brothers, Francis and Bud Hoffmann, predeceased him. There will be no service. Donations in memory of Dr Hoffmann may be made to the SPCA or Heart Function Clinic, QE II Health Sciences Centre of Halifax, Nova Scotia or the Victoria Order of Nurses, Kentville, Nova Scotia.

Cards of sympathy may be sent to the family through Serenity Funeral Specialists at P.O. Box 239, Port Williams, NS, BOP 1TO.

290 - World’s Poultry Science Journal, Vol. 59, June 2003  

 


Fred Jeffrey

With Fred Jeffrey of North Amherst - Massachusetts - in the United States, I have been in contact for many years and he has always been ready to give me advice and information when I requested. We used cassette tapes for some time to communicate, particularly when my eyesight began to fail. Unfortunately his file of correspondence cannot be located among my large amount of material. I believe some of his letters are distributed among other subject matter files. How Mr Jeffrey has been a real help to me over the years: his book Bantam Chickens is, I believe, one of the best books written on this particular subject available. It has had wide popularity around the world. He is also involved in another book on Old English Game Bantam. His work on colour breeding is invaluable.

Most of Fred Jeffrey academic career was spent at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the University of Massachusetts. Prior to his retirement he served as Dean of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. After retirement he was for some years Secretary of the American Bantam Association and currently Secretary of the Old English Game Club of America. Fred Jeffrey has had at all times been only too pleased to answer to any of my queries.


William Longenecker

Dr Longenecker and I usually exchanged short letters in my early years of research, particularly when I was exploring the history of the Cochin.

He was with the National Agricultural Library at Beltsville - Maryland - in the United States and searched through its file seeking information for my studies.

I am indebted to him for his assistance.


Veronica Mayhew

My correspondence with Veronica Mayhew of Woodcote, near Reading, in England, has been over quite some years but our letters have usually been of a very short nature due to the fact that it has been mainly regarding the purchase of poultry books.

Veronica has supplied me with many books over the years as she is I would say the leading supplier of both new and antiquarian books in the world having customers in most countries.

I have appreciated her assistance over the years and on my recent trip to Europe had the opportunity to spend a pleasant day at her home.


Sally Rodwell

Mrs Sally Rodwell of Cambridge, England, replied to a letter I had written to Dr Higgs. Unfortunately Dr Higgs had passed away, so my enquiry had been passed to her.

Mrs Rodwell had done a study on the chicken bones that had been unearthed in China. This opened a new avenue for me. It was necessary for Sally to move to Hong Kong, which interrupted her studies.


John Skinner

Professor Skinner of the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the United States is now retired. I believe was involved with the American Poultry Historical Association.

He also edited a new style of American Poultry Association Standard of which he sent me a complimentary copy. Professor Skinner was also the author of a book on Bantam.


Jim Specht

Dr Specht of the Department Anthropology at the Australian Museum in Sydney was must helpful with information on chicken bone recoveries in Melanesia and was always ready to answer any my questions.


Loyl Stromberg

Loyl Stromberg of Pine River, Minnesota, USA, has over the years conducted the business of supplying poultry equipment, books etc. I have been corresponding with Loyl for many years and during that time have noted his efforts in compiling an encyclopaedia of World’s Poultry Breeds.

The information is that publication will be available during 1996. Loyl has also been working hard on the formation of a Poultry Museum in Bonner Springs, Kansas, USA. I am sure his efforts will be rewarded.


Pat Vickers Rich

Dr Vickers Rich is with the Earth Science Department of the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She has been working in the field of Palaeontology in conjunction with her husband for some years.

Dr Vickers Rich has been most helpful in my researches providing information and contracts which proved invaluable. She was responsible for giving me a contact in China which gained much information for me. She is a co-author of quite a large treatise on Palaeontology in Australasia.