featured Collection
History of Game Strains
Explore the documented histories of the gamefowl strains preserved in Grit & Steel and other historic sources.
Each feature compares original accounts, traces the breeders and bloodlines involved, and separates documented history from later tradition.
New strain histories will be added as additional materials are researched and digitized.
Featured Strain Histories
MADIGAN CLARETS & HATCH FOWL
A Comparative Historical Synopsis
Sources: Original Grit & Steel articles and historical publications
Prepared for the Grit & Steel Archive
This comparative synopsis traces the reported origins, crosses, and breeder-to-breeder development of the Madigan Clarets and Hatch fowl, including the historical evidence concerning the Grey rooster in the Claret ancestry.
MIKE KEARNEY AND HIS WHITEHACKLES
An Original Historical Account
Source: M. D. Chesbro’s April 1920 Grit & Steel article
Prepared for the Grit & Steel Archive
Explore M. D. Chesbro’s original account of Mike Kearney and his Whitehackles, with the historic scan, narrated edition, readable transcription, and documented lineage.