Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[NeilsHamburgs]

I got some silver penciled rocks from horstman this spring and got a little egg from one of them today at just a little over 4 months old. Really surprised.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Dr. Albert McGraw

Having purchased as many as 100 Mottled Java eggs from the late Albert Reynolds of Bethany, MO during the spring of 1959, I had the good fortune of raising close to 60 gorgeous chicks from that group of eggs.
The first pictures I saw of this gorgeous breed, I knew right away that I would not rest until I owned a large flock of them. Though it has been quite a hassle through the years that I have been raising Mottle Javas, I refused to let the problems that arose from time to time fray my nerves. That, no doubt, was because I like the breed so very much. Thus, I persevered, even when he problems were bleak indeed.
From the first group of chicks that I raised, I did some culling. Perhaps not quite as close as I should have, fearing that if I did away with too many of my birds of some 25 females, some devastating event might intervene and leave me with such a few breeding birds, I would be compelled to go back to “square one”.
Good fortune was with me in 1961. I was able to raise more than 200 gorgeous chicks. I considered that number as being quite a feat inasmuch as I found the females to lay no more than 10-12 eggs before going broody. Never shall I forget having more hens in broody coops that year than I had in my mating pens.
In any case, since I had succeed in having 75 good breeding females by the end of that season, I not only began to do some individual trapnesting as a means to sort out the “little girls” that were laying the most eggs prior to going broody, but also not to cull heavily. Not only did I dispose of the ones that laid poorly, but also I culled for the specific traits that did not jibe closely to the Standards. I followed those two programs until I was quite pleased with the improvement in their egg laying ability, as well as to the Standard of Perfection qualifications. That is not to say, however, that I have discontinued culling for those birds that are not good specimens, for that is an ongoing thing.
I am glad to report today, my females lay much, much better that they did in the earlier years; thus egg production improved greatly. Some females lay as many as 150 eggs a year.
Throughout the later part of the Sixties, all of the Seventies and part of the Eighties, I shipped a great host of eggs and chicks from my flocks. They were shipped both to individuals and to Stromberg’s. Today, I still ship a great number of eggs, chicks, and stock.
Also, during that time frame, I purchased numerous chicks from duane Urch as a means of obtaining new blood.
Presently, I have a flock of some fifty yearling females, and have four matings. I know of no one who ismore proud to own Mottled javas than I am! They are my pride nd joy and I shudder to think of not having a large number of them in chicken barn!
I can supply eggs, chicks, and adults at reasonable prices. I can supply adults the year round and eggs and chicks from January through July.


Little history came my way today on the Mottle Java Line I picked up this past January and sharing with others who want this old line going back to 1959. I also learned Mr. Urch has had his Mottle Javas and Buckeyes from a Mr. Howard Talman he got about 45 years ago. That's a old line. So anyway something to read. We hope to share about 40 chicks this spring to folks who want this old breed and maybe share a trio or two at the Newnan Georgia Poultry Show in February.

So if you want a good old breed that's needs help (MOTTLED java's) this is a good one they have fantastic vigor and lay pretty darn well with nice big eggs. bob

 

[AletaG]

So if you want a good old breed that's needs help (MOTTLED java's) this is a good one they have fantastic vigor and lay pretty darn well with nice big eggs. bob

Call me fickle, but you could convince me to go this route instead of Delawares... Still a lovely DP LF Black and white... It's the *rare* designation that scares me... {.25acre, no more than 4 breeds, each with 2C/4H is my personal goal} Put 'em in, or go with D's? the best D line out there still req's high hatch #'s and heavy culling, too, so maybe flip a coin? do these "eat" less than Delawares? (note I DID read argument on the homesteading thread about some LF Heritage DP eating you out of house and home before you get to eat *them*)
I'm driving the OEGB community nuts, looking for a good fit there. I THINK I've found a solid W LF Cornish lead... decisions, decisions!!

Love this thread!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Call me fickle, but you could convince me to go this route instead of Delawares... Still a lovely DP LF Black and white... It's the *rare* designation that scares me... {.25acre, no more than 4 breeds, each with 2C/4H is my personal goal} Put 'em in, or go with D's? the best D line out there still req's high hatch #'s and heavy culling, too, so maybe flip a coin? do these "eat" less than Delawares? (note I DID read argument on the homesteading thread about some LF Heritage DP eating you out of house and home before you get to eat *them*)
I'm driving the OEGB community nuts, looking for a good fit there. I THINK I've found a solid W LF Cornish lead... decisions, decisions!!

Love this thread!

Don't worry AletaG we all do this at the beginning, but that's too many breeds for you to be successful in in the long term with ,25 acres-- 1 would be real, 2 would be dreamin', beyond that you'll be spinning wheels. This last scenario is very, very frequently a path too being overwhelmed,, especially when no progress is being made. Often people fold up shop at this point. If you start with one breed at 4 cocks and 4 to 8 hens, and leave the rest of your acreage for growing out each year's progeny--which you will need--you could have a rockin' good program. I don't mean to be stomping on dreams, just rooting for success.

 

[har]

For those that like old chicken pictures you might want to go to the New Hampshire thread and see them old pictures from 1944 of Mr Bowles New Hampshires. Sorry I do not know how to link it. May be someone else does.

 

[AletaG]

Don't worry AletaG we all do this at the beginning, but that's too many breeds for you to be successful in in the long term with ,25 acres-- 1 would be real, 2 would be dreamin', beyond that you'll be spinning wheels. This last scenario is very, very frequently a path too being overwhelmed,, especially when no progress is being made. Often people fold up shop at this point. If you start with one breed at 4 cocks and 4 to 8 hens, and leave the rest of your acreage for growing out each year's progeny--which you will need--you could have a rockin' good program. I don't mean to be stomping on dreams, just rooting for success.

I'll probably settle down a bit once my Reds arrive <stomp, stomp> darn the heat anyway... In the meantime, if I don't have a 5yr plan for something, I go insane. Besides, the side projects would be, well, side projects. I've got boosters from Buckeye threads, Delaware threads and various OEGB color lines... but what I'd like from side projects would be reliable enough genetics to go slow. I can't have 200 chicks of one thing around all at the same time. The peeping alone! In the case of the HRIR, there is a local source of blood if needed from time to time to keep everyone SOP... Now, if I can hatch 20 for myself, eat the culls and get down to maybe 4 birds total to roll to the next year, that sounds good to me. The progeny from OEGB for instance would be 100% for sale. I wouldn't keep anything I hatched. Eggs would be eaten or sold. If things slowed down, I'd make a present of them to the 4H community to raffle off or something. ...anyway, that's why I stated that the 'rare' designation makes me skittish. I LOVE the B&W patterning in both the Dels and the mottle Java from Bob's post, but any LF added really should have non-scary genetics unless I can basically send all the eggs to the person I buy my breeding group from and THEY can hatch 'em out
Now, if someone has a spare 5 acres on the Olympic peninsula they aren't using...

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: YHF is right. 1/4 acre , you will do best with just one breed. I have 6/10th acres but only 1/10 acre for my birds. Just pick one, you will have much more fun succeeding with them than struggling with trying to find space for more breeds. As Orville Reddenbacher said, "Do one thing and do it better than anyone else.". Which one makes your heart sing?
Best,
Karen
exclusively Walt Boese strain English Light Sussex.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: Let me tell you one thing as a beginner. The Delaware is a pretty picture in the catalogs or Standard. They are a new breed that has been remade by Kathy. This is not easy. There are others who have Delaware's but in my view are not up in the point count for color or type.

The Javas are like breeding a much easier breed. The Mottled are not easy as the blacks of source but much easier than Delaware's. Many people get caught up on the history the hype of the these old breeds but if they where so easy to breed why are they so far gone in Popularity. If they are not that hard to breed and improve people will keep breeding them if they are a real challenge and you got to hatch 100 to get five good ones guess what they go down hill in Popularity.

Got to think also about your budget. Can you afford to feed these things to get a few good birds. That being said I would hook up with Kathy of Mo she has to help you and teach you how to breed these birds. They are new only three years old in the making. She has a plan and she will make it. Go with your heart I just need four or five new folks to help us with this old line.

The got to be breeders and not chicken collectors. These birds are to rare and I only have so many to breed from. Got to be a die hard Java want to be fancier. We have to be good stutters of a breed if we want to be a Preservationist.

Back to Saints Football. bob

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Bob, did you pick the Java back up again? I thought you had disbanded the flock.

 

[T Eugene]

I have ten of Bob's mottled javas. Four ckl and six pullets. They are chicks from this year, only a few months old. I just finished a second pen. Later I will build two more for grow out of next year's "crop". At 63 this is my first time with any kind of chicken. I have lots of time and they take it all. I will only have McGraw's mottled javas and will keep the strain pure. That's all the challenge I need.