Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[catdaddyfro]

I think the RIW was along with the Delaware, a victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time,(sorta the way I see me being born a century too late) LOL They both hit the scene just about the time the CornishX (crosses) were becoming the in thing and stuck and they simply fell by the wayside. They simply got out-bested in the competition for the broiler/meat market. The Delaware probly lasted a little longer due to its egglaying capabilities and more of a homesteaders choice like a White Rock once was also. RIWs? I don't know there's just not much info about them to go on. In other words they were playing second fiddle.

It would have been interesting to see how they would have done as a front-man/in the spotlight, just never had a chance to show, I say. IMHO

Jeff

 

[Chris09]

Which is why, as Americans, we eat the broilers more often. We don't want to know anything about the bird that was killed for our consumption. The feather coloring won't "leak" into the skin and color areas of the carcass. White gives a more uniform color to a yellow skinned bird.

I think you hit the nail on the head, most if not all of the fowl processed in the U.S. for human consumption are White Fowl.
Chicken - Jumbo Cornish Cross
Duck - White Moulards (moulards are a White Muscovy drake over a Pekin hen)
Turkeys - Broad Breasted Whites
Pigeon (squab) - White Kings
Quail - Texas A&M
Geese - Embden (and crosses of)
Even more White Rabbits are processed in the U.S. than colored.

In the meat market the White fowl or rabbit will bring a better price than a colored one.

Chris

 

[OSUman]

Where do you find Moulard ducks at? Kroger only carries pekin, and theyre the only place I have seen duck (but yes colored birds are a lot less utilized.)

I think you hit the nail on the head, most if not all of the fowl processed in the U.S. for human consumption are White Fowl.
Chicken - Jumbo Cornish Cross
Duck - White Moulards (moulards are a White Muscovy drake over a Pekin hen)
Turkeys - Broad Breasted Whites
Pigeon (squab) - White Kings
Quail - Texas A&M
Geese - Embden (and crosses of)
Even more White Rabbits are processed in the U.S. than colored.

In the meat market the White fowl or rabbit will bring a better price than a colored one.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

Where do you find Moulard ducks at? Kroger only carries pekin, and theyre the only place I have seen duck (but yes colored birds are a lot less utilized.)

There getting more and more popular now, there mostly used in restaurants but some "high end" stores are starting to get them in now also.
I've been crossing them for some time now, even before they were "the new cross" and the only down fall I have with them is that the F1 offspring are all mules.

Chris

 

[OSUman]

Yea, I was thinking about doing the cross with a big exhibition birds, but didnt want to waste the time and money doing it of I wouldnt like the offspring so I didnt.

There getting more and more popular now, there mostly used in restaurants but some "high end" stores are starting to get them in now also.
I've been crossing them for some time now, even before they were "the new cross" and the only down fall I have with them is that the F1 offspring are all mules.

Chris

 

[Robert Blosl]

I do not know what the reason was. A guess would be the advantages a Rhode Island Red would have over a White Rock, but with the benefit that white can be.

It is argued whether or not they are worth messing with at this point, but I go with "If you give today, you will give more tomorrow.". I am one of those that could not care less whether or not I ever won a ribbon. Though I would like to try showing, it isn't why I keep chickens. Maybe I will grow something out that is worth giving it a shot at some point.

In reading about them a few years ago when I had all my Rhode Island Red journals the Rhode Island Red club had about 5,000 members at that time in the 1920 and 30s. They sold about 45,000 issues of the Rhode Island Red Journal to homes or farms all over the country. So the thinking was to try to ride the popularity of the Rhode Island Red breed and they did. However, it really was not good enough. I never saw a R I White even in Australia that was exciting to me. I did have a friend who crossed one of my White Rock ckls onto his production Murry McMurry White Wyandottes and produced a bird I could have shown as a R I White. I would say she would score about 93 points brick shape long flat back no fluff in the underline, great feather quality from the White Rock. I could have fooled with them and got them improved but was wanting to fade out of large fowl down here so did not take on the project.

Many are fascinated about the history or articles about them as some all American meat bird but it was nothing but hype by the originator and it payed off for him in sales and he got them into the Stan dad of Perfection. It makes you wonder on the day they had the show to get them approved did eight or so people file affidavits that they breed and raised them for five years and they had a good group of birds true to breed like the female I just mentioned above. He may have asked some to help him get them approved and that is what happens sometimes and then latter in the years no one keeps them going as they dont breed true to breed and are to hard to get the color right. So many breeds that are in the pits right now are like that. They where just not a easy breed to breed for color and they could not win or bring a profit for the fame rs who raised them or showed them.

 

[gjensen]

In reading about them a few years ago when I had all my Rhode Island Red journals the Rhode Island Red club had about 5,000 members at that time in the 1920 and 30s. They sold about 45,000 issues of the Rhode Island Red Journal to homes or farms all over the country. So the thinking was to try to ride the popularity of the Rhode Island Red breed and they did. However, it really was not good enough. I never saw a R I White even in Australia that was exciting to me. I did have a friend who crossed one of my White Rock ckls onto his production Murry McMurry White Wyandottes and produced a bird I could have shown as a R I White. I would say she would score about 93 points brick shape long flat back no fluff in the underline, great feather quality from the White Rock. I could have fooled with them and got them improved but was wanting to fade out of large fowl down here so did not take on the project.

Many are fascinated about the history or articles about them as some all American meat bird but it was nothing but hype by the originator and it payed off for him in sales and he got them into the Stan dad of Perfection. It makes you wonder on the day they had the show to get them approved did eight or so people file affidavits that they breed and raised them for five years and they had a good group of birds true to breed like the female I just mentioned above. He may have asked some to help him get them approved and that is what happens sometimes and then latter in the years no one keeps them going as they dont breed true to breed and are to hard to get the color right. So many breeds that are in the pits right now are like that. They where just not a easy breed to breed for color and they could not win or bring a profit for the fame rs who raised them or showed them.

I think the last point you made explains it all. Profit. Farmers are generally practical people. If a animal or breed is not profitable, they will not keep them. If there is a more profitable option, then you chose the more profitable option. They never gained a following among fanciers, so they are where they are. No farmers, no fanciers, no breed.

I am one of those people that would hate for any breed to go. I can only try one or two breeds, so they will not make it to this yard. Hopefully they will strike a few's fancy.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

The RIW may have failed, just in my own personal view, to fully justify its purpose. A niche bird, but little else. At least it failed to garner the kind of support any breed needs. Having only a handful of keepers/breeders jeopardizes the lines. White birds are among my personal favorites, but many people reject them as too visible for predators from the sky. If any breed cannot enlist a solid following, its long term success and survival is quite suspect.

I think that this is true of a lot of breeds. People seem to like to creat breeds and color patterns. Maybe it's the sense of making one's mark. Still, there are American breeds that are that in reality never were: Hollands, Lamonas, RIW, Delawares, maybe even Buckeyes. I think that they lack qualities that actually make them stand out from the crowd. I know Buckeyes are having a field day, but is that because of their deep heritage or is it because the ALBC created and promulgated a case for them? I don't intend herewith to start an emotional debate but rather to think things out clearly.
In New England, at least, one never sees large classes with multiple breeders represented in any large fowl breed, at all. At the Northeastern Poultry Congress it's better, but a large class is 12 birds with 2-3 breeders. I wonder what would happen to quality if a handfull of breeds from each class, i.e. American, English, Continental, etc..., were really targetted such that classes were larger, more breeders were focusing on them, and blood pools were strengthened and diversified through the activity. Sometimes I think that some of these breeds just serve to divert energies such that all starve.

 

[Chris09]

Yea, I was thinking about doing the cross with a big exhibition birds, but didnt want to waste the time and money doing it of I wouldnt like the offspring so I didnt.

If you have a buyer or if you want good meat duck for yourself they are great birds.
We have a buyer and also eat some duck so the cross works out great for that part but I just wish they weren't *mules.
When I do my cross I use a big "commercial type" White Muscovy Drake over "Commercial type" Pekin Hens, these "commercial type" fowl are are bred for meat production and will as big exhibition fowl in less time.

*Mules are infertile offspring.

Chris

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

As a quick question, are ducks REALLY as greasy to eat as people say they are?

We were going to buy a goose for Christmas dinner. Pre-made it was $55.00 raw. $5.99/pound. I was in SHOCK.