Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[RiddleMe]

Makes the solid black or white birds more and more appealing from a learning/do no damage standpoint...but I'm pretty sure they aren't a color I'd want to focus on long term...

Something that may need to be considered is the variety/breed that you are desiring are you considering the birds solely farm fowl or potential exhibition. Solid colors are usually safer in breeding, but trying to keep a big white bird clean for is not easy. It's a chore. Tedius. Especially preping them for a show. With that said My big white wyandottes are beautiful in the yard and even more stunning all dolled up in a show cage.

I believe I saw a pic of one of your white roosters on another thread, maybe Farming and Homesteading... If so that was a beautiful bird!!

 

[3riverschick]

Thank ypu all for your replies on the corn issue. Ok, no corn, but will give sprouted oats and BOSS. Once I get more birds in the flock and finally find a quality custom feed mix. will go with wheat, oats and barley mix. I never realized until I started looking, how much the history of ones' breed factors into feeding decisiions when one is crafting a custom mix.
Karen

 

[Arielle]

what does anyone think about feeding white corn ( instead of yellow) to white birds so they don't get brassy in their feathers?
jury is still out with me if feed can cause brassiness, or genetics also/alone plays a role.
input?

Karen, I can't speak to the effect on feather pigment but I would be careful in regard to Vit A. White corn lacks the A compared to the yellow. As I remember it lacks it severely. Been a while since feeds class some decades ago; I just know I won't even consider growing white corn for fresh eating. anyway-- just a random thought.

Glad Junior and his girls are doing better. I can't get warm myself these days. Even in the house I wear a hat. THink I need to move in with Junior! He's toasty warm in his digs.

 

[7961]

You did and thank you but all the credit goes to Jonathon Patterson for my birds. I got him when he was the size of bantam chicken and since has grown into quite a bird.

I believe I saw a pic of one of your white roosters on another thread, maybe Farming and Homesteading... If so that was a beautiful bird!!

 

[7961]

Regarding corn: iI have always mixed cracked corn into their regular feeds during winters up here. Never had any issues, but thats me. Done that for waterfowl, exotics, and chickens.

 

[3riverschick]

Karen, I can't speak to the effect on feather pigment but I would be careful in regard to Vit A. White corn lacks the A compared to the yellow. As I remember it lacks it severely. Been a while since feeds class some decades ago; I just know I won't even consider growing white corn for fresh eating. anyway-- just a random thought.

Glad Junior and his girls are doing better. I can't get warm myself these days. Even in the house I wear a hat. THink I need to move in with Junior! He's toasty warm in his digs.

Oh, I didn't know about the vit A thing. Thanks for sharing. Ok, it is off the table. I will find another way.
Thanks!
Karen

 

[fowlman01]

I for one, do not believe that yellow corn causes brassiness in a white bird. BOB and WALT, way in on this, what are your opinions.

It seems to be genetic to begin with and then yellow corn/direct sun makes it worse. It is the difference between recessive white and dominent white. I had to keep my white Rock bantams in shaded areas of the yard, but my white Leghorn can be in full sun and be fed corn with the only bad effect of the corn being the earlobes turn yellow......along with the legs etc.....but the legs are a good thing, the earlobes not so good. Brassiness seems to be primarily a male chicken with recessive white genes problem. Food and environment just makes brassiness worse. This is what I have observed here.

Walt

 

[3riverschick]

It seems to be genetic to begin with and then yellow corn/direct sun makes it worse. It is the difference between recessive white and dominent white. I had to keep my white Rock bantams in shaded areas of the yard, but my white Leghorn can be in full sun and be fed corn with the only bad effect of the corn being the earlobes turn yellow......along with the legs etc.....but the legs are a good thing, the earlobes not so good. Brassiness seems to be primarily a male chicken with recessive white genes problem. Food and environment just makes brassiness worse. This is what I have observed here.

Walt

do we know if light sussex are dominant or recessive white?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[fowlman01]

do we know if light sussex are dominant or recessive white?
Thanks,
Karen

If they get brassy in the hackle and saddle they are recessive...but I'm not the right guy to ask.

Off to the ABA National in Stockton CA tomorrow. We entered 50 birds.......... but there are 4000 other birds to beat. Lots of out of state exhibitors and I believe 900 large fowl. I think it will be well populated by BYC folks buying birds. It is one of the few shows in the west where you can buy just about any SOP breed.

Walt

 

[3riverschick]

If they get brassy in the hackle and saddle they are recessive...but I'm not the right guy to ask.


Walt

But wait, Walt. Am I not incorrect in thinking Light Sussex are white birds at all? I was just reading... Are they not Wheaten bird in which Co/Co has pushed out all the shades of brown and just left the black? Because brown is more easily pushed aside than black? I thought I was right in the last post but now....so genotype: eWh/eWh S/S Co/Co ...but Silver is not the same as White, is it?

Hum....
============
Ok, I got this figured out with some genetics help. Light Sussex are a buff Wheaten where the buff has been replaced by the Silver (instead of the Silver gene just plain hiding the buff. So the bird looks white and the black portions stay where they would have been if the bird had stayed buff in the first place.
Whew, that was exhausting.

Karen