Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

Walt were your black hamburgs prone to stubbing like the silver spangled?

No stubs, but they would start to get a couple white feathers at 3-4yo and eventually turn all white at 7-8yo. About half of the females did that. The others stayed black and didn't get any white feathers.

w.

 

[thedragonlady]

Just back from a cocktail party of the sort I hate, but have to attend sometimes, to keep things running on an even keel in this town. The idea of having to get all tarted up, after cleaning out sleeping coops in this heat did not appeal, so I was less prone than usual to suffer fools.

Word has it that I have CHICKENS...again ! "We thought you had out grown that ." Really ? At 66 ? Since I had spent 3 hours upside down in a dentist's chair, while my 82 year old dentist worked his magic , and repaired a molar split in two yesterday, and still resembled one of Alvin's relatives, I may have been just a tad short of patience.

I pointed out that Mrs. Marion Du Pont Scott, one of the principal benefactors of this town, had fighting cocks until the day she died. No, I don't fight my chickens. I breed them for showing, and as breeding stock for future generations." "Why ?"

If we do not keep the gene pool going of the old breeds, in a relatively pure breeding true form, where will future generations go for breeding stock to keep people in Chicken McNuggets, or those tasty chicken wings? That they understood.

"Breeding good birds is an art form"; they did not understand."I've been to the fair, and all the chickens look alike, and a bit scruffy. They don't smell nice either ." I replied that I expected none of them would smell nice, having been cooped up in an 8 x 8' foot room for 10 days with no shower, or toilet. Food for thought there. You could see the light bulbs go off.

The end result is that I have a bunch of people, who would never go to a poultry show, coming to see my Buff Orps. They are curious now. This is what will keep our fancy alive in the midst of all the new laws and regulations being passed. I must speak to the gang, and tell them that those cute, painted toes are off limits though.

Take an old biddy to lunch, and keep our fancy safe.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

YH

Here is one of those Black Hamburgs I had. I wish I had kept them now that Don Krahe has passed.

Honest to Pete!!!!! Yes, on can see that width of feather. Look at that tail! The feather condition is splendid. Multiple old sources praise the Black Hamburg for being the zenith of black color in poultry. We get some pretty darn good sheen in our RC Anconas. I've often wondered if the sheen came along with the RC in the original outcross to Black Hamburgs that put the RC on the Ancona in the first place. Of course it's been a long, long time, but where was the seed planted.

You know, your last sentence, "I wish I had kept them now that Don Krahe has passed." says it all. This is what this thread is about. You know, I've thought about that, a lot. I went through the entire new APA yearbook looking for one ad for Black Hamburgs, and there was none to be found. I only think I found one or two ads for LF Hamburgs at all. How many breeds are wrapped up in one or two persons breeding flocks? When they're gone, what is left? You know we probably have one of the largest White Dorking breeding programs in the world; heck, it could be the biggest. It sounds neat until one realizes it's nothing, and they're two breaths away from gone. There's only one smaller hatchery that sells them, and those are mixed with SC birds. If I think of Speckled Sussex, I think of one breeder. Urch has Silver Pencilled Hamburgs. Sand Hill has them, from Urch, maybe? I can think of one breeder, Mark Langerman (sp?) who's trying to keep all of the varieties alive. Is there a single breeder in North America putting serious effort into Silver-Pencilled Hamburgs Yet, they, along with the Golden Pencilled are the original varieties. And people want to create new this's and that's!? The Standard is full of absolutely beautiful birds with sane, manageable color patterns that are in desperate need of care. It would be great if in 2014 to see people consider a good heritage white-egg layer.

So this a totel newbie question - I see many photographs of people holding birds that way and my mind cannot figure out how you all keep the birds so still.

Subscribe to the Poultry Press (see link below) find your state's APA club and attend the show this fall. While there ask a breed that seems really comfortable in handling birds to show you how it's done.

I think I am right that Dark Brown are Partridge and Light Brown are stippled like wildtype?
I will go double check.
Karen
===============

On might think that at first because American Partridge and Dark Brown are similar in color from a distance, but they are very different in pattern.

Mark Atwood advertises in Poultry Press, he has light and dark brown in both single and rose comb. I know he has some excellent birds. Probably not this time of year I would guess but I don't know for sure.

Yet another reason to subscribe to the Poultry Press: http://www.poultrypress.com/

Wondering if anyone has come up with a feeder that the chickens can not bill out the feed and pick and choose what they want

Use pelletized feed.

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

From what I've read the black is the oldest,largest,and calmest variety. The silver spangled came along next. Then the penciled varieties. I think bennie bowman is raising golden penciled? Not sure on silvers. Looking online at the hamburgh club in europe which is where they all originated, the trend seems to be the same here. The silver spangled bantams are most popular and the large fowl in any variety are scarce.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Just back from a cocktail party of the sort I hate, but have to attend sometimes, to keep things running on an even keel in this town. The idea of having to get all tarted up, after cleaning out sleeping coops in this heat did not appeal, so I was less prone than usual to suffer fools.

Word has it that I have CHICKENS...again ! "We thought you had out grown that ." Really ? At 66 ? Since I had spent 3 hours upside down in a dentist's chair, while my 82 year old dentist worked his magic , and repaired a molar split in two yesterday, and still resembled one of Alvin's relatives, I may have been just a tad short of patience.

I pointed out that Mrs. Marion Du Pont Scott, one of the principal benefactors of this town, had fighting cocks until the day she died. No, I don't fight my chickens. I breed them for showing, and as breeding stock for future generations." "Why ?"

If we do not keep the gene pool going of the old breeds, in a relatively pure breeding true form, where will future generations go for breeding stock to keep people in Chicken McNuggets, or those tasty chicken wings? That they understood.

"Breeding good birds is an art form"; they did not understand."I've been to the fair, and all the chickens look alike, and a bit scruffy. They don't smell nice either ." I replied that I expected none of them would smell nice, having been cooped up in an 8 x 8' foot room for 10 days with no shower, or toilet. Food for thought there. You could see the light bulbs go off.

The end result is that I have a bunch of people, who would never go to a poultry show, coming to see my Buff Orps. They are curious now. This is what will keep our fancy alive in the midst of all the new laws and regulations being passed. I must speak to the gang, and tell them that those cute, painted toes are off limits though.

Take an old biddy to lunch, and keep our fancy safe.

YAY !!! Proselytizing!

From what I've read the black is the oldest,largest,and calmest variety. The silver spangled came along next. Then the penciled varieties. I think bennie bowman is raising golden penciled? Not sure on silvers. Looking online at the hamburgh club in europe which is where they all originated, the trend seems to be the same here. The silver spangled bantams are most popular and the large fowl in any variety are scarce.

Actually, I understand it to be the opposite. The Pencilled varieties are the original Dutch birds. It is these, I believe, that carried the "Dutch-everyday-layer" nickname This is a typical Benelux plumage pattern, e.g. Hamburgs, Campines, Baekels; it is thought o have come with trade from the Turkey and the Middle East, consider Egyptian Fayoumis. Apart from these birds, this pattern doesn't exist. The Spangled varieties were developed in northern England where they dominated for a good period of time. They were often referred to as pheasant fowl, which is a title now given to a sub-variety of Redcaps, which is a sub-variety of Golden Hamburgs. The Blacks were developed afterwards; the reigning theory is outcrossing to Spanish fowl. The whites? No clue. Sports from the blacks maybe?

 

[galanie]

Just back from a cocktail party of the sort I hate, but have to attend sometimes, to keep things running on an even keel in this town. The idea of having to get all tarted up, after cleaning out sleeping coops in this heat did not appeal, so I was less prone than usual to suffer fools.

Word has it that I have CHICKENS...again !  "We thought you had out grown that ." Really  ? At 66 ? Since I had spent 3 hours upside down in a dentist's chair, while my 82 year old dentist worked his magic , and repaired a molar split in two yesterday, and still resembled one of Alvin's relatives, I may have been just a tad short of patience.

I pointed out that Mrs. Marion Du Pont Scott, one of the principal benefactors of this town, had fighting cocks until the day she died. No, I don't fight my chickens. I breed them for showing, and as breeding stock for future generations." "Why ?"

If we do not keep the gene pool going of the old breeds, in a relatively pure breeding true form, where will future generations go for breeding stock to keep people in Chicken McNuggets, or those tasty chicken wings? That they understood.

"Breeding good birds is an art form"; they did not understand."I've been to the fair, and all the chickens look alike, and a bit scruffy. They don't smell nice either ." I replied that I expected none of them would smell nice, having been cooped up in an 8 x 8' foot room for 10 days with no shower, or toilet. Food for thought there. You could see the light bulbs go off.

The end result is that I have a bunch of people, who would never go to a poultry show, coming to see my Buff Orps. They are curious now. This is what will keep our fancy alive in the midst of all the new laws and regulations being passed. I must speak to the gang, and tell them that those cute, painted toes are off limits though.

Take an old biddy to lunch, and keep our fancy safe.

I will have to do similar work in the new community I'm moving to. All just country folks who are not impressed by chickens. Because, you know, they all know everything about chickens and they're "just chickens."

Yet everyone in the old place in Houston that has seen your boy and his harem are amazed at the size and color. Yep, this 58 year old will be trying to "spread the word" in east Texas as well. Spent yesterday up there getting set to have a place for them on moving day, tomorrow. Back is killing me but it'll just have to get over itself.

 

[cluck-cluck]

I've been practicing holding my birds like that today. I can't hardly ambulate, but spent the whole day with the birds! I missed them so much!. Thanks for teaching me that!

 

[thedragonlady]

I've been practicing holding my birds like that today. I can't hardly ambulate, but spent the whole day with the birds! I missed them so much!. Thanks for teaching me that!

The technique of calmly going at a bird head on, and scooping them up takes a bit of time to master. Once you, and more importantly, the birds feel secure in it, you will find it easy.Birds rarely struggle when they feel that you hold them securely.

As a side comment...Many tame parrots, with clipped wings, have been killed by novices dropping them. A novice doesn't know that a parrot will gently hold a finger when it feels insecure, and fling them to the ground , assuming the parrot was trying to bite. A broken sternum is the usual result.

 

[aveca]

I will have to do similar work in the new community I'm moving to. All just country folks who are not impressed by chickens. Because, you know, they all know everything about chickens and they're "just chickens."

Yet everyone in the old place in Houston that has seen your boy and his harem are amazed at the size and color. Yep, this 58 year old will be trying to "spread the word" in east Texas as well. Spent yesterday up there getting set to have a place for them on moving day, tomorrow. Back is killing me but it'll just have to get over itself.

Vickie , seriously? cant beleive these people..they think chicken grows under plastic wrap at the grocery store..i worked with a lady like that..she said , i dont know how you farmers stand those stinkey farm animals.. i said , you mean the ones that feed your kids three times a day? or those eggs that grow in an egg carton at the store..jees..im just glad i dont have to deal with a whole community of that.

gladyou found the new place sarah..cant wait to hear that your all settled in...

 

[thedragonlady]

Vickie , seriously? cant beleive these people..they think chicken grows under plastic wrap at the grocery store..i worked with a lady like that..she said , i dont know how you farmers stand those stinkey farm animals.. i said , you mean the ones that feed your kids three times a day? or those eggs that grow in an egg carton at the store..jees..im just glad i dont have to deal with a whole community of that.

gladyou found the new place sarah..cant wait to hear that your all settled in...

Well two old social biddies actually arrived on my doorstep today. They wanted to see the gardens first, and then, the birds. I'm stealing glances at their feet, deciding how close I can let the Brat and the Pest get. Fortunately, no toes visible. We went up to the orchard, and there was not a chicken in sight. Everybody was snoozing under the hydrangeas. I called, "Chick, chick, chick ! ", and the bushes erupted. The whole gang came running up, with Monty in front. I gave the ladies bread to feed the birds. They could not understand why Monty never ate any .I explained that he was a well bred rooster, with good manners, coming from generations of good breeding, and that his ladies always ate first.

My birds have now been given the social stamp of approval, due to a good rooster, doing what all good roosters do. No matter...I'm still chuckling ! A little education in chicken etiquette goes a long way.