Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[AletaG]

yeah, I'm online way to much today. Sue me!
Matt, my feedstore is tiny. They had NH, RIR and a couple geese and ducks. I'd have to special order CX's. Not sure what the min would be... The reason I was looking into making a sort-of CX of my own was 2 fold. Excuse to breed more types. 2nd, hatching my own eggs would be cheaper/easier than trying to mail-order... stuff dies when it's shipped through Seattle. Not sure what the deal is. Or just the best dual purpose heritage that's heavier on the meat end of dual purpose. I see nothing wrong with what you do, just isn't that easy where I am. Maybe eventually I'll find someone else to split an order with or something. And I do have sort of a bug up my behind about being able to 'do it myself'. Maybe because that's all I've heard in my house the last couple years (3 and 5 yr old). "No! I can do it My Shelf" Weird. I've been programmed by my kids! Is there a cure???

I am sure this won't be the popular opinion, not that that's ever stopped me, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with CornishX commercial meat birds. Raise them on controlled good feed and as much range as you can and you'll avoid most the health issues and with ranging they'll actually use muscles so you'll get some flavor and they're ready real fast. The commercial meat birds started with Cornish/Plymouth Rock but have far surpassed that now as a terminal cross of specialized hybrids. Terminal Cross meaning the actual meat birds aren't used for breeding but are a result of specially selected breeding birds. For your type of situation if your Rhode Island Red project doesn't give you enough meat, run to the feed store, pick up some commercial meat birds and have more chicken in the freezer in about 8 weeks.

Regarding the sale of the roosters on Craigslist. HAH! Hahahaha! I can't sell 'em to save my life. I was gifted with the purchase of my coops, with 3 french black marans, 3 icelandics and 2 rhodebar roosters. That was 2 mos back. No takers so far. Thankfully, the heat took a maran and a rhodebar, and genetics has rescued 2 icelandics (turns out they are pullets). So much for selling the cockerels to buy more... Hope I have more luck with the selling of hatching / eating eggs!

 

[BGMatt]

Anyone with Heritage fowl going to the Ridgefield show, then - 2nd weekend in Oct.? Maybe if I knew someone would be there to make sure I didn't get lost /shystered, <--made that word up, but you know what I mean? It's got to be a very worthwhile trip, 'cause Jon works Saturdays, so I'd need to find childcare and save up travel expenses... We WILL be at Puyallup this year. Jon's off TH F and Sun's so it will be one of those days... If anyone wants to try to meet there, let me know? We've been planning all year, 'cause both my kids want to try the Woolriders this time, and Nigel loves the kid tractor pull, and...

There should be a good showing of large fowl there. The spring show had a decent showing and the fall show has always been bigger. I'll be in attendance but don't know if I'll be showing (not going to pull birds out of breeding pens unless I start getting a decent hatch in August). You should ask in the Washington thread about Puyallup. People tend to be in and out because its a fair and during the week rather than just a poultry show, but you never know some folks might be sticking around for it. Coop-in and coop-out days are your best chance to actually talk to breeders at fairs, and I don't know which days those are up there.

Edit: About the meat birds, haven't done any for a long time. Just too stupid for me to deal with. I don't like raising them. Was just pointing out that they're not evil persay which might not be a popular opinion in a heritage breed thread. LOL My personal opinion is you could get the job done with a good dual purpose fowl. If you have to keep more males a bit longer than ideal, bribing neighbors with eggs and good cheap meat goes a LONG way.

 

[fowlman01]

Meat birds/Cornish crosses serve a good purpose. Nothing else grows that fast.

w.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Breed A mated to Breed B= A/B . A/B mated to Breed C= A/B/C. This is the terminal cross A/B/C goes to market.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I do like my New Hampshires...................and very friendly birds too!

Yes they are, out of 4 heritage breeds I have here the NH are the best and yes I'm biased that way,LOL My RI reds are awesome and others BRs and my newly added Col. Rocks and a couple of White Rocks too. I have a batch of NH pullets here that will blow the socks off anything else here on the place these were J-whips concoctions he master minded(bred up) and they are superb too.

Jeff

 

[BGMatt]

 Breed A mated to Breed B= A/B . A/B mated to Breed C= A/B/C. This is the terminal cross  A/B/C goes to market.

That's a much clearer example of it. Thanks!

 

[The Old Yolks]

Yes they are, out of 4 heritage breeds I have here the NH are the best and yes I'm biased that way,LOL My RI reds are awesome and others BRs and my newly added Col. Rocks and a couple of White Rocks too. I have a batch of NH pullets here that will blow the socks off anything else here on the place these were J-whips concoctions he master minded(bred up) and they are superb too.

Jeff

Would love to see a picture of your beautiful red-heads Jeff.
Nan

 

[AletaG]

Anyone else read about this? http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/07/fda-moving-to-control-poultry-in-outdoors/

Not cool, peeps. Got to keep an eye on the regulators. Also found out today that I need a MINIMUM flock size of 30 adult birds to get NPIP status in Wa state. What is THAT all about?
'nite all.

 

[cluck-cluck]

good article, glad there is such an organization watching out for us. If I ever have money, I'll need to support them!

 

[Robert Blosl]

My inspector needs twenty birds to make a trip to my house. No one told me I had to have a minimum of thirty birds. I don't show them all my stuff they are happy to stick them fill out the paper work and head back to the next stop or go eat.

If you don't have twnty or thirty you don't have to be certified if you went to a show with five birds I am sure they would stick them and give you a certification of ok and clean.