Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[3riverschick]

Quote: Oh it's not you, jensen. Just been a long day, sorry. I struggle everyday with trying to learn the poultry vocab. Yeah I do believe station is most important. Yes, I do include legs as part of "station". Maybe I need to rethink that and make them 2 categories. station in one and legs in the other. Have been studying how angle of shank changes with station of bird. That's why I included legs in "station". Maybe they aren't related but I had been seeing that the more upright the station, the more perpendicular to the ground the shanks are. So how can legs not be connected to "station"? I don't know anymore. That's why I give up trying to figure it out, sigh.
What Frustration,
Karen

 

[gjensen]

George, could you please explain a little bit about this? What is in a ration that makes it "hot?" and what is the general effect that this feed has? Does it just show itself in leg weakness or other ar

I came to prefer growing out those Rocks a little slower. Gives them a chance to develop that frame. I prefer that a bird of that type and size to grow at a more natural pace.

I do believe that they need and can use more protein than the general commercial rations, but I think you can go too far with it to.

Now if those same birds are almost completely on range you can get away with more, because you are balancing the lower protein crude forage.

I do not call 20% too hot. I call 24% a little warm, and more too hot. Then again, exclusively on range it would not be. Especially if they are getting thrown some whole grains.

I really am not making any recommendations. To each their own. I am commenting on what I have come to prefer. I watch and handle my birds, and have developed preferences. I have also seen that different breeds and strains that I have had have been different. I like to try to get a feel for what is working for me.

 

[gjensen]

Oh it's not you, jensen. Just been a long day, sorry. I struggle everyday with trying to learn the poultry vocab. Yeah I do believe station is most important. Yes, I do include legs as part of "station". Maybe I need to rethink that and make them 2 categories. station in one and legs in the other. Have been studying how angle of shank changes with station of bird. That's why I included legs in "station". Maybe they aren't related but I had been seeing that the more upright the station, the more perpendicular to the ground the shanks are. So how can legs not be connected to "station"? I don't know anymore. That's why I give up trying to figure it out, sigh.
What Frustration,
Karen

Legs are related to station. That is about all I know.

I saw an illustration somewhere illustrating station related to the position of the legs in game breeds. The Higher stationed birds had legs that set more forward. Medium stationed examples had legs centered well on the body, and low stationed birds had legs set farther back.
The station of the body seams related to how it is supported by the legs. Move the legs forward and you pick the bird up, center the legs and the body evens out. Move the legs back, and the front drops.
Maybe that makes the birds we keep a medium stationed bird, with legs centered well on the body for good balance.

Maybe Walt can explain this to us.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Let's band him and see !

Well.....he's already banded "green" and has very slight feather stubs between his toes and toe punched to Pen #1 (he'll be easy to track....barring any unforeseen "chicken wranglers")

The one Vickie picked out is my #2 choice only because his tail (so far) is relatively low. He is the ONLY K I've kept that came out of my "pullet pen" this year. His brothers were so much smaller than he is. His great-grandmother was one of the hens from my original trio and his sire was a full Canadian lineage bird (no Powell blood). He is the same bird as the 1st picture, front/center. He has an enormous chest!! A tad dark for color, really wide from front to back. I'm praying to get some tail lift in him as he finishes out...I'm hoping he is just slow to finish his tail.

I'll try to get some better side shots of him this weekend if "baseball" will allow....youngest son is playing in a World Series Wood Bat Tourney in Dalton, Ga this weekend...

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Specific to the word "hot". Last century, during the horse and buggy days, dog and horse people used to talk abut feed which contained a lot of corn as a feed which "made the animal's blood run hot". What they meant was the corn required a higher metabolism to digest the corn. Thus the higher running metabolism would make the blood run "hot". To this day, in collie dogs, breeders insist that if one feeds a collie a feed with a lot of corn in it, the animal can break out in "hot spots", an open weeping sore that is hard to cure. That's why you hear of so many collies being fed on lamb and rice kibbles. Thought is changing now that this may be an immune problem instead.
Best,
Karen

 

[thedragonlady]

Well.....he's already banded "green" and has very slight feather stubs between his toes and toe punched to Pen #1 (he'll be easy to track....barring any unforeseen "chicken wranglers")

The one Vickie picked out is my #2 choice only because his tail (so far) is relatively low. He is the ONLY K I've kept that came out of my "pullet pen" this year. His brothers were so much smaller than he is. His great-grandmother was one of the hens from my original trio and his sire was a full Canadian lineage bird (no Powell blood). He is the same bird as the 1st picture, front/center. He has an enormous chest!! A tad dark for color, really wide from front to back. I'm praying to get some tail lift in him as he finishes out...I'm hoping he is just slow to finish his tail.

I'll try to get some better side shots of him this weekend if "baseball" will allow....youngest son is playing in a World Series Wood Bat Tourney in Dalton, Ga this weekend...

Please do post some more photos. I'd love to see him with your #1 pick too.I wouldn't worry about that boy's tail set. It will come up when his chest drops even more.Just look at his legs in comparison to the others. He has the body and bone.

 

[ocap]

Oh it's not you, jensen. Just been a long day, sorry. I struggle everyday with trying to learn the poultry vocab. Yeah I do believe station is most important. Yes, I do include legs as part of "station". Maybe I need to rethink that and make them 2 categories. station in one and legs in the other. Have been studying how angle of shank changes with station of bird. That's why I included legs in "station". Maybe they aren't related but I had been seeing that the more upright the station, the more perpendicular to the ground the shanks are. So how can legs not be connected to "station"? I don't know anymore. That's why I give up trying to figure it out, sigh.
What Frustration,
Karen

I agree Karen, the vocabulary of a new area of study is most difficult ! Chicken description seems more difficult than other areas I have studied. "Type" is the most difficult of all for me, and if I have this right station is part of type.
John

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: You said it, John. I know, just like in dogs, the major and minor hallmarks of a breed of poultry meld together in certain ratios and work in unison in a properly made birds. Trying to figure out which hallmarks have which rations and how each of the hallmarks influences the other hallmarks properly is mind-bending. Thanks for the nice words,
Onward and upward,
Karen

 

[cbnovick]

Here's a few quick pics of the Buff Rocks at 5 weeks.
These are 2 cockerels that made it in front of the camera....think I'm 'male heavy' on this hatch.

...may not be a bad thing since I've read the buff coloration from the male should be most prepotent for future breeding...so, having more than a few to choose from may actually be the best thing.
I need to get some proper ones of all of them grazing...they were out on grass for the first time...they've had the opportunity for over 3 weeks, but just got the courage to head out in the open grass area today...but alas, no camera...just enjoyed watching them at twilight

 

[cluck-cluck]

Wow! Gorgeous, but also, I'm amazed at how well feathered in they are at 5 weeks! And that first one's chest! And their legs are so sturdy! They look really awesome!

Does anyone know if Duane Urch answers the phone on weekends? I keep forgetting to call during the week...