Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[gjensen]

They look great Bee. I am sure the process will become easier. And timing pullets and cockerels for the fall shows helps. Good luck, and hopefully you will have a good time.

 

[NanaKat]

Beautiful job Bee! They look great!

Any time I've had to bathe a bird, the bird has mellowed out for the process. I guess a few hours in the spa "does a body good".

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Bee, your birds look great! When my Cream Legbar cockerel was attacked by terriers while protecting the flock, I had to "bathe" him every 2-3 days to help his wounds heal (no soap - hydrotherapy). It was a long process for both of us, but he enjoyed it a lot (especially the blow drying part - spa time!). It was me who was more worn out by the end (while he was being kept indoors to heal at the time, I still had to make sure he was COMPLETELY dry before stopping. Thought my arm would fall off.) Can't imagine having to do more than one chicken...

I can't wait to see what feedback you get! (I lurk a lot on this thread, but read everything...)

- Ant Farm

 

[Beekissed]

I can't take much credit for those birds...they look good because Mr. Weaver was kind enough to gift me a cock bird here awhile back and I used his good genetics to sweeten up my stock. And it worked. This cockerel is his son out of his daughter....don't know what they call that in the generations, as I'm not into all the breeding lingo but he looks much like his father. Ken's bird gave mine some much needed width in the hips/tail area and all his offspring are as calm and nice as their sire. That one cock bird set me miles further down the road than I would have had to travel if I had tried to get there by myself, so any goodness you see in these birds is 99.9% due to the men who have gone before and are generous enough to share with others coming along after. One really can't put a worth on such generosity and thoughtfulness, but it sure does make me humble and appreciative and deeply grateful.

I'm really early into breeding towards the standard, so I've got a long, long way to go towards having stock that are show worthy, but it will be nice to look at other birds of this breed and variety so I can get an idea what to shoot for. The pictures in the SOP are nice and all, but they are not like seeing a bird in 3 dimensions.

Well...got the crate ready for transport of the birds and have my show bag packed with the essentials~baby wipes and such for touch ups, different things to smooth and shine the feathers, comb, and legs, and misc. things I may need. Supposed to get up into the 60s tomorrow and be clear and sunny, so that's good.

Don't wish me luck, wish me learning!!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I can't take much credit for those birds...they look good because Mr. Weaver was kind enough to gift me a cock bird here awhile back and I used his good genetics to sweeten up my stock. And it worked. This cockerel is his son out of his daughter....don't know what they call that in the generations, as I'm not into all the breeding lingo but he looks much like his father. Ken's bird gave mine some much needed width in the hips/tail area and all his offspring are as calm and nice as their sire. That one cock bird set me miles further down the road than I would have had to travel if I had tried to get there by myself, so any goodness you see in these birds is 99.9% due to the men who have gone before and are generous enough to share with others coming along after. One really can't put a worth on such generosity and thoughtfulness, but it sure does make me humble and appreciative and deeply grateful.

I'm really early into breeding towards the standard, so I've got a long, long way to go towards having stock that are show worthy, but it will be nice to look at other birds of this breed and variety so I can get an idea what to shoot for. The pictures in the SOP are nice and all, but they are not like seeing a bird in 3 dimensions.

Well...got the crate ready for transport of the birds and have my show bag packed with the essentials~baby wipes and such for touch ups, different things to smooth and shine the feathers, comb, and legs, and misc. things I may need. Supposed to get up into the 60s tomorrow and be clear and sunny, so that's good.

Don't wish me luck, wish me learning!!!

Take pictures!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[Beekissed]

Always!

 

[Beekissed]

Well...I took a lot of pics, saw a lot of really pretty birds, a lot of really tiny and cute birds, and a few really strange looking birds. Mine were the only White Rocks at the show, though there were some BRs there...it was kind of rinky dink in that way. Even then they didn't get much attention from the judges...they barely even held them for 10 seconds, if that. The cockerel got Reserve Variety, the pullet Reserve in Breed, Best in Variety...not much of a big thing when they were the only two.

This was largely a bantam and feather legged show.

I learned some valuable lessons, but not much about chickens, I'm afraid. I can honestly say I didn't enjoy the experience at all, but I did learn something about a few integral things...mostly things I already knew, but the experience confirmed it.

There were some mighty fine bantam RIRs there....if they had been standard, I'd have been drooling over those cages, for sure. Saw a few HUGE Langshans....personally, I think they should have been cooped next to the miniature ones, just for the fun of seeing them side by side. Saw some very HUGE Cochins and Wyandottes...mostly feathering, maybe? But big...very big.

The birds didn't have a good time and neither did I, so I'm thinking that will be my first and last of showing.

I didn't even barely get cooped when some guy was hounding me about the birds, though...wanted to know if I was selling, when I would have chicks, kept pressing me as to when I may have chicks for selling, etc. I wasn't interested in selling to him, even if I had plenty of stock to sell.

Another fella came along, from northern OH, and was the same way....even gave me a business card, wanted me to call him when I had something to sell. I still wasn't interested. Said he had heard of Bob Blosl, but he didn't act like he was a fan. Raised all kinds of birds, from the details on his business card. After a short conversation, I could tell I didn't want him raising any of mine, though.

I'll try to get those pics downloaded soon to an album so y'all can look at all the different breeds I managed to snap a pic of...usually those I thought were pretty, interesting or different. I'll also show you what birds actually won in my breed and see what you think.

 

[bnjrob]

Well...I took a lot of pics, saw a lot of really pretty birds, a lot of really tiny and cute birds, and a few really strange looking birds. Mine were the only White Rocks at the show, though there were some BRs there...it was kind of rinky dink in that way. Even then they didn't get much attention from the judges...they barely even held them for 10 seconds, if that. The cockerel got Reserve Variety, the pullet Reserve in Breed, Best in Variety...not much of a big thing when they were the only two.

This was largely a bantam and feather legged show.

I learned some valuable lessons, but not much about chickens, I'm afraid. I can honestly say I didn't enjoy the experience at all, but I did learn something about a few integral things...mostly things I already knew, but the experience confirmed it.

There were some mighty fine bantam RIRs there....if they had been standard, I'd have been drooling over those cages, for sure. Saw a few HUGE Langshans....personally, I think they should have been cooped next to the miniature ones, just for the fun of seeing them side by side. Saw some very HUGE Cochins and Wyandottes...mostly feathering, maybe? But big...very big.

The birds didn't have a good time and neither did I, so I'm thinking that will be my first and last of showing.

I didn't even barely get cooped when some guy was hounding me about the birds, though...wanted to know if I was selling, when I would have chicks, kept pressing me as to when I may have chicks for selling, etc. I wasn't interested in selling to him, even if I had plenty of stock to sell.

Another fella came along, from northern OH, and was the same way....even gave me a business card, wanted me to call him when I had something to sell. I still wasn't interested. Said he had heard of Bob Blosl, but he didn't act like he was a fan. Raised all kinds of birds, from the details on his business card. After a short conversation, I could tell I didn't want him raising any of mine, though.

I'll try to get those pics downloaded soon to an album so y'all can look at all the different breeds I managed to snap a pic of...usually those I thought were pretty, interesting or different. I'll also show you what birds actually won in my breed and see what you think.

Sorry to hear it wasn't better. Sounds a lot like the shows I've gone to. I've only gone as a spectator but I've never been impressed enough to want to go as an exhibitor. The tiny birds are cute to look at though. But when I think of the time and effort wasted on having them when I want farm birds that are useful, they aren't quite so cute. LOL.

 

[Beekissed]

Sorry to hear it wasn't better. Sounds a lot like the shows I've gone to. I've only gone as a spectator but I've never been impressed enough to want to go as an exhibitor. The tiny birds are cute to look at though. But when I think of the time and effort wasted on having them when I want farm birds that are useful, they aren't quite so cute. LOL.

I took my mother along and that's what she said too....she was largely unimpressed and thought all those little birds, though pretty, were pretty worthless....if you can't eat them or their eggs without cleaning or breaking a huge passel of them, they are largely of no value to a woman.

I sure wish I had went as a spectator instead of an exhibitor...would have saved me a ton of work, time and thinking to learn what I needed to learn. But then, I learned a far greater and more valuable lesson by the wasted effort and that should carry a bit further in my life.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

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I didn't even barely get cooped when some guy was hounding me about the birds, though...wanted to know if I was selling, when I would have chicks, kept pressing me as to when I may have chicks for selling, etc.   I wasn't interested in selling to him, even if I had plenty of stock to sell. 

Another fella came along, from northern OH, and was the same way...Said he had heard of Bob Blosl, but he didn't act like he was a fan...After a short conversation, I could tell I didn't want him raising any of mine, though...


I think your experience underscores the advice given many newbies to ask for advice, and make friends first, buy stock later.