A Heritage of Perfection: Standard-bred Large Fowl

[bramblefir]

NanaKat -
Your Wyandottes are very nice birds. If I were looking in the American class they would be high on my list. As it is, I'm very attracted to both the Med. and Continental class for their feisty, independent natures. It's like they have Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" for their personal theme song.

Sydney Acres -
I think the major show in the region is Pacific Northwest Poultry Association Fall Show in Washington. I'm not sure if any of the shows here in Oregon would be considered a major show? I won't be able to attend the Fall Show this year but I can definitely make it happen next year. That would give me a full year to get my infrastructure setup to my liking.


MagicChicken -
This is something that I have been considering too. You can tell from my list of breeds that I like a lot of the not-so-easy color varieties. Each of them would be a challenge to improve, even the self-colored birds like the WFBS and Sultans.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

If you could get to the PNPA fall show there will be a clinic Friday night where poultry judge Rip Stalvey shows people how to evaluate their birds. It will be filmed, but I'm sure will be more informative in person. Last year there weren't a ton of large fowl at the show -- some nice ones, though. For efficient reliable egg production some of the bantams are supposed to be pretty good, and some are also meaty. There were tons of bantams at the show. Rows and rows of white bantams ...

With your family history, and as you seem okay with the Mediterraneans, if it were me, I'd be heading straight for the Leghorns. Gorgeous birds when done right. I saw some nice ones last year.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thank you both for your forthright replies! Yesterday I was running on 3 nights in a row of poor sleep (courtesy a teething baby) and attempting to type something coherent on a phone. So my apologies for my list not making much sense. Let me (attempt) to clarify now that I'm on my computer and have had some decent sleep. If it still doesn't make sense then please let me know!

I fully recognize that a layer breed will be best suited to my needs. A large quantity of eggs is most important for our uses. I am aware that the best layer breeds are non-sitters and broodiness was more of a concern if I were to select a dual-purpose breed.

As far as meat, which I think is probably the part that came across as the most confusing, I would prefer to butcher out broilers and fryers (age-wise). For the fast growing layer breeds they've usually hit their peak growth in those age ranges, correct? Obviously they are not going to yield a lot of meat, but I only put a whole roast chicken on the table 1 or 2 times in a year. We prefer chicken prepared on the bbq, fried, or served in old-fashioned dishes like pot pie. Since the breeds I'm interested in require a lot of work there will definitely be a lot of culling and so there will be plenty of meat for our uses (one way or another). I have cull ducks and geese for meat too.

My great-grandfather raised and bred White Leghorns. The Leghorns were their main source of eggs and meat; also their primary source of income. From what I understand they ran a hatchery and, besides doing custom hatching, they sold White Leghorns all over the country. My grandpa was telling me about the kerosene-powered incubators and getting a special light from the postmaster that they would take to the train tracks and wave around to stop the mail train so they could load up their shipments.


Yellow House Farm, in answer to some of the things you mentioned:

The layer flock will ultimately be getting culled down to 4 of my daughter's chickens, 3 bantams and a Hamburg-cross that she's extremely attached too. They will all be moving to a coop down by the house where she can spend more time with them.

Are the Houdans, Sultans, and Redcaps too far gone to revive at this point? I will happily settle down with one breed at this point. I'm tired of fooling around and spinning my wheels.


Sydney Acres, in answer to some of the things you mentioned:

Your first paragraph is sort of what I was going for in regards to meat. I think I've done a better job of clarifying what I was trying to say above.

My daughter does like Silkies - maybe I will try and encourage her in that direction.

How far out do you consider "local"? There is a "breeder" outside of the same town as me. She raises something like 20 breeds, so I'm not sure that her stock would be any improvement over hatchery. Within 40 minutes there are breeders (not sure on quality), for Silver Grey Dorkings, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and Sussex. I think there is a Hamburg breeder about 1.5 hours from me. I suspect it was one of his cocks that I saw at the county fair in the APA-sanctioned show. The cock made hatchery Hamburgs look like bantams. I will look through my APA yearbook to see what else I can turn up.

Different strains behave differently when it comes to broodiness. Most sweeping comments about a breeds broodiness are either outdated or were only ever the statement of an ideal. Many strains of breeds rumored to be non-broody with brood just fine. To get that to happen, you're best bet is to have a breeding hen in a space not overrun with completion and allow the eggs to start collecting in a nest that's comfortingly dark and not easily or often disturbed; also, it often helps to try this later in the spring.

Our Anconas, for example, will go broody with fair regularity--as long as one allows the eggs to pile up. That to me is the difference, generally speaking. There are strains were, after laying a quantity of eggs, the bird can be found sitting broody in a nest where there's only an egg or two; the broody trance just switched on. On the other hand, there are birds like our Anconas, that will lay non-stop and never go broody, unless one stops collecting the eggs. Once 16 or so eggs fill the nest (not 16 eggs in one day from 16 different birds!!!) the birds will go down.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Different strains behave differently when it comes to broodiness. Most sweeping comments about a breeds broodiness are either outdated or were only ever the statement of an ideal. Many strains of breeds rumored to be non-broody with brood just fine. To get that to happen, you're best bet is to have a breeding hen in a space not overrun with completion and allow the eggs to start collecting in a nest that's comfortingly dark and not easily or often disturbed; also, it often helps to try this later in the spring.

Our Anconas, for example, will go broody with fair regularity--as long as one allows the eggs to pile up. That to me is the difference, generally speaking. There are strains were, after laying a quantity of eggs, the bird can be found sitting broody in a nest where there's only an egg or two; the broody trance just switched on. On the other hand, there are birds like our Anconas, that will lay non-stop and never go broody, unless one stops collecting the eggs. Once 16 or so eggs fill the nest (not 16 eggs in one day from 16 different birds!!!) the birds will go down.

PS: Some birds in any strain, and the percentage will change depending on the strain, will not go broody no matter what you do:

For your requirements: Anconas, Leghorns, WFB Spanish, Minorcas, Lakenvelders, Andalusians, among others. The question is how easily stock can be procured. Those listed can be had if one is will to make an investment. However, once procured, will be dependable for generations.

 

[RCleghorn]

Different strains behave differently when it comes to broodiness. Most sweeping comments about a breeds broodiness are either outdated or were only ever the statement of an ideal.  Many strains of breeds rumored to be non-broody with brood just fine. To get that to happen, you're best bet is to have a breeding hen in a space not overrun with completion and allow the eggs to start collecting in a nest that's comfortingly dark and not easily or often disturbed; also, it often helps to try this later in the spring.

Our Anconas, for example, will go broody with fair regularity--as long as one allows the eggs to pile up. That to me is the difference, generally speaking. There are strains were, after laying a quantity of eggs, the bird can be found sitting broody in a nest where there's only an egg or two; the broody trance just switched on. On the other hand, there are birds like our Anconas, that will lay non-stop and never go broody, unless one stops collecting the eggs. Once 16 or so eggs fill the nest (not 16 eggs in one day from 16 different birds!!!) the birds will go down.

Beautiful type on that ancona. Nice long back.

 

[Wisher1000]

I'm trying my best to NOT encourage Bramblefir to consider the Silver Campine...... but it's oh, so, difficult!!

I have been told many, many times (by very knowledgeable and experienced breeders and judges) that I should not have started with such a neglected breed with such a complicated color. They need too much work, and show success would be unlikely anytime soon, if ever, they said - and they were right. The wildcard in my situation is my breed dedication. There is no other breed for me. I don't care that my birds never get anything higher than BB or BV (but I always get that!) I AM struggling with lack of knowledge and no convenient mentor, but there is no other breed that makes me feel the way I do when I look at my Silver Campines. They are in the Continental Class..... just sayin'............

Campines are said to be a non-sitting breed but none of mine have read the SOP. I had NINE broodies out of ten breeders late this past spring in my breeder coops. I could have sold several more dozens of hatching eggs if there had been more than one hen laying, and I collected eggs daily! Luckily I had my hatching done before they all decided to sit.

 

[Wisher1000]

Getting closer!

 

[FaerieChicken]

In most cases, layer breeds will lay many more eggs than the dual purpose breeds. Since you don't care about meat quantity but need lots of eggs, a layer breed would be most appropriate for your needs. Most of those breeds won't brood, since egg numbers can't be maximized if the hen takes 8-10 weeks off twice a year to brood, so that feature has been selected out of those breeds. However, since your daughter likes the crested breeds and you want broodies, you might consider either Silkies, or Silkie mixes. The Silkie is a crested bantam that is a brooding machine with unique hair-like feathers. A Silkie mix will usually retain the brooding enthusiasm, but will usually have normal feathers, and if the Silkie is mixed with a large fowl the broody size will be increased so they can cover more eggs. The Silkies or Silkie mixes could be your incubating employees, and the layer breed of your choice could donate the fertile eggs. You could work towards the SOP for your layer breed, and your daughter could work with the Silkies.

Although I do not breed silkie, I utilize my 1 and only Silkie to do the broody job! She is a great momma, and will accept even other hen's unwanted chicks! I like the idea of perhaps mixing her with a larger breed Rooster so that I could potentially have a larger broody, as the Silkie is really only good on maybe 6 medium to large eggs. So perhaps if you wanted to hatch out more birds, then multiple silkies would be the way to go, or multiple Silkie Mixes so that you could have a hen with potential to set up to 12 eggs at a time. I was also thinking Cochin, they are great brooders and great mommas. But they are not crested, however if you have a Silkie Cochin mix, perhaps you would get something close to!

Another bird I think has been a good broody is the Australorp, I have had a few that perhaps weren't so broody as a silkie, but they turned out to be great mommas!

 

[RCleghorn]

Getting closer!

Very nice campine!! Good to see someone working hard on them. When right they are absolutely gorgeous birds.

 

[RCleghorn]

Since everyone is posting pics of their birds here is one of my rc white leghorn pullets.