A Heritage of Perfection: Standard-bred Large Fowl

[Egghead_Jr]

There is a New Hampshire SOP thread. First post has a fine example profile photo of cock bird.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882940/new-hampshire-breed-for-exhibition-sop

 

[ve]

Mat's birds are beautiful. I've seen them at Newnen GA Show and spoke with his father once. I was very impressed with SLW he exhibited. He had one or two New Hampshire cocks then, but I was not into them yet. I have to ask, but I think my original cock bird, who I bought from another guy, originated from Matt's birds.
May be, next time I will hatch about 50 chicks (that is my limit) and may have something good to pop up.

 

[NanaKat]

Could these be New Hampshire chicks? I think some of the chicks I recently hatched from eggs purchased from a 9 yr old 4H boy may be New Hampshire or RIR.
They are definitely not Buckeye since they don't look like the chicks I've hatched from my Buckeye.

I have checked out the New Hampshire and RIR threads for chick photos...but am still at a loss. The NN on the right may be a cross with the red birds.

 

[NanaKat]

Thank you Wisher,
That is great idea. The silhouette highlights better the shape. Will take time until I will be able to put real chicken in the silhouette, but hope one day..

The black silhouette works helps with my Wyandotte also.

 

[bramblefir]

I have a question on breeding pens and grow out pens. What size would you recommend for permanent housing of 2-3 large fowl? Right now we have six 4' x 8' raised garden beds that we'll be pulling out early next year. I'm planning on using them as the base for the breeding pens. Would you make each one into a 4' x 8' coop or split them into two 4' x 4' coops. There would be individual runs off of each (width of coop x 15' or 20') and I could let each pair/trio out to range on different days.

For grow out pens I have roughly an 8' x 20' covered area that I think would split nicely into two 8' x 10' pens. Would that be sufficient or should I consider building something bigger?

 

[bnjrob]

I have a question on breeding pens and grow out pens. What size would you recommend for permanent housing of 2-3 large fowl? Right now we have six 4' x 8' raised garden beds that we'll be pulling out early next year. I'm planning on using them as the base for the breeding pens. Would you make each one into a 4' x 8' coop or split them into two 4' x 4' coops. There would be individual runs off of each (width of coop x 15' or 20') and I could let each pair/trio out to range on different days.

For grow out pens I have roughly an 8' x 20' covered area that I think would split nicely into two 8' x 10' pens. Would that be sufficient or should I consider building something bigger?

4x4 for inside space can work fine as long as you have a run for them to get into - but they need to have access to the run every day, otherwise the space gets too cramped and they get pissy with each other. Especially the hens. And if anybody lays outside the nest box, then they wind up stomping on the eggs because 4x4 just isn't enough room to be confined in for more than one bird.

I have a couple of 4x4 coops that are approx. 5 ft tall, so there can be a roost and they don't hit their heads on the ceiling, and the nest box is added on so it hangs off the back, rather than taking up any space inside the coop or the run. This does fine for 3-4 hens and a cock, with constant access to a 4x10x6ft tall run.

 

[bramblefir]

4x4 for inside space can work fine as long as you have a run for them to get into - but they need to have access to the run every day, otherwise the space gets too cramped and they get pissy with each other. Especially the hens. And if anybody lays outside the nest box, then they wind up stomping on the eggs because 4x4 just isn't enough room to be confined in for more than one bird.

I have a couple of 4x4 coops that are approx. 5 ft tall, so there can be a roost and they don't hit their heads on the ceiling, and the nest box is added on so it hangs off the back, rather than taking up any space inside the coop or the run. This does fine for 3-4 hens and a cock, with constant access to a 4x10x6ft tall run.

Right, I was think of having the runs be 15' or 20' feet long by whatever the coop width would be for each individual pen (so either 4' or 8'). They would have access to almost 3 acres to range on different days (2 acres woods/0.85 acres pasture).

 

[RCleghorn]

I have a question on breeding pens and grow out pens. What size would you recommend for permanent housing of 2-3 large fowl? Right now we have six 4' x 8' raised garden beds that we'll be pulling out early next year. I'm planning on using them as the base for the breeding pens. Would you make each one into a 4' x 8' coop or split them into two 4' x 4' coops. There would be individual runs off of each (width of coop x 15' or 20') and I could let each pair/trio out to range on different days.

For grow out pens I have roughly an 8' x 20' covered area that I think would split nicely into two 8' x 10' pens. Would that be sufficient or should I consider building something bigger?

For breeding pens i use 4x6 pens for pairs or trios. If i do have a bigger mating they go in some of my bigger pens that are available at the time. As far as grow out pens go, 8x20 isnt all that big to provide adequate space for growing birds. Of course all depends on how many you put in there. I have various sizes ranging from 4x4 for individual cockerels to 20x40 for a pen of 20 pullets. I like to keep grass in all my grow out pens. I use that to tell me when there are too many. If they are tearing grass up quickly there are too many in there. If i have to mow it every now and then it is just right. There are alot of variables when deciding on pen sizes. Whatever works best for you

 

[bramblefir]

For breeding pens i use 4x6 pens for pairs or trios. If i do have a bigger mating they go in some of my bigger pens that are available at the time. As far as grow out pens go, 8x20 isnt all that big to provide adequate space for growing birds. Of course all depends on how many you put in there. I have various sizes ranging from 4x4 for individual cockerels to 20x40 for a pen of 20 pullets. I like to keep grass in all my grow out pens. I use that to tell me when there are too many. If they are tearing grass up quickly there are too many in there. If i have to mow it every now and then it is just right. There are alot of variables when deciding on pen sizes. Whatever works best for you

8' x 10' would be the "coop" dimensions for the grow out pens. They'd be in there for food, water, and roosts with access to runs during the day. As for runs, there's an area about 1/5 of an acre on the edge of the woods that we could fence in and split in half. The goats need to do some work in there first though:

 

[holm25]

Joining! I am currently working on breeding Buckeyes. I got two trios of started Bucks from a breeder this spring and am loving them! I have lots of work to do with them but it will be worth it in the end I hope!

Cockerel #1 has good color and type but has a low tail angle and could have a better comb but other than that he looks really good.








(He sqished an egg before I took pics)

Cockerel #2 has a really nice comb on him but is a little "squished" aka has a shorter body than I would like. But he has an amazing comb and good tail angle and color too.





I dont have pics of all the pullets but here is a few.