Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[NanaKat]

Also, your hen may not actually be sitting on the chicks. They are nestled under her wings and fluff. If you slide your hand palm up with your fingers slightly spread, you will feel their little bodies along her side or near her rump feathers.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Hi,
Well we have a 50% survival rate with the chicks. March kicked 1 egg out of the nest (unworthy chick inside), left one egg in the nest( probably unworthy too, was cold, didn't bother to,open it ); 4 live chicks. I vacillated for days over whether to leave the rooster in with the girls. He did not bother either eggs, chicks, or hens....but I learned the hard way, why one takes the rooster out of the broody coop. The girls felt they needed to protect the chicks from Junior. So they dug nice deep holes in the litter. In the end one chick was crushed by their protective squatting. So we have 3 live chicks left. Junior and May will go into the empty bachelor quarters today. March can raise 3 chicks by herself. Plus the deep holes mean the chicks have to climb a "mountain". of chips to get to the feed/water.
It's harder making a proper brooder out of a coop than a purpose-created brooder.
Well, I got to say these are the most perfect little chicks. Their conformation and markings are spot on. Couple of days I can wing sex them ( yes, this strain can be wing sexed) and know what we have.
Best Regards,
Karen

Karen, I've seen hens dig a big hole when there were no other adult birds in with her... makes you mad when she flings chicks along with bedding! I hope she stops doing that for you.

========================
Hi Angela,
Thanks. I am never hatching eggs this early in the year again. I don't care what the experts say. What a hassle. I finally got everything set for the coop as a brooder. Moved May and Junior to the other coop. But now, March is just sitting on the chicks. One was hatched yesterday and 2 hatched today. Aren't they supposed to be eating and , at least, drinking? She doesn't seem to want to do anything for them except sit on the for warmth. Have 2 of the 60 watt soft light white bulbs in there. It's above freezing. Am I expecting too much , they still digesting egg sack? Or do I have an emergency brewing and just need to take the chicks from her? I agree it has been and upsetting day for March. Me in and out of the coop, doing the final changes to turn the coop into a brooder...losing her boy and other pullet to another coop. I am worried I am missing something.
Best,
Karen

As stated before, by others, they've had a rough go of it and need a day or two to recuperate and also that yolk will be absorbed. Has your hen been eating this whole time or is she good and hungry? I'd put a piece of plywood on the floor and set your feeder and waterer on that. Sprinkle some of your chick starter on the plywood so the babies can see it. If the mama is hungry, she'll start eating and clucking to the babies and hopefully they'll be off and running. If you're not sure they're at least drinking by day 3, you can dip their little beaks in the water very quickly to get them going. The mama should take over these chores. You'll probably want to find a way to keep your feeder and waterer from being spilled by that hen when she starts scratching around.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Usually they are really happy when they purr. There is a low growl that almost sounds like a purr too.

Ha ha ha, I guess there is only one way to find out which it is.....

Hi,
Well we have a 50% survival rate with the chicks. March kicked 1 egg out of the nest (unworthy chick inside), left one egg in the nest( probably unworthy too, was cold, didn't bother to,open it ); 4 live chicks. I vacillated for days over whether to leave the rooster in with the girls. He did not bother either eggs, chicks, or hens....but I learned the hard way, why one takes the rooster out of the broody coop. The girls felt they needed to protect the chicks from Junior. So they dug nice deep holes in the litter. In the end one chick was crushed by their protective squatting. So we have 3 live chicks left. Junior and May will go into the empty bachelor quarters today. March can raise 3 chicks by herself. Plus the deep holes mean the chicks have to climb a "mountain". of chips to get to the feed/water.
It's harder making a proper brooder out of a coop than a purpose-created brooder.
Well, I got to say these are the most perfect little chicks. Their conformation and markings are spot on. Couple of days I can wing sex them ( yes, this strain can be wing sexed) and know what we have.
Best Regards,
Karen

I'm sorry for the losses, but congratulations on the beautiful chicks!!!

Also, um, i 4th or 5th that on the no need at the moment for food and water, and the 3 days before need arises, Just in case you need my personal expertise on that

 

[1MrsMagoo]

SCOTT is right some birds where in the large building it was so spreed out my legs where so tired walking I just getting them back to normal. The Moran National Meet had so many birds they took up all the large fowl holes. Heck they told me they had to go borrow more large fowl coops for this show because of it.

I think there where some good large fowl Cornish there to.

Walt can solve the issue on the pink vs orange issue. I think he may have been on that committee.

I asked a very reliable source where did this take place where there where 75 or 80 geese and 8 breeders with affidavits saying they have been breeding them for 6 or 8 years or what ever the standard com mite requires. He told me there was no show for these geese they where just put into the standard with out a class like all the other breeds have been or done be for.

I was shocked. There is no history of how and when these Poms got into the standard and that is why the orange feet and bills I think got into the standard. When these geese came over here to the USA from Europe ie Germany where my grand father and great grand father lived in the late 1800s they where pink. My grand father in the 1950s was not a exhibitor but a framer. He got these geese from a hatchery and had them ship ed to the west coast of Washington in the early 1950s or late 40s. He would raise them for Christmas and Thanksgiving geese and a guy from Seattle would come down in a big two ton trailer with sides on it with two floors and fill the bottom and top floor with his geese. I think he raised about 100 per year and had enough breeders to do it again the next year. He sold some locally so he raised about 150 per year. They all had dull pink feet and bills. He kept them as they reminded him of his home land befor he came to this country in 1901.

They where true to breed and he loved them. Great old H bird from the old days and water fowl are H type birds and many people love and enjoy them. I am a old Rouen guy myself I love this old breed.

I am really glad this conversation about the Pomeranians has come up. Many of us newer breeders, all armed with the latest copies of the SOP, are sitting around scratching our collective heads about the bill/feet/shank coloration. When I got my original pair I thought the pink was the standard for this breed. Then I got my SOP and read the reddish-orange thing and was totally confused. It is bad enough trying to sort out body types and markings, but the uncertainty about this critical point has been a real sticking point.

Anyway, while searching for breeders, I ran across this flock in Washington State. The owner said that they were purchased a number of years ago from Brian Paul Witt. These are mostly solid colors, which are of course not in the SOP, but just look at the bill color.


Out of 14 Buff Poms in my flock I have one lone gander with the pink bill, shanks, and feet (his markings aren't great and he doesn't have a broad full chest). The 4 females pictured with him and one other gander not show that came from the same breeder all have bills/feet/shanks that are too orange.


I don't know how well you can see on this photo: This is one of my young ganders taken last fall. Most of the stock hatched from my breeding pair have the pink legs and feet. All their bills are orange at the base and bleed into either pink or reddish pink.

This guy is way over marked on his neck, but shows the bill color more typical of the birds from my pair. They are more of a magenta or hot pink than what I'd like, but at least it isn't solid orange.



Luckily, this year I was able to find 3 breeders with decent stock so have ordered goslings and hatching eggs from them. Fingers are crossed that with a few years of hard culling I will have a respectable flock of around 20 Buff Saddlebacks.

Thanks again for talking about this breed. Their is far too little information out there about them!

 

[jonih]

This is the thread ive been looking for. I am going to mess around with some hatchery chicks in four breeds this spring to get my feet wet, then head a direction with whichever breed i like best next year to pursue SOP stock. The breeds i picked to sample are buff orpingtons (5 hens), silver spangled hamburgs (5h, 2r), black minorcas 5/2), and columbian wyandottes (5/2). I was really torn over wanting anconas, but decided to leave them out for now. I raised SOP and sq rabbits for several years and loved the challenge. When i get done with grad school i plan to renew that hobby, but wanted to try birds now. Hopeflly ill be able to meet and learn from some of you at area shows and swaps! Im in SWMO.

Blessings!

 

[NanaKat]

Sounds like a good plan. You might also enjoy the CSU thread (Chicken Standard University). Currently the discussion is on Dominique but recently Wyandottes were the topic of instruction.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Al,
Thank you so much for all your help and advice. I just didn't study anything about hens hatching eggs. So I kinda feel lost in all this. Ok, so 1 chick was hatched early on 2/21. 2 chicks were hatched early on 2/22. So, as you say, there is time. I have the waterer in there and a trough feeder. Plus the grit dispenser. Have the adult feed, water and grit placed high enough the chicks can't reach them.
Patience is a virtue, sigh.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

This is the thread ive been looking for. I am going to mess around with some hatchery chicks in four breeds this spring to get my feet wet, then head a direction with whichever breed i like best next year to pursue SOP stock. The breeds i picked to sample are buff orpingtons (5 hens), silver spangled hamburgs (5h, 2r), black minorcas 5/2), and columbian wyandottes (5/2). I was really torn over wanting anconas, but decided to leave them out for now. I raised SOP and sq rabbits for several years and loved the challenge. When i get done with grad school i plan to renew that hobby, but wanted to try birds now. Hopeflly ill be able to meet and learn from some of you at area shows and swaps! Im in SWMO.

Blessings!

======================================

Hi

So glad you landed here! This is a great list with fine educators and veteran breeder, all willing to share.
You've picked some real nice, worthy breeds.
Best Success,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[fowlman01]

"I am really glad this conversation about the Pomeranians has come up. Many of us newer breeders, all armed with the latest copies of the SOP, are sitting around scratching our collective heads about the bill/feet/shank coloration. When I got my original pair I thought the pink was the standard for this breed. Then I got my SOP and read the reddish-orange thing and was totally confused. It is bad enough trying to sort out body types and markings, but the uncertainty about this critical point has been a real sticking point".







The bill of a Pom in the SOP is: Reddish pink or deep flesh color...... Feet: orange red to reddish PINK. That should cover most Poms I have seen. The biggest problems with Poms is that a lot are double lobed and they should be single lobed.

Walt

 

[poltroon]

I was the National Sectary for the Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club for four years. When it comes to Silver Pencil led, Colombian , Buff and Partridge there are maybe two people who have either one of these color patterns. You get requests from people when you are a Club Sectary wanting to get these color patterns. Now Mr. Urch may have these color patterns in Rocks he may have them in Wyandottes , but what happens in two or five years when he retires from breeding these birds. Unless Murry Mc Murry or Mr. Fox at Ideal buys all these birds and takes them to their farms who is going to supply these breeds that he may have in the PAST?

You can say well there are five or ten people who have Silver Pencil led Plymouth Rocks? I only know about two who have anything worth purchasing from. Some have the color pattern but they are two notches above hatchery quality. If you call hatchery quality chickens part of the numbers around you can. For example who has Partridge Wyandotte large fowl that are show quality or have been breed by a good breeder or judge for at least 10 years. I know of one judge in Iowa. How about Silver Laced. They are looking pretty good right now I know of two good breeders one in Canada and one I think in Penn who has some great ones. I know of a fellow who has some of both who is getting started but does not have the chicks yet to get going. Last year he had a poor hatch from his $100. each birds he got.

My last year I had requests like no buddy's business for Blue Rock Large Fowl I knew of one person in Fla and had at least ten people who wanted them. They could care less about the other colors as they thought Blue was so pretty. I have a friend who has Partridge Rock large fowl he got from Dick Horstman. He has had them for about four years. He got eggs from Dick. He is having a devil of a time finding some one who has some blood lines other than Dicks. So where are all these good breeders with these rare colors in Rocks and Wyandottes. I get the Poultry Press for many years I do not see many Rocks in there that are getting on champion row other than the Whites and the Bar reds some times. They are a color pattern making a come back. We promoted them like crazy about two years ago when Kathy was trying to get some for her Delaware Project. That's when we found the German New Hampshire's and they took off like a rocket ship. The other color patterns have still been slow to get people to own but the pretty the color the harder it is to breed. Beginners can not be expected to maintain a old color pattern like Partridge, Colombian or Silver Pencil led and kept these colors from going away. If it was not for Mr. Urch we would not have a lot of these old color patterns.

I am fairly new to poultry, and I've been distressed to see these beautiful older varieties being so rare and hard to find while people latch on to new faddish colors. A splashy paint job is certainly fun - but the original variety of the Wyandotte, silver laced, is terrifyingly uncommon. It's a beautiful and special color.

There may be quite a few Wyandotte breeders out there, but when you already have 9 varieties within the breed, you can see that you need quite a few breeders to cover them all well. A rare breed with only one color, like the Buckeye, may actually be better off, in terms of preservation.