Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Robert Blosl]

Theres money in it all right I have had a writer from a different web site of a different thread get on me for talking about strains of Poultry Like Oliver Bowen for his White Rocks or E W Reese for his Mrs. Donaldson Rhode Island Reds or Bill Bowmans Buff Brahma bantams but people want to know I think what they are buying if they are getting a start and not getting some production type chicken that is lead to be a Heritage Show type fowl. He said we are benifiting from it like making money. For shiping all my birds this year my profit is -$500. Better than last year which was -$700. Maybe next year I can make -$20.

That last great Strigman was from Ohio and he was Wilbur Stauffer. Dennis Meyers use to tell me he could come in at night with his flash light and clean you out. I met him about 22 years ago at the Tenn State Fair in Knoxvile. He had made the rounds with his chickens and was heading to the next show when he left the Poultry Building it was half empty. He was also one heck of a judge. I watched him judge a show and he could go though a class of chickens like a egg beater. If I ever wanted to be a judge I would have loved to have clerked under him. These are the judges that know poultry and can spot a good one a mile away.

http://www.poultryconnection.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-244.html this is the only stuff I can find on the book good thread. There are many of you who have a lot of breeds who could be a stringman. Look into it if you live in a region with a lot of fairs.

Maybe if I get some production reds I can make a profit with this hobby. I just have not been able to do it with these Mohawk bantams.bob

 

[joletabey]

Well, if anyone knows any Delaware "Stringmen", let me know- I will be on the hunt in Ohio, cash in hand!

 

[punky rooster]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=411797
bantams arent considered heritage right?
also oeg i thought weren't heritage
I no expert

 

[turbo]

There is a stringman from Ohio that hits the Kentucky State Fair the last two years..he enters over 100 birds and won everything this year. I think his name is Forman, or Furman...not sure.

I would love to find a copy of the Stringman book....have kept an eye out for it the last two years.

 

[greathorse]

What is your perception of the Stringmen, are they good for the industry, do you welcome them at the shows or do you feel like it is unfair competition when someone brings that many birds to a show"??

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have lost a few of my heritage BRs this week. Please see this post.....I need some help from you experts out there PLEASE.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5010864#p5010864

Only ones affected have been pullets, no cockerels

THANKS

 

[X2Farm]

Yard full o' rocks :

I have lost a few of my heritage BRs this week. Please see this post.....I need some help from you experts out there PLEASE.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5010864#p5010864

Only ones affected have been pullets, no cockerels

THANKS

Oh no!!!

hate to hear that

 

[lildinkem]

I lost 7 Black in my grow out pen to a mink or coon. I made the coop bullet proof for a coon yesterday, and still had two die last nite. NOW I minked proofed it. I hope. Anyway I am out with a Springfield in hand and just wait.

 

[turbo]

Well stringmen show up at State Fairs to make money and many of the birds are not very good, but some are good. This guy was certainly interesting to talk to...the fair feeds your birds for you, so he didnt have to do much work until coop out time...which is good since he was taking his second string to another fair while ours was going on. He did win super grand champion with a guinea and champ waterfowl , and reserve champ waterfowl.....which had everyone talking....talking about how the heck that happened..LOL. There were some very good birds at the state fair this year.....I think he entered close to 150 birds and had at least that many more in his second string...

 

[Robert Blosl]

A gunie won champion of the show. That is a first.

Bantams are Heritage Fowl. Lets say you use a 1964 Standard of Perfection as a cut off date for Heritage Fowl. Dark Cornish, Mondern Games, Old English Games, Silikies, Sebrights, Indian Runner ducks not a bantam but though of it, Rhode Island Reds dark kind dont have production red bantams, Cochin Bantams, Wyandotte Bantams, Leghorn bantams, just to name a few. I dont have my old book right now but bantams are a heritage breed of fowl just like some breeds of ducks and geese are.

String men normaly are not great conditions so they run down thier birds, they dont put anything on thier combs or feet like guys like me so they are not a big deal to a show, they do support the shows and help keep shows going. These fellows are not going to one day shows mostly county and state fairs.

I have only know Vern Sorenson as a kid when he took me to the shows and Wilbur Staffer who whas a hall of fame String man in the last 50 years. Also, he would sell his birds to you if you needed a breed and he also could tell you who had the best birds and strains when you wanted to get started.

Hope all is well for you all. I am packing up 35 birds tomorrow to go to a little show in Pensacola Flordia. I did good last year and won Champion Bantam of the show on one of the sons of the bird that is below my name. For me it was a great win as I had a hole bunch of bought birds brought in to give me a run for my money. I never got on champion row with a Red Bantam befor I about fliped out when he named him as I did not think they where ready yet they needed three to four more weeks to mature and be feathered out.
bob