Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

Cindy do you want to spend thousands of dollars to try to improve a Plymouth Rock Varity that has Wyandotte blood in them or would it be worth getting a breeding trios shipped to your house pay the price to ship them and then start two family's and maybe have something worth hanging your hat on called Buff Plymouth Rocks. There are no good buff Plymouth Rocks left in the USA there is one strain in the North East and the breeder is a master breeder of the buff color. If I had my heart and soul wanting a Buff Plymouth Rock large fowl I would not fool with anybody but him.

There is a breeder in Calif who has some very good Buff Wyandotte's that are maybe even better than todays Buff Rocks. That is a possibility for you. I don't know why you want Buff Rocks unless you like the pictures in the catalogs or the Standard. The fact is they do not look like these pictures and they are ten years away from being competitive in shows in the Plymouth Rock Class. Also, for beginners the buff color is not a easy choice to work with. Just wanted you to know. If you don't want to show them or try to preserve them then that's a different story. Many people ask me for these off the wall colors and they are just not out there. They are to expensive to breed today and they are very difficult to get the color right heck you may have to double mate many of the colors to get a few good ones. Let us know what you goals are. The good breeders do not fool with eggs or chicks so that is something you have to think about when you fall in love with a H breed.

Bob

Doesn't Tom Roebuck still raise Buff Rocks?

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

I think joel Gilman raises them too.

 

[galanie]

Hi all, I kind of lurk on this thread, as your conversations are very interesting, and I learn a lot.  I'm going off-current-subjects here to ask a heated question. 

First background:  I'm new to chickens though I've wanted to raise them since I was 18 years old, over 30  years ago!  I just started recently, and I tried a few birds, and it turns out, the ones I got on a fluke turned out to be my favorite, Crevecoeurs.  Now my little girl, she lays an egg almost every day, and is adorable.  My boy is such a sweetheart, though he has challenged my husband and my son once each, he hasn't again (after being rebuffed)  So, I've found that this was the breed I want to work with eventually.

So my question is, is there a point to breeding to the SOP for this bird?  It was never really popular in America, It's function (duel purpose) is accomplished by many other arguably better birds and they are in abysmal shape.  As an example, I weighed my boy yesterday, and he weighed 3.9 lbs and is 7 months old (they're supposed to get up to 8 lbs!)  They are both hatchery birds, of course, and I'm on a waiting list from a breeder here, but again, I'm wondering if there is a reason to "save a breed" when it's one that has never been popular or of much interest in this country.  Not that any of that will deter me from raising them, I just wonder if I should take it more seriously, or if it would even matter in the end?  I haven't even attended a show yet, and don't know if that's what I want to do. 

I guess my question really is, does it matter? 

I think it matters too. But really, do you love them? Are they the bird for you? If so, it's worth it. If it turns out that you aren't all that crazy for them, then no, it's not worth it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hi all, I kind of lurk on this thread, as your conversations are very interesting, and I learn a lot. I'm going off-current-subjects here to ask a heated question.

First background: I'm new to chickens though I've wanted to raise them since I was 18 years old, over 30 years ago! I just started recently, and I tried a few birds, and it turns out, the ones I got on a fluke turned out to be my favorite, Crevecoeurs. Now my little girl, she lays an egg almost every day, and is adorable. My boy is such a sweetheart, though he has challenged my husband and my son once each, he hasn't again (after being rebuffed) So, I've found that this was the breed I want to work with eventually.

So my question is, is there a point to breeding to the SOP for this bird? It was never really popular in America, It's function (duel purpose) is accomplished by many other arguably better birds and they are in abysmal shape. As an example, I weighed my boy yesterday, and he weighed 3.9 lbs and is 7 months old (they're supposed to get up to 8 lbs!) They are both hatchery birds, of course, and I'm on a waiting list from a breeder here, but again, I'm wondering if there is a reason to "save a breed" when it's one that has never been popular or of much interest in this country. Not that any of that will deter me from raising them, I just wonder if I should take it more seriously, or if it would even matter in the end? I haven't even attended a show yet, and don't know if that's what I want to do.

I guess my question really is, does it matter?

To me? Yes. It would.

There is some life connection, oft times, in the breeds we favor. It doesn't have to be particularly logical. If they are your breed? That's it. No one has to explain it.

Keeping the birds as they are supposed be, in type, personality and performance is the right thing to do because it was those very things that caused to favor them in the first place. Some day, some where, some time, somebody is going to also fall in love with that breed and will be over the moon happy over inheriting your work with them.

 

[gjensen]

Fred is right.

It is a personal decision. If you believe the effort is worth your while, then it is. You are, after all, keeping the birds for your own enjoyment. No opinion factors into what I do on my own yard. It is my yard.

This is not to say there is not any wisdom in what some say. It is just that at the end of the day, you are keeping birds for your own reasons.

The value in a breed is found by those that keep them. If it is that one is more popular than another, so be it. Doesn't make a breed that is not as popular any less valuable to someone that is interested in the breed that is not.

I like the variety in poultry breeds. Various people keeping different birds for different reasons with different settings and tastes equals the variety of poultry breeds.

That said, be careful what you ask for. You will find out just how interested and dedicated you are.

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

Speaking of black leghorns who has them?
Also what about don krahe black hamburgs? I saw his obituary in this past poultry press.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Thank you all for your input!

I think it matters too. But really, do you love them? Are they the bird for you? If so, it's worth it. If it turns out that you aren't all that crazy for them, then no, it's not worth it.

Yes, I've only had 2 for 7 months, who knows what my next batch will be like (hopefully just as nice). I have a so much to learn still.

To me? Yes. It would.

There is some life connection, oft times, in the breeds we favor. It doesn't have to be particularly logical. If they are your breed? That's it. No one has to explain it.

Keeping the birds as they are supposed be, in type, personality and performance is the right thing to do because it was those very things that caused to favor them in the first place. Some day, some where, some time, somebody is going to also fall in love with that breed and will be over the moon happy over inheriting your work with them.

That's a wonderful thought! If after 20 or so years, when I'm too old to do this, I can find someone who will want to take over, that'd be so wonderful.

Fred is right.

It is a personal decision. If you believe the effort is worth your while, then it is. You are, after all, keeping the birds for your own enjoyment. No opinion factors into what I do on my own yard. It is my yard.

This is not to say there is not any wisdom in what some say. It is just that at the end of the day, you are keeping birds for your own reasons.

The value in a breed is found by those that keep them. If it is that one is more popular than another, so be it. Doesn't make a breed that is not as popular any less valuable to someone that is interested in the breed that is not.

I like the variety in poultry breeds. Various people keeping different birds for different reasons with different settings and tastes equals the variety of poultry breeds.

That said, be careful what you ask for. You will find out just how interested and dedicated you are.

not sure what you mean by the last sentence, LOL

I hope you mean I will become dedicated and have my life revolve around these birds, rather than something worse, LOL. like lose control, which I'm afraid of! LOL

 

[bnjrob]

Hi all, I kind of lurk on this thread, as your conversations are very interesting, and I learn a lot. I'm going off-current-subjects here to ask a heated question.

First background: I'm new to chickens though I've wanted to raise them since I was 18 years old, over 30 years ago! I just started recently, and I tried a few birds, and it turns out, the ones I got on a fluke turned out to be my favorite, Crevecoeurs. Now my little girl, she lays an egg almost every day, and is adorable. My boy is such a sweetheart, though he has challenged my husband and my son once each, he hasn't again (after being rebuffed) So, I've found that this was the breed I want to work with eventually.

So my question is, is there a point to breeding to the SOP for this bird? It was never really popular in America, It's function (duel purpose) is accomplished by many other arguably better birds and they are in abysmal shape. As an example, I weighed my boy yesterday, and he weighed 3.9 lbs and is 7 months old (they're supposed to get up to 8 lbs!) They are both hatchery birds, of course, and I'm on a waiting list from a breeder here, but again, I'm wondering if there is a reason to "save a breed" when it's one that has never been popular or of much interest in this country. Not that any of that will deter me from raising them, I just wonder if I should take it more seriously, or if it would even matter in the end? I haven't even attended a show yet, and don't know if that's what I want to do.

I guess my question really is, does it matter?

IMO - it depends on what the goals are for YOUR flock. Both short and long term goals.

Are they pets? Are you happy with them the way they are? Are you EVER going to show them? Are you EVER going to sell them? Do you want to sell meat/eggs? Do you just want chickens for manure or pest control? Are they important enough to you that you help keep them from extinction even if you feel that they aren't popular with other people? There are so many questions you need to ask yourself about what you want out of your chickens.

Only you can determine what goals you have for keeping chickens and how much effort you want to expend. It is more work to learn about the SOP, and breeding, and actually examine your chickens, cull chickens, etc. than it is to simply throw some food and water into a pen with them. But only you can decide what you want to do.

I would say that you need to get your goals listed and keep your options open - particularly if you aren't sure yet about some goals - before you waste time and money now so you don't kick yourself later.

 

[OSUman]

Bob Pinkerton and Fred Zillich have Black Leghorns. Here is a Pullet I saw at a show a couple weeks ago, it was Champion Mediteranean.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: That's the man he is the master of the Buff Color. You would be money ahead to get his birds. Gilman they are ok. Trouble is can you get him to answer the phone. Has anyone got any of his chicks this year. Again if you just want buff rocks and don't care what they look like and not going to preserve the breed just get some from a Hatchery. You will have yellow chickens and maybe you will be happy. Getting chickens that have been crossed onto other breeds takes twenty years and thousands of dollars of feed to improve. You have to be a super master breed to take on this event. Scott your Colombians are a cross from White Rocks and Light Brahmas and I bet this project is about 15 years old.

At least the chickens this year have been kind of easy to help find except these buffs. Last year and the year before we had so many that wanted Blue Rocks which are not very popular and so hard to raise. That has to be the most difficulty color pattern to try to breed.