Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Robert Blosl]

If I Had to buy a trio of good birds such as Mottle Javas or Barred Plymouth Rocks I could do it with one trio. I would mate the daughters to the Sire and the best one or two ckls to the dams or aunt. I would be tickled pink with just a trio. For example the Buff Plymouth Rock eggs that are heading to Arizona. If she gets a good trio I would pay $300. for a trio that she couild spare. You are buying the work of the master breeder and the gene pool. In the long run you should be right there with what he has done to improve them for the past two to three years.

I have come to learn I would rather breed from two killer females and one or two males or splint the season in half with the males than have six to ten other birds. All you are doing is producing numbers. Quality is the secret not Quantity.

If you are loaded with money and can afford to do it nock your self out. With these big eating chickens you better breed and cull smart.

I went to the feed store today and got 100 pounds of game bird pellets $37. it did not go up from last time. I am great full. However, I am going to swing the ax quicker this year than last year.

I am going to get down to two breeds and get rid of the other two.

Don't need them and most people don't give a darn or the Gone with the Wind term for white leghorn bantams.

So I will focus on what I like and have me some sitting hens to sit on my eggs and that's all I plan to do for the next five years.

If there is a breeder who should get the award for most improve breeder for a endangered rare H breed its Joseph with his White Dorkings. The lesson that can be leaned by his work is if he can do it you can do it. Do what he has done and you will have success in five to eight years.

Well I got to go out side and check on my Silkies. They are out running loose for a hour and got to shut the door to keep them from getting eat up by a possum.

 

[NanaKat]

Cluck-Cluck and Lacy, I'm lucky enough to have a hen that will actually steal chicks from other hens and adopt them. Lucy took on several two week old chicks when a mama hen would go out to free range and they began to follow Lucy around. She kept them until they were 5 weeks old. She still smothers love on any baby around.
Wish I could clone her...she is an Australorp.

On the discussion of breeding. Using the information from the SOP and the wealth of information shared here and on the CSU thread, the Columbian Wyandotte flock I have been maintaining for two years has had a productive year...and Type before Color. has become my montra.
.
Of the 75 CW hatched only 5 pullets and 1 cockerel have been reserved.

Blue Wyandotte 30 hatched only keeping 2 pullets and 1 cockerel

In addition in the project pens:
Blue CW 25 hatched were narrowed to 3 pullets and one cockerel.
Birchen W 50 hatched narrowed down to 3 pullets and two cockerels...Type and nice yellow legs.

And in the BBS Cochin pen, 75 hatched narrowed down to 1 black pullet, 1 blue pullet, 1 black cockerel and no blues. The parent stock are beautiful from well known Cochin breeders and as hubby said..."You can always make more" so I shared some great trios with some young people in my area and sold a few great pullets and cockerels.

Will finish out the hatching season June 15 if the Oklahoma weather cooperates. There will be a total of 100 new chicks to filter with a firm eye for type. The bulk of the new chicks are from the Columbian Wyandotte pen. I'm really looking for another nice cockerel.
And my egg layer flock is getting older ...will replace some of the old girls.

While I have had chickens for over 20 years, I think I have learned more in the last 18 months than I have in that entire time....and I have a long way to go.

 

[cluck-cluck]

I was referring to the chicks that are new hatches.  The older they get, the less likely they will accept the mama.  I had a similar situation not too long ago.  One of my girls brooded over some eggs and only one hatched.  A week later, I had a couple hatch from my incubator.  I waited until these chicks were 3 days old, maybe 4.  I wanted to be sure they knew what food was before putting them in a situation with an older chick.  I slipped them under her at night when she and the older chick had gone to bed.  In the morning when I came out, the mama and older chick were out of the box waiting for food.  The two younger ones were still in the box and cold (not COLD but not being kept warm).  I had to coax them out of the box and put them at the feeder.  After they ate, they wanted warmth but didn't know that the mama was the source. (I think I had to do this maybe 2 or 3 times that day)  I had to guide them over to her and she convinced them to get underneath.  I think by the end of that day, they knew what she was there for.

So, to make a long story short, I wouldn't wait til they were a week old, just until they are eating good and then slip them under her at night.  You'll probably have to lend a helping hand the next day or so until they get the hang of it.  Unless you have chickens that are extremely aggressive, I don't really think a two week old will hurt a younger chick.

Cluck-Cluck and Lacy, I'm lucky enough to have a hen that will actually steal chicks from other hens and adopt them.  Lucy  took on several two week old chicks when a mama hen would go out to free range and they began to follow Lucy around.  She kept them until they were 5 weeks old.  She still smothers love on any baby around.
Wish I could clone her...she is an Australorp.

On the discussion of breeding.  Using the information from the SOP and the wealth of information shared here and on the CSU thread, the Columbian Wyandotte flock I have been maintaining for two years has had a productive year...and Type before Color. has become my montra.  
.
Of the 75 CW hatched only 5 pullets and  1  cockerel have been reserved. 

Blue Wyandotte  30 hatched only keeping 2 pullets and 1 cockerel

In addition in the project pens: 
Blue CW 25 hatched were narrowed to 3 pullets and one cockerel. 
Birchen W 50 hatched narrowed down to 3 pullets and two cockerels...Type and nice yellow legs.

And in the BBS Cochin pen, 75 hatched narrowed down to 1 black pullet, 1 blue pullet,  1 black cockerel and no blues.  The parent stock are beautiful from well known Cochin breeders  and as hubby said..."You can always make more"  so I shared some great trios with some young people in my area and sold a few great pullets and cockerels.

Will finish out the hatching season June 15 if the Oklahoma weather cooperates.  There will be a total of 100 new chicks to filter with a firm eye for type.  The bulk of the new chicks are from the Columbian Wyandotte pen.  I'm really looking for another nice cockerel.
And my egg layer flock is getting older ...will replace some of the old girls.

While I have had chickens for over 20 years, I think I have learned more in the last 18 months than I have in that entire time....and I have a long way to go.

Thank you both so much, I'm going to try it tonight!

Good luck with this year's hatching season!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Last batch of Barred Rocks of the season. I won't lie, it's been a tough hatching season for these Rocks, but this last hatch was terrific. I incubated in the cold basement to keep a constant temp. Also did the dry method and egg cartons.

10 little ones in the brooder tonight. It's so hot and muggy here that I'm just using a 60 watt, regular old bulb and they still are laying around just the edges of the light. LOL

Happy, happy day.

I kept a male and female from a hatch 9 weeks ago. They are out in the grow out pen. I LOVE their silhouette, just moving across the yard. In the early morning light, I can't even see their color or barring from the kitchen window. All you see is that incredible Rock silhouette. That is a good way, I think, to judge young birds. No being barn blinded by their color, just that shadow moving. Gosh, I love it.

 

[aveca]

i agree Bob..i read a book a couple years by Ray Connor ..he breeds no more than 30 birds per year ..he won the sydney royal an unheard of 17 times..it is quality over quantity..sometimes endangered breeds need to put down if more issues need worked out..

 

[cbnovick]

Last batch of Barred Rocks of the season. I won't lie, it's been a tough hatching season for these Rocks, but this last hatch was terrific. I incubated in the cold basement to keep a constant temp. Also did the dry method and egg cartons.

10 little ones in the brooder tonight. It's so hot and muggy here that I'm just using a 60 watt, regular old bulb and they still are laying around just the edges of the light. LOL

Happy, happy day.

I kept a male and female from a hatch 9 weeks ago. They are out in the grow out pen. I LOVE their silhouette, just moving across the yard. In the early morning light, I can't even see their color or barring from the kitchen window. All you see is that incredible Rock silhouette. That is a good way, I think, to judge young birds. No being barn blinded by their color, just that shadow moving. Gosh, I love it.

it seems so many have a challenging time with hatching BR's...esp. the GSBR ringlets...a real enigma of sorts...so glad you had a good hatch this go 'round...

Speaking of low watt bulbs for brooding----I have been monitoring the temp in my garage this past week via digital therm., knowing I have a staggered hatch upcoming...in the next 2 and 3 weeks...black and buff orps then the Buff rocks....it's been about 92-97 afternoons...night time low has been around 80-85...looking like all I will need is a 60 watt bulb at night and that's it the first week at least...temps will be up more in a few weeks even...may even need to run a fan in late afternoons once they get to be over a week or 2...imagine that...chicks panting...(-; never have hatched this late in the season....let alone in AZ.

would love to see photos your 9 week olds...so true about silhouettes revealing true SOP type...bird watchin' is HIGH on my list of favorite things to be sure!!!

 

[NanaKat]

I don't remember who suggested it, but changing your photos to black and white allows the silhouette of those birds to show more clearly.
The fun part is sitting in the pen trying to get good photos of very active juveniles...especially in the early morning hours with a cup of coffee as they cavort around the pen flapping wings and jumping. There is nothing better.

 

[Texasmja]

I don't remember who suggested it, but changing your photos to black and white allows the silhouette of those birds to show more clearly.

That is what I also do. Take out the color and look at the shape first. With pretty colored birds people focus (see) only the "color" and forget the rest. That kills me. What I mostly see is flat chests and pinched tails.

 

[gjensen]

I pick my birds up and handle them. The feather will fool you.

With Jeremy's Rocks, what you see is what you get. They are solid birds.

Fred, my later hatches with those Rocks were more succesful than the early hatches. I tried different things, but if I was going to do those again, I would just wait. My April hatches were better than my Feb. hatches. That may have just been the birds that I had, and the way I managed them. I am not saying that this would be true for all.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I pick my birds up and handle them. The feather will fool you.

With Jeremy's Rocks, what you see is what you get. They are solid birds.

Fred, my later hatches with those Rocks were more succesful than the early hatches. I tried different things, but if I was going to do those again, I would just wait. My April hatches were better than my Feb. hatches. That may have just been the birds that I had, and the way I managed them. I am not saying that this would be true for all.

Whether a person got these birds from Frank, Jeremy, Kathy, etc, the only little caution I'd give folks getting a dozen eggs to hatch would be this. This is likely going to try your patience. Don't become easily discouraged. Between the shipping and incubating, you might only get 3 or 4 chicks out the deal. That's OK. Start with what you have and take care of them.

This isn't at all like hatching out some prolific hatchery mix/mutts that have vigor out the ying yang. Not the way I see it anyhow. Then, these birds take forever and a day to mature and begin to lay. 36-38 weeks for us. The cockerels don't show their stuff until their first birthday almost.

This strain isn't for the weak hearted and those who want everything fast, fast and faster. Folks like that really need to be self aware and should just pick up fuzzy black and white birds from a good hatchery and call it a day. Nothing wrong with that.

Are they worth it? Perhaps not to everyone. To us? How wide is my smile?

Edit: Forgot to mention that they'll eat you out of house and home too!! LOL