Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[aveca]

Thankfully I love the way the solid black orps look. After flipping through thousands of chicken pics I just kept coming back to them. If it less complex than the laced or crele variations all the better. Just means I can focus on type more than color.

Here is my one black roo,12 weeks old here, I got out of my chicks. 14 chicks and I got 10 hens and only one black roo.

me too kiniska..my favorites are the black and white orps..the blacks are such a handsom bird..and so active..not the greatest egg layer, but not bad either

 

[3riverschick]

I agree on starting with an SOP breed. It also helps if the breed has a rich literary history to study (in English).
Best,
Karen

 

[BGMatt]

I agree with you about the new/ weirdo breeds being foisted off on new comers. I do NOT agree about the English Orps. in SOP colors, that have been imported. These birds have provided a valuable source of new blood , from the original source, to the breed. US Orps suffered through the first  World War, just after they had been recognized. Then the APA standard was changed after WW1 to better accommodate what was being bred.Rock and Wyandotte were added here, Cochin in the UK. Our 2 standards are really very similar. What is winning in both US and British shows is not. If one reads and understands both Standards, you will find that the English Orps who fit the British Standard, are a much better go-to than Rocks or Wyandottes.

I could not be more pleased with my crosses to the English birds. The proof will be in the pudding this year, when they hit the shows.Having shown more than a few birds, I don't think I'll be too disappointed.

Problem with the English Orps isn't using them as you have, the problem is the "English Orps" (and as you mentioned the odd off the wall colors that are money grabs by propagators) that don't meet either standard and are just being marketed as the greatest chicken ever while being poor examples of the breed but are "pretty" and "imported". Of course the fads thing applies to most breeds, and a well bred, to standard, bird is gorgeous in most fowl.

Edit: btw send some good buffs to the NW, I don't think I've seen a good one up here for about 10 years.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

me too kiniska..my favorites are the black and white orps..the blacks are such a handsom bird..and so active..not the greatest egg layer, but not bad either

Egg laying capacity, as well as your type, can be fixed with time. That's the great thing about breeding. Gradually, as long as you do the research and attend shows, you'll learn where you need to go to select for stronger and stronger qualities.

I'd suggest beginning with the ALBC website education resources for breeding heritage poultry for production. You can see improvement in egg production relatively quickly with proper selection.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Problem with the English Orps isn't using them as you have, the problem is the "English Orps" (and as you mentioned the odd off the wall colors that are money grabs by propagators) that don't meet either standard and are just being marketed as the greatest chicken ever while being poor examples of the breed but are "pretty" and "imported". Of course the fads thing applies to most breeds, and a well bred, to standard, bird is gorgeous in most fowl.

Edit: btw send some good buffs to the NW, I don't think I've seen a good one up here for about 10 years.

Yes, there's all of this ridiculousness being exhibited in "Orpingtons" in the North East in the last couple of years: laced Orpingtons, very poorly mottled Speckled Orpingtons that are stumpy, undersized, and the absolutely incorrect type.

For grading, though, why not? The right skin color to start out with isn't a bad thing. The Brits seem to have feather and coloring issues under hand, they're Anconas have fantastic mottling, even with the nice hackle and saddle mottling in the cocks, but type-wise no way.

Good Buffs area also rare in the North East. One sees Buffs and Whites, sometimes Blacks. The latter two are a bit small. The Buffs are nice big birds, with good type, but the feathering is too loose, and they never have a that nice finished look.

 

[thedragonlady]

Problem with the English Orps isn't using them as you have, the problem is the "English Orps" (and as you mentioned the odd off the wall colors that are money grabs by propagators) that don't meet either standard and are just being marketed as the greatest chicken ever while being poor examples of the breed but are "pretty" and "imported". Of course the fads thing applies to most breeds, and a well bred, to standard, bird is gorgeous in most fowl.

Edit: btw send some good buffs to the NW, I don't think I've seen a good one up here for about 10 years.

I'll have some nice juvenile trios to ship this fall . Some nice birds ready to show at the fall shows too , if anyone is interested.

 

[thedragonlady]

Yes, there's all of this ridiculousness being exhibited in "Orpingtons" in the North East in the last couple of years: laced Orpingtons, very poorly mottled Speckled Orpingtons that are stumpy, undersized, and the absolutely incorrect type.

For grading, though, why not? The right skin color to start out with isn't a bad thing. The Brits seem to have feather and coloring issues under hand, they're Anconas have fantastic mottling, even with the nice hackle and saddle mottling in the cocks, but type-wise no way.

Good Buffs area also rare in the North East. One sees Buffs and Whites, sometimes Blacks. The latter two are a bit small. The Buffs are nice big birds, with good type, but the feathering is too loose, and they never have a that nice finished look.

Large fowl are a whole 'nother ball game when it comes to conditioning. Timing is important . You can't stuff them into a small show coop, and keep these birds looking nice , like you can with bantams.I used to AI all my Silkies, and breed off my show string. No way with these huge Orps.

I just shoveled 3 tons of clean sand into the coops yesterday . Three more tons coming next week, when my back hopefully recovers. The Orps are loving it though in this heat. They burrow down in the moist sand in front of the fans at about 3 :00 PM , and don't come out until I serve supper.The clean moist sand really helps with keeping feathering pristine.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

The Orps are loving it though in this heat. They burrow down in the moist sand in front of the fans at about 3 :00 PM , and don't come out until I serve supper.The clean moist sand really helps with keeping feathering pristine.

Can you speak to this more. I don't currently use sand.

 

[aveca]

Yes, there's all of this ridiculousness being exhibited in "Orpingtons" in the North East in the last couple of years: laced Orpingtons, very poorly mottled Speckled Orpingtons that are stumpy, undersized, and the absolutely incorrect type.

For grading, though, why not? The right skin color to start out with isn't a bad thing. The Brits seem to have feather and coloring issues under hand, they're Anconas have fantastic mottling, even with the nice hackle and saddle mottling in the cocks, but type-wise no way.

Good Buffs area also rare in the North East. One sees Buffs and Whites, sometimes Blacks. The latter two are a bit small. The Buffs are nice big birds, with good type, but the feathering is too loose, and they never have a that nice finished look.

I think Buff orps are poor at best in the entire country..knarley combs, wings pointed to the ground instead of tucked up tight..shallow chested too long, lost color.. ect ect..Its not just north east..its nation wide..a scant few very nice birds..I would view lot of pics from across the country of champions and think , Really? they just never impressed me...I was never interested in owning them becuase they didnt look like the buff orps that My uncle had in the 60s...too much something other than buff in them..not sure what..

 

[cbnovick]

The Orps are loving it though in this heat. They burrow down in the moist sand in front of the fans at about 3 :00 PM , and don't come out until I serve supper.The clean moist sand really helps with keeping feathering pristine.
Can you speak to this more. I don't currently use sand

I use about 4-6 inches of general purpose sand called Sak-rete from Home Depot $2.30 per bag...not play sand as it's too fine IMO. Of course, if you need to you could get a yard load brought in...(I have a smaller flock with only 3 large coops/runs.) I have done this for over a year....LOVE IT. Alot of people use it here in the southwest...it does not get nasty when it rains and it is easier to clean...you can simply 'pick' through to remove droppings etc. Some replace the sand every year and start with a fresh base. Another reason I like sand is because in our extreme heat from May-October, we use misters and fans to keep the birds alive in temps over 105...the misters can tend to wet the ground some, so sand is preferred over bare ground etc.