Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[BLT79]

One final thought.

Since the poultry genetics corporations have developed the super fast maturing broilers and super fast maturing, high laying commercial layers, the older breeds, particularly the older dual purpose, so called, breeds have taken a pounding and in some cases were virtually abandoned and have been so rare that they almost were extinct.

Perserving these rare old blood lines and keeping them "up to Standard" is a passion and hobby of many folks here. Others preserve these old blood lines for purposes of competitive poultry showing, another great passion and hobby. Without these folks keeping these old birds alive and sharing with others the joys of owning them, they'd have disappeared. The world would be left with only commercial broilers on one hand and hyper layers on the other. Those are the birds that the meat and egg industry is interested in, not the old birds.

Would we really want a world with only commercial birds? I personally would not, which is why I keep heritage, standard bred birds and share the joys of them with others who are interested in them. As an American, our heritage involves the breeds first developed here. The APA's American Class. It is indeed a part of our American agricultural heritage.

thank you! great definition. so I don't know if I belong in this group. I have 1 EE, 1 RIR/Cuckoo Maran Mix, 2 Black Copper Marans and 1 Splash Maran. I would love a Deleware but can't find them in my area and don't want to order 6 from a hathery.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I love all of those old books including shell to showroom...it is free on cornell free library and google for e reader...you get a glimps into the history of the poultry world..like everybody says..some of it take with the grain of salt but historically this book and so many others are so valuable..they were the founders of poultry breeding today..without those people , we would have jungle fowl..they set the standards, decided the crosses to make , knew what worked and what didnt, the birds only evolved from there....one of the interesting stories in those book was about the chicken doctors or chicken fixers..this was a whole industry..when showing was in its apex and there were maybe 200 australorp on the line..or white leghorn..these guys were hired to fix them up and they were perfectionists..they knew how to doctor feathers to make the bird look text book for the day befor a show..they used some unscrupulois methods at times like on a leghorn that was as near perfect as it could be but had a broken or off colored main tail feather..they knew how to get that feather out of the shaft and replace it with a feather from another bird...just crazy stuff like that keeps me reading till 2 in the morning sometimes..dont recomend that but found it interesting that people actually got paid to do that..today we know that some of the left over problems in todays flocks are because of instead of breeding it out...they disguised things...we now know that only creates problems later on..so lot of valuable lessons ..

What a wild idea! I think it would keep me up til 2am too! Sheesh!

 

[winniem13]

Speaking of having a passion for showing and having good stock to work with, my friend is wanting to get into golden laced cochins, preferably bantam. her second color choice would be partridge. We know it is hard to breed laced and patterned chickens for show, but those are the colors that speak true to her heart. I am trying to help her locate a few to start her out. Does anyone have any experience with Duane Urch's line of bantam cochins? Is there any other breeders on the eastern part of the US that would have any? ( We live in NC). I've got my start of great stock birds for RIR and polish and now modern games, and I want her to have the same feeling that I do when I look at my beautiful birds.

 

[winniem13]

I love all of those old books including shell to showroom...it is free on cornell free library and google for e reader...you get a glimps into the history of the poultry world..like everybody says..some of it take with the grain of salt but historically this book and so many others are so valuable..they were the founders of poultry breeding today..without those people , we would have jungle fowl..they set the standards, decided the crosses to make , knew what worked and what didnt, the birds only evolved from there....one of the interesting stories in those book was about the chicken doctors or chicken fixers..this was a whole industry..when showing was in its apex and there were maybe 200 australorp on the line..or white leghorn..these guys were hired to fix them up and they were perfectionists..they knew how to doctor feathers to make the bird look text book for the day befor a show..they used some unscrupulois methods at times  like on a leghorn that was as near perfect as it could be but had a broken or off colored main tail feather..they knew how to get that feather out of the shaft and replace it with a feather from another bird...just crazy stuff like that keeps me reading till 2 in the morning sometimes..dont recomend that but found it interesting that people actually got paid to do that..today we know that some of the left over problems in todays flocks are because of instead of breeding it out...they disguised things...we now know that only creates problems later on..so lot of valuable lessons ..

I know a lot of people like old books on this thread. Did anyone notice that someone is selling an entire library of poultry books ( the entire collection as one money) in this month's issue of poultry press? I don't have all of the information for contact numbers because I cut and used the coupon from the other side of the page The person is wanting to start bids at $20,000

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Wait, wait, don't leave. That's one of the greatest purposes of this group. To find interested folk quality strains of heritage large Fowl. Ok, what family of Delaware are you interested in? Any particular strain? This group can help. Its experts and breeders have the connections and knowhow to help you get started in a quality Heritage breed. That's why I suggested you come here. it doesn't matter that you have non-Heritage breeds now. Just what you want to do in the future.
Best,
Karen

 

[math ace]

Wait, wait, don't leave. That's one of the greatest purposes of this group. To find interested folk quality strains of heritage large Fowl. Ok, what family of Delaware are you interested in? Any particular strain? This group can help. Its experts and breeders have the connections and knowhow to help you get started in a quality Heritage breed. That's why I suggested you come here. it doesn't matter that you have non-Heritage breeds now. Just what you want to do in the future.
Best,
Karen

Have you tried the Delaware thread(S)?

Do you have an incubator?

I have Bill Braden's line, but am in Florida. I can ship eggs. There are others on the Delaware thread(s) will other lines. Delawares are AWESOME birds. You will NOT REGRET the work it takes to locate someone with good stock, not hatchery. Good Stock will be BIG Birds that are super friendly. OMG, they are an awesome breed to own.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

thank you! great definition. so I don't know if I belong in this group. I have 1 EE, 1 RIR/Cuckoo Maran Mix, 2 Black Copper Marans and 1 Splash Maran. I would love a Deleware but can't find them in my area and don't want to order 6 from a hathery.

Rancher Hicks (Tim) here on BYC is in NY state (not exactly sure where) but he has Dels and they are not hatchery birds....just a thought

 

[wsmith]

Just want to say that with a creep feeder, DO have the slats close enough together that the big ones can't get it. Don't make it "low enough" so the big ones can't get in, because they can and will scoot under something you'd swear they never could. It's funny to watch but again, make openings narrow, not short.

The talk about creep feeders intrigued me. So I built a "creep gate" into one ot the growout pens. I used 5 inch spacing, but if I were to do it again, i would go with 4 inch spacing. My problem isn't the hens, it is with the turkeys. The turkeys cant get in, so it is working out well.

 

[BLT79]

Have you tried the Delaware thread(S)?

Do you have an incubator?

I have Bill Braden's line, but am in Florida. I can ship eggs. There are others on the Delaware thread(s) will other lines. Delawares are AWESOME birds. You will NOT REGRET the work it takes to locate someone with good stock, not hatchery. Good Stock will be BIG Birds that are super friendly. OMG, they are an awesome breed to own.

I will look into the Deleware thread. could you send me a message with more details about your eggs? I don't have an incubator but can get one!

 

[BLT79]

Rancher Hicks (Tim) here on BYC is in NY state (not exactly sure where) but he has Dels and they are not hatchery birds....just a thought

How do I look him up? I am in Western Mass. Maybe he would be close enough! thanks