Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[unkadan]

In Wisconsin the animal feed regs were changed when CWD was found in our deer herd, The thinking at the time was that game farms were feeding contaminated feed, some deer escaped and infected the native whitetail population. All of this was eventually disproven, however the regs still are in force. No bone meal, blood meal, etc even for use as soil amendments. I can however drive 25 miles to the U.P. of Mi and buy them,,,,guess those deer don't cross the state line. Same holds true in MN and ILL,,,no ban.

The problem as pointed out in that link is that most mills produce feed for ruminants as well as poultry,,,the contamination factor of the equipment is the problem. One they have solved by simply not using the meat protein at all.....

 

[3riverschick]

How I wish Wid Card had been a Sussex breeder!! ( Instead of a Table of Contents, Index with hot links to topics is at the back of the book. )

American Poultry Advocate, Volume 30 , 1921

Correct Type and Color of Rhode Island REDS
"Blue Ribbon Reds"
http://tinyurl.com/k7qp4cz

By means of the most remarkable set of
Rhode Island Red Illustrations ever pro-
duced, W. H. Card, secretary of the
Rhode Island Red Club and the greatest
living authority on REDS, in "BLUE
RIBBON REDS," shows in a way so
simple that every beginner can under-
stand what constitutes the correct type
and color of Rhode Island Reds. There
are twelve drawings illustrating type and
fourteen illustrating color. These draw-
ings show the ideal Reds, both male and
female, as well as the various shape and
color defects most commonly found. Mr.
Card also points out which defects are
serious and which are of only minor im-
portance.
Here are a few of the many subjects in
"Blue Ribbon Reds'*
An A-B-C course In Judging Rhode Island Reds
(In five lessons) How Rhode Island Reds originated. Mating Rhode Island Reds for Color and Shape, How to obtain fast growth and large size on Rhode Island Reds. How to breed up an egg laying strain. How to cull Rhode Island Reds. How to prepare Rhode Island Reds for the Show Room. Which is the correct Rhode Island Red color. Disqualifications. Standard weights Feeding Poultry at all ages. Linebreeding. How to treat sick fowls. How to get rid of lice and mites. How to build poultry houses and equipment Special Illustrated Features
A picture of Rhode Island Reds in natural colors, suitable for framing, the latest and best ever published, copyrighted 1919. Pictures of many prize winning Reds at National Shows— Description of a common sense window for fresh, air poultry houses and detailed illustrations made from blue prints—How to build a practical poultry house for a small flock of chickens— How to make a good home-made trapnest.
"Blue Ribbon Reds*' Is a veritable encyclopedia of useful poultry Information. Cost $3,00 to produce. You must see a copy of this book to appreciate its value. Mail the coupon. Enclose $1.00. Get this remarkable book absolutely free with 3-year subscription to the Rhode Island Red Journal
the official organ of the Rhode Island Red Club of America. Published monthly, at 50c per year. It Is the "Red Breeders' Bible." Those who know it say they would not be without It for $5 per year. It keeps you In touch with all the leading breeders of Reds and keeps you posted on everything pertaining to Rhode Island Reds.

 

[3riverschick]

American Poultry Advocate, Volume 27 , Page 562

COLOR TERMS OF RHODE ISLAND REDS
The term "Smut" is one used to designate a defect of foreign color in the rich red under color and is nothing less than an over-plus of the black pigment part of Rhode Island Red color. It may completely cover the fluffy part of the feather or may be between web and lower part of fluff showing thus generally in black bars across the feather.
Dark slate is simply smut under another name. It is black but it gets its title from its appearance on fluff.
Smoke and mouse color defects are the same; found also in under color Unlike smut, it is not found in bars, but spreads along shaft of feather, more or less, from web to skin. It is sometimes called light slate.
White in under color defect is absolutely the worst defect in Rhode Island Red as it prevents pigmentation in under color at flights and main tail feathers and shows many times in surface color.
Kidney white defect is only a bleaching of a few feathers over kidneys through the influence of some internal ailment and is not to be confounded with the promiscuous white nor smoke or light slate. It generally disappears after first moult.
Silvery red under color defect is the white taint mixed with the red and in time encroaches upon the surface, forming what is called "Splashings" or roan spots or streaks imperfectly mixed into the red surface. Any defects from the white-taint are hardly ever eradicated even in years of careful breeding.
Mottling is caused by defective light red or brown patches on the darker red surface of females and is classed partly as a heritage of early breeding when the female color was of no importance. It also is caused by imperfect or faulty moulting, which leaves old feathers mingled with the new ones.
Peppering is a defect; it is also an over-plus of black pigment. On males it lodges generally on wing bar and on females in black pepper, like specks in shoulders and upper wing bows and on flights in both sexes.
Ticking designates black spots at end of hackle and, please note, is a defect on males only, but not serious, as a male bearing this ticking is believed to be a first class progenitor of females bearing it. Ticking on females is a much desired qualification specified by the standard.
Lacings are defects of which there are three sorts.
A lacing follows web of feather entirely around and on its edge.
The one found in hackle or neck is black and is generally found on birds carrying pepper and smut.
The other sorts are found generally on females on every feather of the body, one being darker red than the main web of the feather; the other simply a lustrous lacing of the same shade surrounding the duller part of the web. Any sort of a lacing on a red is defective as it spoils the harmony of an even shade of red from head to tail.
Striping is a defect as applied to Rhode Island Reds, which is found in both sexes in hackle or neck feathers. It is a black stripe down center of web from under color to tip. It is counted quite objectionable as it carries generally an orange shaft which is the seat of the next defect.
Shafting is a serious red color defect. Its general appearance is the shaft of each feather presenting a light orange hue in decided contrast to red web under color of feather. It is propagated by breeding from males with orange shaft in black striped hackles.
The term "wavy red" is applied to a defective color condition of flights where the red pigment shows imperfect distribution by waves of different shades of red.
Chocolate is a general defect spread all over the surface where the red pigment seems to strive for dominance over the excessive black pigment, said excessive black dulling the red throughout the whole surface to an oily lustre of the under color with a pinkish cast, indications of this over-plus in dull red flights well peppering in both sexes.
For more complete and general information on Reds write W. H. Card, secretary and treasurer, The Rhode Island Red Club of America, Manchester, Connecticut.

 

[chickadoodles]

Thank you Yard full o' rocks
I will have to try some cat food. This Catfish feed is 32% and I know it has pork and chicken in it.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Is there a craze out there?


For the past three months I have been getting messages or emails wanting rare breeds of large fowl chickens and yesterday I got another which makes me wonder is this a FAD or a Craze going on.

Is there a trend that new age Back Yard Chicken people are wanting something different from the norm of feed store chickens. I thought they where as happy as a pig in slop with these chickens. A fellow called yesterday out of the blue asking me where he could get some Heritage yes H Rhode Island Red chickens like I use to breed. I found your web site on the internet and read your articles and I want some of these chickens.. He lives about five hours from me and willing to make a drive to pick some up.

My question to you is there a trend or fad coming on? Do you think it will stick. Are these people who said I don't care what they look like I am happy as a cat in a littler box with my scrub barred rocks or rhode island red production chickens changing there mine?

If the editor of Mother Earth News contacted you have made the conversation to Standard Breed Heritage Chickens what would you tell them in sixty words or less why you switched. Are you glad you did.?

Just something to think about as we reach our third year on this this thread. I wanted to change a hand full of you guys to the real world but I did not think I would see this many after nearly three years. In some cases some of you are sticking with your poultry better than beginners who show their birds. They seem to have a higher failure rate. Maybe its the continuous education we provide that helps out rather than them doing it on their own and making so many mistakes. Look forward to your replies and lurkers watch out. You may make a change someday.

 

[Apdeb]

I drove from new canaan ct to new woodstock ny 5.5 hours to get barnevelders from donna at fossil rock farm
As a newcomer i did lots of reading and research before i selected my chickens
To me its like getting a good pure bred dog
Hatchery stock are mongrels
I think this is not a fluke
People love chickens and want to save these birds
In september on my way back from my parents meeting in ohio im bringing back a breeding pair of buckeyes .
Once again through research on here
Thank you people!!! Success gleaned through knowledge!!! Invaluable

 

[Fred's Hens]

Is there a craze out there?


For the past three months I have been getting messages or emails wanting rare breeds of large fowl chickens and yesterday I got another which makes me wonder is this a FAD or a Craze going on.

Is there a trend that new age Back Yard Chicken people are wanting something different from the norm of feed store chickens.

My question to you is there a trend or fad coming on? Do you think it will stick. Are these people who said I don't care what they look like I am happy as a cat in a littler box with my scrub barred rocks or rhode island red production chickens changing there mind?

No doubt. A lot of folks "broke in" with feed store birds. Keeping chickens became very popular and one could call it a craze, I dunno. What I do see here on BYC is some maturing. After having gotten their feet wet, and learning a whole bunch about husbandry, folks begin to see these better birds displayed and they start asking a lot of questions. This is a process of moving from knowing nothing, to jumping in with hatchery type stock, to learning more, and growing, and then seeing a new horizon they did not know existed. You don't know what you don't know.

 

[ronott1]

We need more pictures on here!

These are Black and Blue Australorps from Hupp Farms:

This is a Black Pennedesenca pullet from Florida

 

[Fred's Hens]

This story is for country folk, and no offense is intended, but there's a point.

A half a life time ago, my young boys and I were Beaglers. We were into it. Every Saturday we were either running in trials or out in the brambles with the dogs hunting bunnies. We bred some really good dogs and had a bunch of fun in the sport along the way. Good comradrie.

Now and then, a new fella would show up at a trial or at a hunt with a dog he'd gotten and raised up. After hanging with the gang all day, he was tempted to just go ahead and shoot his dog. (I won't say that some did, cause I don't want to offend anyone). These guys learned the hard way that if they wanted a real McCoy hound dog, they'd better get the blood from somewhere. Lot's of training and work? Oh my yes, but you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. A beagle is born with it or they're not. There were fast strains and slow strains, mouthy strains and quiet working strains that if they opened up you knew they were on the rabbit and not just cold trailing something.

Once you get yourself a real rabbit hound, one that works all day, keep his line straight, doesn't mouth off when it is isn't time, will actually work a line himself and not just "me too", and will push the point, figure out the tricks quickly and accurately and will move at the proper speed and has no quit in them? Ha!!! Congratulations. You got yourself a real beagle. One that'll will howl up a storm just by you getting the camo out of the closet or pull the boots out. That dog knows! And that dog'll hunt.

 

[Fred's Hens]

In light my story above, here's a photo of one of our little Nelson chicks. See what I mean? This dawg'll hunt. LOL