Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Pathfinders]

Pathfinders,
How big do your buckeyes end up being?

It depends.

Prior to two years ago, they were actually bigger. I added in some Urch blood two years ago, and that made them slightly smaller, which I am working on. But I got a real nice boost from the Urch birds in regards to color, so the trade off was worth it for me.

I like to keep them within the Standard's range of 9 lbs for cocks, and 6.5 for hens, but they vary a bit still. I like a nice heavy bird, and honestly wouldn't be sad if the Standard had them a little heavier than that. We eat our cull males, so bigger is better in that regard.

 

[Pathfinders]

Laura, starter or layena
The starter still has 30 percent protein
So basically a finishing food for large fowl should have? Percent of protein
In your opinion

I use a 30% turkey starter for my Buckeyes until about 8 or 9 weeks. Then I switch to a 24% grower/finisher for about another four weeks. Then I switch to a 19% conditioner feed for the duration. when I'm using the Purina, or a 22% if I'm using Buckley (can't always get the Purina locally.)

That being said, I am about to experiment with a new line of whole grain feed next month, with slightly different percentages (don't have them at hand right now), as I am sick and tired of the bloody mash, it's a mess.

I loved being able to get Kent feeds, as their pelleted flock raiser was awesome. But corporate TSC cut a deal with Purina, and that was the end of that.

 

[thedragonlady]

My vets have been in practice for many years, using traditional medicine. A few years ago, they started integrating Chinese medicine into their practice. Much of it involves foods that are heating or cooling.
If you scroll down, there is a list of heating or cooling foods here. It's written for people, but they said that the same applies to animals. They have warned me against feeding oats in our summer heat.

http://www.chinesemedicinedoc.com/b...cles-and-handouts/diet-chinese-medicine/#temp

The list works for mammals, not for birds since they digest differently. FIBER makes heat in birds.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Mash, our local Hubbard feed mill's own ground mash, is not bad if a.) made into a moistened, oatmeal kind of consistency, or b.) fed in our fashioned troughs. The mess and waste are almost nil. That's our experience.

Given the enormous price differential, I've almost no choice but to feed the mash. Our mill grinds most of the common feeds and offers them in plain old, hundred pound gunny sacks and tied off with a bit of binder twine. The savings are enormous.

Pellets make life simple, but I have to pay for that convenience and I'm only willing to do so when I'm out of town. Nice to make life easier for my assistants when they have to fill in with the chores.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

We have four salmon favorelles that have almost reached laying age at almost seven months. In guessing they fit under this threads heading?

Yes, Salmon Faverolles certainly fit into this thread

My experience with Buckeyes has shown that when a higher protein feed is used for the first 8 weeks or so, they develop a much bigger frame than if a lower percentage is used.

When we feed high protein to our chicks, they end up contorted in the face.


One doesn't really talk a lot about station in poultry; one discusses stance more, which is the way they stand on their legs. My understanding of station is the way their type sits on their legs. Thus, to a certain extent by discussing type on is discussing station because station will be off if type and leg-set is off. If one hears talk of station, it is usually with games.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Please do post some more photos. I'd love to see him with your #1 pick too.I wouldn't worry about that boy's tail set. It will come up when his chest drops even more.Just look at his legs in comparison to the others. He has the body and bone.

Vickie....never heard that their chest will "drop more"....that really makes me smile!! His chest is quite full, but looked too high up to me.....if it will fall and round out his underline that guy will be a stud!! Thanks ever so much for the expert advise....my opinion of him might change after I look at him in a new light. Tourney is supposed to be over this afternoon so I'll take a good look at him later today or tomorrow after church

I'll put him and my current #1 choice in a large kennel and try to get some better pix to use for comparison purposes

THANK YOU again for the advise, it is sooooo greatly appreciated!!

 

[Robert Blosl]

Station is a term I think about all the time when I look at my young bird from the beginning of the time I got into Reds and Rocks 24 years this time around. Old timers to mentored me as a youth and the old men Interviewed before they died in the early days of my breeding. One great mentor was Maurice Wallace of Canada. He was the one who sold Mrs. Donaldson the great male Mohawk V in 1929 to Mrs. Donaldson and this is the male that I stumbled onto about fifteen years ago with my line and I called the Mohawk Line of Reds. He was there all the time I just pushed a few buttons in my selections and he came to the surface. This is what he taught me. Always look for a bird with his legs PLUM. Or dead center to the side profile of the bird when he is walking on the ground. If your males legs are back say just one inch the male will tilt backwards and be what is called Rainy Day Reds. He said the females or sisters of such a male can be off and still maintain her level body but her sons will be always rainy day. Get this breed into your family lines and you got a major fault that will haunt you forever. Same in other dual purpose birds you want those legs dead center PLUM nice in wide as one master breeder said you want to be able to drive truck between those birds legs. Next thing a old Rock Breeder told me is you want your legs on your birds mainly your males strong. You want your legs to be as big around a Broom Handles. If he is PUM has good strong legs well set in his body you got a foundation or frame to hold the birds weight. I have seen Rock males so weak in leg strength when you feed them in a conditioning coop they will sit down and eat do to leg weakness. You never want to breed from such a male with weak leg strength small bone structure. When Jim Volk sent me 14 chicks 24 years ago to start with White Rocks they were from two strains. I saw one strain had smaller bone structure and the ones from California which I kept had legs as big as Broom Sticks. I got rid of the other ten chicks and never looked back and my strain of over 24 years still has that classic Halbach Rock bone structure plus they have yellow pigment in their skin. I had a male I saw at a show when I first got started 24 years ago a Red male he stood on his one leg for 14 minutes. Never saw such strength in a Red male in my life. When I selected him and his two brothers I wanted that trait to build my frame in my future Mohawk strain. Other brother was so darn smart he had yard sense. The other brother was just a big old long bodied brick shaped male with a little of everything. Today I see this in some of the large fowl but would you believe in my bantams which I shrunk down from these old large fowl. Hope this helps the issue of Station in a large fowl old fashion dual-purpose chicken. It is PARAMOUNT as Harold Tompkins use to say so it's a good term to have in your mind's eye as you select your future breeders for next year. Good example look at some of the old APA pictures of Art Schilling such as Orps Reds, Rocks, Javas New Hampshire ect. All legs are dead center and Plum. Great question and that's what makes this thread so valuable. As others may have written about me I try to write for the beginner. You got to know this stuff to be successful s in these old breeds. If you only knew what these old timers did and you do what they did you will end up like them some days. Of course I can jump out of this method and want to cross a good Rose Comb Red onto one of my Old Mohawk Reds single comb and I preach to you don't do it. I know what I am getting myself and my partner into. It can be done but it's a long hard road to get there. I am a mountain climber to a degree. I like it when people tell me I CANT DO THAT. I know I can and then I set out to prove them wrong. They say that also with Breed Clubs. If you approach it right s a secretary and surround yourself with good members you can take a breed club and turn it around in about two years. Nuf Said. Got motivated the other day and going to redo my hole poultry buildings for the next ten years. Give me something to do and maybe I will improve what time I have left with what I have. Keep asking questions we will find answers and no question is not to important to ask. We all learn from this stuff. DONT WE LURKERS. I love you guys. By the way they may not post but they ask me questions on my personnel page. So I am happy to help them as well. bob

look at white rock male by my name. Schilling did this picture. Look at his leg station. PERFECT

 

[cbnovick]

Station is a term I think about all the time when I look at my young bird from the beginning of the time I got into Reds and Rocks 24 years this time around. Old timers to mentored me as a youth and the old men Interviewed before they died in the early days of my breeding. One great mentor was Maurice Wallace of Canada. He was the one who sold Mrs. Donaldson the great male Mohawk V in 1929 to Mrs. Donaldson and this is the male that I stumbled onto about fifteen years ago with my line and I called the Mohawk Line of Reds. He was there all the time I just pushed a few buttons in my selections and he came to the surface. This is what he taught me. Always look for a bird with his legs PLUM. Or dead center to the side profile of the bird when he is walking on the ground. If your males legs are back say just one inch the male will tilt backwards and be what is called Rainy Day Reds. He said the females or sisters of such a male can be off and still maintain her level body but her sons will be always rainy day. Get this breed into your family lines and you got a major fault that will haunt you forever. Same in other dual purpose birds you want those legs dead center PLUM nice in wide as one master breeder said you want to be able to drive truck between those birds legs. Next thing a old Rock Breeder told me is you want your legs on your birds mainly your males strong. You want your legs to be as big around a Broom Handles. If he is PUM has good strong legs well set in his body you got a foundation or frame to hold the birds weight. I have seen Rock males so weak in leg strength when you feed them in a conditioning coop they will sit down and eat do to leg weakness. You never want to breed from such a male with weak leg strength small bone structure. When Jim Volk sent me 14 chicks 24 years ago to start with White Rocks they were from two strains. I saw one strain had smaller bone structure and the ones from California which I kept had legs as big as Broom Sticks. I got rid of the other ten chicks and never looked back and my strain of over 24 years still has that classic Halbach Rock bone structure plus they have yellow pigment in their skin. I had a male I saw at a show when I first got started 24 years ago a Red male he stood on his one leg for 14 minutes. Never saw such strength in a Red male in my life. When I selected him and his two brothers I wanted that trait to build my frame in my future Mohawk strain. Other brother was so darn smart he had yard sense. The other brother was just a big old long bodied brick shaped male with a little of everything. Today I see this in some of the large fowl but would you believe in my bantams which I shrunk down from these old large fowl. Hope this helps the issue of Station in a large fowl old fashion dual-purpose chicken. It is PARAMOUNT as Harold Tompkins use to say so it's a good term to have in your mind's eye as you select your future breeders for next year. Good example look at some of the old APA pictures of Art Schilling such as Orps Reds, Rocks, Javas New Hampshire ect. All legs are dead center and Plum. Great question and that's what makes this thread so valuable. As others may have written about me I try to write for the beginner. You got to know this stuff to be successful s in these old breeds. If you only knew what these old timers did and you do what they did you will end up like them some days. Of course I can jump out of this method and want to cross a good Rose Comb Red onto one of my Old Mohawk Reds single comb and I preach to you don't do it. I know what I am getting myself and my partner into. It can be done but it's a long hard road to get there. I am a mountain climber to a degree. I like it when people tell me I CANT DO THAT. I know I can and then I set out to prove them wrong. They say that also with Breed Clubs. If you approach it right s a secretary and surround yourself with good members you can take a breed club and turn it around in about two years. Nuf Said. Got motivated the other day and going to redo my hole poultry buildings for the next ten years. Give me something to do and maybe I will improve what time I have left with what I have. Keep asking questions we will find answers and no question is not to important to ask. We all learn from this stuff. DONT WE LURKERS. I love you guys. By the way they may not post but they ask me questions on my personnel page. So I am happy to help them as well. bob

look at white rock male by my name. Schilling did this picture. Look at his leg station. PERFECT

Bob, I appreciate your wit, wisdom, patience and devotion!!!!
I have learned so much from you, Walt,Vickie, Fred, Jeff, Scott, Matt(s), Joseph and others to be sure!
"It takes a VILLAGE to raise" standard bred poultry. LOL

 

[finnfur]

Bob, I appreciate your wit, wisdom, patience and devotion!!!!
I have learned so much from you, Walt,Vickie, Fred, Jeff, Scott, Matt(s), Joseph and others to be sure!
"It takes a VILLAGE to raise" standard bred poultry. LOL

Ditto's
I'm just lurking and learning - hopefully I will be asking questions when the Dels get to breed age

 

[thedragonlady]

Vickie....never heard that their chest will "drop more"....that really makes me smile!! His chest is quite full, but looked too high up to me.....if it will fall and round out his underline that guy will be a stud!! Thanks ever so much for the expert advise....my opinion of him might change after I look at him in a new light. Tourney is supposed to be over this afternoon so I'll take a good look at him later today or tomorrow after church

I'll put him and my current #1 choice in a large kennel and try to get some better pix to use for comparison purposes

THANK YOU again for the advise, it is sooooo greatly appreciated!!

I have a huge Buff Orp cockerel here by Monty, named Moose.His mother is Dolly on my avatar. At 8 months, he has just started to grow into himself , and put weight on his keel. Typical teenage kid who had to grow into his feet before gaining an ounce. Once he discovered SEX at 6 months, he spent all his time calling the girls, and feeding them through the fence, or running up and down. Up went a double fence with curtains over it so he couldn't see the girls. I finally put 2 older girls in with him to teach him manners, and do a small hatching . That didn't last long, as he just went back to feeding the girls, and forgetting to eat himself.

After 3 weeks away from all girls, Moose has really gained weight on his keel, and is showing the round underline that he should coming from his parents. I went in to play with him this morning, and was amazed at the transformation. His full tail is grown in , and he no longer looks reared up in front. That chest is balancing him out .His brain seems to be functioning again too , now that his sex drive has settled down.Now he's just a big, jolly dufus, not a sex fiend.

Feel for the keel bone on that big boy, and compare it to the others. He has fore chest , and tons of width and bone. Just give him time to put the weight on either side of his keel . Let me know what you FEEL. Love to see a close up of his head too.