Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

I'll bet that your floors/ landing spots are clean too ! Clean and dry. Two key words for healthy chickens.

WELL., dry YES, clean, well, to the best of my ability with my travel schedule...I try like heck to keep it clean (I have plywood floors covered with "vinyl flooring", not dirt) and they are regularly cleaned out. They ARE dry, but are not cleaned daily, so they get touched up every weekend and pine shavings added as needed. Droppings boards help a BUNCH

I think I keep TSC in business with the qty of shavings we buy there (LOL)

Any idea if my roosts are too high???? Doesn't seem to bother my birds, but, I've never thought of them being lower

 

[thedragonlady]

WELL., dry YES, clean, well, to the best of my ability with my travel schedule...I try like heck to keep it clean (I have plywood floors covered with "vinyl flooring", not dirt) and they are regularly cleaned out. They ARE dry, but are not cleaned daily, so they get touched up every weekend and pine shavings added as needed. Droppings boards help a BUNCH

I think I keep TSC in business with the qty of shavings we buy there (LOL)

Any idea if my roosts are too high???? Doesn't seem to bother my birds, but, I've never thought of them being lower

At some point if your birds get larger and heavier, you might have to lower them, but for now, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it ".

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: When you are looking at your standard of perfection picture of a Plymouth rock you will see a picture of a dual purpose bird with a gravy bowl or reverse derby hat cavity. In order to have the front part of the gravy bowl you got to have a place to put the meat. If you don't have a full keel you will end up with a wedge looking bird or what a we call sawed off breast. This is a big fault in males. Should be a three point cut at a show and never see a bird like that on champion row unless a fair or small show where completion is not that good.

In Reds you want a brick shape that is oblong you want a keel that comes out and makes the box of the concrete brick you are looking at. If you don't have that on your males you are in trouble. as well. Will place some pictures of a old APA judges cards when judges where taking their exam years ago given to me by Frank Reese. Maybe you can see the shape to the breed.

You just don't want a red body on a rock or a red with a Wyandotte or rock body on him or her. Hope this helps.

 

[Extra Java]

Thank you for the images...I understand now. Very helpful.

 

[cbnovick]

Posted some of these over on the rock thread....figured I'd share some updated quickie photos of the Buff Rocks taken at a little over 6 weeks of age. There's an Orp pullet in the background on the last photo who's 10 days older. Need to get a whole flock (11) photo this weekend . there's 3 that are less than half the size of the rest...I mentioned this issue in a previous post...I am hangin' on to them as Fred wisely suggested.

 

[Canieldonrad]

Daniel is close enough to me that he can help me with the Lakenvelders, if he's so inclined.

I'm going to let them mature. I'm still up in the air with Orloffs. Something that sparked my interest as a kid but never found any to purchase(that weren't hatchery) to see how they do. I have a couple of Buckeye Cockerels that are definitely not going to have the body a Buckeye needs. They are not dropping down in the front near as well as they need to be. Considering a first generation cross to see if I can get something worth keeping. If anything the Orloffs are very user friendly chicks. They don't make a lot of noise and respond well to human hands at a week and half old.


But my current plan is Buckeye/La Fleche for showing in earnest. Orloffs have a way to go, they are something I can take slowly if I take at all. However I think Laura is likely to call Chris up. Let him know that La Fleche is not an option for me and that she is going to make the executive decision that I raise Lakenvelder instead. I'm somewhat OK with this, I'm sure I'll end up with Laura's Lakenvelders anyway. I'll just make her do all the cleaning because prepping White birds is not something I imagine to be enjoyable.

 

[thedragonlady]

I'm going to let them mature. I'm still up in the air with Orloffs. Something that sparked my interest as a kid but never found any to purchase(that weren't hatchery) to see how they do. I have a couple of Buckeye Cockerels that are definitely not going to have the body a Buckeye needs. They are not dropping down in the front near as well as they need to be. Considering a first generation cross to see if I can get something worth keeping. If anything they are very user friendly chicks. They don't make a lot of noise and respond well to human hands at a week and half old.


But my current plan is Buckeye/La Fleche for showing in earnest. Orloffs have a way to go, they are something I can take slowly if I take at all. However I think Laura is likely to call Chris up. Let him know that La Fleche is not an option for me and that she is going to make the executive decision that I raise Lakenvelder instead. I'm somewhat OK with this, I'm sure I'll end up with Laura's Lakenvelders anyway. I'll just make her do all the cleaning because prepping White birds is not something I imagine to be enjoyable.

Whoa on culling thos Buckeyes too early ! A week and a half old? Patience my man !

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: The instructions I read several in several places said to make the ramps with 1x1's spaced horizontally 2 inches apart. Could your birds be "skidding" down the ramp and bumping their feet against the 1x1's 8 inches below?
Just a thought,
Karen

 

[Canieldonrad]

Whoa on culling thos Buckeyes too early ! A week and a half old? Patience my man !

haha no the Orloffs are week and a half sorry

 

[thedragonlady]

The instructions I read several in several places said to make the ramps with 1x1's spaced horizontally 2 inches apart. Could your birds be "skidding" down the ramp and bumping their feet against the 1x1's 8 inches below?
Just a thought,
Karen

Depends on the stride of your chickens. Smaller birds take shorter steps.