Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Chickielady]

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I have had birds from the north and one cornish rock cross chick i bought for a white rock chick at the feed store and they droped dead in July and August becasue of the heat. My first year with my Gray Calls my first years ducks went through a molt and the heat was so bad 104 degrees and I lost three ducks while they where going through their molt.

I learned to let water drip into pans or put togeather a timer that comes on and flushes out the water to thier tubs for say ten minutes every two hours. That solved that problem as they can cool off in the fresh water.

I can start work out side early in the A.M. but got to get inside by 11 A.M. as I can dehydrate so bad if I stay out to say 1 P.M. in the afternoon. The older I get the harder it is for me to take the heat.

I got some pictures of some nice SC Rhode Island Reds a pair from Jimmy Swenson strain. The male had very natural type. I hope the fellow that sent them will post on this web site.

Was refreshing to see some nice Heritage Rhode Island Red pictures. Found some nice Jersey Giants in Washington State for a friend. Mission Success. bob

I am the same way..It was a cooking 113 degrees in Lake County California (NorCal) 2 years ago..in the first of April...and I said that is it..and came back home to Washington state.
I love this place. It gets cold, but ya know, you can always put on a sweater.
Nothing better than the wood stove going..dinner cooking..let it snow !
We have a month or so end of summer that can get up to 90 degree days, just enough for the June bugs to hatch and the tomatoes to go nuts.
The best fishing..this is a beautiful state.
I noticed when I was driving, that North Carolina is so much like Washington here,, the rhodedendrons, the azaleas..the flora and fauna so much like here.
But I do think you all have a hotter summer than we do here.
You also have the Hurricane season..we have monsoon season or other wise nown as the pineapple express when it rains 24/7 for months...but so far, this is the place, nice and cool today, a big 56 degrees, and got lots of work done. Good working weather.
Maybe you need to retire and move back home Bob.

 

[Chickielady]

Wanted to add, My FiL in NorCal has a Pheasant farm, and in that horrible heat up to 113 even in the spring and right through to October..he uses those spray misters to spray over his coops..and uses rain gutters for the birds to drink..and with his emu herds, he has kiddie swimming pools all over the orchards, and the big birds lay down in the pools and splash like a chicken taking a dirt bath, something to see.
He has retired from birds now, and I have all his Farm Masters and GQF 1500s..and he still has 18 Emus and he told me he was leavin them to me in his will

I hate those big birds, gosh you oughta see what they eat!! ...and Mom won't let anyone eat them, and Dad still keeps hatching Emu chicks...

 

[cybercat]

I am just the oppisite BOB. The older I get less cold I like. I grew up in heat and thrive in it.

Anyway I look for way to help shichens out with heat for our summer are hot. First I am looking at trees I want to plant around the coop. One will be a Willow the other a Mulberry if I can find them. Nurseries here do not carry much. With these two trees coop will be shaded durning summer. Plus chickens will have food. At this time all trees are in back of coop which does not help with late afternoon sun which is when it gets hotest here. So trees will be place on West side to help with that problem. It should cut the heat alot in the coop as we have a breeze most of the time here.

 

[Delight in Dominiques]

Going back to Ralph Brazelton. Is this the gentleman that worked with LF American Dominiques also? If so, does any one know of anyone that still might have his birds?

 

[CharlieVoda]

I wish it would get warm here. These pictures are from Monday 02/07/11.

The main coop is about 120 feet from my deck. I have 2 turbine or whirlygig vents in the roof.
I carry 2 gal of water 2 times a day & a can of beer once a day. You gotta love them birds.

The roof has 2 skylights that are 6' by 4' and covered with snow. The coop is 30' by 16'.
I have no heat in the coop. The keys are great ventilation & humidity control.

There is about 3 feet of snow on the ground. Windchill is -29°F below zero today.
So far we have had 71.6 inches of snow this winter and 20 nights of below zero temps.

This is my outdoor run it is 36' by 30' by 6'. I will be adding on another 24' by 24' this spring.
I keep buying cheap dog kennel panels on craig's list. It is covered with dog panels also.

3 of the 6 windows are open 6 inches today for ventilation. Temp is -16°F below zero outside.

The coop is insulated and the temp inside is 7°F above zero. The windows stay open 24/7.

4 CFL 32 watt daylight 6500k bulbs 15 hours/day. The Brahma & call ducks are happy in MN.
They will quit laying again for about 7 days as this 4 day cold snap is due to leave on Friday.

It is supposed to warm up to 24°F above zero tomorrow. Thing will be dug out and breeding pens ready by this Monday as the hens are laying.

Don and I are going to a swap meet on Sunday in Hutchinson wish you were here Bob and Walt.

Good luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
I would love to be with you guys, but I have to stay in this 70 degree weather to make sure the birds are OK.

Walt

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I would love to be with you guys, but I have to stay in this 70 degree weather to make sure the birds are OK.

Walt

Lucky! 7 is the low for us tonight! 11 right now

 

[CharlieVoda]

Walt Don and I understand. We would have a heckuva good time though. It should be 34 and sunny Sunday.

Punky give em good ventilation and they will be fine. You have been having quite a winter also as I understand.

Good luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[Robert Blosl]

Charlie when I saw the pictures I thought of the Holidome I went to in Wisconsin one year. As I looked out my hotel window I saw the headquarters for Mercury Outboard motors. What a enjoyable day that was. Your coops look like the Holiday Inn to me. Then I saw those big black and white chickens and thought are those Columbian Rocks.
No just some outstanding Light Brahmas. I wonder how many people who have on their farms Light Brahmas can say they have what you have or what I had as a kid when I was 12 years old. I bet most people will say mine don't have the shape or Color like these birds.

If there is a Heritage breed of fowl what you have is about at the top of the list. Can you just visualize the Brahmas that where brought over here in 1850s..??

Nothing like these birds. Are you going to a show with Don R.?????

Thanks for the pictures as I worry about my 36 degrees outside I know you are having a hard time with the weather. Remember Al Gore says the reason you are havening this cold winter is from Global Warming. bob

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote:
I dont think any of his birds in general are around. When it comes to Dominiques if they have some type and color and would score say 92 points grab them. They have sliped like all the breeds of yester days. There is a strain in Ohio and a Strain in New York New York Reds is his handle in New York. Both of these stains have been on Champion Row this past year. If I wanted to get a start with Dominique large fowl I would want some of the surplus birds from these two breeders and you would be light years ahead of any strain out their. Then with the methods we have on how to breed large fowl in five years these stains can be breed up and can win with the best of them. The color is funny a dirty coo koo color. As long as its in the ball park and has extream color a good judge will place these birds on Champion Row. If this is a breed you would like to have there are two good breeders I know of. Send me a personel messag and I will tell you who these super breeders are. bob