Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Arielle]

Do you really mean it is costing you 1$ a day? I have gone overboard.

 

[call ducks]

Karen,

I agree with you about the sussex, a nicely bred sussex is something to look at.


I just might try feeding mostly oats to the sussex this winter. Along with free choice of oyster shell. But i mustn't forget protein. humm. If i do not feed them it this winter. I well feed the cockerls the oat diet.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I was advised by some to not feed gamebird starter to our day old and up chicks. Knowing that if I killed them all my business partner had the exact same birds, I went ahead and fed the gamebird starter as a bit of an experiment (very high protein - 28%, with animal protein in there though I'm not sure what percentage of the protein is from animal). I will do that every year from now on. The birds feathered in fast and beautifully. My chicks were much farther along in development than my partner's at the same age they were big and robust and also I never had any coccidiosis problems even though they were brooded in an old horse stall and yes the corner was wet. I am not sure how much of that is just the breeding and how much was the feed, but the only chicks I had all spring with any sign of pasty butt were the ones that I picked up from her place that had already started eating her starter feed. After about four days on the gamebird feed I had zero pasty butt in those chicks as well.

The gamebird feeds have more consistency in quality control, a gamebird may eat out of only one bag of feed its whole life, so if that feed had high quantities of mold or other quality issues, the gamebird growers would know about it and they have raised a stink in the past and made sure the companies are pressured to have better quality in the feeds. I think Bob this is what you were seeing as well.

I tried feeding payback this spring once I switched off the starter because I really like the pellet size - pellets stay together but are small enough for young birds and bantams to handle no problem. I am now in the process of switching off of that. The birds just lack that "oomph" and some are a few ounces low on weight and when you pick them up you're just not impressed with their weight or feather. My business partner with birds from the same pens I went over to visit her and picked up the birds and man what a difference. Also our three year old hens at her place have better feather quality than our pullets at my place. I picked up three bags of the feed she is feeding on my way home and will try that. I don't like the crumble of it at all so will try some birds on that and others on gamebird flight conditioner and see. My only concern is fat content is a bit low at only 2% but hopefully their scratch grain will make up for that.

I think you could wash down that 28% with some chick starter and make it about 20 % I dont think the little guys can digest any more than that what I mean is the other 8 percent comes out in the poop. You just waist your Money. Its the quality of the grains in the game bird feed that puts the finish on the feathers.

I got a call from a friend today from Georgia who is one of my Rhode Island Red large fowl students. We talked for about a half a hour. I told him I am going to really crank down on my hatching and breeding for next year. I have a fellow who I consider one of my mentor who has some really fine White Rock Bantams. He raises about 45 chicks per year average and when its all done at the end of the year he keeps about three males and four pullets with a few of his hens and cock birds and he puts his mat tings together and there he goes again.

When he goes to a show he takes two or three white rocks and two or three Dark Cornish bantams and one of them ends up on champion row and many times he gets the big prize champion of the whole show. Know you can have four breeding pens with four to five females per pen and raise 200 chicks if you want and end up with maybe four or five good birds or you can do what he does. If you cant beat them join them is my motto. This guy is a master conditioner and I said to myself thats what I am going to do as he has more stared wins in the last 30 years than you can think of. Do you know what stared wins are????

Well I have worked outside for six hours I just dug a thirty foot ditch so I can tie into a pipe line I put in the ground 20 years ago and will splice it to my duck pens and two Buff Brahma pens so I can have a drip water system so they will have fresh water all day long. Tired, hungry, sleepy and ready to go to town and buy some more of that high priced chicken feed.

Hope you all have a great day. I found a trio of Mot led Javas that came from a old time breeder about twenty years ago. May get them and bring them down here so I can share the gene pool with others next year.

So you Java Breeders who want Molted color pattern I will have them in October or so.

Dont really care about them but its a old Heritage Breed and some one may be interested in keeping them going. Spread the word.

Got my diapers in from UPS today. Need some saddles that will be neat on these chickens. Going fishing in the morning. No meds came in Steve and Matt so I am still a wreck.

Life is good enjoy your chickens . Just don't name them or huge them because that's just not normal.

 

[Matt1616]

Did you say $1.00 a day? My goodness...I wish I had your feed bill. I am feeding a bag a day of 2 different feeds. One of them cost $22.00 a bag and one cost $17.00 a bag. So I guess I am spending $39.00 a day on feed.
Oats are not sufficient alone to raise healthy chickens. Oats have very little nutritional value. I would say it is a safe bet that people 80-90 years ago gave there chickens what ever they had handy or the most access to. That does not mean that it was the best feed for them. I can also assure you that if those same people had access to the knowledge and combo feeds that we have today they would burn all those oats. Remember, you only get out of chickens what you put into them and the quality of the feed directly affects the quality of the chicken.

 

[3riverschick]

he has more stared wins in the last 30 years than you can think of. Do you know what stared wins are????

What is it, Bob?
karen

 

[zach N houdan]

had 2 white bantam faverolles hatch 2day and i still have some pairs of LF and Bantam sumatras for sale!!!!!

 

[Arielle]

he has more stared wins in the last 30 years than you can think of. Do you know what stared wins are????

What is it, Bob?
karen

x2
Enquiring minds want to know.​

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Both the APA and ABA have a point system.

The APA

http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/ExhibitorPoints_2008.pdf

http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/GrandMasterPoints_2008.pdf

The ABA http://www.bantamclub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148&Itemid=86

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I have a fellow who I consider one of my mentor who has some really fine White Rock Bantams. He raises about 45 chicks per year average and when its all done at the end of the year he keeps about three males and four pullets with a few of his hens and cock birds and he puts his mat tings together and there he goes again.

Know you can have four breeding pens with four to five females per pen and raise 200 chicks if you want and end up with maybe four or five good birds or you can do what he does. If you cant beat them join them is my motto.

You know, there's more than a little bit to think of in here......

 

[Robert Blosl]

Thanks Jim nothing like started wins. Some call these folks point chasers. Some would you believe this buy show chickens from good breeders to show them to win points so they can latter be called master exhibitors or even worse master breeders. Not all do this but that's what stared wins are about. I think in 25 years I may have five wins. I dont show much and dont really care about the point game but this guy has won big with White Wyandottes, White Rocks, and Dark Cornish bantams. Have way there with another breed.

That is hard to do. In the feed my feed went up $1.50 per bag as most of yours should because of the short gage of corn.

I can only afford about $150. per month on my budget.

Some folks spend that in a week.