Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Pozees]

hahaha, funny, Chris.  I have enjoyed your posts, as usual.
It's always nice to see you posting. You are always very helpful, and you are appreciated.

X2!

I recently heard/read someone who I *think* is with the State of CO, can't remember if it was Cooperative Extension or Department of Ag, saying if a chicken is allowed to free range, it may eat up to 80% protein in a given day based on its preference for bugs and depending on availability.

 

[galanie]

Every chicken I have ever met, in over 50 years, has a flaw or two . It depends on what, and how severe the flaw is, as to weather it should be bred. Reputable breeders eat the severly flawed birds, or see that they are eaten. They do not sell them as breeders.

Thank you! I've heard that good breeders eat a lot of chicken. Not because they have so many badly flawed birds, but because they don't want others to get the worst of their birds and then start claiming they have your stock. Gives a breeder a black eye. Not being a knowledgeable person myself, I was holding off too see what the others said about it.

 

[Bentley]

X2!
I recently heard/read someone who I *think* is with the State of CO, can't remember if it was Cooperative Extension or Department of Ag, saying if a chicken is allowed to free range, it may eat up to 80% protein in a given day based on its preference for bugs and depending on availability.

Birds that are allowed to forage will hunt the food type they want or need. This is why Guinea Fowl do a better job controlling ticks and bugs, they require a higher protein. Turkeys are somewhere between Guineas and chickens. guineas will forage in search of bugs and will eat preferred seeds and grasses it happens to come across, chickens will search out preferred seeds and will eat the bugs it comes across. In either case, percent total daily protein consumption can not exceed mid 50%. This will damage the kidneys and will eventually cause death of the bird.

 

[Matt1616]

cgmccary, are you coming to the Panhandle Show? We would sure love to see some good Buckeyes down here.

 

[Bentley]

Thank you! I've heard that good breeders eat a lot of chicken. Not because they have so many badly flawed birds, but because they don't want others to get the worst of their birds and then start claiming they have your stock. Gives a breeder a black eye. Not being a knowledgeable person myself, I was holding off too see what the others said about it.

I am not sure there is such a thing as a 'perfect bird' although some breeds are getting closer than others. Of course good breeders will always keep the best birds for their own breeding program otherwise their success as a breeding program will be impaired and slowed. So essentially any bird a good breeder chooses not to keep is 'a cull' in their breeding program. For a great breeder making good progress year to year, his culls are likely better or even MUCH better than another's breeders so his 'culls' have great value to others.

I have started working with breeds where my original stock were made up of someone's 'cull' birds and have done very well because his culls were the best stock available. I have also began working with breeds that came from hatchery stock when that was all that was available in the volume I needed and have done very well! As a matter of fact, I have found more satisfaction starting with birds that really needed the work to improve them and accomplished the goal through hatchery stock. Some breeds may be NEAR impossible to start with hatchery stock and eventually get them to closely resemble the SOP, while others it just takes large numbers and lots of birds hatched and 'culled'. Eventually the culls become, MUCH better than the original breeding stock and therefore will have great value to other breeders.

 

[cgmccary]

Quote:

cgmccary, are you coming to the Panhandle Show? We would sure love to see some good Buckeyes down here.

Yes, I am seriously considering coming & bringing Buckeyes. I have already printed off my brochure and thinking about how it can be done (the logistics for me). Pensacola is not that far. I used to live in Mobile (and my brother still does) - I can invite him over to the show and get to see him too. I'd like to eat some good oysters on the half shell as well (some of those Appalachicola ones, m.s.?). The only question is if I can have something ready. I like the idea of all those other American breeds being there and having their state meets -- it could be some real good competition in LF. I sold and gave away most of my ready birds at or after Ohio National. I am looking at the birds I have in my yard now.

I rarely show cocks but right now, my best bird is coming into feather and he should be ready. I have kept him penned through molt and his second feathers look almost as good as his cockerel feathers.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I offered to adopt thees three birds as the fellow who owns them works over seas and his father is getting old and cant take care of them. Who knows in one or two years he may return to Alabama and have a place and may want them back. At least I kept this old strain for how ever good they are alive for others who like Javas. To be honest in all my years of looking and reading about chickens I have never seen a live Java chicken. But I am doing this for you guys who care about the breed and for Dr. McGraws hard work he once did. I dont think he is around anymore. He use to write articles in the poultry press many years ago.

I may have a picture of them as the fellow sent me a picture. He wants some of my old Mohawk R I Reds so he will have a few of them to play with.

In regards to Buckeyes its so easy to get good ones from folks who worked under Don Shraders guidance many years ago I would not get any from a hatchery. That is what Don started with and improved and breed them up. Laura in Kentucky was the first person whos name came to my mind. She would be a great person to learn under. Many on this board may have her birds and this would be a good source to get your start from. Go with a prov en breeder or a person who just got some of their birds. If say a person got 15 chicks and kept say two trios and you come to their house to buy some of their birds ask them do you have any of the older birds for sale? Then get a old male and two old females these came from the breeder and are still good birds.

If you go to a breeder who has been breeding for over five years and know what they are dong as Walt talked about ask them to put together two breeding trios for you and go on this faith. Then ask them if they would help you the following year cull the young birds and help you put your matings together the next year. Her is a suggestion. Lets say Super Star Buckeye breeder shows at the big show in Knox vile Tenn in October. You enter Three Ckls and Three pullets or even five of each. Then you enter your two old trios as single cock birds and hens. Then this person can look at the old hens and cock birds as well as the young birds and put together for you say two more trio matings mixing the new with the old. Heck this person may say take this cockerel from trio two and mate it back to the old hens and they may take the best two pullets from trio one and mate it back to the cock bird. Simple mating. Then the next year you bring the old trios and some of the top young birds back to the show and have the super star breed help you again. I can tell you in two or three years you will get the hang of what this breeder is teaching you and you can move on your own but always keep a friendship with your mentor. You may pay $200 for your six birds but their mentoring you is PRICELESS.

Just think how many people who get into chickens who get out had a mentor to help them would not have failed and would still be in this hobby. Even if you just want to be a PRESERVATIONIST you still need guidance from a mentor or a club. If you just through these chickens together you are not a PRESERVATION EST you are a chicken collector.

There is a difference. In no time your flock will revert back to what Don started with and that was hatchery level birds. He did wonders for this breed in his honor try to keep them at the level he left them.

The Buckeye is a good discussion on this Thread they fit the scope of our helping people there are lurkers who come her to read and learn but have not yet got the courage to ask for help for their breed of interest. If it is on Mr. Urches list it most likely is Standard Breed and rare. We dont need to be talking about off the wall stuff like frying pans and cooking. Those are subjects for other threads on this site. We need to roll up our sleves and foucus on saving the old breeds of chickens and their gene pools. Chickens that come from a feed store are light years away from what I am trying to save on this tread. We got a lot of work to do and not many years to do it befor its to late. We cant save all the breeds but we can most likely save 80% of them.

Learn, study and then make your move when you are educated. Find you a mentor and their breed that is the 0.5% of the people who come on this board we are trying to help.

 

[CharlieVoda]

Best to call him now before he culls down to his over-winter flock if he hasn't already.

I am pretty sure he has everything culled down and ready for winter here in tropical MN. I will be seeing him today. You might do better to get 25 to 50 chicks when he starts hatching. You will have more birds to work with and not much more invested. Shipping is expensive on a trio. You will get nice leghorns from Duane he has some dandys.
Good luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[CharlieVoda]

I was happy to have something to work with. Again, I am starting with some La Fleche. They are very small. Hopefully, they will be what I would cull in some years. Not now. I am pleased to have them. (the La Fleche cockerel weighs just over 4 lbs and the pullets are about 3 lbs 10 ozs but laying). They are a rare breed. You get what you can. You work with what you got. The journey is the best part. Taking it and improving it. The whole instant gratification thing we have going and not wanting to work toward some goal sometimes is appalling to me.

This is some of the best advice I have heard in a long time.
Good luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[fowlman01]

Also, we need to take this Buckeye discussion over to the Buckeye thread. Blosi, Walt & Co. will throw us out of here if we talk too much about Buckeyes, I have probably said too much already. I'll have to go and put up or shut up at that Panhandle show or something.

I don't have a problem with the Buckeye discussion. It is good as not many people know about Buckeye's. Any info from a real breeder is good info.

Walt