Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

I work in research as well and you have pretty much nailed the main concerns on the head.
Animals of any stripe get too inbred and strange things start happening. Transgenics are super special.

Start breeding for knock outs and double knockout and wow does it get weird. Our biggest problem is epilepsy. There is also a long list of behavioral problems that crop up. I would worry about this with chickens as well. Still out crosses should be done very carefully I would imagine to preserve type. There is definitely a place for both schools of thought.

I worked in the radiation lab at UCSF with lab animals for 4 years, (rats, mice, toads and back then beagles), so I have an understanding of lab animals. I still subscribe to Lab Animal magazine. They are not like chickens. Genetic diversity in chickens does not have to be achieved by bringing in new blood if they are under the control of a knowledgeable breeder and chicken breeding is like no other breeding I have seen. Chickens can have structural changes just by making color changes.....and this is in a closed flock with no other genetic influence. I can't explain it, but I have seen it over the many years I have been doing this. chickens are complex genetically. Chickens also have behavior problems, but it is mostly aggression and those you plant in the garden as they are genetic.

The knowledgeable folks that post in this thread don't necessarily put happy faces and lol's in their posts, it is just their opinion based on many years of actually doing this stuff.
This thread and the OT thread are the only ones I know of on BYC that are not coffee clatches, so you may read some things that aren't happy and agreeable here occasionally.

All schools of thought are welcome here, but we don't have to agree with them.

Walt

 

[Chris09]

Wow,
I read through some of this and to me it sounds a lot like some people may be confusing Out Crossing with Cross Breeding. Maybe it's just me.

Chris

 

[cgmccary]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/727411/biodersity-vs-classic-animal-breeding#post_10024086

Started a thread on topic.

 

[fowlman01]

Karen

First let me say thanks for a well written (and somewhat understandable, even for a genetics dunce like me) explanation of your take on animal breeding versus genetic biodiversity.

For fear of hurting anyones feelings(if I do, I apologize in advance as that is NOT my intention), I have a casual observation and a request if I might. I think recent conversations have come a bit far from the original party's spirit of conversation regarding Heritage breeds. Bob's initial post is below


Since the thread is designed around Heritage Breeds, should perhaps a new thread be started regarding "Genetics" or "Bio-diversity in breeding" or something like that? A link could be established between this thread and the new one for those wishing to join in that new conversation

From reading all the recent posts, I don't believe the "two sides" will ever agree on acceptable or proper breeding techniques as each group has a difference set of objectives and/or criteria

Selfishly, I raise an "old time/heritage/whatever you want to call it breed" and I value the conversations surrounding how I might better achieve the standards that are set forth by the APA in regards to what I raise.

Again, I apologize to anyone that I might have offended....this is simply an opinion on my part

I'm not offended by anything you post, but I am offended by the term "Yard full of Rocks"...sounds like a landscape business and I think that is against the TOU.......roglmao...xyz.

w.

 

[Pozees]

I noticed there was not a notable breed thread for the la Fleche on here so I asked BYC to dedicate the is thread as a sticky on notables: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/309465/la-fleche-thread-pic-of-my-black-la-fleche/270
and I have some pictures there of my Urch La Fleche. Mine do not seem to be flighty but rather calm.

Thanks!

 

[fowlman01]

Wow,
I read through some of this and to me it sounds a lot like some people may be confusing Out Crossing with Cross Breeding. Maybe it's just me.

Chris

You have a good understanding of poultry terms, so I don't think it is you.

w.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I'm not offended by anything you post, but I am offended by the term "Yard full of Rocks"...sounds like a landscape business and I think that is against the TOU.......roglmao...xyz.

w.

Well Walt....it was completely by accident and apropo at the time I joined BYC. I live in NW Georgia and my yard is completely "full o rocks" (after 10 yrs of being here we can still pick them up by the bucketful)....and then came the chickens and they are "all rocks"...so, there you are, stuck with me as "Yard Full o' rocks"

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/727411/biodersity-vs-classic-animal-breeding#post_10024086

Started a thread on topic.

You are da man!!

Thanks

 

[fowlman01]

Well Walt....it was completely by accident and apropo at the time I joined BYC. I live in NW Georgia and my yard is completely "full o rocks" (after 10 yrs of being here we can still pick them up by the bucketful)....and then came the chickens and they are "all rocks"...so, there you are, stuck with me as "Yard Full o' rocks"

So it really was full of rocks........hahaha......how cool!...well, not if you had to move them all.

w.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

So it really was full of rocks........hahaha......how cool!...well, not if you had to move them all.

w.

The problem will come if I take on a new breed....then what?? DW has me keep a "small" group of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes 'cause she's tired of all my black and white chickens!!

Maybe I'll have to be a "Yard full o rocks and dots"