Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

If you cull a suspect bird then how do they ever get to a stage where they develop immunity? Immunity comes at the price of exposure and often survival. If they can't survive the axe they can't survive the 'illness' to develop anything. I am not saying I disagree with your sentiments or methods only that practice would seem to negate, or in the least, hamper, the theory. I wonder if the practice of growing out immunity will work for all things including respiratory issues and all that? Nature would suggest so but I wonder if its a risk I want to take with my birds here and now. Food for thought.

Mr Walt, when you say a bird is 'rangey' what does that mean spelled out? I recall you worked with ducks and chickens? Geese or Turkeys ever? I never see turkeys at shows or fairs.
How are all you folks transporting yourselves and birds to shows across the states? I was picturing the birds in a camper with you but that didn't seem right. On the back seat of a car? Remind me again; the benefit of this showing is? Other than saying you have purdy birds of course. Just fun?

Rangy is a bird that is not filled out, but should be for it's breed type or age.

Birds have to be challenged to increase resistance.....if there is a bird in with them that is sick, they more than likely have been exposed to whatever that is. You don't need to keep the bird with symptoms around and you don't want to overdo the exposure.

I show chickens, ducks and geese. Turkeys don't survive on my property. The males last about 9 months and females about 3 months. Having turkeys around is good for Mareks, but bad for the turkeys. I know that people raise turkeys and chickens together, but it doesn't work here. I have judged classes of turkeys that were 100-130 birds at CA fairs, but you don't see many in the regular shows.

This is the Duck Van. It will hold quite a few birds. We show 35-50 birds per show if we drive to the show. chickens, ducks and geese. There is a separate air and heat control for the back of the van. The van only has two seats, the rest is for the birds.



Walt

 

[Spangled]

According the guys in the know on the Heritage Rhode Island Red thread, the best you're gonna push a true, heritage Rhode Island Red is around 200 eggs per season, this according to Bob, I believe.

Here's a good post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/410956/heritage-rir-vs-production-rir/30#post_4999678
Claims HRIR 150-175 eggs per annum.

Another:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/410956/heritage-rir-vs-production-rir/40#post_5122062
Claims 190 highest seen.

Not sure if things have changed in the last two years since this info was posted.

 

[Spangled]

I know when I try to explain what I mean I often come off sounding like a know-it-all or esoteric. That's just me trying to explain something I have been thinking about for a long time.

Um ... directed at me? Not sure. If so, I definitely don't think you (or anyone for that matter) is sounding like a know-it-all. As for esoteric, yeah, some of your stuff is a little esoteric for the likes of me. I can only speak for me. And I've always been under the impression that the word esoteric doesn't carry any insult with it. So, pax.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Walt, aka fowlman01 always sounds like a know it all.... because he does know it all!

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: That male has a very nice tail for a barred rock. This line had problems in the males tail but this one so far is looking nice and furnished.

Double mating is something I have never had to do. A friend of mine who is breeding Colombian Plymouth Rocks has been talking about a fellow who is a super star Light Brahma breeder. In order for his to get good males and good females he has to double mate them. That is males for the female line may have different colors or excess colors to produce a female line then a male line. Its a shame really as you have to have two more lines of one breed to produce good birds. Also, when you buy birds from this guy if you dont know how to breed them like he does you will go backwards. If you can breed your Blues single mating system that is fantastic. I liked our female. bob

 

[ashandvine]

A big benefit for the poultry community is educating people about different breeds. This is probably not the main reason most people show, but it is something to consider. Especially if you are working with a relatively rare breed. I learned about the breed I've chosen to work on - NOT the hatchery mutt in my avatar - when someone showed some of them here recently. Until that point I had no interest in showing poultry. Now I plan on showing these birds once I've got something worth entering. Still waiting for the chicks. It may take a few years.

Sarah

I already planned on the education and exposure piece. I am working with Orloffs here and now Midget Whites. I also have some Marans but that's another story. It seems like a bit of a competitive hobby and I wondered if there was anyone who would articulate that for me is all. I know if your birds win you can charge more for their eggs and show off your pretty ribbons. I used to compete and judge homebrewing competitions so in my mind its similar. The ribbons didn't meant to much but the feedback and recognition and socializing was valuable to me. I figure its probably nice to go show a bird you work on and care about then socialize with like minded folks. But I am guessing. The idea of traveling from Maine to Ohio with chickens for a show... well, how to finance that is one concern that begs me to ask, 'why?'

Who needs turkey with chicken like that?!!!

Aw come on. They are super rare and cute and I already have a list of people wanting them and making deposits for spring and fall! Helps pay for chickens and makes my son happy. It seems he has a pension for noisy weirdos like turkeys and guinea hens. He still thinks he wants orps but enough is enough for a while.


THE DUCK VAN? Come on! I had a plan to get a truck for similar purposes and call it the cluck truck. You need to pain the bumper yellow so it at least looks like a pekin ha ha

 

[thedragonlady]

I already planned on the education and exposure piece. I am working with Orloffs here and now Midget Whites. I also have some Marans but that's another story. It seems like a bit of a competitive hobby and I wondered if there was anyone who would articulate that for me is all. I know if your birds win you can charge more for their eggs and show off your pretty ribbons. I used to compete and judge homebrewing competitions so in my mind its similar. The ribbons didn't meant to much but the feedback and recognition and socializing was valuable to me. I figure its probably nice to go show a bird you work on and care about then socialize with like minded folks. But I am guessing. The idea of traveling from Maine to Ohio with chickens for a show... well, how to finance that is one concern that begs me to ask, 'why?'


Aw come on. They are super rare and cute and I already have a list of people wanting them and making deposits for spring and fall! Helps pay for chickens and makes my son happy. It seems he has a pension for noisy weirdos like turkeys and guinea hens. He still thinks he wants orps but enough is enough for a while.


THE DUCK VAN? Come on! I had a plan to get a truck for similar purposes and call it the cluck truck. You need to pain the bumper yellow so it at least looks like a pekin ha ha

Nope ! Walt needs to find someone who is good with an airbrush, and copy the color of his East Indies ! That would be a sight to behold.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: In two years not much has changed 50,000 heathery production reds are sold each year and people are as happy with them as my cat when she gets in her litter box. They think they got Rhode Island Reds and tell every buddy that they know they have Rhode Island Reds and will sell eggs on ebay or here and say they are Rhode Island Reds. Nothing is going to stop that. They lay about 275 eggs per year they should live about three years if their insides dont blow out. Stand rad Rhode Island Reds are a dual purpose chicken. They should lay about 170 eggs per pullet year for the average flock some flocks may lay near 190. If they lay more that's good we dont worry about them for their egg laying ability. We breed them for shape, type, egg production then color. Vigor is the paramount trait we look for and if poss able select your breeders for fast feathering and early development this seems to give you birds that produce more eggs than others.

They have good meat on their bones and when you have a male on the ground with four or five females they look very nice. Remember these chickens on this tread we are trying to Preserve and maintain are dual purpose chickens.

I will say in two years we have double the large fowl population than we had back then. People are interested in this breed and are taking them on. Some of the folks are getting to the ten year mark of ownership which makes me very happy. These are our master breeders of the future to keep this old breed going. Many of the old breeds are improving and looking true to the standard. That's all a hobbyist can hope for. I hope we can help people with the new breeds they get just maintain some normally shape and color with out going to school and get a Master Degree in Poultry Science to raise them. This is suppose to be a fun hobby and not a job. When its not fun and you don't enjoy your chickens you will leave the hobby or any hobby you may take on. My neighbor up the road is selling is Boat. He just dont have time to fish and he cant catch any and the payments are killing him. The neighbor up the road further is selling his Travel Trailer. They used six times the first year. Four times the second year two times the third year and have not gone out in two years. A five year old model in excellent shape for half the cost. They paid dearly for this unit and got very little out of it. Thats normal in any thing we take on. Walt you sure have a pretty duck truck. Kind of reminds me of some Alabama Cookers who use to go to their pits with a old fashion station wagon from the 60s. Good ventilation is key in taking birds to a show. I remember one of the best White Rocks ever breed in the west coast by Carl Hove went to the National White Plymouth Rock meet at Salem Oregon in 1963 and his box was out side near the exhaust pipe and he about died. Carl said kill the SOB. I said know let me take him home. Carl said all right. I climbed over the fence and got the bird out of a duck pen he was in and he recovered. I got a $100. chicken for free. Was the start of my White Rock flock as a kid.

I got a show to go to this weekend. 125 large fowl entered. Should see some good birds and will take pictures for you to look at. bob

 

[thedragonlady]

I know what you're saying about re-arranging things sometimes allows a lesser birds some space to bloom, but honestly, in this case, this little guy was a beauty from day one. He was always sharp and smart, just a runt. Consistently smaller and slower to develop. But, he was never picked on by his bigger brooder mates or anything. In fact, these GS Rocks don't pick on each other much. Then, BOOM!!! out of nowhere, at 24 to 28 weeks? He just flat exploded. He became the alpha. Just didn't see that coming.




I don't have a good photo of his 32 week manliness now, but here's pic of some of his "cousins" over at JWhip's and yup. he's just that huge. Our birds came from Kathy who got them from Jeremy.

Gorgeous big guys !
I'm glad to know that there is another breed that really doesn't pick on one another. My Buff Orp baby pen has chicks in it that age from 4 weeks to 10 weeks. They never pick on one another even when new babies are added. I never add just one though. All chicks need at least one buddy in a group. I have also been really amazed at the sudden growth spurts, especially in cockerels. Fun to watch.

 

[ashandvine]

Nope ! Walt needs to find someone who is good with an airbrush, and copy the color of his East Indies ! That would be a sight to behold.

YES!!! Although Mr Walt seems so accomplished I bet he could go out and air brush it himself. Who better to be sure there are no flaws?