Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Pozees]

Just a suggestion. It might be easier if you stayed in the same color famly (red) and general body type (dual-purpose). Speckled Sussex is the hardest variety of Sussex to get right because they are a tri-color breed. Smart of you to start with such an august strain as Albritton. Light Borwn Leghorns are e+ wildtype. A challenging color to keep pure. Red Sussex are Speckled Sussex without the speckles. They definitely need help, ultra rare.
Best,
Karen

I'm glad you mentioned the Red Sussex. I will add them to my list - there isn't a Sussex I've seen I don't like, honestly. I don't believe I've seen a Red, but now I'll start looking around

I know the Speckled is difficult, but they blend into the landscape well, and Tony has agreed to let me send him pictures as they grow up for help in selecting what to keep and combine.

 

[math ace]

I'm glad you mentioned the Red Sussex. I will add them to my list - there isn't a Sussex I've seen I don't like, honestly. I don't believe I've seen a Red, but now I'll start looking around

I know the Speckled is difficult, but they blend into the landscape well, and Tony has agreed to let me send him pictures as they grow up for help in selecting what to keep and combine.

IF you find any GOOD RED SUSSEX, I would appreciate you sharing the source with me... PM me PLEASE....

In the meantime, if you want to look at some info on the Speckled Sussex and converse with others interested in doing right by this breed, join us on this thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/429217/show-quality-speckled-sussex/1410

 

[math ace]

Light Sussex are the egg layers of the Sussex breed. A breed that was also created for its meat abilities.
Best,
karen

Hey Karen... What size eggs do the light Sussex lay? I haven't been disappointed in the frequency of eggs from the Speckled Sussex, but dang I hate a medium size eggs when I am use to the large / jumbo eggs from the Marans and Delawares.

 

[Bentley]

All the time? Or just at certain times of the year?
 Karen

It seems I consistently have one or two trying to go broody on me. But mine are exposed to artificial light as well so they tend to lay year around although production does slightly change with the seasons.

 

[Chris09]

The foundation breeds that made the BRs and NHs are in too poor of shape or extinct to recreate them.

Are you positive about this statement?

The New Hampshire is said to have only one breed as a Parent Stock and that is the Rhode Island Red.
To my knowledge there are plenty of suitable Reds out there to recreate the New Hampshire breed if one has the knowledge, know how, the will and the time to do so.

As for the Barred Plymouth Rock there are also suitable Parent Stock to recreate this breed also but like with the New Hampshire it would take someone with the knowledge, know how, the will and the time to do so correctly.

ETA --
I am not saying that it is ok or a good idea to recreate these two breeds when there are already good stock out there but what I am saying is it can be done.


Chris

 

[NYREDS]

Rick,

If Andalusians can take NYREDS New York winters, I'm pretty sure they can also take your Ohio winters. Just a draft free barn is all you would need.

As a point of contention... the combs and wattles are not supposed to be HUGE. Check the SOP, they are medium sized. The Minorca bred into the Andalusian will give you HUGE combs and wattles. If you keep them pure and choose your breeders carefully, you can keep those appendages in the medium range.

Let me add, they do take winter here alright, but I rarely am able to show cock birds. They usually lose the tips of the points on their comb.

 

[Bentley]

Rick,

If Andalusian's can take NYREDS New York winters, I'm pretty sure they can also take your Ohio winters. Just a draft free barn is all you would need.

As a point of contention... the combs and wattles are not supposed to be HUGE. Check the SOP, they are medium sized. The Minorca bred into the Andalusian will give you HUGE combs and wattles. If you keep them pure and choose your breeders carefully, you can keep those appendages in the medium range.

Very true, the combs and wattles of Minorca are huge, as they are supposed to be for that breed. However it is certainly within the realm of possibility that as you continue to breed the selected offspring back to the original Andalusian and select the subsequent offspring for the desired trait that caused you to out-cross anyway, you can select against the comb and wattle size. I don't see this as a stumbling block at all. Now personal ethics and personal preference as to whether this is acceptable or not is another issue, but not using Minorcas to improve the Andalusian strictly out of concern for comb and wattle size is not one of them.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
All I know is what I read.... Here is what Dr. Bramwell sent me:



Quote:

University of Arkansas

So, I guess mschlumb is also speaking!

Hey, maybe he will give you extra points on your next exam for this! I earned 10 extra points on a Botany exam once just for donating blood and another 10 extra points for a 2 minute speach on triploid (seedless) watermelons!

 

[Marengoite]

A true breed of chicken is a chicken that breeds true. It is a purebred. A pure-breeding bird. A throughbred. A bird which replicates itself in its' get in successive generations. A bird you can breed pure in the strain and it will self-replicate. A purebred bird will stand every kind of breeding program except cross-breeding and still relicate its image .
I don't think it matters how the creature got to this point,(be it 1000's of years of evolution, or the skilled hands of a breeder{s}), if it meets this definition, it is a purebred, true breeding creature.
JMHO,
Karen

Thanks, Karen.

So you would agree that a re-created breed that meets the SOP and breeds consistently for multiple generations is a "true" representative of the breed? And that is is on par with the "heritage" birds?

Granted, this is purely hypothetical but it may have an impact on fans of the Lamona and Delaware. Wondering what their thoughts are.

rick

 

[Marengoite]

Rick,

If Andalusians can take NYREDS New York winters, I'm pretty sure they can also take your Ohio winters. Just a draft free barn is all you would need.

As a point of contention... the combs and wattles are not supposed to be HUGE. Check the SOP, they are medium sized. The Minorca bred into the Andalusian will give you HUGE combs and wattles. If you keep them pure and choose your breeders carefully, you can keep those appendages in the medium range.

Thanks for that encouraging word, Lacy Blues. I'm not quite ready to jump into the deep end of the pool yet and want to get some experience under my belt with Buckeyes, but I do think Andalusians are gorgeous birds.

rick