Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ronott1]

Quote:
Frankly, I don't give a fig what others think, regarding my recreation of the Delaware breed. It does so happen that I used Barred Rocks from the oldest flock know. Their history can be traced to before 1900. The New Hampshires I used are also from old stock. They are the German strain. How and when did they get to Germany? They were part of the reconstruction effort after the war with Germany. The Germans are known to love this breed, and they continue to thrive there.

Will my Delawares be considered, "heritage?" I don't know and I don't care. In my opinion, if it looks like a Delawares, acts like a Delawares, shows like a Delaware, and breeds true..... it's a Delaware.

I don't get too hung up on terms like "heritage." It seems to me it is often used to romanticize the old breeds. Also, the APA has yet to determine their official standing on the word.

Yes your Delawares are wonderful!

Thanks for posting this!

It supports the point of keeping the lines pure very nicely.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Looks like we are splitting hairs on this thread. We are trying to get strains, lines of breeds in the hands of beginners like Black Jersey Giants, Mottled Javas Black Javas, Buff Leghorns, Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds, Rose Comb Brown Leghorns Light and Speckled Sussex ect. Who cares how they were made as long as a APA judge thinks they are true to breed at a show or if he came to your farm and did a flock inspection for you as a favor. The new Delawares are light years ahead of what was available to the public two or three years ago.

We have a strain of Colombian Plymouth Rocks in the USA out of Canada and they are man made from Light Brahmas and White Rock Large fowl because the current stock are all washed out in color and small in size. Even some strains of our good Silver Penciled Rocks had to have bantam blood in them to get the color back because the old strains where again washed out and poor looking specimens. Many strains of Rose Comb birds where crossed back to single comb birds to get the type back like in our leghorns and reds.

Our current strain or two of Rhode Island Whites are crosses of White Rocks and White Wyandottes and are so run down they hardly resemble the breed from what they had in the 1950s which was not much better. They were not Rhode Island Reds or had the red blood in them in the first place.

We need to get back to the basics of getting these old breeds in the hands of those who want to be care takers of these breeds. We need to hurry as Mr. Urch and his days of his hard labor are catching up with him as he gets older. No hatchery will be able to do what he has done over the last 30 years as their scope is hatching chickens and getting them in the mail to make a profit.

Hope those who want to splint hairs on what is Heritage and what is not understand this. We are a recovery service of Old Historic Breeds that where in the th APA standard of Perfection in the 1960s and earlier. We dont need really to use Heritage. I used this term to wake you guys up. The true term is STANDARD BREED LARGE FOWL. Heirloom Heritage are just spin words.

Let the good breeders do their job. Kathy from Mo has done a remarkable job on her Delawares and look what she has done also to promote New Hampshire's and Barred Rocks as well. Many of you would not have the birds in your yards if she did not make the investment in time and money to get these birds for us.

Cant we just get along and work for the common cause and not worry what Organization says about what is Heritage is or is not. If we wait to long on this petty stuff they will be gone or washed up so bad it would take 30 years to replace these old breeds. Like I have said we need to work on the breeds that are salvageable first get those breeds going and then if you all want go for the ones that are light years away from recovery.

Remember we are kind of Mash Unit for Chickens here for these old rare breeds as there are so many in need of help today. Many on this web site do not under stand this as they think the bird they get at the feed stores are true to breed which they are not.
bob

 

[mschlumb]

Looks like we are splitting hairs on this thread. We are trying to get strains, lines of breeds in the hands of beginners like Black Jersey Giants, Mottled Javas Black Javas, Buff Leghorns, Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds, Rose Comb Brown Leghorns Light and Speckled Sussex ect. Who cares how they were made as long as a APA judge thinks they are true to breed at a show or if he came to your farm and did a flock inspection for you as a favor. The new Delawares are light years ahead of what was available to the public two or three years ago.

We have a strain of Colombian Plymouth Rocks in the USA out of Canada and they are man made from Light Brahmas and White Rock Large fowl because the current stock are all washed out in color and small in size. Even some strains of our good Silver Penciled Rocks had to have bantam blood in them to get the color back because the old strains where again washed out and poor looking specimens. Many strains of Rose Comb birds where crossed back to single comb birds to get the type back like in our leghorns and reds.

Our current strain or two of Rhode Island Whites are crosses of White Rocks and White Wyandottes and are so run down they hardly resemble the breed from what they had in the 1950s which was not much better. They were not Rhode Island Reds or had the red blood in them in the first place.

We need to get back to the basics of getting these old breeds in the hands of those who want to be care takers of these breeds. We need to hurry as Mr. Urch and his days of his hard labor are catching up with him as he gets older. No hatchery will be able to do what he has done over the last 30 years as their scope is hatching chickens and getting them in the mail to make a profit.

Hope those who want to splint hairs on what is Heritage and what is not understand this. We are a recovery service of Old Historic Breeds that where in the th APA standard of Perfection in the 1960s and earlier. We dont need really to use Heritage. I used this term to wake you guys up. The true term is STANDARD BREED LARGE FOWL. Heirloom Heritage are just spin words.

Let the good breeders do their job. Kathy from Mo has done a remarkable job on her Delawares and look what she has done also to promote New Hampshire's and Barred Rocks as well. Many of you would not have the birds in your yards if she did not make the investment in time and money to get these birds for us.

Cant we just get along and work for the common cause and not worry what Organization says about what is Heritage is or is not. If we wait to long on this petty stuff they will be gone or washed up so bad it would take 30 years to replace these old breeds. Like I have said we need to work on the breeds that are salvageable first get those breeds going and then if you all want go for the ones that are light years away from recovery.

Remember we are kind of Mash Unit for Chickens here for these old rare breeds as there are so many in need of help today. Many on this web site do not under stand this as they think the bird they get at the feed stores are true to breed which they are not.
bob

I completely agree! Since when do we use do we use the term "heritage" to describe what was previously known as "exhibition" or "standard-bred"? The way I understand it the word "heritage" is literally a label indicating that a person is selling meat or eggs from a non-commercial bird. It doesn't describe the bird itself. The word "heritage" relates to consumers better than "standard-bred", and often evokes some emotional response used to get consumers to buy these products. We have seen on this thread how emotional the term is and what it means to people. There is nothing wrong with that, I just think it gets overused when reffered to the birds themselves.

 

[ashandvine]

I disagree that Standard Bred is the word meant to be used in the stead of Heritage. When Mr Bob or 3 Rivers Miss Karen share information with us it is a heritage that we are learning of and hopefully learning to add to our own... an inHERITAnce. Inherit and heredity... these are the roots of the word heritage. Standards we inherit and hopefully continue to honor, a history we inherit and pass on. That seems -exactly- like what this thread was meant to be about. Just the other day I went out and observed my Dorking rooster and was distinctly aware of how I was sharing a moment with the behavior and breed that was a replication going far back in history. It was a very surreal moment to think on.

 

[fowlman01]

I completely agree! Since when do we use do we use the term "heritage" to describe what was previously known as "exhibition" or "standard-bred"? The way I understand it the word "heritage" is literally a label indicating that a person is selling meat or eggs from a non-commercial bird. It doesn't describe the bird itself. The word "heritage" relates to consumers better than "standard-bred", and often evokes some emotional response used to get consumers to buy these products. We have seen on this thread how emotional the term is and what it means to people. There is nothing wrong with that, I just think it gets overused when reffered to the birds themselves.

Right on. Heirloom and Heritage are new words to describe Standard Bred, which as noted does not sound nearly as romantic. If the APA gets into this, the judges who go out to certify flocks are not going to be doing DNA tests on any of these birds. They will be doing visual assessments. Free Range, Heirloom, Heritage etc are all words used by people selling something and have only become words used by poultry people fairly recently.

Walt

 

[Zanna]

Wanting some recommendations on scales to weigh chickens. Working on my x-mas list

 

[snowbird]

Wanting some recommendations on scales to weigh chickens. Working on my x-mas list

I use a pair old old hardware scales like the ones Gamefowl people use. It comes with a 4# - 2# - 1# weight. Find them around estates sales and antique malls.

 

[Wynette]

Wanting some recommendations on scales to weigh chickens. Working on my x-mas list

Good question.

Also, I asked in a new thread about information on different way to build a light box. I think I received all of 2 replies.

In order to share pics, we need to be able to take quality pics - if anyone has info. they can give, please post here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/727872/show-me-your-light-boxes-all-types#post_10038648

 

[thedragonlady]

Wanting some recommendations on scales to weigh chickens. Working on my x-mas list

A hanging scale with a pillow case works best for me. Good deals on eBay right now !

 

[Zanna]

A hanging scale with a pillow case works best for me. Good deals on eBay right now !

Thank you Don and Dragonlady, some great ideas, will research them both....... I was thinking something more along the lines of a scale that had a flat, broad base that I could put a cardboard box on and set the chicken in it.