Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

Good morning y'all

FREEZING here (by southern standards anyway....27F). My first hatch of LF Col Rocks is happening as I type. 3-4 are out already

I have a question for those of you who show birds. My birds are friendly, will eat out of my hand, etc, but are not much for being caught, picked up, etc. With that in mind, how do you get a bird(s) prepared to be put in a small coop and also for being handled by a judge?

I'm thinking of showing a cockerel and a pullet at the Newnan show in February

Thanks!!!

 

[saladin]

I'd have to look for pictures.

My cock yard and breeding yard have been in Backyard Poultry alot through the years. There are probably photos on here as well as at ultimate fowl.

I have a lot of chickens. lol.

 

[saladin]

Good morning y'all

FREEZING here (by southern standards anyway....27F). My first hatch of LF Col Rocks is happening as I type. 3-4 are out already

I have a question for those of you who show birds. My birds are friendly, will eat out of my hand, etc, but are not much for being caught, picked up, etc. With that in mind, how do you get a bird(s) prepared to be put in a small coop and also for being handled by a judge?

I'm thinking of showing a cockerel and a pullet at the Newnan show in February

Thanks!!!

You catch them up and put them in some type of cage or show coop. Keep them in there for a couple of weeks handling them once or more each day. They'll calm down in a matter of days.

Or, put them on tie-cords and pick them up and handle them several times a day: works the same way.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

You catch them up and put them in some type of cage or show coop. Keep them in there for a couple of weeks handling them once or more each day. They'll calm down in a matter of days.

Or, put them on tie-cords and pick them up and handle them several times a day: works the same way.

Thanks much for the quick reply. Guess I need to start a project building a conditioning pen. I really like the ones Chris H posted a few weeks back. I'm taking vacation until Jan 2 so now would be a good time

Thanks again

 

[thedragonlady]

Good morning y'all

FREEZING here (by southern standards anyway....27F). My first hatch of LF Col Rocks is happening as I type. 3-4 are out already

I have a question for those of you who show birds. My birds are friendly, will eat out of my hand, etc, but are not much for being caught, picked up, etc. With that in mind, how do you get a bird(s) prepared to be put in a small coop and also for being handled by a judge?

I'm thinking of showing a cockerel and a pullet at the Newnan show in February

Thanks!!!

You need a couple of coops that look like show coops. Put your birds in them for few weeks, handling them a couple of times a day the way a judge will , make sure to check wings, feet, etc.They calm down in a hurry. I like my birds to face the judge , not huddle in a corner , so I give them treats to come to the door . Be sure to get them used to posing by using a show stick too !

 

[Robert Blosl]

I was lurking this moaning on this thread and something caught my eye and I said Wow they look pretty good. These are a pair of White Wyandottes Steve Picked up at the Knoxville, Tenn show a few weeks ago that where in pretty run down worn out out shape. They are really Turing around and looking good Steve. I had a hunch they came from good blood lines and from this pair you should be able to breed a very good strain. We dont talk much about Wyandottes but they had a lot to do with some of the makings of the early breeds years ago. Many times old time breeders would cross Wyandottes, Cochins and Brahmas onto their Rock lines or what ever to make color variety's such as Partridge, Silver Pencil led or Colombian.

Any more pictures of rare old time Standard breeds out there? Those silkies are also in the old black and white standard of mine from 1962. They are part of the so called dirty word HERITAGE Chickens term. You can take a silkie and cross him onto a white rock or Cochin and the females should be excellent mothers. That's why I have Mr. Silkie. He is black and will mate him onto my extra White Rock Bantam females and a year from now I should have a army of sitters for my breeding and I want to hatch and raise under my sitting hens my White Leghorn bantams to see what the wing length will be like com paired to raising them under light bulbs.

I had males on tie cords years ago my big large fowl Reds. I did not leave them out there all day and night just during the day. I would rotate them outside from their 4x4 conditioning pens and then I had some 4x4 square and round pens that a cock er gave me and would put horse turnds in the pens on grass for them to scratch and get ex cerise. Using the same concepts as the cocker to train his male bird befor he took them to the pit. My friend got cut by a gaff got staff infection in his body it went to a bad hip socket and to a heart value and had to have total hip replacement, new heart valve and then two years latter had a stroke and he is no longer walking or taking care of his chickens. However, he taught me allot about caring for my Standard Breed chickens. Some of these guys when you talk to them go over their head. They are like talking to a PhD in Poultry Science and even most people dont like what they do with their chickens they take better care of them than most back yard folks. Today they are pretty much held down in their craft that they do. Many have in the woods Private fights down here. They get busted about once every two to four years by the Sheriff department. The one pictured is pretty much what I had and Zelotes Esyshmeyer of Ohio was the first person to see a picture of one of my Reds with a tie cord. He called me up and said do you teather you Reds? Never heard that word befor but I am not from the south so I cant help that. He use to get one Rhode Island Red and one White Rock large fowl every year and show them. Won up a storm and when the boys in Ohio asked him Zelotes where did you buy that rooster he would say O a fellow in California named BROWN.

It took four years for the Ohio boys to figure out where they came from. He use to make the prettiest show coops to put your chickens in and take to the Poultry Shows. He died of cancer about 10 years ago. He was a master conditioner and exhibitor but could not breed his way out of a wet paper bag. Silkies RULE?

 

[catdaddyfro]

I was lurking this moaning on this thread and something caught my eye and I said Wow they look pretty good. These are a pair of White Wyandottes Steve Picked up at the Knoxville, Tenn show a few weeks ago that where in pretty run down worn out out shape. They are really Turing around and looking good Steve. I had a hunch they came from good blood lines and from this pair you should be able to breed a very good strain. We dont talk much about Wyandottes but they had a lot to do with some of the makings of the early breeds years ago. Many times old time breeders would cross Wyandottes, Cochins and Brahmas onto their Rock lines or what ever to make color variety's such as Partridge, Silver Pencil led or Colombian.

Any more pictures of rare old time Standard breeds out there? Those silkies are also in the old black and white standard of mine from 1962. They are part of the so called dirty word HERITAGE Chickens term. You can take a silkie and cross him onto a white rock or Cochin and the females should be excellent mothers. That's why I have Mr. Silkie. He is black and will mate him onto my extra White Rock Bantam females and a year from now I should have a army of sitters for my breeding and I want to hatch and raise under my sitting hens my White Leghorn bantams to see what the wing length will be like com paired to raising them under light bulbs.

I had males on tie cords years ago my big large fowl Reds. I did not leave them out there all day and night just during the day. I would rotate them outside from their 4x4 conditioning pens and then I had some 4x4 square and round pens that a cock er gave me and would put horse turnds in the pens on grass for them to scratch and get ex cerise. Using the same concepts as the cocker to train his male bird befor he took them to the pit. My friend got cut by a gaff got staff infection in his body it went to a bad hip socket and to a heart value and had to have total hip replacement, new heart valve and then two years latter had a stroke and he is no longer walking or taking care of his chickens. However, he taught me allot about caring for my Standard Breed chickens. Some of these guys when you talk to them go over their head. They are like talking to a PhD in Poultry Science and even most people dont like what they do with their chickens they take better care of them than most back yard folks. Today they are pretty much held down in their craft that they do. Many have in the woods Private fights down here. They get busted about once every two to four years by the Sheriff department. The one pictured is pretty much what I had and Zelotes Esyshmeyer of Ohio was the first person to see a picture of one of my Reds with a tie cord. He called me up and said do you teather you Reds? Never heard that word befor but I am not from the south so I cant help that. He use to get one Rhode Island Red and one White Rock large fowl every year and show them. Won up a storm and when the boys in Ohio asked him Zelotes where did you buy that rooster he would say O a fellow in California named BROWN.

It took four years for the Ohio boys to figure out where they came from. He use to make the prettiest show coops to put your chickens in and take to the Poultry Shows. He died of cancer about 10 years ago. He was a master conditioner and exhibitor but could not breed his way out of a wet paper bag. Silkies RULE?

Good point on the Wyandottes too Bob. I'd bet a lot of folks don't realize they have the most variety(8) of recognized colors in the SOP out of all the American class breeds. Silver-laced, Columbian, White, Partridge, Silver-penciled, Golden-laced, Black, and Buff. more in the ABA standard here's a few to go along with these and of course there are the multi-colored variations too:

Example copied here:

There are eight colors recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) which are golden laced, silver laced, white, black, buff, Columbian, partridge and silver penciled. In bantams there is also buff Columbian, black breasted red, blue red, lemon blue, barred,brown red, and birchen that are recognized by the American Bantam Association. However, there are more colors than that which are either recognised by similar organisations in other countries like the PCGB (Poultry Club of Great Britain). These colors include blue laced red and buff laced. Overall there are 17 colors. The cock is a different color. It is tan with a long neck and a purple head. They are often called the veiny roaster due to the visibility of the veins through the dark matted feathers that end at the neck:





Heres a link with almost every color under the chicken sun of what Wyandottes can come in:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Wyand/BRKWyand.html

Jeff

 

[Lacy Blues]

You can buy them ready made but most make their own. Here's how it works:


U-bolt (or some type of anchor)

Metal swivel

Cord (usually about 3 foot)

Plastic swivel (I use a 1 " pvc pipe with two holes drilled into the side)

Cord (usally another 3 foot)

Hitch (these we buy: they are a rubbery material: not leather which would shrink when wet and hurt the leg)

You also need a barrel or homemade teepee. They do best in a wooded area where there is lots of shade. If a chicken gets caught out in the southern sun without shade for an hour they'll be toast: not a pretty sight.

Could you show this whenever you get a chance please? I can "see" all of it except this part... don't understand how it "swivels."

 

[Texasmja]

Good point on the Wyandottes too Bob. I'd bet a lot of folks don't realize they have the most variety(8) of recognized colors in the SOP out of all the American class breeds. Silver-laced, Columbian, White, Partridge, Silver-penciled, Golden-laced, Black, and Buff. more in the ABA standard here's a few to go along with these and of course there are the multi-colored variations too:

Example copied here:

There are eight colors recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association) which are golden laced, silver laced, white, black, buff, Columbian, partridge and silver penciled. In bantams there is also buff Columbian, black breasted red, blue red, lemon blue, barred,brown red, and birchen that are recognized by the American Bantam Association. However, there are more colors than that which are either recognised by similar organisations in other countries like the PCGB (Poultry Club of Great Britain). These colors include blue laced red and buff laced. Overall there are 17 colors. The cock is a different color. It is tan with a long neck and a purple head. They are often called the veiny roaster due to the visibility of the veins through the dark matted feathers that end at the neck:





Heres a link with almost every color under the chicken sun of what Wyandottes can come in:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Wyand/BRKWyand.html

Jeff

Wyandotte's are my passion!

 

[jaman4]

Here is a supplier of tie cords and accessories.
http://www.bellefarm.net/id14.html