Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ashandvine]

Call DUcks, I envy that you had someone to show you how to do all this early in life. We have always sent the lambs to the butcher and the kids never played with the lambs. THe chickens . . . well they love playing with the chickens and often haul one into the house to visit. THey have been remarkably helpful in the plucking and bagging, just not eating; and I keep t hem away from the killing. Based on their current behavior I don't think they are ready to see that done. It's rather a complex thing to introduce this to kids that did not grow up butchering . . . . bad enough they are the only kids they know with farm animals.

My son ask me to teach him/show him, said it was time he should learn. I was shocked but agreed. He managed alright and ate the bird in soup. I think it helped that it was a rooster that would chase any of us if we came out of the house. Now, when he brought home a turkey poult and cared for it he had a little sit with it before I came out to process it and as resigned as he was when he hung his head over that bird in his lap to cry for a moment I felt bad too. He walked away for the killing and came to help with the rest. He is nearly 12. Arielle I think yours are close to his age so maybe they will come around. I'm an adult and I still have to close my heart to put blood on my hands.

 

[ashandvine]

Makes me wonder what nationality you are saladin.....

Ditto what Karen said.....

It takes one to know one. And if not, we are loud enough across the global plain to make it easy to know us.


Miss Karen it was only this year that a new BYCer from my state showed up with birds that Mr Bob hadn't known about; beautiful RIR. He inherited his, is now showing them, and they came from a 'lost in the back woods' family keeper. It was great. Like you, I did a lot of looking and chasing and getting no where. Now I have birds that I didn't think I would get because of networking with people over the computer. It doesn't have to be easy to be worth it.

I respect the way you learn and share. That's what we are here for, right? I mean it isn't all just about posting pictures so we can get an internet pat on the back is it? If it is I should get that camera out. I do what I think is right but I want to learn and learning doesn't always mean following. We can only do what we can in the now and if there is a legacy to pass on its out of our hands when we die. Chaf. Wind. Simple but sober reality. These birds have been kept well and poorly long before any of us.

To get back to heritage for just a second, I want to thank Bob for a link to a Chef cooking 'heritage' and promoting just that on line. This is a marketable term and one that might come in handy for some of us as we go forward keeping our breeds. If Heritage is a buzz word or fad then great. Let it do its job and hook a few more people into keeping standard bred fowl Then we can persuade and cajole them into being long term stewards.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Hmmm...although it is always asking for it to make categorical statements about any group of people. I hardly see how Saladin's comments were actually "offensive." In fact, there's a lot to think about in what he said. Neither is what he said a shocking statement. Not that I agree with him per se, but we need to be able to have dialogue and question. Technically we're not a communtiy if we can't.

I'm just saying that "it takes one to know one" is a sign of spiraling into no less silly a place.

Let's not end up with anyone leaving the sandbox over a bit of dramatic flare.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I was looking for some pictures of a breed that a new friend is trying to locate a buttercup which is the second picture on the bottom left. Found this picture thought I would post it.

Who rasies Buttercups on this web site that are worth getting into for a beginner? I have no clue.

Nice looking heads on these birds. What breeds do the Cushion Comb have. That has not been discussed much on this thread. So many old breeds just hard what to choose.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I was looking for some pictures of a breed that a new friend is trying to locate a buttercup which is the second picture on the bottom left. Found this picture thought I would post it.

Nice looking heads on these birds. What breeds do the Cushion Comb have. That has not been discussed much on this thread. So many old breeds just hard what to choose.

Doesn't the Chantecler, a CANADIAN breed, have the cushion comb ... nice, small, comb? Good in the extreme cold because of that tiny comb?

 

[OSUman]

I was looking for some pictures of a breed that a new friend is trying to locate a buttercup which is the second picture on the bottom left. Found this picture thought I would post it.

Nice looking heads on these birds. What breeds do the Cushion Comb have. That has not been discussed much on this thread. So many old breeds just hard what to choose.

Shamos have a cushion. The Res. Med. bird at the Connersville IN show was a Buttercup

 

[mschlumb]

I was looking for some pictures of a breed that a new friend is trying to locate a buttercup which is the second picture on the bottom left. Found this picture thought I would post it. Nice looking heads on these birds. What breeds do the Cushion Comb have. That has not been discussed much on this thread. So many old breeds just hard what to choose.

Chanteclers are the only breed that I know of that has a cushion comb. Shamos have a pea comb. Am I wrong? I've always liked the chantecler breed. Starting to see more of them and of good quality too. The whites are my favorite. That is one breed on my not so short "short" list of favorites.

 

[OSUman]

Im wrong, not sure why I thought they had a cushion comb. I think I was confusing them with Malays for a second, which have the same genetic comb as a cushion comb. Silkies also have the same comb genetically

Chanteclers are the only breed that I know of that has a cushion comb. Shamos have a pea comb. Am I wrong?
I've always liked the chantecler breed. Starting to see more of them and of good quality too. The whites are my favorite. That is one breed on my not so short "short" list of favorites.

 

[JoshU]

Thanks Karen--BC Marans were my first purebred non-mutt non hatchery bird. I got them for the eggs but the also got me hook on understanding how to breed them properly. Still learning--Snowbird mentioned that party birds re not easy for beginners--I'm trying anyways because I already have them and love the egg color.
I hear what you are saying . . . . but . . . With the increase in chicken popularity, I would think you do want good birds to be as easy to find as the hatchery birds.

I don't like to show either-- I get very nervous and cannot enjoy it. I've shown dogs and horses. I would like my children to learn as I think they need a venue to converse with other people about animals and they have certainly gravitated to the fowl that I have. ANd the reality is I will be footing the bill--my kids cannot afford to buy the feed, etc. I was the one who became interested in chickens, then turkeys, then ducks--

Love to see people help the kids get started by lowering the purchase price to meet kids where they are financially. HOwever I bet many children "fail" with birds because they don't have a parent to support their interest. SO it might not be so much the fault of a child, as the lack of adult support. Just my thoughts as a parent.

I know of a few quality buckeye breeders who have given show quality birds to children who want to show. If you find the right people and breed, you should never have a problem finding birds for that purpose. My only issue is if somebody cant pay for the birds then how could they ever pay for feed, bedding, housing, supplies,etc. The original price, no matter the cost, is the cheapest part of raising chickens.

 

[Robert Blosl]

The Chantecler is a large chicken that lays respectably well and is a good meat producer. Roosters weigh around 9 pounds (3.9 kilos), and hens are 6.5-7.5 pounds (3-3.4 kilos).The breed possess yellow skin and beaks, and lay brown eggs. With plumage that lies tight against the body but has a good deal of fluff, and an exceptionally small cushion comb and wattles, the Chantecler is one of the most cold hardy chickens. They are gentle birds amenable to taming, but can be temperamental in confinement.[2]

This should be a great breed for those in frigged climates.

Glad the Butter Cup did that well that shows someone out there has some good wins to win that high up at a show like this.

I often wonder what breeds are at the top right now and what breeds are in trouble.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a scale of one to four. Two meaning marginal not worthy of a blue ribbon at a show and a number three for pretty good true to breed but needs much help then a four a breed that is in the top for its shape and color.

My wife said this mourning it seems that most of the breeds that people want you to look for are meat breeds or dual purpose breeds. Not many want Leghorns, Miniorcas, Silver Spangled Hamburgs ect. Not many want Brahma or Wyandotte large fowl why would this be?

Many of the new converts coming over from the hatchery side of the table are wanting breeds that are flamboyant in color and then when they pick a breed for me to locate for them I have never heard of them or not many have them anymore or they are more of a two out of a scale of four on a rating list.

One person got really bent out of shape because I could not find them any super duper Silver Grey Dorkings. I cant help it but boy he sure was upset why there aren't any great strains out there. You wonder what his goals are in getting such a breed. Does he just want to look at them. Does he intend to breed them to improve them or what. People are funny sometimes in their demands.

So I would love to find the top three butter cup breeders in the USA.