Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[catdaddyfro]

Aren't they supposed to be a useful, dual purpose fowl? Were the original BRs so slow to be productive?

They are awesome. If I were a chicken collector, I would have some because I adore the look of them.

Yes they are a dual purpose breed Kim but these GS strain are an old line they have developed over years of breeding for their operation/program(check out Good Shepard poultry on the web) they are in the meat supplying business. This is one of the reasons for their size and the VORACIOUS appetites Huh Ron?LOL

 

[Chloe77]

Ron, yes, they are from GS - Jeremy - KathinMO - me.

Yes, on all your points above. Yes, they take a year to grow out and won't likely lay until near their birthday. LOL

The cockerel's head/neck/chest/tails take forever to match up with their gigantic, over grown bodies, but they do.
The personalities/temperament are top, top notch. Kathy says they are as broody as can be too. All good stuff.

The "downside" which I try to warn the backyard gang is simply this. These are not anything, absolutely nothing like a hatchery, utility bird. They'd eat a backyarder out of house and home, take a year to lay, lay far too few eggs, I'd guess, for the them to ever be happy with them. This is just my guess, but I think most backyarders would NOT like these birds. Dunno.

I wouldn't care!!! I'm a backyarder with a flock of Barred Rocks, and I'd give a lot to have a heritage hen. And cock.

 

[Chloe77]

We got a RIR cock last year and hatched a couple dozens chicks out. The gangliest, silliest looking one? I brought him home here to winter him over. His tail was too high, way too high, his chest was nothing, his back was nothing. That was at 5 months.

Now? Dang. His back is wide, his chest is thumping in, and even his tail has set 15 degrees lower and who knows where it will finally set? His neck now matches his body, whereas he looked like a goofball as a youngster. You just never can tell with these birds. For sure, you cannot be in a big rush to judgement.

So how long does it take a Barred Rock rooster to mature? A year? Mine was born in April, and I think he's still growing.

 

[Marengoite]

Edit: I just got a personel message. Where can we get Silver Spangled Hamburds Heritage Quality. Any tips?

The only place I know of if Frank Hardy in Georgia. There was only one pair of LF SSH at the ON last month. Lots of bantams, but I prefer the bigger chicks. I asked around on the sale row and he's the only LF breeder that anyone knew of.I'm planning on sending him a check next spring for some chicks.

My son was wanting them for 4-H so I ordered a dozen from Meyer just to see if we'd like them. They were very hardy, independent, crazy as June bug birds. But they make real nice eye candy in the yard and attract a lot of attention when I turn them out. At 4 weeks, they were flying up and roosting in the mulberry tree. I don't have a fence that can keep them in if they're determined to get out. They turned out to be banties even though they aren't advertised as such. I sent Meyer an e-mail to let them know but never heard back. Since I consider hatcheries a good source for table fowl, I put two of the boys in the crock pot this morning. That's partly why I'm inclined to believe they are banties. Hatched 5/28 and there is plenty of room for the two biggest SSH cock birds with space for the carrots and celery besides.

 

[Chloe77]

The only place I know of if Frank Hardy in Georgia. There was only one pair of LF SSH at the ON last month. Lots of bantams, but I prefer the bigger chicks. I asked around on the sale row and he's the only LF breeder that anyone knew of.I'm planning on sending him a check next spring for some chicks.

My son was wanting them for 4-H so I ordered a dozen from Meyer just to see if we'd like them. They were very hardy, independent, crazy as June bug birds. But they make real nice eye candy in the yard and attract a lot of attention when I turn them out. At 4 weeks, they were flying up and roosting in the mulberry tree. I don't have a fence that can keep them in if they're determined to get out. They turned out to be banties even though they aren't advertised as such. I sent Meyer an e-mail to let them know but never heard back. Since I consider hatcheries a good source for table fowl, I put two of the boys in the crock pot this morning. That's partly why I'm inclined to believe they are banties. Hatched 5/28 and there is plenty of room for the two biggest SSH cock birds with space for the carrots and celery besides.

Is Frank Hardy on here? I'd love to buy some sebrights from him.

 

[FOGELLY]

Aren't they supposed to be a useful, dual purpose fowl?  Were the original BRs so slow to be productive?

They are awesome. If I were a chicken collector, I would have some because I adore the look of them.

They are "useful dual purpose".
I am not a chicken collector, we use all of our chickens. Eggs, Meat, Lawnmower, compost turner, bug control.

It is forgotten that back in The Day that these breeds were not feed from a bag aquired at the feed store. Rather they were turned out in the morning and put up in the evening. That made them more practical to raise and most homesteads had a few skinny leghorns to boot.
These Barred Rocks forage with a vengeance, are very healthy (without being pampered) and if we wanted they could have easily been ready for the freezer at 18 weeks.

The roosters don't chase my kids and neither the roosters or the pullets are flighty.

Come to think of it they are more like Multipurpose as opposed to dual purpose.

Ron

 

[snowbird]

The only place I know of if Frank Hardy in Georgia. There was only one pair of LF SSH at the ON last month. Lots of bantams, but I prefer the bigger chicks. I asked around on the sale row and he's the only LF breeder that anyone knew of.I'm planning on sending him a check next spring for some chicks.

My son was wanting them for 4-H so I ordered a dozen from Meyer just to see if we'd like them. They were very hardy, independent, crazy as June bug birds. But they make real nice eye candy in the yard and attract a lot of attention when I turn them out. At 4 weeks, they were flying up and roosting in the mulberry tree. I don't have a fence that can keep them in if they're determined to get out. They turned out to be banties even though they aren't advertised as such. I sent Meyer an e-mail to let them know but never heard back. Since I consider hatcheries a good source for table fowl, I put two of the boys in the crock pot this morning. That's partly why I'm inclined to believe they are banties. Hatched 5/28 and there is plenty of room for the two biggest SSH cock birds with space for the carrots and celery besides.

The only person I know of with SSH that shows is Paul Hardy and he has been around for a long time

 

[Marengoite]

Yes, it would be... in fact it is. I already have them.

Red comb, white earlobes, blue body.

She was standing a little low, her top line is not really level. It was her first show and she was a bit nervous.

Lacy Blues, I salute you.

Or your chicken, anyway. Time to break out The Stars And Stripes Forever.

rick

 

[Marengoite]

So you think this could happen within a year of breeding?
You do know that the Punnett Square isn't going to do you a lick of good if you don't know the first thing about poultry genetics
And I will assume that you don't.

I will also say that it will a little longer than 9 months of having chickens to become a "Expert" of poultry.


Chris

I guess I should have included the smiley.

rick

 

[Wynette]

I guess I should have included the smiley.

rick

I admit, I wondered for a minute myself if you were serious. I don't "know" you that well yet, but after reading a few other posts of folks who clearly do, it was evident that you were kidding.