Quote:
Acclimation of Fowls.
Mr. E. W. S., of Charleston, 8. C, writes: "lam a reader of The Poultry World, but never have purchased fowls from the north, as I have always heard, and it is the general opinion here, I believe, that fowls brought from northern localities cannot stand our climate. Is there any means of acclimating fowls; if so, can you refer me to some means of so doing?"
It is undoubtedly true that fowls require acclimation, when removed from a cold to a warm climate or vice versa, and we can easily understand that if the removal is unseasonable that trouble and loss might ensue. Yet it is perfectly easy to satisfy any one that the difficulties are greatly exaggerated, and that the loss need be extremely small or reduced to a point where it absolutely ceases. We are constantly importing into this country fowls from abroad, England, France and Italy, and little or no loss results therefrom. Their systems may receive a greater or less shock according to the difference in the climate of their native and their adopted homes, but the shock does not prevent them from breeding successfully. In some cases it certainly stimulates the reproductive organs, and the fowls for a few generations lay more eggs in their adopted than they did in their native home.
If our southern brethren desire to purchase fowls from northern breeders they should not hesitate to do so. The best time is in the autumn months, and the fowls removed from a colder to a warmer climate are, or ought to be, grateful for the change. By the time that summer with its excessive heat arrives they have become somewhat accustomed to the new climate and very little trouble need be apprehended. Even the heavily-feathered Asiatics do well in the south.
We shou'd not advise the purchase of birds north in the months of June and July, for they would doubtless suffer somewhat from the longer-continued and more excessive heat of the south. This would have a debilitating effect and render them much more subject to attacks of disease and less able to successfully withstand them. But if they are purchased at any time from September to January we think that they will do well. The "general opinion" to the contrary may be a mere prejudice or it may be founded upon a few cases of unseasonable introduction of fowls, but we seriously question whether it has any substantial reason for existing. At any rate, we do not hesitate to advise our querist to purchase such fowls as he may desire of northern breeders.
===========================================
Karen, interesting read. ANd I know Bob has been clear that birds will adapt given at least three years. Though I should ask him -- oh Boooooobbbbbbbbbb--is that generations or the same birds.
I personally moved from coastal Maine to the RI border and I have NOT adapted after 25 years. This is still too hot for me in the summers.
If I am understanding everyone, the birds generally adapt. Managing the birds during long bouts of rain may take a different management style. Hmmmm. . .
There years and three generations. If taking birds from St Louis and having them shipped down here during different months means anything with the heat and humidity I dont know. Most people have birds chicks or eggs ship ed to them in the spring as that's the time breeders have their pens put together. In the case of the Golden Sebrite bantams sent down here from St Louis Mo. they never feat herd or matured with a darn but once they got back to their home land and yards of St Louis in 90 days one female reversed her horrible appearance then turned into the champion she was suppose to be. Her parents and grandparents where great breeding show birds so should she and her brother and sisters as the blood was there.
My question is does the change of altitude, heat and humidity, feed, water, weather mutate the gens, or the genetic rate and give the person who got the bird from someone 600 miles away a different bird.? If you pick the best six birds out of 25 you get put them in the breeding pen then raise 50 chicks from them then select the top six birds again over three to four years your birds that you have should adjust to your climate, feed water ect and you are off to the races. So many throw their hands up in the air and give up. They dont give the birds a chance. I guess most people feel that if they did good in Georgia for 20 years they should do fantastic in Minn right off the Bat. My white Rocks in Minn went through three years of split wings be for they leveled off.
The owner kept choosing birds that had good wings and in three years it was over. One guy in Texas got birds from Wisconsin and Delaware area. His cross of the birds gave him split tails. He gave up the cross and the birds from out of the area. I often wondered if he got a strain of line breed Barred Rocks from a friend of mine in Ohio and breed them in Texas for three years if he would have a nice strain adjusted to his climate. Many think I am all wet on this climate issue and getting birds from a different region. However, I seen the results after two to three years. So many where not happy with their results. WHY???
In my case with swapping Rhode Island Reds with Dennis Meyers 20 years ago we both thought each others birds look like scrubs but we knew that we had good strains as we say videos of our birds each year for three years. He had the top line in the mid west and I had the top line in the South and they came from the same owner in Georgia Mr. Reese. Its not a matter what month to ship the bird that they will look like there brothers and sisters say in St Louis but they never look like those birds even if the owner send you 25 chicks each month all year long. However, if you just roll up your sleeves and make selections of the top birds given to you and invest three or four years into the program you will sort of turn the gene pool around and your birds will look much like the master breeders who you got your birds from who lives many miles away.
Here is another wild thing happening in climate change. A master breeder has a great strain of large fowl. He send you 25 chicks and you raise them in your yard. You then send him pictures of your chicks you raised from his chicks and the males are better than the females. You go to a show and your male wins champion large fowl. Yet at his home say in Indiana he wins with females and never produced a male that looks like your males raised 800 miles away in the South. In my case. My White Leghorn bantams turned from a female line to a male line. My males are so superior to the fellow I got my start from. He would have given $500 for a male like mine. I produce them year in and year out. Yet after breeding this line where he lived he always won with females and not males. WHY?
The video that you watched back in the 1940s showed the poultry plant buildings and these are also the buildings that they had the ROP egg laying contests in. Ten females shipped by the breeder and for one year they counted the eggs lay ed. However, these contest went down the toilet as the breeds got more high in production and less towards being true to breed. Those chickens in the movie shown where not good quality New Hampshire's com paired to what Ken Bowl-es had in New York. Great thing to look at however.
Kick the can down the road some more this thread is going into the third year. Thanks to all who promote and talk about old breeds of poultry form 1950 back. bob
In regards to Reds handling Rain. They can handle any weather. They can roost up in trees when its snowing the heat in the south that is the make up of the breed that made them so good. They may have to ajust from the south to the north over time but in a few years they will do just fine.
