Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[HallFamilyFarm]

I agree, it is wrong to lump everyone in the younger generation together.
It is also wrong to take a broad statement as a personal insult.

That said, it is also wrong to disregard experience as being different than education, as some have done on this thread as well as the Heritage RIR thread.

A personal insult might be suggesting someone is untruthful about their RC being as fertile as SC, because they read the opposite somewhere.
Just one of many examples.

Respect is a two way street.

This thread has gotten way off track from it original propose.

Ron

Ron, post some photos of your......

True Rhode Island Reds AKA Heritage Rhode Island Reds.
Columbian Plymouth Rocks
Heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

To be honest, they look remarkably like the colorful mongrels that turn up in my mixed flock of yard birds when a clever hen manages to hide a clutch of eggs and hatch off chicks. I'm not saying that is what the birds in the picture are, just that it's not hard to duplicate that color and hatchery-style type. You can read my sig file for the basic "ingredients" to create your own, just add a pinch of Game and you're good to go.

My main question is though is this something worth working on? I have heard bits and pieces about this being a true variety back in the day and forgotten.
One article Lee is referring to is a Book Mark A. Fields wrote " The American Dominique A treatise for the fancier "
Page 101 ( Quote)
In the deep south there where also flocks of Red Dominique's, After thoroughly questioning the individuals who remember this variety , the author has determined that in fact , these were a strain of Dominique's not simply poor type Rhode Island Reds or Red leghorns. However this red strain almost never went Broody , making one wonder if red Leghorn was in there Ancestry".

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: What breeds are you looking for? Maybe we can help.

When it comes to a bad rap Rhode Island Reds if asked by people on this board many will say they are MEAN. They will attach their children.

Then when they send me pictures of the Rhode Island Reds guess what I SEE?

Leghorns like brown leghorns is one color pattern I am Thinking about. Light Brown Leghorns are like New Hampshire's in color. Something very pretty to the eyes.

Again when people talk about flighty in the Leghorn class when they send me pictures guess what again they look like.? I hate to bad mouth the other style of chicken but many of our old Standard Breed Breeds have gotten a bad rap from the lesser looking birds. Heck if you get birds that are designed to be breed to lay a egg a day in a cage she might be a nut job in your chicken yard.

Every few months we get a bunch of new folks on this thread and we go over the definition of the H word. It don't mean crap to me. All I care about is to try to triage the breeds out there that are worth saving and just do it. Some breeds are beyond help beleave it or not.

Today I got a message from Chicken Mama #51. Ya I number them as I get messages from these dear Lady's every week. I want to get some hatching eggs of such an such breed. Then I ask her what kind of incubator she has. She said she don't have one but will buy one at the feed store. O BOY I said to myself. She has been getting five chicks for her two girls at Tractor Supply for the past two years and wants to upgrade to the H type of chicken. Would she be better off getting five or ten started chicks from a good breeder or one of thier customers?

She and her girls can at least brood and raise baby chicks. Now I got to put a step by step guide on how to run a incubator and hatch the eggs for these newbiees togeather on my web site. It is worth the effort, who knows one of the girls may be a super breeder of a rare breed in 20 to 30 year and get her kids into poultry. Helping people sometimes is a long term investment. They leave at age 17 but come back at 35 or 40 like I did. The youth is the secret to our Hobby. Get them involved and if they enjoy it they will return in their latter years. Many times they come back with unbelievable passion for the Hobby.

Now I got a message a Email to my computer for where can I get black Miniorcas that's a switch. Not a Purple chicken. My suggestion is Adrian Radamaher of Minnesota or one of his customers who has his breed. That is a big chicken, lays well and should have some meat on their bones to eat plus if the kids show them they will win big at the junior shows.

Will try to find a picture of one for you folks to look at.

I am chickened out went fishing yesterday today make two ink pens and go to work for a nurse who's brother is dieing so she can be with him on his last few hours of life. When you think you got it all bad in life just think if you got Cancer and only have a few months to live. He is only 55 years old.

 

[thedragonlady]

Here is thedragonlady's flock of "Heritage" Buff Orpingtons. Proud to say some of her SOP pullets were from us. Wished our flock was this big. Would have been, but..... Anyway, here they are:

She posted these at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/259995/post-pics-of-orps-orpingtons-here/8170#post_10153864

Thanks Jim. These are all BABIES ages 6-14 weeks old. You better get out of the way when I open the gate ! There is one of their moms in the background trying to stay out of her hoodlums' way. Love the one on the bottom of the little cockerel sticking his tongue out as he was eating grass. It does make his beak look funny though.I'm sending you his 2 week older brother, Jim.

 

[fowlman01]

If you want to get usable advice on chicken genetics, read what this man has written. He could actually breed good Standard bred birds. A lot of his works are about bantams, but the advice translates well to large fowl.

Fred Jeffrey



This is Fred judging OEGB's here in Santa Rosa, CA..........back in the day.

Walt

 

[thedragonlady]

If you want to get usable advice on chicken genetics, read what this man has written. He could actually breed good Standard bred birds. A lot of his works are about bantams, but the advice translates well to large fowl.

Fred Jeffrey



This is Fred judging OEGB's here in Santa Rosa, CA..........back in the day.

Walt

Dear Mr. Jeffrey ! One of the last great Victorian scholars. I have a pile of correspondence from him. Busy as he was, he always had time to give advice. If you took it, nothing but good happened.

 

[mbmess2003]

Thanks Walt! Will add him to my ever growing list of books to get! This is the kind of things i appreciate about this thread. Otherwise, the only things you can find at the big bookstores are the Storey's guide (which I personally wasn't a fan of...but bought the book because I didn't know better).

Brad

 

[mschlumb]

If you want to get usable advice on chicken genetics, read what this man has written. He could actually breed good Standard bred birds. A lot of his works are about bantams, but the advice translates well to large fowl. Fred Jeffrey This is Fred judging OEGB's here in Santa Rosa, CA..........back in the day. Walt

I have an old English game book whic he contributed to, very good book and very understandable

 

[Marengoite]

I don't mean to start an argument but how much money is made from selling eggs at the roadside stand? Is it enough to completely pay the feed bill and earn actual profit?
I guess my point is who cares if white eggs bring a little less a dozen than brown. Odds are you're not making a profit on brown eggs anyway. The best it can do is pay off some of the feed bill. And most white eggs birds tend to be smaller and eat less.
This applies to the more serious breeders who do not make the sale of eggs there number one concern but rather are more concerned with producing excellent purebred stock. which I think most people on this thread are breeders or are trying to become breeders.
Like I said I'm not trying to argue or knock anyone who does sell eggs to make a little extra cash. I just don't think it's wise to choose a breed based on how well their eggs sell at the local farmer's market if your goal is to preserve old breeds and become a "breeder".

I guess I'm not a serious breeder. Although I don't think utility and standard breeding are incompatible goals. I thought the purpose of excellence in type was to enhance excellence in production and that the standard existed not for some arbitrary beauty standard, but because "form follows function" and breeds with good utility should also have good form. However, if good form is incompatible with utility, then I guess there's no real point to standard breeding then other than conforming to an arbitrary definition of what is beautiful.

But then I'm new to chickens so what do I know?

 

[buffalogal]

Do you have any photos of your Anconas?

I have a little over a dozen young birds that I obtained from him this past spring to integrate into my own flock and I've been pleased with them. If it weren't snowing right now, I'd get more pictures, but this was taken the first part of November. (for all you skeptics that don't believe Anconas can be friendly...)