Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[buffalogal]

Question : If you take away the little darlings calculators, and spell check on their computers, can these kids function? I doubt that 3 out of 5 kids could even make change on a sale under $20.00. Ever been to Wal-Mart when the computers are down?

But you know, I've noticed the kids working at Walmart are generally *not* the ones going to college.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Could we please make a separate thread for I-love-the-1950s-and-kids-these-days-can't-count-to-ten? I really want to continue learning about older chicken breeds. Would greatly appreciate it.

 

[gjensen]

I have three boys in the public school system. One in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. I would say that they are pretty sharp kids.

I do not spend a bunch of time griping about the school system, but I do have some concerns. I feel like it is my responsibility to make sure they are educatd though. Not anyone else.

They do well preparing the kids for college. That is what the system is wrapped around. That and the test scores. They do not do well with the fundamentals. We spend a little time on the fundamentals at home.

They learn some common sense, by going to work with me. I find that I can best teach my boys by spending time with them. It can't all be play, so they work with me to. Here they are building some pens for my extra males. I did not cut or fasten a single piece. I let them do it, and they enjoy it. The one with out the younger kids is 11. He can build you a shed if you give him a plan. You can trust him to use the power tools safely to. He has already changed an alternator on a truck.

The other one with my grandchildren is particularly good with the birds. He has an eye for it. Kind of an artsy fartsy fellow. I can trust him to care for the birds while I am out of town. He is good with them.

My point is the system is not the problem. It is us as parents. It is our responsibility. We are just fortunate enough to have what we have. We are spoiled by this system.

 

[maryhysong]

Well back to chickens, more interesting than teenagers anyway.

I'm sure it's here in the over nine hundred pages of posts, but I haven't gotten it all read yet. Have we discussed feeding? I know a lot of old texts talk about feeding skim milk, buttermilk, whey, chopped clover, meat meal and many other things. A lot of which is not readily available to us today. I want the best looking birds, healthy, well muscled and plump, with shiney feathers. I think extra healthy birds equal extra healthy meat and eggs.

 

[3riverschick]

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?

Perhaps this will help. Here is the quote in it's entirity:

“Form follows function-that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union” –Frank Lloyd Wright​

 

[gjensen]

Well back to chickens, more interesting than teenagers anyway.

I'm sure it's here in the over nine hundred pages of posts, but I haven't gotten it all read yet. Have we discussed feeding? I know a lot of old texts talk about feeding skim milk, buttermilk, whey, chopped clover, meat meal and many other things. A lot of which is not readily available to us today. I want the best looking birds, healthy, well muscled and plump, with shiney feathers. I think extra healthy birds equal extra healthy meat and eggs.

I believe that a high quality ration and regular access to green forage does it all. If I have birds that are not getting out, I like to bring them fresh greens, but I will keep some chopped Alfalfa pellets in there for simplicity.

I do like to soak some oats for a treat while they are ranging.

I like to read about the old feeding methods, but it is too easy to have it all in a bag.

 

[vebyrd36]

r. Okie with one of his ladies. VIVI

 

[3riverschick]

He majored in "Understandable". He could speak at whatever level the listener was capable of understanding..........a true teacher. What is great about his writings is that most are very understandable.........and accurate. I am a retired higher education administrator...20 years. I can tell you that not all educators are good teachers. It is a real find when you discover an individual who can speak at many levels and who has left his ego behind.

I would recommend reading all this stuff as it translates well into usable poultry information for any breed.

Walt

He sounds like William White Broomhead. That was one of Broomheads' greatest talents.
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003137332#page/4/mode/1up
Jeffery is not cheap. I am so glad to hear I can apply to large fowl. It is the only thing that has kept me from his works so far.
Great news, thanks ,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Could we please make a separate thread for I-love-the-1950s-and-kids-these-days-can't-count-to-ten? I really want to continue learning about older chicken breeds. Would greatly appreciate it.

i second that.

 

[buffalogal]

I believe that a high quality ration and regular access to green forage does it all. If I have birds that are not getting out, I like to bring them fresh greens, but I will keep some chopped Alfalfa pellets in there for simplicity.

I do like to soak some oats for a treat while they are ranging.

I like to read about the old feeding methods, but it is too easy to have it all in a bag.

My birds free range 365 days a year unless they are the few selected to produce hatching eggs. I've transitioned mine away from all commercial feeds (pellets and crumbles) to a mix of equal parts BOSS, whole oats and corn chops. I toss oyster shell out on the ground like most people do scratch grain so they can eat as desired. Now that it's full on winter with no high protein insects around, I pick up "frazz", sometimes called "sawdust" at a butcher to feed them about once a week. It's the finely ground bits of meat and bone, gristle and marrow that result from using the meat saw to cut down a carcass. Obviously inedible for humans, but the birds and my outside dogs love it. I just feed it raw. I've been thinking about sprouting alfalfa or wheat or oats to feed them to make up for the lack of greens, but that'll depend on which seeds I can get the cheapest.