Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[RiddleMe]

Wow look at the lurkers coming out of the wood work. What ever it should be we should be honest and not to hurt any ones feelings. I had a judge wake me up on my Buff Brahma Bantams. They dont have good feet feathers. Something I did not put much attention two. So I kept three and going to get rid of five males. The one I like best has feathers all most around his whole leg. Almost. So it should be to learn and those who here the positives and the negatives should work on the negatives and try to improve them.

... There are many others who have the same goals.

It should be a good experience just try not to get bent out of shape about it. ............

You guys figure out what you want. Post the name on a new thread and we will support it. 

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/732985/csu-chicken-state-university-large-fowl-sop

A very happy Lurker!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: wing bands toe punch

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Worst part is leading up to and preparing for the show. Once you get there and get the birds settled in, it's actually fun. Especially if your birds do well!!!

But even if they don't, assuming they don't all get DQ'd (which WOULD suck!

), you'll have fun.

 

[Arielle]

Thank you very much for this run-down. That will help me get some good ideas going for "filing" always hated filing when I worked in an office. But, I suppose its a necessary evil when it comes to breeding and keeping records. Used to be so much easier...

Used to be easy when I was at an office getting paid to be organized . . . but the filing pile was always the last to get into the file cabinets. Usually kept if for the day I wiped down my office aka dusting in a warehouse.

Don't seem to have that kind of time at home with DH, kids, dogs , cats, . . need more ideas like the above to KISS. ( I like BOb's version better than asst warehouse manager: keep it sweet and simple.)

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thank you, that is what I thought. With Dorkings, the toe count would be an obvious cull. Regarding color sports, do you ever keep these to see if a recessive colored, silver gray or red would show up? No. It happens on occasion, but I don't want the temptation. One thing would lead to another, and I'd end up with a side breeding project, distracting me from my ultimate goals. I'm too weak in that department. It's like cigarettes. Some people can have a butt once in a while and then walk away. I, on the other hand, either don't smoke or smoke a pack a day. Thus, I don't smoke. Recognizing that we're all different so as not to hurt feelings, but every successful breeder I know restricts the numbers of breeds or varieties raised. With Dorkings, I cull for toes, comb, and color right off. The end result is that I cull fewer and fewer each year.

Any chance you could scan one of your journal pages and post it for us? Well, I think we have a scanner. Perhaps I could make this happen..... OK, my 2013 BYC goal is to become more tech savvy so I can post images and photos..... I just video Skyped for the first time and I felt rather modern. For being relatively young, I haven't really kept up with the technological times. I jokingly blame it on being a Classics teacher....

 

[Zanna]

Thank you so much, Mr Blosl!
I would be very interested in more information about started chicks from a reputable breeder.
I planned on broody-hatching the eggs, but if they are 10 days old on arrival, I would need to brood them. I will be ready to do this in the Spring, when I move the flock into a much bigger coop I am preparing now.
Can you tell me what "H" stands for?

As a lurker, I am delighted by the opportunity to learn from all the questions asked. I am enjoying this thread immensely and read 100 pages a day in hopes of catching up with current posts. (actually, I am reading from both ends, now, so I guess, more than 100 pages a day!)

I will be going to the State fair this summer to get a good look at all the breeds available in my state, and in speaking to folks who raise my breed. I am one of those weirdoes who does truly want to raise just one breed. I will be seeking a mentor to help me in my endeavor. I have so much to learn I am trying not to get overwhelmed. I'll be spending this winter learning all I can before I have a chance to even lay my hands on some heritage birds.

Thanks, again, for your willingness to help me get started. I love this breed and am delighted to have a hand in helping this wonderful breed survive and thrive. Maybe some day, people will come to me to find true heritage 'Lorps!

The Fairgrounds are also hosting a large PNPA show April 21st and 22nd and another in the Fall. They will probably have a larger representation of breeds than the State Fair.

 

[3riverschick]

I don't know if the Judge Jackie Koedatich ships, but she has the best Austrlorps in New England.

Ah, I wax poetic about the bantam Speckled Sussex Jackie created by melding Mongold and Overton into her Skytop strain. Just stunning and she became a Master Breeder in them. Then changed breeds and sold them to Adam Loeffel in KY. Last I heard, Adam shipped eggs.
Karen

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Ah, I wax poetic about the bantam Speckled Sussex Jackie created by melding Mongold and Overton into her Skytop strain. Just stunning and she became a Master Breeder in them. Then changed breeds and sold them to Adam Loeffel in KY. Last I heard, Adam shipped eggs.
Karen

I don't know about changing, she still has her SS bantams, and I'd even say they're her main gig. They're awesome, and I mean awesome, a very winning strain. They're both surpirisingly dense birds, so worthy of the plate. I'd love to serve a whole dinner of little roasters from her strain. Her markings are also breath-taking. Hands down one of the best bantam lines I know. Period.

 

[3riverschick]

As novices, "How many chicks do we really need to hatch?"

Everyone talks about these Genesis incubators and such. As a novice, how many chicks does one want to handle the first year? I was all hot to hatch 100 or so. Walt and I talked about it and he said, just hatch 36. He sad that's plenty for the first year. Gives you a nice number to select from. Plus a small enough number one can watch each one develop individually. I have 2 of the 7 egg Brinsea Mini Advance incubators . Bought them one at a time on sale for about 120. each. Easy to use and very forgiving of novice mistakes. See-thru dome and no need to use a hatcher, plus auto-turn. Historically, Sussex hatching season is limited to Jan. thru end of March so the birds grow up to be excellent winter layers. So I can hatch 3 settings of 14 eggs each. Easy to mark, easy to move thru brooder to intermediate, thru grow-out pens at 3 week intervals.
Next year, I can add another Mini Advance and hatch more as I get more experience.
Karen

 

[fowlman01]

Thank you, Walt!
It was Mr Sherman I spoke to last night about his last breeding pair.
I am not in a position to buy that pair at the moment, but I asked him to keep an eye out for some nice BAs from OR, and let me know if he sees some. He said he sure would.
What a nice guy!

Walt, do you have any opinion on Duane Urch 'Lorps? Surely you must have seen some in your time judging. He charges $3 an egg (for 11 or more- I am going to order 12) and I know that is a crap-shoot, with shipping across the states. I am just hoping to get some thoughts on his birds before I make an investment in eggs that may or may not hatch. He also ships chicks, but has a 25 chick min. and that is more than I need.
Just hoping for some feedback.
Thanks, again!

Duane Urch is about the best place to find most breeds. If he has them they will be good quality. I would not be surprised to see some decent ones in the sales area at Stockton at the end of the month.

Walt