Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[galanie]

Back to pinched tails: I just want to ask if anyone has run across a hen like one I had. She had a beautiful tail. Perfect Teepee shape from the back, very wide, no pinching or crowding of feathers when viewed from the side. So far, so good. This indicates she has the space. Great.

BUT - she wasn't a good layer. Average maybe. I picked her up and even when she was laying, she had only about 2 fingers worth of space between the pelvic bones. Thus I'm thinking the tails are a good indicator, but physical checking is still called for rather than depend on that.

I understand though that the reason to breed out a pinched tail is what you were talking about, and I'm not arguing with that at all. Just wondering if I'm right or if you guys just think I'm nuts.

 

[FOGELLY]

Back to pinched tails: I just want to ask if anyone has run across a hen like one I had. She had a beautiful tail. Perfect Teepee shape from the back, very wide, no pinching or crowding of feathers when viewed from the side. So far, so good. This indicates she has the space. Great.

BUT - she wasn't a good layer. Average maybe. I picked her up and even when she was laying, she had only about 2 fingers worth of space between the pelvic bones. Thus I'm thinking the tails are a good indicator, but physical checking is still called for rather than depend on that.

I understand though that the reason to breed out a pinched tail is what you were talking about, and I'm not arguing with that at all. Just wondering if I'm right or if you guys just think I'm nuts.

I don't think bob was implying the TeePee tail alone is responsible for egg production, just part of the puzzle.
The pullets I used for an example have nice deep bodies and wide set legs. I don't think a female with a pinched tail will have a body like this in most cases.

Ron

 

[galanie]

I knew my comment would be taken that way and tried not to sound stupid. I understand that is what they're saying Ron. Maybe I'm trying to clarify for the masses not to depend on this alone? Or am I wrong?

 

[FOGELLY]

I knew my comment would be taken that way and tried not to sound stupid. I understand that is what they're saying Ron. Maybe I'm trying to clarify for the masses not to depend on this alone? Or am I wrong?

Sorry,
Misunderstood your post, I meant no offense and you did not sound stupid.
Again, I apologize.

Ron

 

[Marengoite]

Quote:

Here's what everybody's doing today in the snow:








The Buckeyes were mobbing a green pepper core. The Hamburgs weren't interested. During the day, the LF crowd the little A-frame and use it as a windbreak. Next year, I will probably cover the big A-frame in the back with siding where the tarp is.

 

[fowlman01]

Bob,

You raise Leghorn bantams. This is the one I showed at the ABA national last week. It was the only one ready, but it placed second to the Res SCCL Leghorn K in a very strong class of Leghorns.. I also have RIR R/C bantams now.



Walt

 

[Maven]

Quote: If I had a bird that could forage far and wide and not cost me much in feed money I would totally accept golf balls everyday, especially if the girls made good use of a nesting box everyday , I"m not keen about hunting down eggs.

I do wonder though how this breed was developed because to lay every day eats up a lot of calcium per egg. I would think their original territory had lots of calcium available. If anyone has any thought on that idea, would love to hear from you.

I love my tiny SSH, not quite bantam size. AND though he was slow to mature, he knocked a few roosters off their pedistals. THen a few young roosters kicked his bu--, and now he keeps to himself with a few girls. He is one tough bird with a lot of heart.

I've been following this conversation with interest. Arielle, I got my SSHs from MMcM hatchery too. Here are some pictures of them. While they are the smallest birds in my flock, they are still a decent sized bird. I took pictures of them near other birds in the flock so you can have a size reference.

Wyandotte, BO and EE


BO





EE








That BO rooster is pretty massive (ignore the box - I was prepping some photos for CSU

)

I haven't weighed them, I'll probably do that this weekend sometime, But I'm guessing 2-3# or so. The eggs they lay run 1.4-1.6oz each with a VERY occasional 1.7 thrown in. They do indeed lay every day. Since their eggs are so much smaller than the eggs of my brown egg layers, I've decided to let them 'earn their keep' by providing extra protein for the rest of the flock. I mix all of their eggs -shell and all - back into the day's ration of FF each day.

Marengoite - how large are your birds in comparison to these of mine? I'm just wondering if mine are what you consider 'very small' for the breed.


ETA - and boy HOWDY - do they forage for all they are worth!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Back to pinched tails: I just want to ask if anyone has run across a hen like one I had. She had a beautiful tail. Perfect Teepee shape from the back, very wide, no pinching or crowding of feathers when viewed from the side. So far, so good. This indicates she has the space. Great.

BUT - she wasn't a good layer. Average maybe. I picked her up and even when she was laying, she had only about 2 fingers worth of space between the pelvic bones. Thus I'm thinking the tails are a good indicator, but physical checking is still called for rather than depend on that.

I understand though that the reason to breed out a pinched tail is what you were talking about, and I'm not arguing with that at all. Just wondering if I'm right or if you guys just think I'm nuts.

I don't remember the name of the author but in the book "Call of the Hen" the author recommends checking your cockerels/cock birds which you plan to use to breed. Check their spacing as well as the hens. Find space between the pubic bones and also between those and the end of the breast bone.

I have one rooster which turned out to be my biggest boy... anyway, his first year I was going to sell him but the day I went to the auction, he didn't look as though he felt very well, so I kept him back. Boy am I glad that happened! A couple days later I picked him up and checked him all over and he had my full middle finger's width between his pubic bones. This doesn't sound like anything at all but let me explain... normally on my boys I cannot even get my index finger between them going the skinny way! He had good spacing between the pubic bones and breast bone too. So, I kept him.

I'd been trying to find the right hen to put with him and last year I think I found her. I have a pullet from that cross that has two full finger widths between the pubic bones and I had to spread my fingers apart a little bit between each to fill the space between her pubic bones and breast bone. I'm really excited about her and guess another thing... she hasn't even started to lay yet!

So, the author is correct, and though I didn't doubt him, I had no practical experience for the subject.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well pin a rose on my nose! I know who you are now! HAHA!

Bob,

You raise Leghorn bantams. This is the one I showed at the ABA national last week. It was the only one ready, but it placed second to the Res SCCL Leghorn K in a very strong class of Leghorns.. I also have RIR R/C bantams now.



Walt

 

[Robert Blosl]

Bob,

You raise Leghorn bantams. This is the one I showed at the ABA national last week. It was the only one ready, but it placed second to the Res SCCL Leghorn K in a very strong class of Leghorns.. I also have RIR R/C bantams now.



Walt

Very nice male Walt. That's what you call a stay white bird. Jim Volk said a young fellow showed one of my ckls from Washington State that I shipped him three weeks ago. He took third he said. He was just a breeder bird. I had two ckls I liked better and his uncle. Wanted to get rid of his sire he molted back looking as good as them all. I don't know what to do. I think I will flip coins.

I was looking for two R I Red Ckls and one pullet that have been on free range for three weeks. Its amazing what condition they are in com paired to the caged birds. I plan to sell them at the New nan Georgia Show in a few weekends. Going to take three trios of them. Sold one trio al ready and one trio of large fowl to a junior. On thing I noticed on all of them as they where trying to get ready to roost when the sun comes down they have a nice tee pee spread. They are a little short in body for me and most likely its from one female.

If you have a female that has a great nice spread tail you need to mate her to a male that came from a female that was a good layer. He will compensate for her weakness you may get two pullets that have good tee pee tails and mate them back to their sire the next year. I always think in two and three year breeding plans. That's what makes it so slow to correct as it can not be done in a year. If you cross then you got faults all over the place so I rather chop away one year at a time. I just thought of a saying that President Lincoln once say ed. If he had six hours to chop wood he would spend two hours sharpening his ax. He could cut twice as much would in four hours with a sharp ax then six hours with a dull ax.

Chris one of your Red Females had a nice lift to her tail from her flat top line. I bet if you took a picture of her going away from the camera she would have a correct spread.

Nice to see such dark R I Reds on this thread. The hamburgs must be tough in that snow boy I dont miss that stuff anymore.