Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ashandvine]

The synopsis of all this is: choose a breed without extreme genetic challenges, with simple color, from a quality vintage strain, and stay within that strain and genetic locus if you out-cross. A breeding within the same strain can be considered a out-cross if the birds are distantly enough related or if the strain has been bred in another location at least 500 miles distance from you , for a notable number of years by another breeder.
Best Regards,
Karen
in western PA, USA

If a person is to 'preserve' or 'save' a breed how else could they begin but with what limited stock there is? If I was to take this advice I wouldn't be working with a bird I really like so far. I have gone the way of trying to get birds from different and distant sources and culled to those I felt were worth taking a crack at with a first hatch out. I am formulating ideas and postulating possibilities for the future, while knowing I might end up abandoning this breed... but I hope not. I suppose the luck is that so far I haven't had to put gads of money into this project but imagine in time I will have. I imagine that what I am doing is a stop gap. If I make this small effort then maybe another person will get interested and pick up where I fall short or fail. Its depressing to think of what would happen to breeds if no one ever took on the difficult cases.

 

[pysankigirl]

Whew. finally finished reading through this thread!!!

I thought I'd introduce myself, but I am mostly going to lurk due to being very ignorant (but interested.) I am very new to chickens and have decided on Red Dorkings, Barnevelders and maybe Sussex of some sort in the future, or silver pencilled rock? I cannot say that I will ever be a serious breeder, but I would like my chickens to be of decent quality so that the chicks I do raise and sometimes sell (but mostly give to friends and family) are not contributing in a negative way to the gene pool of the breed.

My goal is to have a nice little colorful group of free ranging girls in a couple different breeds that I can occasionally separate out to create some chicks from and I cant see travelling much to go to shows or anything. (I used to feel obligated to do dog shows with my leonbergers and got tired of it pret-ty quickly. takes up way too much valuable weekend time that I could instead use to build outbuildings for my animals!) So if there is room for someone not intensely into the show thing in this list, then I am here. and listening. and hopefully learning.

I lucked into some nice Barnevelder stock (not sure what classifies as heritage...are Barnevelders heritage?) My dorkings (SG is what I could find & hatchery...before I knew better) are not the greatest but next week I have some much better chickens and eggs coming. But even though they are not the greatest in conformation, I LOVE their personalities. Dorkings are so far my favorite chickens ever.

I have gotten into chickens as a result of going to the open air architectural museums in Germany...they all had chickens. and it struck us as pretty cool to have them clucking around the homestead. so yeah, not serious. but if enough people like us get into the heritage breeds, that will help keep them alive, right?

so anyway...hi!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Hey Pysanskigirl! Nice to see you here! Don't worry! You're going to be a great breeder, and the Red Dorkings and Barnevelders will keep you busy.

J

 

[Lacy Blues]

Whew. finally finished reading through this thread!!!

I thought I'd introduce myself, but I am mostly going to lurk due to being very ignorant (but interested.) I am very new to chickens and have decided on Red Dorkings, Barnevelders and maybe Sussex of some sort in the future, or silver pencilled rock? I cannot say that I will ever be a serious breeder, but I would like my chickens to be of decent quality so that the chicks I do raise and sometimes sell (but mostly give to friends and family) are not contributing in a negative way to the gene pool of the breed.

My goal is to have a nice little colorful group of free ranging girls in a couple different breeds that I can occasionally separate out to create some chicks from and I cant see travelling much to go to shows or anything. (I used to feel obligated to do dog shows with my leonbergers and got tired of it pret-ty quickly. takes up way too much valuable weekend time that I could instead use to build outbuildings for my animals!) So if there is room for someone not intensely into the show thing in this list, then I am here. and listening. and hopefully learning.

I lucked into some nice Barnevelder stock (not sure what classifies as heritage...are Barnevelders heritage?) My dorkings (SG is what I could find & hatchery...before I knew better) are not the greatest but next week I have some much better chickens and eggs coming. But even though they are not the greatest in conformation, I LOVE their personalities. Dorkings are so far my favorite chickens ever.

I have gotten into chickens as a result of going to the open air architectural museums in Germany...they all had chickens. and it struck us as pretty cool to have them clucking around the homestead. so yeah, not serious. but if enough people like us get into the heritage breeds, that will help keep them alive, right?

so anyway...hi!

No, you don't have to be heavily into showing. I like to show my birds but I can't afford to galavant around the country. If you want to be a good breeder, you need to get a standard though. The APA Standard of Perfection. I know there are links on this thread to the APA and you can buy it there. Or, sometimes you can find one at a used book store, if you have one around.

Keeping them alive will be helpful. Keeping them bred to the standard would be better. That way, if someone asks about some and we know you breed good ones, we can point them in your direction. If you just let them breed willy nilly any old way, you'll just have hatchery quality in no time at all. So, study up, and breed them into what they are supposed to be.

Welcome to the thread. Nothing wrong with lurking and learning.

 

[pysankigirl]

Well part of my struggle will be UNDERSTANDING the standard. I seriously have never been into chickens before now. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures from all angles! LOL

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Well part of my struggle will be UNDERSTANDING the standard. I seriously have never been into chickens before now. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures from all angles! LOL

Try to get out to as many shows as you can so you can see the birds in person. Visit the breed tables that are set up. See if you can track down exhibitors and pick their brains. It's hard to ask questions before you even know what to ask but give it a shot. NO better way to learn. And it's a GREAT way to make friends and contacts as well.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Well part of my struggle will be UNDERSTANDING the standard. I seriously have never been into chickens before now. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures from all angles! LOL

Wow! The Louisiana State 4-H Poultry Show was spectacular I heard. A Black Orpington hen from our line won Best Orpington and there was a lot of Orpingtons there. Two exhibitors had our line. All four recognized colors were exhibited. Buff, Black, Blue and White.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Wow! The Louisiana State 4-H Poultry Show was spectacular I heard. A Black Orpington hen from our line won Best Orpington and there was a lot of Orpingtons there. Two exhibitors had our line. All four recognized colors were exhibited. Buff, Black, Blue and White.

Awesome! It would be cool to have that ort of Orpington representation up North.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

So I've just finished reading all 1,079 posts and digesting them. I appreciate the information immensely and I look at my birds in a whole new way now. Thank you for all your time and effort expended to share your knowledge with others. It really does make a difference.

I've learned so much in this one year I've been raising birds. I loved the Swedish Flower birds, yup, typical newbie it's all about color, so I got really excited to work on the Aloha project because I didn't want to start out a newbie with Greenfire Farms prices. Okay, you guys bear with me. Try not to get so frustrated your eyes pop out of your heads. It's not a crime to be new and ignorant and we all have to start somewhere. I wasn't raised anywhere near a farm. I was a city kid but I always had a country place to go to visit and my grandfather made certain we got a taste of farm animals and farm life. As a child, I loved it. I avoided the "help" through the electric fence -- too clever for that one.

Fast forward all these years to my husband and I raising 8 kids and moving to a small acreage. My mom was raised on a farm and we were going to teach the kids about gardening and raising chickens together. We had big plans. She became ill the same month we moved here and by the next year she died of pancreatic cancer. So the person who was going to teach me was gone. I dropped the whole thing for 2 years. Then, I pulled on my big girl pants and decided that I would do it anyway. So I did.

Our one year anniversary of owning chickens was yesterday. We began a year ago with 170 hatchery chickens and added another 60 or so chicks, a couple adult birds and hatched another 100+ chicks and ducklings I practiced culling for the best birds. The terminology I've learned here has improved what my eye and limited experience has taught me. There is a definite connection between the way a bird looks, carries itself and feels in the hand, to how healthy and productive it is. We processed/butchered, whichever you prefer, almost all of the excess males for the freezer and rehomed the excess hens. We have honed our skills at hatching, brooding, managing, and protecting our birds. I've learned what doesn't work in breeding by experiencing it. I've also had some successes. I prefer the successes and set out to learn from those who are best acquainted with success. Right now I have approximately 60 - 70 birds. Only about 20 of those will be here at the end of Spring.

It has been a financial investment but I don't see one dime of it as wasted. I couldn't have possibly made this huge leap forward in experience with breeder quality birds. I just couldn't afford to do it nor did I want to do it because I was afraid I would kill them all. My children have learned every step of the way with me. I have one child who is passionately involved and he's 11 this year. My mom would be proud of the commitment and determination.

She may have rolled her eyes at the Alohas, but that's just my thing, it's fun. In 10 years you'll be saying -- that stubborn broad never gave up and she did better with those dumb birds than I ever thought she could. All birds were project birds at one time since we're not raising Jungle Fowl. I do get your point about breeding to standard but being a newbie is a necessary evil and I'm still new, so the Alohas stay.

We are getting some of Frank's, Tony's and Walt's birds this year. Do we deserve to be trusted with them? Yes. My kids and I are ready for this next step. So try to overlook my obsession with color and appreciate the fact that newbies don't stay new and they do discover people like you who are so passionate about breeding to standard and pass their knowledge on to others who desperately need it. I heard you on the line breeding -- got it.

My kids have talked me into letting them show birds this year. So, do you think we'll show up with any decent birds? We have some German New Hamps. Maybe we will. One thing is for certain, we will continue to learn.

While I have come to the realization that standard bred birds are something to strive for and commit to, I have also begun to try to understand how everyone who is serious about working on birds long term manages the paperwork end of it. How do you manage the business side of things? It's not the most fun part of it all but tracking expenses, setting budgets, goals, etc., is all a part of being able to maintain a productive long term relationship with your Heritage poultry, I would think. I can't seem to find any information on how people do it specific to raising poultry. Or is everyone just turning a blind eye. I've only had one suggestion: Quicken. But doesn't anyone run their "hobby" as a business? Doesn't anyone ever intend to break even or squeak a little profit, at least at some point? Oh, I get it. This is the next newbie phase! Expecting to make a little money!

So, can I hang around, or what?

 

[Lacy Blues]

So, can I hang around, or what?

Heck ya! Sounds like you're well on your way!