Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yellow House Farm]

Catdaddy...sounding pretty sweet.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Stupid question. If one were to use Fred's Hen's barn design (well ok I know it's not his design), which way for the vent windows to face? South, I'm guessing. Right or wrong?

Yes Galanie especially in our area. Southern exposure is the best its our warmest winds in the winter and the only wind in the summer(sea breeze) hot or no LOL

Jeff

 

[catdaddyfro]

Catdaddy...sounding pretty sweet.

Yeah I wished it already had the double hip top like Walt's but I'll just open up the ridge cap and vent it like they now do shingled roof houses and place some of the fiberglass roofing in random sections of the tin roof for extra lighting. It does get mighty hot here in the summer so it best here to actually have the roof solid(more shade than light) as those spots get very hot in southern sunshine. I'll 'geterdun' one of these days.

Jeff

 

[Fred's Hens]

Stupid question. If one were to use Fred's Hen's barn design (well ok I know it's not his design), which way for the vent windows to face? South, I'm guessing. Right or wrong?

galanie, I think this depends on local conditions. Up here, you'd absolutely want to orient for southern exposure for solar heat induction. Perhaps, in hotter climates, this might be a disadvantage.

I also believe the direction of one's prevailing winds must be taken into account. Up here, that not only means winds, but snow drifting. The placement of doors is important. Don't want the snow drifts to blow your door shut. Other folks would want to know the direction of driving rains, for example and face away from those.

Our barn is only 20x24, but it has two lofts for storage, and room for 6 pens of 8 x10. I wish it were twice as big. Don't we always need more? LOL

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Is it 20W x 24L or 24x x 20W?

 

[Fred's Hens]

20 wide, 24 long Ha! I guess you could call it either way, really.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

20 wide, 24 long Ha! I guess you could call it either way, really.

With that you could have a four foot aisle down the center with six 8x4 pens on either side. That would be a total of twleve pens. You'd be set in an obscene way.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Creative Poultry Breeding by Dr. Carefoot

Have you tried to get this book from your local library on Library Loan?

I have got poultry books from all over the place. I bet there is a copy in some Vet Library somewhere in the USA.

Just be for I went to work today I had four eggs on the floor in the nest of the Two Old Java hens. I put them in the incubator they dont even have light on like the White Rocks do. Was planing on taking them over to the building where the Rocks are but may upset them and stop laying. What do I do. To far to run a extension cord from the back barn to the side where they are. Must be 200 ft.

I kind of like these guys. I am sure they will have good color on the new chicks. Glad you read the article with the children.

If you live near Frank Reese he has many very rare old breeds. Frank told me a bonus when you get his chicks and he breeds them for taste. He does not have a magic feed formula to make his birds taste so good. He wins allot of chicken eating contest for his meat birds.

For your purpose I could not think of a better place to get some chicks and it would be fun to get five or eight of his different breeds when you get there. Then raise them up and the ones that catch your eye or do the best for you go with that breed. He has some of Goldie Meyers Jersey Giants a old old line of birds, plus his old line of New Hampshire's. If you are into ducks he has a very old line of Rouens over 40 years old. Of course he has his Barred Rocks which we have seen on this thread many times and are very nice birds for back yard family use. If you go maybe you can take some pictures. I dont think he will let you run around his farm because of Bio Security issues its a huge program and can not afford any out side dies eases.

 

[bnjrob]

Just be for I went to work today I had four eggs on the floor in the nest of the Two Old Java hens. I put them in the incubator they dont even have light on like the White Rocks do. Was planing on taking them over to the building where the Rocks are but may upset them and stop laying. What do I do. To far to run a extension cord from the back barn to the side where they are. Must be 200 ft.

WooHoo! That's good news!

We don't have any lights on our Javas yet they have been doing fine with laying. I've been known to run 400 ft of heavy duty extension cords to the pasture to power things before....

 

[fowlman01]

Walt, I know one judge a breeder of Wht Leghorn bantams who washes his birds. I know another judge and breeder of Light Brahma bantams who doesn't. The one says you have to wash, the other that it's unnecessary. Where's your stance. I ask because my hope is to actually show some Dorkings this coming year. Thus far I've only showed Blk Muscovies and Anconas--pedicure only. What exactly am i in for?

PS: Have you ever used bluing?

I have another show this coming weekend, so I think I can get by without washing the leghorns, but much more time than that and they will have spots on them. I could keep my large white Rocks clean enough to go for a while, but white is white....it shows everything. The longer the time from washing to show the better though. Birds just look better if they are not washed...but white birds have to be washed if they are dirty. I use those runs to keep them from being so dirty that it will not come out. Once the birds are stained, you have to wait until molt. By stained, I mean the dirt is ground in and you won't be able to make them look as white. Clean white birds are impressive! I hardly ever wash the colored chickens and just hose off the waterfowl. I do keep my white Runner ducks on a special cage with lots of water and fresh straw though. I sometimes use bluing..you8 hve ot be very careful. Can 't tell you how many bluish white Silkes I have judged over the years....lol

Walt