Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[The Old Yolks]

I want to thank you all so much for the information and posts about the New Hamps. I sincerely appreciate it. I also want to apologize again for my minor rant. I am embarrassed that I let my panic and frustration flow over into the post it was very disrespectful. I am going to take the advice I received and utilize it. I believe that this being my first year with these birds it would be best to just raise the 22 chicks I have, study them very closely, take very in depth notes, let the parent stock fully mature and enjoy their eggs for eating until next year. I hope along the way if I have any other questions or concerns you all wouldn't mind if I asked them here. On a little personal note, Bob every time you post a personal reply to someone your love for the birds and your genuine desire to help us all succeed overflows into your text, thank you for taking the time to reply to mine, I am so grateful. I can't speak for everyone else but for myself personally I feel so fortunate and blessed to have such an amazing group of poultry men and woman so willing to help us all. I wish everyone the best of luck in your 2013 season.
Have a Blessed Day,
Nan

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I want to thank you all so much for the information and posts about the New Hamps. I sincerely appreciate it. I also want to apologize again for my minor rant. I am embarrassed that I let my panic and frustration flow over into the post it was very disrespectful. I am going to take the advice I received and utilize it. I believe that this being my first year with these birds it would be best to just raise the 22 chicks I have, study them very closely, take very in depth notes, let the parent stock fully mature and enjoy their eggs for eating until next year. I hope along the way if I have any other questions or concerns you all wouldn't mind if I asked them here. On a little personal note, Bob every time you post a personal reply to someone your love for the birds and your genuine desire to help us all succeed overflows into your text, thank you for taking the time to reply to mine, I am so grateful. I can't speak for everyone else but for myself personally I feel so fortunate and blessed to have such an amazing group of poultry men and woman so willing to help us all. I wish everyone the best of luck in your 2013 season.
Have a Blessed Day,
Nan

Oh, I love it when I go off on an embarassing rant...

 

[Yellow House Farm]

We finish our birds for two to three weeks on Fat-n-Finish pellets. We do confine them, but it's not extreme; there just in a confined space. It makes a huge difference in the kitchen.

I'm not sure which number the article is in...I'm sorry.

Ultimately, one follows a version of the Hogan method emhasizing meatiness and fattening. Also, and this certainly applies to Sussex, if you read the standard with culinary concerns in mind, you'll find that the Standards of many of our dual-purpose breeds--not all as it is not their primary purpose--but many have standards that are written that, if realized, would provide a very meaty carcass.

The Dorking is an outstanding example of an excellent meat standard.

 

[Wynette]

Bob every time you post a personal reply to someone your love for the birds and your genuine desire to help us all succeed overflows into your text, thank you for taking the time to reply to mine, I am so grateful. I can't speak for everyone else but for myself personally I feel so fortunate and blessed to have such an amazing group of poultry men and woman so willing to help us all. I wish everyone the best of luck in your 2013 season.
Have a Blessed Day,
Nan

I SO wholeheartedly agree!

Bob, Walt, and so many others on this thread have been a personal inspiration to me, as well. Most definitely, the love of poultry is clear when they post. (in fact, Bob was/is instrumental in me keeping and continuing on with my silver penciled rocks. Frankly, without some of the contact we've had in that regard, I would likely have thrown in the towel years ago.)

While I don't often post here, I do lurk regularly and read almost all the posts with interest.

 

[3riverschick]

I want to thank you all so much for the information and posts about the New Hamps. I sincerely appreciate it. I also want to apologize again for my minor rant. I am embarrassed that I let my panic and frustration flow over into the post it was very disrespectful.

Well, you're forgiven. But frankly, I sure learned a lot from your "rant", smile. Not to worry.
=============================
I am going to take the advice I received and utilize it. I believe that this being my first year with these birds it would be best to just raise the 22 chicks I have, study them very closely, take very in depth notes, let the parent stock fully mature and enjoy their eggs for eating until next year

Hey this sounds like my plan, VBG. Good to have you on the list! Don't go into lurk mode, please.
Best Success,
Karen

Have a Blessed Day,
Nan

 

[ronott1]

What would be a good breed (possibly a hatchery, as in normal breed, ie RIR, BR, BO, etc., or gamefowl) to use to add stature and width, not just fat, to a flock? Also, I would like to stay away from oriental-faced birds (that cornish, asil, shamo, etc. face)

I had a young cockerel SG Dorking from McMurray in with my layer flock. I live in the City and Roos are not allowed. AC made me rehome him so I decided to see if he had been with them long enough to fertilize the hens.

I hatched 10 very nice Hatchery crosses. The hens were Ideal BRs and RIRs(yes I know the difference between them and Heritage), Cackle BAs and a Blue Marans from a local breeder. I got 6 Cockerels and 4 pullets. The Cockerels were amazing! I fed them Flock Raiser and processed them at 12 weeks. Each of them dressed out at around 3.5 pounds and had nice yellow fat on them. They had nice breast meat and amazing Thighs and Drumsticks.

My favorite was the Dorking X BR. That is a very tasty cross!

I wonder what you would get from big old Heritage birds.....

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Have no clue we are preservationionest and we dont cross breeds to do this or that. I think you would be better getting rock cornish cross birds from Ideal Hatchery or feed stores he supplys.

Hope we dont get derailed off subject from this. Need to foucus on rare breeds how to find them, how to order them, breeding them pure and if there are any out there worth having anymore.

This comment has nothing to do with what you posted Robert...I was just really excited and wanted to get your attention.

I went to my buddy Chris Herzog's house yesterday afternoon to pick up 5 Good Shepherd Barred Rock chicks he had graciously gifted to me to go with the 5 I just hatched. While I was there, I got a chance to have a good look at his Mohawk Rhode Island Reds that came from you: Absolutely gorgeous birds. I held one of the roosters for the longest time and admired him up close. Not only were his feathers beautiful, I especially like the coloration on his beak and legs. They are probably my favorite ones I have ever seen on a chicken. When I got ready to leave Chris not only gave me the BR chicks by 18 hatching eggs and 7 of them were from the Rhode Island Reds! I just put them into the incubator a little bit ago along with the Jamie Duckworth Barred Rock eggs and the German New Hampshire and Barred Rock eggs Chris gave me.

I am SO excited and hopeful to get a few of these to hatch for me. They are such gorgeous birds and I will be proud to have them in my flock!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Ok we decided! Three breeds it is!

Black Javas (Duane Urch)
Silver Grey Dorkings (Dick Horstman)
Heritage Barred Rocks (Frank Reese)


Hope I picked some good lines!!!

I have all three on order, wish me luck!

 

[Chris Herzog]

This comment has nothing to do with what you posted Robert...I was just really excited and wanted to get your attention.

I went to my buddy Chris Herzog's house yesterday afternoon to pick up 5 Good Shepherd Barred Rock chicks he had graciously gifted to me to go with the 5 I just hatched. While I was there, I got a chance to have a good look at his Mohawk Rhode Island Reds that came from you: Absolutely gorgeous birds. I held one of the roosters for the longest time and admired him up close. Not only were his feathers beautiful, I especially like the coloration on his beak and legs. They are probably my favorite ones I have ever seen on a chicken. When I got ready to leave Chris not only gave me the BR chicks by 18 hatching eggs and 7 of them were from the Rhode Island Reds! I just put them into the incubator a little bit ago along with the Jamie Duckworth Barred Rock eggs and the German New Hampshire and Barred Rock eggs Chris gave me.

I am SO excited and hopeful to get a few of these to hatch for me. They are such gorgeous birds and I will be proud to have them in my flock!

If I could have gotten away with it....you would have left with that donkey too!!!! LOL!!!

By the way all the BR eggs I told you I had ?'s about are all developing well. So you won't have any issues with those eggs!

Chris

 

[1MrsMagoo]

If I could have gotten away with it....you would have left with that donkey too!!!! LOL!!!

By the way all the BR eggs I told you I had ?'s about are all developing well. So you won't have any issues with those eggs!

Chris

If I had a truck I would have had no issues helping you load that hilarious little donkey to bring home with me! I absolutely adore that little guy and think that he's a total riot. Saldy, I think SOMEBODY would have been in BIG trouble with his wife for giving him away.

Thanks again for the chicks and eggs! I will let you know what develops when I candle on Tuesday and how many eventually hatch.