Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

Curtis Oakes had just about every type of Leghorn LF at one time.

Walt

 

[cbnovick]

Curtis Oakes had just about every type of Leghorn LF at one time.

Walt

Curtis Oakes
6860 State Hwy. 173
Cochranton, PA 16314
(814) 333-7400​

 

[3riverschick]

Re: finding Brown Leghorns,
How about checking with the Officers of the American Brown Leghorn Club?
http://www.showbirdbid.com/ablc/Officers/officers.htm
I see Mr. Bud Blankenship there. I remember him being a veteran breeder?
Is he one who has been in this breed "forever"?
Just another thought here. It really helps if one joins the parent Club of the breed they are seeking. In this Club it is only 10.00 a year. I don't wish to sound trite,but if these veteran breeders worked to make this Club and keep it going, it seems reasonable they would give more credence to the requests of one who has taken the time to join their Club, over one who hasn't.
Brown Leghorns have such a rich literary history! Google Books is rife with hits about the breeds development and accomplishments.
Be able to say, if queried by the top breeders, that one has read several of the classic books on the breed ( free reading online and download) and can discuss the breeds history adequately. Of particular interest is this breed's timeline before, during, and after the need for double mating the colors. It's not about schmoozing. If we don't know how we got to a place, how can we best know how to proceed from where we are currently? That's an important thing these master breeders are looking for in those who wish their stock.
Poultry novices are a dime a dozen. They come and go with great regularity. Without taking time to learn and understand the history and origins of the breed they chose. This historical knowledge allows one to understand the nuances of a breed. Without this knowledge, it is very difficult to select for proper breed type...unless one is strictly a "cookie cutter" breeder ...being lead along by a mentor and making no decisions of their own. But then, that is not breeding, that is merely copy-catting. Again, a dime a dozen.
Know the strain you are seeking. Read up on the strain and its creator. Know how the strain fits into the overall "pedigree" of the breed.
What traits did this strain keep, improve, recreate, in the breed?
What breeding system(s) were used in the creation and maintenance of this strain?
Which other strains have been created out of it ( which might be valuable for out-crossing) if you obtain birds from the main strain? These questions can all be answered by some judicious web-surfing and asking other knowledgeable folk.
Be the novice who is "different", who shows foundational knowledge and a curiosity beyond the norm for excellence in the breed.
Best Success,
Karen

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Good afternoon all.....I have a question

I have about 3 dozen LF Columbian Plymouth Rock chicks on the ground and they are 13 weeks (3months) old today. I've noticed that about 1/2 of my cockerels are fully feathered and the other half are "slow feathering" with a long narrow strip only their back where feathers are just now filling in. On the contrary, all of my pullets are fully feathered.

Does anyone have any experience with whether or not there is any benefit to slow feathering in the Columbian feather pattern? I know it is extremely desirable in the Barred Plymouth Rocks, but I'm not aware of any benefit or limitation caused by slow feathering in this pattern

Any advise? Thoughts?

Thanks

BTW - there is little to no difference in size between the cockerels that are fully feathered and those that are not

 

[Robert Blosl]

Think about the history of this strain. Are they old fashion Coloubian Plymouth Rocks from 1905? No

They are a homemade new line most likely, crossed from using White Plymouth Rocks and Light Brahmas ten or fifteen years ago. I have no idea. So what genes are you gong to select the Rock Genes or the Brahma genes or kind of down the middle of the road.

The color is coming from the Brahmas and the type from the White Rocks that is a fact.

So I would try to get the best color on my males I could with good Rock Type. Then the very best true to Rock Type on my females and hope I do get good to very good color on them.

What Mike Michaels wrote in his article about five years ago on how to breed Colombian Plymouth Rock Bantams was the type came from the female and the color from the male. They both have influence on type and color but he felt his star colored male was his pen leader then went after females that had that classic Rock type.


I have no clue other than what he wrote about and only time will tell. In most breeds that have Asiatic blood line you have to know that those genes are trying to come to the surface and can hurt you. Many people like big wide feathers on their large fowl when it calls for Medium width of feather. When the do this they loose the Rock or Red type and then the birds take on a Asiatic look. Why the birds in the early days had Cochin or Brahma blood in their make up.

That's all I can think of. Hope this helps.

 

[3riverschick]

Good afternoon all.....I have a question

I have about 3 dozen LF Columbian Plymouth Rock chicks on the ground and they are 13 weeks (3months) old today. I've noticed that about 1/2 of my cockerels are fully feathered and the other half are "slow feathering" with a long narrow strip only their back where feathers are just now filling in. On the contrary, all of my pullets are fully feathered.

Does anyone have any experience with whether or not there is any benefit to slow feathering in the Columbian feather pattern? I know it is extremely desirable in the Barred Plymouth Rocks, but I'm not aware of any benefit or limitation caused by slow feathering in this pattern

Any advise? Thoughts?

Thanks

BTW - there is little to no difference in size between the cockerels that are fully feathered and those that are not

==========
Here's a bunch of links on different aspects of the subject. From what I can see, it's slow feathering on the barred varieties and fast feathering on the non-barred varieties (like Columbian).
http://science-in-farming.library4farming.org/Part_2/Breeding-Better-Poultry.html Paragraph 7 .
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http://www.thepoultrygarden.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=13969
next to last post on this page Hen-Gen
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http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/thread/2603
chantecler Admins Sep 9, 2011 at 9:01pm
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http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id33.html
article
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http://www.agannex.com/production/improving-dual-purpose-breeds-and-making-new-ones
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Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Bob Blosi wrote"
Many people like big wide feathers on their large fowl when it calls for Medium width of feather. When the do this they loose the Rock or Red type and then the birds take on a Asiatic look. Why the birds in the early days had Cochin or Brahma blood in their make up.
=================
Oh now , Bob,
This is really interesting! Thanks so much for posting this! Are there any other reasons you know for the width /narrowness of feathers? It's something I have been looking into and hard to find info, for me. Does climate, plumage color, or productivity have anything to do with the width/narrowness of feather desired?
Thanks so much for sharing!
P.S., Why are the males hackle feathers more narrow than the females hackle feathers? I have not been able to find an answer for this.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id33.html

This is a great discourse of ideas going back to 2007 I must of been so doped up back then I forgot about it. I had both my knees done that year. It kicks the can around a lot on the barred rocks as back them Jamie Duckworth in North Carolina was just getting into them after a nice two or three years working with the Buck Eye project and using the system to pick his breeders at 18 months of age which I cant remember at this moment. There was a book about it written in the 1920 and many of you have read it or have commented on it over the years maybe before I finish this post his name will come to me.

I have no clue why the barred rock gene is so slow but I know the better the barring for color the slower it takes the bird to mature. That could be why the males tails are so poor on some strains out there. Craig Shaffer of Ohio who has the same old strain as Frank Resse the Ralph Sturgeon strain has the best tails I have seen on males. I have several friends who are getting eggs from him this year.

Now to the question why the males feathers in the hackle is pointed and the females are not I don't know why genetically and really never mind. Its part of the expression of the beast. The golden pheasant is so pretty and attractive yet the female is blaw looking. Many female look like to protect them when they are sitting on their eggs and only nature causes this to happen. Its a sexual expression of the fowl in my view. In Barred Rocks if you get a good typed female with a so so tail she may have a chance to win over a male because her tail does not fall apart like the males tails do. So guys only show females at shows and many times I think that is the easiest bird to condition and then win with. I know when it comes to white leghorn bantams its so much easier to win with females than males. In the White Rock Bantams it is easier also but some times a good male can pull it off and win big.

The post above does talk about there is no good Colombians large fowl around in 2007. Why they are so difficult to breed for color. Back then there where not many good Colombian Bantams. So patients is the secret and picking the right male and female will be key. Remember it only takes one good male and one good female to springboard you forward to improved in your project. You could have two males and two females that make up two breeding pens and then line breed them correctly and in no time you will have the large fowl correct type on a Columbian color pattern. Look at the Delaware project with Kathy. Slowing she is getting her goals together and the body's and the color are improving from her work.

Great remarks I will be standing by. Wonder what the next message will be or breed they want to get this year.

http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id63.html

This web site is loaded with good article's How did he do this?

 

[NanaKat]

The information on breeding Columbian Rocks translates to similiar information on color strategies with Columbian Wyandottes.
Thank you for posting the link.

Developing the "eye" for a bird can take years....hopefully my eye is improving...at least my "goal bird" is cemented in "my mind's eye".

 

[Wynette]

Hi, folks - I'm sorry, I saw you were wondering about the egg in my avatar. Frankly, I was a bit annoyed after I made my last post & decided I needed to stay out for a few days.

The egg is not a Cayuga, it is from a Black Runner duck. It was her very first egg, and they got progressively lighter quickly:



They are now consistently a lovely light green, and she hasn't missed a day in laying. She was a gift from a good friend after I'd lost a duck I was quite keen on last fall; I was told she came from a breeder, but I would not know good quality conformation in a duck if it quacked in my face, and I honestly don't really care - I have them because I like their eggs. Here she is, before she began to lay. I have to say, for those of you who don't have waterfowl....they sure are a whole lot more engaging than chickens! (Don't shoot!)