Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[BarnGoddess01]

Scott,

If the box is 12" off the floor and even if you had a ramp the chicks probably couldn't get back into the box.  They just don't understand.  I would put the nest box on the floor or take it out altogether.  She will snuggle with them on the floor of the coop and they'll be able to get to the food and water which they will need by now.

 Hear, hear to this! I put a small platform in front of my nestbox so March could get the chicks out. Once they were out, she brooded them just fine on the floor of the coop. It was sub zero weather. But I had a 65 watt light in the 4x6 coop to keep it above freezing.
  One thing I would do is remove the cock from the coop. Also not have the shavings too deep. I had problems with both. I forgot the hen was wary of her cock. Even tho he didn't hurt anyone. She dug a real deep hole in the shavings and settled the chicks inside to protect them. In the process, one chick got stomped and died. It was  an accident. Without the cock in there, she didn't dig so deep.  They are 5 weeks today and feathered out.  Starting Sat. it will be warm enough to put them out. March is really looking forward to that!
 Best,
 Karen

I've had some figure out the ramp just fine and others choose not to use it and brood on the floor. I've also had my best results with the cock bird left in the mix.

 

[3riverschick]

I have been thinking. Sometimes a dangerous thing, LOL. We talk a lot about Slow Food. Heritage poultry which grow slowly and taste the better for it. Was reading Outram's 1925 book on The Sussex Fowl. He writes about the basic characteristics of the breed saying, (page 12) " To realize what the breed is and to understand it throughly one must have first-hand knowledge, or as near first hand as possible, of its origins, or if not origin, at least some actual facts of its history a half a century ago." ; In the Introduction, the esteemed poultryman Arthur Amey writes, " We who have worked at headquarters, controlling the Sussex breed for so many years, have firmy stood out against the "hotheads" and extremists, who are ever rushing this way and that--some for more eggs, others for various fancies, alterations of the standard, etc.
We steadfastly stand for real utility--the birds which grow the best carcase in the shortest time and therefore meet the early spring chicken trade, perhaps the best paying side of the poultry business, then the winter eggs. We judge egg production by the cash value throughout the year, not simply by the number in the year.
Furthermore, beauty is our delight....".
So... these Sussex we speak of as heritage fowl in reverent terms were originally bred as fast growing meat birds which doubled as production layers. I think that's kinda funny. How terminology can change and something be descibed as something it initially wsn't. Hum. The more I read about this breed, the more the various parts of the bird start to make sense. My, the Sussex fowl is a complex ballet of genetc characteristics whose interplay benefits both sides fo the meat and egg equation.
Best ,
Karen

 

[qball53]

I've had some figure out the ramp just fine and others choose not to use it and brood on the floor. I've also had my best results with the cock bird left in the mix.

Can anyone explain how our 2-3 day old chick got into a nest box 3' off the ground? I never saw her make the trek or flight or whatever but she was in there each night and out each day. No ramp but there was a spot to perch perhaps half the distance up. Do hen actually pick up chicks on occassion, it would seem they must?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I've had some figure out the ramp just fine and others choose not to use it and brood on the floor. I've also had my best results with the cock bird left in the mix.

Right now my cockbird is in with the sister of the broody in a separate pen. Just checked on everyone and the little chicks are starting to rustle around a bit and venture to the top of the nest box. Mama is making some "much different" noises so I would bet they aren't far from venturing out.

Last two days have been pretty nice, about 60F, but tomorrow is supposed to be 100% chance of rain and a high of 46F....bet they stay close to mama tomorrow!! I know she has 2 BLRW chicks as I've seen them (pretty easy to pick out too), just want to get a look and see how many Columbian Rocks she has too...

I need to hatch another 2 dozen or so Col Rocks, but would much rather have mama do it naturally. Would love to see her sister decide to go broody soon, but so far I've seen no behavior like she's even thinking about it.

Someone told me that Wyandottes made good broodies so I guess I'll keep a small group around for "eye candy" and surrogate motherhood.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I've had some figure out the ramp just fine and others choose not to use it and brood on the floor. I've also had my best results with the cock bird left in the mix.

Can anyone explain how our 2-3 day old chick got into a nest box 3' off the ground?  I never saw her make the trek or flight or whatever but she was in there each night and out each day.  No ramp but there was a spot to perch perhaps half the distance up.  Do hen actually pick up chicks on occassion, it would seem they must?

I've seen chicks make jumps that truly amaze me. Was just remarking to Wynette about that very fact as I have a particularly athletic Blue Birchen Marans growing out right now. I've even named him Peter Pan because he's been "flying" literally since he cracked his shell. (I also wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if he broke his sorry neck with the jumps he attempts.) I've seen them make 18" at a day or two so nothing would surprise me, quite frankly.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I've had some figure out the ramp just fine and others choose not to use it and brood on the floor. I've also had my best results with the cock bird left in the mix.

Right now my cockbird is in with the sister of the broody in a separate pen.  Just checked on everyone and the little chicks are starting to rustle around a bit and venture to the top of the nest box.  Mama is making some "much different" noises so I would bet they aren't far from venturing out.

Last two days have been pretty nice, about 60F, but tomorrow is supposed to be 100% chance of rain and a high of 46F....bet they stay close to mama tomorrow!!  I know she has 2 BLRW chicks as I've seen them (pretty easy to pick out too), just want to get a look and see how many Columbian Rocks she has too...

I need to hatch another 2 dozen or so Col Rocks, but would much rather have mama do it naturally.  Would love to see her sister decide to go broody soon, but so far I've seen no behavior like she's even thinking about it.

Someone told me that Wyandottes made good broodies so I guess I'll keep a small group around for "eye candy" and surrogate motherhood.

The sounds are probably the most interesting aspect of all of this.

The kids will SCREAM if they get cold. Happens all the time here in Canada. That scream will even get you running! You'll be convinced someone is dying. Mama seems powerless to her instincts at that point. She drops where she is and they huddle under her. Least of your worries at this point is temperature.

I left sister and daddy cock bird in with my broody and they raised the brood as a family. (Just watch that first introduction. You'll know right away if things are going to work out or not.) Chicks were riding around on both mama AND her sister. Papa was running around finding food. It was truly a wondrous thing to behold.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

The sounds are probably the most interesting aspect of all of this.

The kids will SCREAM if they get cold. Happens all the time here in Canada. That scream will even get you running! You'll be convinced someone is dying. Mama seems powerless to her instincts at that point. She drops where she is and they huddle under her. Least of your worries at this point is temperature.

I left sister and daddy cock bird in with my broody and they raised the brood as a family. (Just watch that first introduction. You'll know right away if things are going to work out or not.) Chicks were riding around on both mama AND her sister. Papa was running around finding food. It was truly a wondrous thing to behold.

Now that would be something neat!! I may try that introduction Saturday when I can watch everyone CLOSELY. The cockbird is a gentle giant so I wouldn't expect him to be a problem and the sister is just "Ms Laid Back". I'm sooooo hoping her sister will take a notion to brood some of her own. Incubators are great (and a necessity) but nothing beats a good broody

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html#chickens

So here is a list and the names of the breeds that need help. The question is how will some of these breeds handle your altitude. If I get your question you asked what would do well in the high elevation. Some of these breeds are so worn down they can not even do well in my location and that is sea level. Some are so run down they will take ten to twenty years to improve if not a life time. So many want a challenging breed but when they see what they get they cant be leave the condition of the breed and why no one has kept them up to par like they did years ago.

You will have a fun time figuring out what you want and where to find it. Where to find these rare breeds is the biggest challenge for me.

It will be interesting to see what you come up with down the road.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Still catching up on reading here.    Any recomendation for Heritage types of chickens that do best at altitude of 8200 feet? 

Found a couple of excellent links with advice for raising chickens at high altitudes ....

http://www.worldpoultry.net/Broilers/Housing/2012/5/Rearing-chickens-at-high-altitudes-WP010363W/

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/repositoryfiles/ca1311p8-64807.pdf

I can't help but think that Silkies might do well at high altitude since their heritage is from mountainous regions.

 

[BGMatt]

So one of my customers and I were having this discussion today and I think it would be neat to bring here. It'd be nice for these rare breeds to have people that raise them in large numbers, keep careful records and preserve genetic diversity while still improving the breed, but that can't always happen. Is it better to let the breed shrink in numbers because there are less and less of those people than it is to have some small flocks out there where the person keeps small numbers, breeds best to the best, and within their small numbers of the breed improve it as much as possible, but aren't able to keep genetic diversity as high as we'd like so their birds might see some negative aspects of inbreeding 5-10 years down the road without new blood. Is that small flock operation worth anything or would it really better to just see the breed fades until it's gone, or needs to be recreated from scratch?

I'm not sure where I fall on this...although I'm leaning towards the side of as many small breeders as possible is ok, because then even if THEIR birds get inbred, there's more people like them they can outcross to and keep the breed at a higher level than the breed having to be recreated from scratch or hatchery stock (on breeds where this is even possible). This happens all the time on popular breeds.