Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[aveca]

Education would be a good start. Educating people and letting them complain to the hatcheries or refuse to buy their stock. But everyone is so caught up in the "isn't it cute!" And "it's beautiful" for the mutts and so nobody gets hurt feelings, why would hatcheries change when their (uneducated) consumers are happy with the product.

Hatcheries are a business. The problem lies not with them but with the consumer. There are very few breeders and even fewer good ones, and then even less that have multiple variety and the space time and money to supply the public, let alone sexing the chicks because we all know that nobody ever wants cockerels.

A good way to start would be getting actual knowledgable people teaching classes in the community and educating people. I have attended local poultry classes and workshops that were taught by people who had the knowledge level of a 4H junior if that.

I think people whould have to take class befor they ever let them out the door with those chickens...a lot of them die from owners just not knowing how to care for them..most people are good and want to do well for the birds..but unless somone is willing to help them out ..they get frustrated and give up..they need to know that there is work involved in poultry keeping..Its not hard, but it requires them to get up from the couch and go do something every day not just when they feel like it..
..you wouldnt want to drink out of some of the poultry drinkers I see out there..cant beleive birds survive that..

I have never been interested in all of the beautiful color varietys..I like the standard color Orpingtons..Europe had a wider variety of colors that can be shown..I just like the old foundation black orpies..every old books says they are the safest variety if you need to make a correction with blue or white.at least thats the thinking in many circles...they are not a great egg layer, not real pretty dressed..but thier value is in improving the other varietys.

I was reading one of the old books last night,... the standard bred orpington free from cornell free library for kindle..just for the history..and foundation thinking , would you beleive people were arguing about things way back then? I was a little suprised at that......there were 3 different strains of Buff orp that appeared roughly the same time..Mr cook claimed he made them, there was a linconshire buff already established, and a strain called the Vass Buff orps..there was even a court battle with mr cook to not call his buffs "buff orpington" but they said the creator had every right to call them what he sees fit..The Vass buffs were the first to be exhibited and kind of became the thing in the show ring..then cook came in with his, but the judges eye were kind of trained on the Vass buff..so cook didnt do that great with his, then the lincolnshire was still floating around out there..so these three strains all created using mostly the same foundation birds like dorking, cochin, leghorn..but in some strains , different things were added and it created a different look , it also said that the Ermine or columbian orpington is the only american color creation...interesting stuff..

 

[Robert Blosl]

You are welcome and just think you are part of history you are the first person to have Dr. Albert McGraw's line that we all thought was long gone and dead. You never know when someone will locate a old line in the woods that may have been once a good line and some good old soul was keeping it going privately.

Now share this old and rare breed with others so one day four to six people will have them. They are still pure and hopefully no one will cross Black Javas into them or worse another breed to get some off the wall trait they think they may get to improve them. It don't work when you do. It just haunts people later who try to keep these old strains or breeds going.

 

[cbnovick]

This is my opportunity to publicly say thanks to Bob Blosl for getting me started with Dr. Albert Mcgraws mottled javas. No new colors or mixing bloodlines in my goals. Simply preserve, improve and share this old line. Thanks Bob for this opportunity to participate. It's already a treat as the birds are so much fun to watch!

do you have any photos of your birds? how does this line compare to other javas?
just merely curious

Cindy

 

[ocap]

You could say something great about every variety of every breed, and you could be passionate about each one.

But, trying to be as objective as possible:

Orpington:

Buff = most popular/common/in the best shape currently
Black = original

Wyandotte:

White = most popular/common/in the best shape currently
Silver Laced = original/ a close second
Columbian= not too distant a third

Jersey Giants:

Black = original and, perhaps, the most imposing


Brahma:

Light and Dark: equally original--the "light" pattern is the Columbian gene added to the Pencilled gene so maybe the latter proceeded the former?(??????) Historically the former was the more popular farm fowl though hey both always had a following.


Mille Fleur: D'Uccle.

Some of the above are pretty clear cut, some are more nebulous--and this sort of opens the doorway for friendly opinions and bantering. Still, if everyone who wanted to work with the Silver penciled pattern adopted Dark Brahmas and then cooperated there would be a much larger gene pool of this pattern on a compatible type and the potential for developing amazing birds would increase greatly, in a way, because the pattern itself would reduce in importance and the breeders could begin to focus on the structural concerns and feather quality that make the birds so irresistible when seen in high quality. It's not just about the pattern; it's about the pattern on an amazing type. The more folks are working on a specific type within a specific variety, the great the potential for outstanding chicks to hatch, be recognized, and selected.

For example, we've started distributing White Dorkings. Last year, one customer in particular bought +/-50. This year I have two more customers buying 50 each. The first is in Michigan, the second NC, the third TX. All of them are going hard-core into White Dorking breeding. Now we raise a lot of whites, but with these folks starting up, hundreds of White Dorkings being hatched risks becoming a thousand or more. If we can get a few 50+ customers a year with singular dedication, one risks seeing thousands of White Dorkings hatched a year. Pipe dream? Perhaps. Still, if something of this nature progresses, in ten years White Dorkings could be the best they've been in 100 years.

Thanks for the response!
I have been trying to evaluate my goal in light of all I have read on this thread and other threads on BYC. To be brutally frank with myself, at 64 years old I don't have enough years left to become a master breeder, so..... I am getting back into chickens for the joy of chickens and plan on free range in an area that is prone to predators so while I might pay $200 for 25 chicks I can't see paying $100 each for dinner for my neighbors dog or the raccoon. so.... I will continue to evaluate my goals, the needs of the breeds that I like to look at and the needs of chickens in general. I do enjoy all the contributions of those that participate

 

[fowlman01]

So today I hear that the Sussex newbies want the APA to change their Standard description to the British description.

Walt

 

[Fred's Hens]

Thanks for the response!
I have been trying to evaluate my goal in light of all I have read on this thread and other threads on BYC. To be brutally frank with myself, at 64 years old I don't have enough years left to become a master breeder, so..... I am getting back into chickens for the joy of chickens and plan on free range in an area that is prone to predators so while I might pay $200 for 25 chicks I can't see paying $100 each for dinner for my neighbors dog or the raccoon. so.... I will continue to evaluate my goals, the needs of the breeds that I like to look at and the needs of chickens in general. I do enjoy all the contributions of those that participate

$100 each? Wowser!!! Those would be some kind bird, i reckon.

Been at this for a long, long time and am as old as you, and we began transitioning to (H) fowl some three years back. We've been sharing with folks along the way. $20-$30 a dozen for eggs is about the highest any of us have ever seen. $20 a started chick would be lots of money. I'm sure there are folks out there somewhere, probably at a poultry show selling chicks out of the back of their truck for $100 a bird, but I wouldn't know anything about the likes of that. Of course, I've only got boring old American class Large fowl to share with you. I don't know anything about breeds that are chocolate, or chartreuse or have glitter sprinkled on them or something.

 

[snowbird]

So today I hear that the Sussex newbies want the APA to change their Standard description to the British description.

Walt

Walt, You just about caused me to have a heart attack, just decided to work with a couple of variety of Sussex. I just can never decide why it is easier to change the SOP instead of working a little on the Fowl. The main joy to me comes from trying to breed to the SOP.

 

[fowlman01]

Thanks for the response!
I have been trying to evaluate my goal in light of all I have read on this thread and other threads on BYC. To be brutally frank with myself, at 64 years old I don't have enough years left to become a master breeder, so..... I am getting back into chickens for the joy of chickens and plan on free range in an area that is prone to predators so while I might pay $200 for 25 chicks I can't see paying $100 each for dinner for my neighbors dog or the raccoon. so.... I will continue to evaluate my goals, the needs of the breeds that I like to look at and the needs of chickens in general. I do enjoy all the contributions of those that participate

You have plenty of time to be a master breeder, but I also agree that you need a secure setup before paying too much money or spending a lot of time. You shouldn't have to pay $100. The prices for things on here are pretty crazy.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Walt, You just about caused me to have a heart attack, just decided to work with a couple of variety of Sussex. I just can never decide why it is easier to change the SOP instead of working a little on the Fowl. The main joy to me comes from trying to breed to the SOP.

I don't know why people want to change something that has been in place since the early 1900's and that they really don't know anything about to begin with Don. What variety of Sussex? I'll try to see if I can help keep it the same.

w.

 

[fowlman01]

Tip of the day!



Walt