Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ocap]

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

Thanks Walt,
I did build a chicken tractor and the five BAs are safe and sound after ten nights. Something has been walking on the hardwear cloth top and stretched the wire so there is a sag that was not there the first day. I will continue to read and learn.
John

 

[snowbird]

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.

Walt, I got back into the SS and a few Light. I had the SS for years from John Mathys down in Indiana. I see that there seems to be some interest in them again , so will try and help.

 

[Ripster]

Tip of the day!



Walt

Very well said Walt.

 

[fowlman01]

Thanks Walt,
I did build a chicken tractor and the five BAs are safe and sound after ten nights. Something has been walking on the hardwear cloth top and stretched the wire so there is a sag that was not there the first day. I will continue to read and learn.
John

I'm 10 years older than you and I'm still slinging feed sacks...but very happy that they are no longer 100 lb sacks. The biggest joy is to be happy with what you do.

w.

 

[cbnovick]

I'm 10 years older than you and I'm still slinging feed sacks...but very happy that they are no longer 100 lb sacks. The biggest joy is to be happy with what you do.

w.

Despite only being in my mid 40's, even the 50# bags seem heavier than they used to be...lol.
..& now cumbersome alfalfa hay bales are most certainly out of the question

Gave up my **girl power** pride and now have my husband help me unload everything.

 

[Pathfinders]

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

Walt

Why? Because their birds more closely match the British description? What is it with some people? Instead of breeding their birds to match the Standard, they'd rather try to change the Standard to match the way their birds look. The Standard is the way it is now for a reason. It doesn't reflect some other country's birds, it doesn't reflect birds from 100 years ago, it is what it is NOW.

Savvy breeders will breed their birds to match what the current Standard reads. Newbies and other less diligent sorts will try to get the Standard changed in a big way so they don't have to do the hard work.

Mind you, that's not to say there aren't times that a Standard description needs to be tweaked slightly or edited for clarity and/or to harmonize the APA with the ABAs. But there's a difference between fine-tuning and wholescale changes like the one you describe above.

Sheesh...

 

[Robert Blosl]

I met a guy at the Minnesota show one winter about 22 years ago who was a long time Police Officer and maybe Chief I think in Iowa.

He retired was about 64 and wanted to get back into Light Braham large fowl which he had as a young junior back in the 50s and 60s.

He did get some and had a great ten year or more stretch. He got some good ones I bet from Mark Peterson and set his plow deep and looked straight ahead. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy your progress. Heck I got eight buff Silkies and three White ones I am enjoying looking at and raising right now. Got about six to eight Mottled Javas that I have never raised before and enjoying them. This would be a great project to help save a dead in the water breed or color pattern and in the process try to improve them for future generations. The cost for the chicks to get started is about $8 plus shipping and postage. Not a bad investment for me for ten chicks.

If I ordered a trio from a guy in Tim Buck Two USA. I would have about $300. tied up in the cost of the birds and shipping but yet it would be worth it to get a start of a rare breed. If you watch this thread and see who some of these folks are and where they live they will set you up with some nice Standard Breed Large Fowl for a fair price. You don't need champions to get started. Birds with faults minor ones can produce good off spring if they are mated correctly. Enjoy your next ten years with chickens they will keep you alive and going. Heck you might even hit 80 some day. bob

http://shop.barrettvalleyfarm.com/1...se-Chicken-Fertile-Hatching-Eggs-1dozWABE.htm

Here you go lets start a new breed of chickens in the USA heck with the old breeds that are in the ditch hoping someone will adopt them.

Walt those people want to change the standard have been watching the folks in Washington DC. Give them a inch and they will take a mile. Next thing the Rhode Island Reds will be changed like the German kind and they will look like Red Modern Games. Love it. Gives the APA guys something to do in their spear time and it makes these people feel good they are making changes to help the breed.

 

[fowlman01]

Why? Because their birds more closely match the British description? What is it with some people? Instead of breeding their birds to match the Standard, they'd rather try to change the Standard to match the way their birds look. The Standard is the way it is now for a reason. It doesn't reflect some other country's birds, it doesn't reflect birds from 100 years ago, it is what it is NOW.

Savvy breeders will breed their birds to match what the current Standard reads. Newbies and other less diligent sorts will try to get the Standard changed in a big way so they don't have to do the hard work.

Mind you, that's not to say there aren't times that a Standard description needs to be tweaked slightly or edited for clarity and/or to harmonize the APA with the ABAs. But there's a difference between fine-tuning and wholescale changes like the one you describe above.

Sheesh...

Most of what our committee gets is people trying to change the Standard to match their birds. The SOP does not match the birds in their yard, so obviously it is wrong. It is generally not the old timers requesting these changes, although every few years some old timers that can't get a pearl eye on their Cornish will try to get it changed to whatever color they have. We are in the middle of "tweeking" the Standard right now, but we won't be doing anything to match someones birds..it is mostly8 trying to get the info into a clearer format.

Walt

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

And here is two dozen eggs for $15 with no bids (on eBay). See what I mean? I don't know what it is--other than a combination of greed, little to no common sense, no background in basic breeding of animals and impatience?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-WHITE-BR...788?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bc622274

 

[sgribble]

I met a guy at the Minnesota show one winter about 22 years ago who was a long time Police Officer and maybe Chief I think in Iowa.

He retired was about 64 and wanted to get back into Light Braham large fowl which he had as a young junior back in the 50s and 60s.

He did get some and had a great ten year or more stretch. He got some good ones I bet from Mark Peterson and set his plow deep and looked straight ahead. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy your progress. Heck I got eight buff Silkies and three White ones I am enjoying looking at and raising right now. Got about six to eight Mottled Javas that I have never raised before and enjoying them. This would be a great project to help save a dead in the water breed or color pattern and in the process try to improve them for future generations. The cost for the chicks to get started is about $8 plus shipping and postage. Not a bad investment for me for ten chicks.

If I ordered a trio from a guy in Tim Buck Two USA. I would have about $300. tied up in the cost of the birds and shipping but yet it would be worth it to get a start of a rare breed. If you watch this thread and see who some of these folks are and where they live they will set you up with some nice Standard Breed Large Fowl for a fair price. You don't need champions to get started. Birds with faults minor ones can produce good off spring if they are mated correctly. Enjoy your next ten years with chickens they will keep you alive and going. Heck you might even hit 80 some day. bob

http://shop.barrettvalleyfarm.com/1...se-Chicken-Fertile-Hatching-Eggs-1dozWABE.htm

Here you go lets start a new breed of chickens in the USA heck with the old breeds that are in the ditch hoping someone will adopt them.

Walt those people want to change the standard have been watching the folks in Washington DC. Give them a inch and they will take a mile. Next thing the Rhode Island Reds will be changed like the German kind and they will look like Red Modern Games. Love it. Gives the APA guys something to do in their spear time and it makes these people feel good they are making changes to help the breed.

True about the shipping costs Bob.It would be worth a 3 or even 4 hour drive to look at the birds and see what you are getting.I think some people want you to drive to their house and put the birds in the pen for them though. You have to remember that most breeders do not have a endless supply of eggs or chicks to deliver when you want them.The pens are not always stocked like the shelves at Walmart.