Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[thedragonlady]

This is the hardest thing for me. I wrestle with it everyday. The hardest thing or me is to see the value of crossbred stock. Am a huge fan of breeding systems. Not necessarily because I would use that plan, but because they show the general and specific principals behind concentrating virtue in a line or strain. Yet when many of breeders are using these systems, they are doing it with a single breed or variety of creature. Once I can get past this mental roadblock, I think I will be a better poultry breeder.
Best,
Karen
Bellwether Collies ( 1995 -2009 , retired)
Poultry since 2009.

Breeding systems are useful tools. They are a guideline , particularly for novice breeders, to get started. The problem comes from not having a very clear picture in the breeder's mind of exactly what they are trying to produce. I cannot tell you how many breeders I have known who have kept critters who bear no resemblance to that ideal, but are some rich and famous chicken's, horse's, dog's, cat's,or goat's brother. The odd ball critter stays in the breeding program even though it bears no resemblance to the ideal. The closer you breed to tighten up your genotype, the harder you must cull !

 

[Yellow House Farm]

The problem comes from not having a very clear picture in the breeder's mind of exactly what they are trying to produce.[...] The closer you breed to tighten up your genotype, the harder you must cull !

This and then some!

 

[3riverschick]

Originally Posted by thedragonlady


The problem comes from not having a very clear picture in the breeder's mind of exactly what they are trying to produce.[...] The closer you breed to tighten up your genotype, the harder you must cull !
==
This is where an illustrated standard comes in handy. We have one for collies. In birds it would be great to have something like outspread wings in proper colors. The tail spread out in proper colors. A hackle spread out and displayed in proper colors.
Just my thoughts,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Isn't this interesting,
Karen
-----------

The Sussex Fowl by Sharpe .
CHAPTER XL. Page 170

Vertigo.

There is a rather common trouble sometimes
seen in young growing cockerels which I think I should
like to mention, more especially as I have noticed it
rather more particularly in our strong growing "Sussex' '
chickens — Vertigo. It may cause death, it may only
be a short attack and the bird is soon all right again ;
I however, it may be well to mention here that it is a
sign of good feeding , or, perhaps, I should say, "strong
'feeding," hence the reason we see it more often in a
batch of growing table chicken.
Symptoms.
The Symptoms of this trouble cannot be mistaken
when once seen ; it appears as follows : generally
first seen in chicken, age 8 to 16 weeks — sometimes
adult birds get it. The bird will be seen to hold its
head over on one side and in moving will spin around ;
it will recover for a few minutes and then have another
attack. The trouble is due to high feeding, often caused
by using too much animal food, and owing to high
blood pressure on the brain the bird loses control of
its actions. Sometimes a form of congestion will
bring on vertigo, but in such a case it does not last long.
Cure.
It may be cured by lower feeding, a few Glauber
Salts and keep the bird in a quiet and somewhat darkened place.

Glauber Salts:

So called from Johann Rudolph Glauber, a German alchemist, who discovered
it in 1658 in his researches after the philosopher's stone. It is the sulphate of soda
definition: http://www.factmonster.com/dictionary/brewers/glauber-salts.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/glauber-s-salt
where to buy: http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog/C1134262190/E580655508/

 

[Robert Blosl]

I have about four ladies who I am coaching to become large fowl Rhode Island Red beginners, breeders or fanciers or chicken collectors. I don't know what they will turn out to be. My approach to them is not to worry about color for about three years. I think if they stick with the hobby and have success learning how to hatch a egg in a good quality incubate I have one part of the battle to teach them how its done. Then I hope they have learned some good traits on raising chickens from the birds they have purchased from the feed store or the hatcheries as this is good practice to learn how to be a good poultry husbandry person. I am improving ladies I did not use the word PoutryMEN.

I think you need to breed for vitality first, then egg production and if you pick your best shaped or typed birds especially your females you will end up in the long run with a good line of chickens. You got to make it to your third year before you can start dong fancy stuff with line breeding charts, or roller line breeding or my goofy method Rotational line breeding.''

Today I look at the old Fletch Fishnet Line Breeding Chart and I think I am doing this right now by breeding the best pullets pack to the sire for say three years and the best ckls back to the dams or aunts for three years. Then re group pick a new breeder and start over again for three more years.

Why am I doing this method from what I did twenty years ago. I am a person who was taught by my grandpa in the 1950s if there is a person who is successful in what you are wanting to be learn what this person does then apply his or her methods to your program.

I know a fellow who goes to shows each year with chickens in the back seat of his car. He not only wins champions in his class but get right up there on champion row and many times wins Champion of the show. He is the person to beat. He inbreeds the birds to death to fix the traits then every three or four years finds a new male or female and plows away again.

Remember my term KISS. I go back to these principles every time I get a wild hair up my you know what and have to get back to the basics of breeding.

Just yesterday I was looking at my Rhode Island Red pictures from six or eight years ago and thought some of the mistakes I have made.

Then I heard a message in my head. Go Slow, Go Small, and Go down the middle of the Road Robert.

Its like the Force be with you.

He is long gone and dead but his message still drive home to me. His name was Ralph Brazelton. So I guess he and some other old timers are trying to keep me on track.

Make it simple and don't worry about the complicated stuff. Keep it simple and have fun doing it.

 

[TheNuttyChick]

I have about four ladies who I am coaching to become large fowl Rhode Island Red beginners, breeders or fanciers or chicken collectors. I don't know what they will turn out to be. My approach to them is not to worry about color for about three years. I think if they stick with the hobby and have success learning how to hatch a egg in a good quality incubate I have one part of the battle to teach them how its done. Then I hope they have learned some good traits on raising chickens from the birds they have purchased from the feed store or the hatcheries as this is  good practice to learn how to be a good poultry husbandry person. I am improving ladies I did not use the word PoutryMEN.

I think you need to breed for vitality first, then egg production and if you pick your best shaped or typed birds especially your females you will end up in the long run with a good line of chickens. You got to make it to your third year before you can start dong fancy stuff with line breeding charts, or roller line breeding or my goofy method Rotational line breeding.''

Today I look at the old Fletch Fishnet Line Breeding Chart and I think I am doing this right now by breeding the best pullets pack to the sire for say three years and the best ckls back to the dams or aunts for three years. Then re group pick a new breeder and start over again for three more years.

Why am I doing this method from what I did twenty years ago. I am a person who was taught by my grandpa in the 1950s if there is a person who is successful in what you are wanting to be learn what this person does then apply his or her methods to your program.

I know a fellow who goes to shows each year with chickens in the back seat of his car. He not only wins champions in his class but get right up there on champion row and many times wins Champion of the show. He is the person to beat. He inbreeds the birds to death to fix the traits then every three or four years finds a new male or female and plows away again.

Remember my term KISS. I go back to these principles every time I get a wild hair up my you know what and have to get back to the basics of breeding.

Just yesterday I was looking at my Rhode Island Red pictures from six or eight years ago and thought some of the mistakes I have made.

Then I heard a message in my head. Go Slow, Go Small, and Go down the middle of the Road Robert.

Its like the Force be with you.

He is long gone and dead but his message still drive home to me. His name was Ralph  Brazelton. So I guess he and some other old timers are trying to keep me on track.

Make it simple and don't worry about the complicated stuff. Keep it simple and have fun doing it.

Thank you sir, I just don't want to get in over my head by rushing things. I'm fairly new and don't want to make costly mistakes

 

[Wynette]

 

[Robert Blosl]

Thank you.

 

[3riverschick]

Sir Robert of Silverhill. Has a nice ring to it. Now we just need a coat of arms with a RIR on it.
Karen

 

[Yellow House Farm]

this is good practice to learn how to be a good poultry husbandry person. I am improving ladies I did not use the word PoutryMEN.

There is another term, though we use it infrequently; however, it is gender neutral--a poulterer, which Webster defines as "one who deals in poultry".