Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[thedragonlady]

large fowl don't like being upside down.

w.

Mine don't seem to mind it. I put one of my Buffs on her back because she had cut her foot. Husband does not hold chickens.Once she was settled, she fell asleep, and I had to pick her up to wake her.A very good patient.

 

[aveca]

first time seeing this breed..he looks in very good condition..when the legs are lighter, is it reflected in the skin? a paler color? ive always wondered if feed makes a difference in the leg color..you see some breeds at shows looks like the legs were spray painted yellow...

Here is one of my Lamona cockerels, the white needs to be cleared up more and I need to figure out how to get legs a brighter yellow. I cant wait for him to finish growing out.

 

[bnjrob]

When growing out birds to pick future breeders, do most of you hold on to existing breeders until you know you have a better one? Pen space is getting tight around here.

What do you do with cocks that are over a year old that you no longer wish to use for breeding? Do most of you butcher your own birds? I would like some tips on how to process and cook older males. Last year, I processed a 9-month old German New Hampshire, and I had a devil of a time getting my hand inside the body cavity to remove the lungs. I have a 1 year 4 month old Good Shepard Barred Rock that has to go, unfortunately he was producing a lot of curled toed chicks while his brother's chicks are coming out fine. I am not looking forward to those stiff, narrow pelvic bones.

Yep, know that feeling - we're getting ready to build some more accommodations for growing out because we had such good hatches and have to wait till they are older to pick out the new generation of breeders.

Haven't butchered any females, just relegated them to the food-egg flock. But do butcher the males. My best advice for tender, juicy meat - brine, brine, brine. Have not had any complaints by resting and then brining the meat. Can also get seasonings in the brining liquid so it is extra tasty.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Hi,
I must have missed this day. What does this phrase mean? What part of the bird is "abdominal spacing"? It is too tight in relation too, and as opposed to, what?
Thanks for sharing.
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Ha, hee, hee, I can relate. Hubby likes the lights low when he watches TV. Since I type I the living room too, it is often dark while typing. My geek younger son was home on leave from the Coast Guard last week. He was across the room on his' laptop. he looked over and asked, Mom, why are you always tipping your laptop screen up and down. I actually surprised him when I replied, " I keep it up to read the screen and pull it part way down to illuminate the keyboard when I type.". Oh, Once again the older generation takes the younger one to school, hee, hee.
Best,
Karen

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks, my crock pot is not big enough for one of these huge Barred Rocks, but we use a solar cooker and this time of year, it slow cooks beautifully! Hmmm, pineapple and teriyaki sauce, that sounds good.

It never occurred to me to check the pelvic bone spacing on the males, I just assumed they were always tight because they are not laying eggs. So you are saying, in males of the same age/breed, you see a difference in their pelvic bone spacing, and use that as one of your criteria for keepers? Sometimes I sell processed birds, and people don't want a whole chicken that has been sliced up that far, but we will probably keep this one for ourselves.

You got it! In the book Call of the Hen, the author talks about this.

Some times thats what you got to do to get er done though esp. when trying to get an established line up and going. you will do it in due time I know it youv'e come a long way already keep on plowing youll get to other end soon this I:m sure.

If yall see my mistakes its because I'm tyoping in the dark Yes I can see the screen I can tsee the kjeys

guess I could turn on the lights huh

Jeff

Hi,
I must have missed this day. What does this phrase mean? What part of the bird is "abdominal spacing"? It is too tight in relation too, and as opposed to, what?
Thanks for sharing.
Karen

Hi Karen, it may have been on the CSU thread. We were talking about squirrel tails and pinched tails and how they are affected by abdominal capacity/spacing.

Pubic spacing: space between the pubic bones. You can find them by placing your fingers over the vent of any of your birds. You will feel two bones on either side of the vent. These are the pubic bones. The wider the space between them and the keel bone, the more space there is inside for egg production/passage.

Abdominal spacing: space below pubic bones and the end of the keel bone.

Here's a 4H showmanship link that shows the procedure... http://ucanr.org/sites/4-H-Fresno/files/25520.pdf
pages 10 and 11 have diagrams.

In relation to and as opposed to what? Some of my males have a pubic space of my index finger turned sideways and I can only get the tip between them. This is too tight for an egg laying breed. Yours are considered more of a dual purpose fowl and on your females I would guess you should be able to get at least two fingers between them. I don't really know their exact size but I think they're probably a pretty large bird and I would expect you can get three fingers between those little bones. On your cock birds though, maybe your thumb would fit? Maybe more?

Hopefully this answers your question...?

 

[galanie]

The Call of the Hen, by Walter Hogan, 1921 is available to read free at http://archive.org/details/cu31924003144031

Can be downloaded in many forms for reading on a kindle or computer, or you can just read it online there. Very good explanation of capacity, etc. and how to check for it. Same book is available in other online libraries and one in particular has very good, clear photos of the process but unfortunately it seems I didn't bookmark that one. The one above is good though.

 

[FROMWHITEDOGHILL]

+1 galanie. I have raised birds for a long time and had never read it before until a friend recommended it. I refer to it nearly as much as my SOP and think everyone that is into improving any type of chickens should read it..................Mike

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Yes, thank you very much, Lacey!
Best,
Karen

 

[Robert Blosl]

"abdominal spacing

I have been out of it for about a week. My blood pressure went through the roof and had vision problems. Sunday I took all the Mottle Javas to Anthony P. in Melanino Florida about thirty miles North of Pensacola. Anthony had raised my white rocks for about four years. He and our good friend from Texas who got the ten chicks are now in charge of taking care of them and spread them to others in the next year. Hope to have a trio to share with some very interested person at the Newnan Georgia Show this February.

Also, just got back from taking two pair of my old white rocks and seven chicks to Frank H. in Mifflin Alabama he has had my white rocks for over ten years. I am now out of large fowl.

Got to cut back as just cant handle the labor of the place and all the chickens.

One thing I noticed and thought about after I took my last White Rocks off of my place after 21 years was a hen looked at me and said what are you doing to us. I told her you are going to a better place. You have been prisoned in a 8x8 pen for six months can not go out side and walk or even look for a bug or a blade of grass because of varmints. Where I am taking you have a 12x12 foot hen house six nests, and a fifty by 100 foot yard fenced in. The new owner will let you out in the early am and lock you up at night to protect you. You will live a life of Riley.

When we put them in the big yard with the other six white rocks their old aunts and uncles from four years ago they flopped their wings and said farewell. I will go see them every six months or so but a old line which I had for me is over.

I will work with my Rhode Island Red Bantams and try to keep them going and Walt I got seven Buff Silkies to raise up and keep.

In regards to "abdominal spacing I did not catch this when I read it this mourning but then When I saw the Call of the Hen book above it all registered. If you breed with his concepts like I use to do and push for high egg production, you will get good feather quality and good finger spacing in the right places. Great book on of my favorites I ever read. bob