Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[fowlman01]

It sounds like a good plan Scott.

w

 

[thedragonlady]

Dear Lynne,

Congratulations on well deserved win! He won both days; how wonderful is that!!!! I am very happy both for you, and Vicki-Dragon Lady..

Lual

Thank you Lual ! We are very pleased.

 

[Chickens Naturally]

Would that be because the heritage chicks are special, or would this be true for any old chick?

Any old chick. Chickens aren't usually nice to younger/smaller chickens. The more hens, the more chance they would pick on them. My guess is every day or two you'd find more dead chicks, collateral damage from the Mother hen fighting other hens to protect her chicks. The other Hens would probably peck and torment the chicks. You would have to solve the issue of keeping the hens out of the chicks feed and the hens not allowing the chicks to eat etc. I would say the best way to solve all those problems would be to separate the hen and her chicks from the others.

 

[Texasmja]

I posted this over on the Plymouth Rock thread....thought I'd share my thoughts here as well

Evening all...

I had a good long sit with the birds tonight and I think I've finally selected the 3 pullets I will keep for next season and BOY it got much harder this year, I guess that's a good thing

I selected 3 pullets as follows

1 to be as close to a perfect female as possible (mostly in case my youngest son wants to show her)...great type (nice front end, long back, slight tail lift, nice wide skull), no black spots/mossiness on her back, nice tail lacing, no cushion, light colored butt fluff, great bright yellow legs, good balance and medium/light undercolor. Likely will not breed from her 9unless there is some catastrophe here) as her undercolor is too light

1 with decent type but extremely rich/dark undercolor, dark/well laced hackles, some mossiness in her back, slightly higher tail than standard, great yellow legs. My plans are to use her to improve my males in two ways - the striping in the hackles/saddles AND tail lift

Finally,

1 with the best type of any females I have plus a little on the large side. She is almost 8 lbs at 9 months old. She will be used to maintain overall type/size on my female side and hopefully add a bit of weight to my males and improve the length of backs. The males aren't really lacking in weight vs the standard, BUT, I need size if I'm gonna compete with the White Rocks

I seem to have made really good progress on my females, so next year my focus is going to be on the males as they are quite a bit behind my females in terms of improvement. After I get these 3 separated from the rest of the flock, I'll post pictures of each of them

Do you normally only keep two pullets back for breeding the following season? I try and keep 5 just incase anything happens between now and then, and then choose the best 3 right before breeding pens are set up.

I like how you kept the second choice pullet for improving the hackles and tail on the male line.

Your idea of keeping the third pullet to help improve your male size is a great idea. I did that this year. I have a really nice cock that has great type but is smaller than I would prefer. I put him with three very large round typey hens and wow it really improved the males hatched this year. The 4 month old cockerels are already larger than their sire. So that helped as far as improving size on my male line. The downfall for me this year is his daughters seem on the small size. I do have another line for pullets and they are super large compared to last years, so I will keep them back for next year.

Good luck next year, I can't wait to see the new improvements.

Melissa

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Any old chick. Chickens aren't usually nice to younger/smaller chickens. The more hens, the more chance they would pick on them. My guess is every day or two you'd find more dead chicks, collateral damage from the Mother hen fighting other hens to protect her chicks. The other Hens would probably peck and torment the chicks. You would have to solve the issue of keeping the hens out of the chicks feed and the hens not allowing the chicks to eat etc. I would say the best way to solve all those problems would be to separate the hen and her chicks from the others.

Ahh okay. I asked because this year we've been testing a system of letting broodies hatch some of our eggs ... Had four clutches hatch on one day at one point this summer, and once the chicks are up and around (day 2?) we take away the broody enclosures and let momma deal with all the curious flock mates -- our main flock is over 100 birds. We haven't lost one chick to aggressive flock-mates. Or anything else for that matter. Not if it makes it past hatch day.

Our main coop is three sections, arranged like subway cars. Each section is a room with a different purpose but open to each other through a wide door, and each room is down slope from the one before. So there is a good step down between rooms. The top room is the broody room and nesting boxes -- we call that "the quiet room" but it isn't very quiet when a hen is singing the egg song. In that room we have crumble feed -- higher protein -- not medicated or anything, all purpose feed. We have some small-mesh wire trays set up so chicks can get under them but big birds can't ... we make sure there is always plenty of feed under there. There are waterers on top of the tray so broodies know it is a good feeding station. And in the room there are other waterers down low for the smallest chicks until they can hop on top of the trays to reach the waterers and fountains, and more than one feed station.

The main flock seems to prefer the crumbles in this room, and this has my attention in a big way. They tend to come in there to eat before bed ... and the gossips keep a close eye on when it gets refilled.

I do think we could do better with the feed in general ... I want a higher protein all purpose mix for everyone, with lower protein whole grains on the side. We already do calcium on the side, and that is down in the lowest room, by the door to the pasture.

Most of the flock spends most of their time out in the pasture and come in to dust bathe in the lowest room, eat, drink or lay. Broodies don't take chicks into the second or third rooms until they are very mobile -- and little chicks are FAST. We have ramps, but the tiny birds stay up in the quiet room.

Regardless, I've been thinking about setting up a Broody Coop and pasture if I'm needing to observe and assess breeding results ... but I really love having the birds integrated from day 2.

 

[Chickens Naturally]

Ahh okay. I asked because this year we've been testing a system of letting broodies hatch some of our eggs ... Had four clutches hatch on one day at one point this summer, and once the chicks are up and around (day 2?) we take away the broody enclosures and let momma deal with all the curious flock mates -- our main flock is over 100 birds. We haven't lost one chick to aggressive flock-mates. Or anything else for that matter. Not if it makes it past hatch day.

Our main coop is three sections, arranged like subway cars. Each section is a room with a different purpose but open to each other through a wide door, and each room is down slope from the one before. So there is a good step down between rooms. The top room is the broody room and nesting boxes -- we call that "the quiet room" but it isn't very quiet when a hen is singing the egg song. In that room we have crumble feed -- higher protein -- not medicated or anything, all purpose feed. We have some small-mesh wire trays set up so chicks can get under them but big birds can't ... we make sure there is always plenty of feed under there. There are waterers on top of the tray so broodies know it is a good feeding station. And in the room there are other waterers down low for the smallest chicks until they can hop on top of the trays to reach the waterers and fountains, and more than one feed station.

The main flock seems to prefer the crumbles in this room, and this has my attention in a big way. They tend to come in there to eat before bed ... and the gossips keep a close eye on when it gets refilled.

I do think we could do better with the feed in general ... I want a higher protein all purpose mix for everyone, with lower protein whole grains on the side. We already do calcium on the side, and that is down in the lowest room, by the door to the pasture.

Most of the flock spends most of their time out in the pasture and come in to dust bathe in the lowest room, eat, drink or lay. Broodies don't take chicks into the second or third rooms until they are very mobile -- and little chicks are FAST. We have ramps, but the tiny birds stay up in the quiet room.

Regardless, I've been thinking about setting up a Broody Coop and pasture if I'm needing to observe and assess breeding results ... but I really love having the birds integrated from day 2.

Wow, sounds like an elaborate set up. I read it twice, trying to visualize it. My comments were if you planned to keep them penned up together, I have noooooooo idea on that set up. What keeps the chicks from falling down levels through the wide doors? Interesting concept. I have to keep everybody penned. Maybe someday I'll put up a fence so I can turn the dog loose and let them free range.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Wow, sounds like an elaborate set up. I read it twice, trying to visualize it. My comments were if you planned to keep them penned up together, I have noooooooo idea on that set up. What keeps the chicks from falling down levels through the wide doors? Interesting concept. I have to keep everybody penned. Maybe someday I'll put up a fence so I can turn the dog loose and let them free range.

The rooms aren't stacked, they are in a row like train cars. The steps down from one room to the next are extra tall compared to a staircase, but doable for humans. Big birds have no issue. There are ramps for chicks. Regardless, broody moms seem to keep the chicks in the first room until they are pretty mobile, which is pretty fast.

The main coop is built from three greenhouse frames pushed end to end. Each frame is a room. The property is on a hill side, each room further downhill, hence the different levels between rooms.

A photo would be useful about now, huh?

 

[chickadoodles]

The rooms aren't stacked, they are in a row like train cars. The steps down from one room to the next are extra tall compared to a staircase, but doable for humans. Big birds have no issue. There are ramps for chicks. Regardless, broody moms seem to keep the chicks in the first room until they are pretty mobile, which is pretty fast.

The main coop is built from three greenhouse frames pushed end to end. Each frame is a room. The property is on a hill side, each room further downhill, hence the different levels between rooms.

A photo would be useful about now, huh?

X2 it would be nice to see the set up! I cannot picture it in my mind either and I would love to see it... Please

 

[fowlman01]

If anyone is in the area...I will be judging the Baker Creek Seed Heritage Expo here in Santa Rosa today. I will also be giving an APA judges test and conducting a seminar on Delaware chickens at 5:30. Say hello if you are on here.

w.

 

[cbnovick]

If anyone is in the area...I will be judging the Baker Creek Seed Heritage Expo here in Santa Rosa today. I will also be giving an APA judges test and conducting a seminar on Delaware chickens at 5:30. Say hello if you are on here.

w.

So wish I could attend!! Baker Creek Co. is awesome. Seminar sounds interesting too. Enjoy the day, Walt!