Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ocap]

Keep looking for a Broody--It is a great experience. It is not reliable like was posted. I had a Broody hatch some chicks this year but then she abandoned them.

Maybe next year.

I had pea hens (that are usually not reliable) raise their own chicks, I am trying to get some of that line back. I gave all mine away about 10 years ago.

 

[thedragonlady]

My entry was not an attack, I was suggesting that there are many chicken buyers out there of which I am one who desire a perfect SOP bird which go broody every 15 eggs.

Good heavens ! Why not just feed a little Silkie to do your hatching ? Stop, and do the Math. 2+ weeks to lay 15 eggs. Then 21 says to hatch them. Then another 4+ weeks to wean them.The hen may, or may not, molt then, and she might not lay for another 4-6 weeks. Then the cycle starts over. That gives you a grand total of about 45 eggs a year from that hen.

I do not think that this would have been condoned in any dual purpose birds in the good old days of yore !Those lazy layers made soup.

 

[NanaKat]

I have to show off the new Buckeyes! Don Gibson has bred Buckeyes for several years. Don brought me this young trio from this year's hatch today. His stock originally came from Craig McCary. He has been working on getting rid of the cushion above the tail.
I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with this breed. I've posted several pictures because they were a little nervous and I tried to get several views of each bird.







And Don brought me 5 more Delaware Bantams...the last he had. I will share their photos on the Heritage Bantam thread.
Don took time to look at my Columbian Wyandottes and Cochins and made some nice comments. He is such a lovely gentleman.. willing to share his wisdom and his lovely birds. It was like Christmas at my house today!

 

[Pozees]

Nanakat, I know nothing about the standard for Buckeyes, but the head on that male is striking!

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: March is a hen like that. Sigh. She is a good girl and I will keep her. But not breed from her. I will use her to brood and raise chicks from other breedings.
Best,
Karen

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: I agree. I have seven show silkie females for showing and sitting . When we want a dual purpose Heritage Large Fowl breed to the standard we don't want broodiness in the factor. This comes once or twice each year by someone who wants to add broodiness into the factor. I don't know what these folks end up with after six months. But if you want good egg production meat on their bones and a old time breed in danger this trait does not work out well. Its kind of like having hatchery production reds laying like crazy and want the Standard Rhode Island Red to do the same. It just does not happen. However, once in a while my big red and white rock females will go broody in this heat down here and they make good mothers. They stit well after they are done with the chicks and in Reds these females molt back with a luster on their feathers that is unstoppable in the show room that show season. The hormones from the broodiness put a luster on their feathers like nothing I have ever seen.


Another breed that might be good broodys is Salmon Faverolles . n't lay a lot of eggs, but they are a nice old breed in need of help and make good mothers in large fowl.

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Favs/BRKFaverolles.html

 

[Pathfinders]

I have to show off the new Buckeyes! Don Gibson has bred Buckeyes for several years. Don brought me this young trio from this year's hatch today. His stock originally came from Craig McClary. He has been working on getting rid of the cushion above the tail.
I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with this breed. I've posted several pictures because they were a little nervous and I tried to get several views of each bird.







And Don brought me 5 more Delaware Bantams...the last he had. I will share their photos on the Heritage Bantam thread.
Don took time to look at my Columbian Wyandottes and Cochins and made some nice comments. He is such a lovely gentleman.. willing to share his wisdom and his lovely birds. It was like Christmas at my house today!

Congrats! They look very nice and I am sure they will do well for you (and it's Chris McCary, btw.)

 

[NanaKat]

Thank you Laura.

 

[NYREDS]

I just purchased an incubator because I have found that what ronott1 said is probably going to be my fate. Even the silkies that I purchased from a hatchery had a cockerel with a single comb. I wanted the nostalgia of a farm that constantly had a broody with a few chicks in the front yard for my friends and relatives to enjoy and that those hens would be large and able to protect the chicks from a small hawk attack. Just a dream .....................................maybe it is my heart's desire.

I get the nostalgia thing. That's why I always let a hen or 2 set every year. That protect from a hawk thing probably is a dream.....or a fantasy.

 

[Canieldonrad]

Laura, one other thing that I think Bob culls for is width of back, and width of bones. I have some buckeyes at my place that came from him, and they are very stocky, and have really thick legs and are wide across their backs.

I looked over Bob's chicks at Laura's place not too long ago. I was blown away at the shanks and overall bone structure of them. Absolutely Impressed.