Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[gjensen]

Gjensen! Yes, they need work...have you seen my Dorkings?! I'm very glad you're working with these. They appear t have good height. They show a lot of thigh. The heads look right. The earlobes look right. They look rather light in colr, but I'm assuming that's sun bleaching from before the molt. You'll have to repost post molt.

My first thought in discussing a need, considering all of these strong qualities, is width of feather. That's where that certain je ne sais quoi look of finish comes from. If you could start selecting for strong width of feather, it would give them that presence.

Do you weigh them? I've found that rare breeds consistently need selection for fleshing.

They do need work, but if you walked my yard, you might notice that most of what I need is here. For the most part height is not an issue. I will know better in the spring, when the younger birds are farther along. They do have some meat on their thighs. I like that, and important for a breed like this.

There is so much to consider right now, feather width has not even been a consideration. Sorry, not this generation. A lot of culls to get something I would even start with. I admire birds with good wide feathers of fine quality. That Black Hamburg Walt posted still comes to mind. I liked that bird.

I have weighed some. That cock bird is 7lbs 7oz, or was when I weighed him. Standard weight is eight lbs. I do not like how they grow and flesh out. They mature early, but takes them some time to get where they should be. They do not flesh out as they should. Let's say that.

These are birds, that are better in person. They have a way about them. The males stand proud, and are not intimidated by much. The hens are smart and sassy.

 

[fowlman01]

They do need work, but if you walked my yard, you might notice that most of what I need is here. For the most part height is not an issue. I will know better in the spring, when the younger birds are farther along. They do have some meat on their thighs. I like that, and important for a breed like this.

There is so much to consider right now, feather width has not even been a consideration. Sorry, not this generation. A lot of culls to get something I would even start with. I admire birds with good wide feathers of fine quality. That Black Hamburg Walt posted still comes to mind. I liked that bird.

I have weighed some. That cock bird is 7lbs 7oz, or was when I weighed him. Standard weight is eight lbs. I do not like how they grow and flesh out. They mature early, but takes them some time to get where they should be. They do not flesh out as they should. Let's say that.

These are birds, that are better in person. They have a way about them. The males stand proud, and are not intimidated by much. The hens are smart and sassy.

Are these the Catalana's from Bridget? They looked like they weighed more than 7 lbs when I saw some of hers, but I didn't handle them. Wide feathers make the look of the bird if they are appropriate to the breed.

Walt

 

[Chris Herzog]

I just wanted to remind everyone that our club “The Gulf Coast Poultry Fanciers Association” is hosting our first large Poultry Show November 9th at the LSU Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge, La on the campus of LSU. The deadline to enter this event is October 29th. For more information please check out our club’s web site. http://www.gcpfa.com/
Please help us by supporting this event and entering some birds because it will be a fun time for the entire family!!!
Thanks,
Chris Herzog

 

[3riverschick]

Familiar science & fancier's journal, Volumes 3-4
Pages 184 , 185 and on....

TIGHT OR LOOSE FEATHERING.

Some time ago I purchased some colored Dorkings, whose grandparents emanated from a luxurious home in an aristocratic quarter, and about the same time I
purchased some silver-grey Dorkings, whose grandparent was one of Baily's hens, and hence had lived in open quarters. As to age and size they were about equal, but I do not think if I had tried my utmost, and of set purpose, that I could by any possibility have had two sets of pullets more diametrically opposed to each other, for, while the colored Dorkings were soft and loose, or open-feathered birds, the silver-greys were hard and close-feathered so beautifully closefeathered that at a little distance it was difficult to distinguish where one joined another, and as tightly fitting and as close to the body as a lady's glove on her hand. On arrival, and in my ignorance, I admired the colored Dorkings the most; but when the weather began to get cold a marked difference
was immediately observable, and which increased. In short, the colored Dorkings in cold weather resembled an East Indian black in the streets of London on a frosty day, blue, shivering, and chattering, and always aiming at warmer quarters, while the silver-greys walked about in utter defiance of slush, sleet, and snow, and as comfortable as English lads frolicking on the ice. The colored Dorkings eat fully one-third more food, and do not lay more than one-fourth of the eggs. Since December, when the silver-grey Dorkings commenced to lay, up to the present time, they have laid every other day generally; besides this they have frequently laid numbers in daily succession, and occasionally I have had
more eggs than birds, i. e., two in one day. I do not believe that even the black Minorcas could have beaten the silver-grey Dorkings during the last six months, whatever happens in the other half of the year. These are in truth splendid layers, and their food is plain and substantial, viz., barley, Indian corn, buckwheat, vegetables, and household scraps. In every respect they fare alike, but notwithstanding that the point of color is
in favor of the colored Dorkings, they are the most unprofitable birds that ever belonged to me, while the others, on the contrary, are most profitable, and all
the difference lies in the closeness of the feathers. This closeness of feather should not be confounded with abundance of feather, for I have some Cochin hens,
aud the close-feathered birds lay more than the loose, open, and very abundantly-feathered ones. I now attach more value to close and tightly-fitting feathered birds than to color, and firmly believe by strict attention to that main point (not forgetting the others) to be able to defend the Dorkings against all comers. Modern breeders, in their desire to improve the size and color of
the Dorkings, have done it in such a way as to deal a severe blow to the reputation of this splendid breed of fowls. For the purpose of being able to produce large cockerels and pullets at the autumn and winter shows, they have resorted to an artificially created warm temperature, so as to hatch a brood of chickens as near to the 1st of January as possible. This being done for some generations, loose-feathered birds is the result, and a very moderate supply of eggs the consequence. A remarkably large Dorking pullet which I purchased for my best trump card, laid the fewest eggs of any hen I ever had, and ultimately died from congestion or inflammation, produced by moderately cold weather. No bird commencing the summer with a decent constitution could have been more unprofitable, and in the way of food she was a glutton. When this bird arrived, our family circle broke out in raptures, and particularly in this direction:"What beautiful soft feathers , like touching some lady's muff!" Being densely ignorant on the matter, I of course was equally delighted, but did not mourn for
her when she went the way of all flesh. When I hear (or see in print) some breeders saying that much depends on the character of the soil, dry, gravelly, and chalky, in contradistinction to any other combination of geological
materials¡ªwhether Dorkings flourish or not, I think of my damp and altogether unlikely place, and my closely-feathered Dorkings, and marvel at the great number of the most diverse opinions which can be held on any given thing, when the real and all-important point is altogether ignored. Of course the best place for birds which are bred up in hot-houses is a tropical country, but if English breeders want the large population of the British Islands for customers, they must breed to suit their requirements, and not for very exceptional customers in the neighborhood of Timbuctoo, which perhaps would have suited the large pullet spoken of. Notwithstanding that the black breeds arc generally the best egg-layers, yet in this climate it is better to have a close feathered white bird than a loose-feathered black one, and which is the reason why, here and there in this country, we hear of white Dorkings, Cochins, Leghorns, and Minorcas, laying better than darker-colored birds. I am very sorry, indeed, to see breeders virtually sacrificing closeness of feather for the sake of having early broods in some cases, and large birds in others, by resorting to an artificially-produced warmer climate, for closeness of feather once gone, or more properly a shunt having been given towards looseness of feather, cannot be again, in my opinion, attained by the same stock. To obtain closeness of feather, such breeders would have to commence dc novo with stock birds already possessing that indispensable qualification towards abundance of eggs. If we take two boys, one black and one white, and
expose them to the influences of very cold, frosty weather, when stark naked, and for a number of days in succession, they will both die with, perhaps, a day's difference between their ends; and this quite irrespective of whether the one stood on a dry, chalky soil, and the other on damp ground. And what I am astonished at is, that the infinitesimal should be made so much of, and the momentous should be ignored as something of very little value.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Gjensen, indeed, they look very zippy in the photos. I hope my comments came through in an encouraging way. It's plain to see there are a lot of strong qualities there. The comments of suggestions I made were based on the experience of working on bringing up the Anconas. I found that the more I was attentive to weight and type development that emphasized fleshing, the better they looked.

Once basic type was there, selection for width of feather has very much aided their cause. I hear you loud and clear, Walt, concerning the breed appropriateness needed for feather selection. I would think Catalanas would be helped by selection for this; standard indication, "Moderately Broad".

I, too, remember the Black Hamburg photo. Thanks for jumping in, Walt. Are you going to be at Ohio?

Here some pics of width of feather we've done. Both the Dorking and the Ancona are "Moderately broad". However, the Dorkings are "fairly close fitting" whereas the Meds are "close fitting."

 

[gjensen]

Are these the Catalana's from Bridget? They looked like they weighed more than 7 lbs when I saw some of hers, but I didn't handle them. Wide feathers make the look of the bird if they are appropriate to the breed.

Walt

No. These are what I started with help from Rev. Romig.

 

[fowlman01]

Gjensen, indeed, they look very zippy in the photos. I hope my comments came through in an encouraging way. It's plain to see there are a lot of strong qualities there. The comments of suggestions I made were based on the experience of working on bringing up the Anconas. I found that the more I was attentive to weight and type development that emphasized fleshing, the better they looked.

Once basic type was there, selection for width of feather has very much aided their cause. I hear you loud and clear, Walt, concerning the breed appropriateness needed for feather selection. I would think Catalanas would be helped by selection for this; standard indication, "Moderately Broad".

I, too, remember the Black Hamburg photo. Thanks for jumping in, Walt. Are you going to be at Ohio?

Here some pics of width of feather we've done. Both the Dorking and the Ancona are "Moderately broad". However, the Dorkings are "fairly close fitting" whereas the Meds are "close fitting."

I will be at the Springfield Mass APA National, but I have a conflict with the OH date.

I have been so busy arguing with people on byc that I haven't had a chance to tell you what a good job you have done with the Ancona's and Dorkings. Those are both breeds I have had (s/c Ancona and SG Dorkings) so I know what it takes to get them to the quality you have in your flock. Lots of work and lots of dedication. I am hoping that you show some at the APA National.

Walt

 

[cbnovick]

Gjensen, indeed, they look very zippy in the photos. I hope my comments came through in an encouraging way. It's plain to see there are a lot of strong qualities there. The comments of suggestions I made were based on the experience of working on bringing up the Anconas. I found that the more I was attentive to weight and type development that emphasized fleshing, the better they looked.

Once basic type was there, selection for width of feather has very much aided their cause. I hear you loud and clear, Walt, concerning the breed appropriateness needed for feather selection. I would think Catalanas would be helped by selection for this; standard indication, "Moderately Broad".

I, too, remember the Black Hamburg photo. Thanks for jumping in, Walt. Are you going to be at Ohio?

Here some pics of width of feather we've done. Both the Dorking and the Ancona are "Moderately broad". However, the Dorkings are "fairly close fitting" whereas the Meds are "close fitting."

Joseph, those widths indeed appear to more than satisfy the SOP!!

 

[armorfirelady]

just a lurker popping in with a quick question. Could someone pass on the website with info about the Ohio show? Im hoping I could attend. Thanks Jenn

 

[gjensen]

Gjensen, indeed, they look very zippy in the photos. I hope my comments came through in an encouraging way. It's plain to see there are a lot of strong qualities there. The comments of suggestions I made were based on the experience of working on bringing up the Anconas. I found that the more I was attentive to weight and type development that emphasized fleshing, the better they looked.

Once basic type was there, selection for width of feather has very much aided their cause. I hear you loud and clear, Walt, concerning the breed appropriateness needed for feather selection. I would think Catalanas would be helped by selection for this; standard indication, "Moderately Broad".

I, too, remember the Black Hamburg photo. Thanks for jumping in, Walt. Are you going to be at Ohio?

Here some pics of width of feather we've done. Both the Dorking and the Ancona are "Moderately broad". However, the Dorkings are "fairly close fitting" whereas the Meds are "close fitting."

I did not take it that way Joseph. I hope they will measure up to your Dorkings at some point, but they will take a bit for that. Regardless, I appreciate your thoughts. I posted the pictures for you to see them.
I appreciate the feather pictures to. I am not there yet. I will overwhelm myself trying to get it all at once. I spent the season beating them up, and now I am trying to identify strengths. My mind is already wandering to who is put with who. I will do single mating exclusively, and look for a few that excel at some point or another. I feel like I will be painting the bulls eye after the shooting.
Size, how they flesh out, and type is my biggest concerns now.