Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[kathyinmo]

I am working on Heritage Delawares. First, I am building the barn, and then I will paint it. This is the roo I am using, with the SOP for comparison. I know the tail needs work, and he really does usually carry his wing tighter. A few of us are looking for good Heritage Delaware stock. If any of you know where to locate any, please tell us.

 

[Gallusfarm]

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He is stunning!

 

[BCBrian]

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That is part of of it.
They should be:
• Recognized by the APA before 1951
• Heritage must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock. ( No AI-ing, No cutting of fluff ect. )
• They must be able to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems.
Breeding hens should be productive for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years.
(You should be able to put out a house and food/ water and they should survive all types of weather).
• Slow growth rate. (It should take longer than 16 weeks / (4 months) to mature.)


Chris

Sounds to me like it would be pretty hard to prove any of the above criteria (other than the pre-1951 APA part) with anyone so choosing to market his or her own birds as such.

As an "ideal" - I like it.

As a "label" - I think it'll be abused by many individuals who care about sales and marketing. Personally, I think we'd be better of just calling our present breeds of chickens - what we are already calling them.

In my opinion, there is no benefit to having an additional, un-provable, label - tacked on to our present breeds.

 

[punky rooster]

is there a list of heritage breeds? and kathy your delaware looks great!

 

[joletabey]

As to Delawares, I am going to argue about the date. How often did the APA put out their standards? Since the Delaware wasn't developed till 1940, and it takes a while to develop a breed, it makes sense they might not be included prior to the supposed cut off date. How many Standards were published between 1940 and 1952, when the Del was accepted? There has been almost a ten year span since the last SOP in 2001 and the new one coming out this fall. I can see how the Delaware might have slipped through the cracks on that dateline, and I believe they should be included.

Mine were NOT fully developed at 16 weeks, although I did have one hen start to lay at 17.5 weeks. The majority didn't lay till about 19-21 weeks. I processed four roosters at somewhere between 20-22 weeks, and the man who processed them said I should have let them go for another 4 weeks.

That may be faster than some of the other Heritage breeds, but it falls well past the 16 week limit.

Punky, the APA has some info, so does the ALBC and the Poultry Antiquities group.

 

[cheryl98117]

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This is from the ALBC website. Gives a list though I don't know if its a complete list...
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html I hope I can post this link... If not I'm sorry.

 

[kathyinmo]

I need to clarify about those pictures on post # 20 that I posted. These BRs belong to Jeremy Woeppel in Chambers, Nebraska. He got his stock last year from Danny Williamson, who is Frank Reese's partner. Jeremy does have a few trios for sale. I am going to Omaha this weekend to pick some up for myself. If any of you are interested .... you can contact Jeremy (XW Poultry Ranch) by email at [email protected] .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_woeppelchickensaugust2010002.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_woeppelchickensaugust2010006.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31282_woeppelchickensaugust2010008.jpg

 

[Robert Blosl]

I got a message asking where are all those of you that have other rare breeds like for example: Light and Dark Brahmas, Black Java’s, Black Austrlopes, Salmon Favororales , Dorkings, Brown Leghorns, Speckled Sussex’s ,Houdans, Polish, White Face Black Spanish, Minorca’s like the buffs and whites, and then the big failure breeds Rhode Island Whites and Lamonas???
What breeds do you have that are good enough to score at least 90 points out of a hundred using the APA Standard of Perfection? My Spelling is not good right now and my computer but I think you get my message. Thanks to all of you who have participated in putting in your thoughts in this tread. You who have read this thread what are you going to do. Do you have room for a rare breed at your place? Could you get some Silver Laced Wyandotte’s from a good breeder? What happens if you could get your hands on some good Dominique’s or Dorckings would you try to learn how to not breed and raise them but learn how to make them look better by selection in breeding each year? Just a thought I wanted to ask you. If you email me and ask for the location of a rare breeder would you step it up a notch and then get them?
What about you juniors out there. Would you save up a week’s worth of work to get a few birds to raise like I did as a kid. Many old timers are willing to help you out hoping you will someday raise poultry when you grow up and have your own place. Many of us where helped out by just such a dedicated old timer once upon a time. Look forward toward your responses and send your pictures. We may put together a place on the internet of the true to life Heart age breed pictures so others can see what they look like on the ground.
I would consider any breed of chicken that was posted in the 1960s veriosn of the Standard of Perfection as a Heartage Breed. There are many breeds that where excepted in to the standard or thier Color that are not very popular right now. One reason the colors are so hard to breed like the Partridge or Silver Pencilled color pattern. Bob

 

[Lotsapaints]

Bob I'd love help on learning how to improve what I have what faults are not easy to breed out and faults that are not good but fixable with a plan. I raise horses my family raised horses and still do I know my stock and what is okay and what is bad..I just got my chickens so I don't know what is lurking in them right now, no "world champions" but with work and time and knowing what not to do I think I can have a few nice ones down the line

 

[fowlman01]

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This sounds like a reasonable criteria. What organization brought this forward?

Walt Leonard

It's the ALBC's criteria from post 4. I just put in my own words..

Chris

Chris, Sorry I missed that, but as I said is sounds reasonable...except for omitting the Delaware, Red Dorking and other varieties of breeds where one color was recognized but not other colors until later. As I noted earlier, the APA is working on some kind of criteria as well. I am not on the committee, so I have no idea where they are with it. I could pass some of this along though. Maybe sooner than later, so that they have something for the meeting in Shawnee.

Walt Leonard