Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[drdoolittle]

This is a very interesting thread! I just bought 3 hens and a roo for $15 and was wondering if they could be a Heritage breed. I only think there is that possibility, because when I went to get them, I couldn't believe how huge these chickens were! They look like Buff Orpingtons, except that I've never seen a BO this big-----they make my largets hens and roo look small. The woman I got them from didn't have a clue as to what they were, and said they are 2 yrs. old, and she said they were not even getting three eggs a day out of them. The first 2 days I had them, I got 2 eggs-----the woman thought that after a year, hens quit laying. Anyway, I don't have pics. to post right now.

 

[birdicus7]

I am so happy to see this thread. We just recently got back into chickens this year. At the time I was having trouble finding good heritage stock. My first experience with chickens was in the 70's and my father had a small flock of Rhode Island Reds. He was born in 1916 and had more experience with chickens in his little finger than I think I have in my whole body. At about age 14 we had a neighbor friend who was 94 (this was in the early 80's) and still push mowed his own yard. Anyway he passed away and his family offered me his flock of heritage RIR's. I gladly accepted and took 23 of the nicest dark mahogany colored hens home with a huge smile.
I kept them as my FFA project all through high school-winning a $500 poultry scholarship with them. I had birds that were 9 years old and still laying every day. My family used to joke that my chickens were old enough to vote! I would give anything to have stock from them again. (Or something close...) I'm in a great area here in the Pennsylvania Dutch country but it's still hard to find people with old blood lines still going, owners die off and the families let them go...so sad.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
We were in the upper 90's and 100's for two months straight this year. It was tough on the birds. My marans basically STOPPED laying. I thought the leghorns were going to have a heat stroke. Shockingly, the wyandotte and EE's took the heat the best.

I do want a friendly bird, BUT I need to be sure it can take the heat without being babied.

Joletabey is in NC. Does anybody live where the summers are more intense and have Delawares ? How did they take the summer heat ? ?

Trust me... I do not baby my birds. I know on BYC people are like

BUT I believe in survival of the fittest... and though I would never let one just die... I do need to see who I should breed and who I shouldn't. If I babied them, they would just be babies. lol. I never HAD to even worry about the Delawares. It easily gets 100 here and this year we broke all sorts of heat index records. No problems here. My oldest birds are 4 years old and still doing fine.

The only ones who do just as good, maybe better, are the silver sebrights... but that is a whole other type chicken. Snack size. lol

 

[thechickonthehill]

Does anyone know of any place that one can find Houdans (either white or mottled)? I have been looking around on the internet and there isn't much out there.

Where I live, if you ask about Houdans all you get is a confused look and "Who what?". I don't expect to find top quality birds but I'm really not finding many of any quality in large fowl size.

 

[outback hatcher]

Just came across this thread and want to say I have Dominique's & Rhode Island Reds

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Quote:
Yellow House Farm has mostly White Houdans, I believe. Here's an interesting article: http://www.seacoasteats.com/story/barrington-farm-aims-save-chickens they also now have Mottled Houdans.

The article also states that Sand Hill Preservation took a flock from a very old bloodline found in Mississippi, which was the foundation of the Yellow House Farm flock. Seems I was reading a blog from the people that actually discovered that flock, probably via a link on BYC, possibly even a member. Unless something changed, I think they were planning on offering chicks.

Interesting breed.

Here's the link to Yellow House Farm: http://yellowhousefarmnh.com/
They are also on BYC.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Also, LOCKEDHEARTS here on BYC has/had Mottled Houdans....might reach out to her. She is in West Central Georgia

 

[math ace]

Quote:
We were in the upper 90's and 100's for two months straight this year. It was tough on the birds. My marans basically STOPPED laying. I thought the leghorns were going to have a heat stroke. Shockingly, the wyandotte and EE's took the heat the best.

I do want a friendly bird, BUT I need to be sure it can take the heat without being babied.

Joletabey is in NC. Does anybody live where the summers are more intense and have Delawares ? How did they take the summer heat ? ?

Trust me... I do not baby my birds. I know on BYC people are like

BUT I believe in survival of the fittest... and though I would never let one just die... I do need to see who I should breed and who I shouldn't. If I babied them, they would just be babies. lol. I never HAD to even worry about the Delawares. It easily gets 100 here and this year we broke all sorts of heat index records. No problems here. My oldest birds are 4 years old and still doing fine.

The only ones who do just as good, maybe better, are the silver sebrights... but that is a whole other type chicken. Snack size. lol

OK, I am sold ! Now how do I go about finding somebody with decent heritage delawares ? I live in North Florida and I like to pick up chicks or hatching eggs . . . .. so am I going to get lucky and find someone with in a couple of hours of me ? ? ? ?

I know next to null about this breed - - - what are some good resources to use for gaining some knowledge about them ?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Trust me... I do not baby my birds. I know on BYC people are like

BUT I believe in survival of the fittest... and though I would never let one just die... I do need to see who I should breed and who I shouldn't. If I babied them, they would just be babies. lol. I never HAD to even worry about the Delawares. It easily gets 100 here and this year we broke all sorts of heat index records. No problems here. My oldest birds are 4 years old and still doing fine.

The only ones who do just as good, maybe better, are the silver sebrights... but that is a whole other type chicken. Snack size. lol

OK, I am sold ! Now how do I go about finding somebody with decent heritage delawares ? I live in North Florida and I like to pick up chicks or hatching eggs . . . .. so am I going to get lucky and find someone with in a couple of hours of me ? ? ? ?

I know next to null about this breed - - - what are some good resources to use for gaining some knowledge about them ?

Math Ace

Contact highspringschix...she is in Fla and has Delawares from the Bill Braden line

Check out this listing she had

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=398913

 

[Gallusfarm]

Here's some of Joel Gilman's Partridge Rocks at the State fair of VA: He said this is his favorite breed. Look at that girl!!!

And here's my Dominique, also at the fair: She won Reserve Champion LF. I'm really proud of her!