Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[lildinkem]

Quote:
Columbus will have 1500-200 birds for sale. That is the place to buy birds.

Walt

Boy is that ever the truth. Last year I picked up from Danny Padget the delivery boy (just jokin, Danny is a super dude) and that gigantic Superior Farms trailor, my Britt trio of Buff Orpingtons. This year was my first year to show, and way more important then winning is getting the connections to all the great breeder's of our best birds. This year one of my new found friends told me at our State Fair, he is going to get a buddy of his, who is one of these no computer types, to bring me a new Old School bloodline of Blue Orpingtons. I can use some nice Blues. And I love the fact you have to go to a Show to meet a guy like this. He is in his 70's too. This is what makes me want to go!

 

[wildeflowers]

Well, I just stumbled upon this thread, and I am really happy to see this wealth of information here. I've read the first 7 pages, and I will get to read the whole thread eventually. I am fairly new, but am very interested in heritage breeds and am glad to see so many others interested and involved. Can't wait to learn from you all. I was telling my neighbor today that if everything goes well with my son, next year I hope to be able to do a breeding project. She replied that my geek was coming out with all the chicken knowledge I am picking up lately. LOL, of course, it is! My dad was a farmer, and I grew up with him growing enough to feed an army at our house. Unfortunately, my grandfather sold the farm before he was able to take over, and I did NOT get his green thumb. Instead, I got a black one, but I am especially good with animals. I figure if I have the space and time to devote to helping keep the genetic diversity of these breeds going, of course, I'm going to do it! And my kids will learn something about caring for animals, and animal science, to boot. Win/Win. I purchased all heritage breeds so far, but absolutely the stock I've received is not good at all. I do like them, so I am going to use them for my egg flock until I can get the birds I really want.

I am thinking I might try my hand with Wheaten Marans, although I realize this is not an American breed, if I can get my hands on any of them. Still rare, though. I also might do Brahmas. If I weren't needed so much at home right now, I'd be tempted to show up in OK, too!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Your link states you received your Javas from John Tunstall. He was a great breeder/exhibitor. Never met him but heard a lot about him.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
The show catalog is located at http://apa-arkansas.com

 

[hallerlake]

I am thinking I might try my hand with Wheaten Marans, although I realize this is not an American breed, if I can get my hands on any of them.


Why is that an issue? I live in the maritime northwest. My climate doesn't resemble the climate in the rest of the USA. It more closely resembles the British Isles and parts of Northern Europe. It would be logical for me to get breeds from those areas, wouldn't it?



Quote:

 

[wildeflowers]

It's not. I'm just saying I realize it's not a true American Heritage breed by the standards referred to earlier in this thread. Climate has nothing to do with it. I had intended when I originally started to work on an historic American breed, but I am really loving the Wheaten Marans.

Either way, I haven't totally decided yet, as I won't be ready to start until my son is doing better. And of course, my son's Orloff chick is sleeping on me right now making me sweet on her, too.

 

[kathyinmo]

Bob, where are you? I think it is time for some more history lessons on Heritage breeds.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

From http://www.heritagepoultry.org/2010/04/and-never-the-twain-shall-meet/

And Never the Twain Shall Meet
by John M. Freeman
This article is reprinted from the 1975 APA Yearbook

Since its inception in 1873, the American Poultry Association has been dedicated to the to the development, improvement and promotion of standard-bred poultry of all categorizes. Without this guidance and promotion there is no telling what position in economic importance commercial poultry would occupy today, but it is a certainty that it would be decades behind its present prominence.

To fully comprehend this, we must go back 100 years or more and study the position then held by poultry on the average farm. A vast majority of the farm flocks at that time were made up of a hodge-podge of cross-bred and mongrel fowls whose unhappy lot it was to fend for themselves, roost where they could, eat what scraps they could scratch up plus such table scraps as might be thrown out the kitchen door by the thrifty farmer’s wife. In return, they were expected to lay 40 to 50 eggs a year and provide a Sunday dinner when the parson came to call.

Now a fancier is born, not made, even in those bleak and bygone days there was a small nucleus of men and women who enjoyed and loved purebred chickens and who found sufficient reward in breeding for the betterment of their flock, according to their judgment, whether that betterment took the form of fancy feather, conformation or egg or table qualities. This group of early and independent fanciers was given a tremendous boost when the Port of Shanghai was first opened to international trade in 1843 and the sea captains brought back the earliest specimens of the raw, undeveloped Shanghai that was to be made by selective breeding into the Brahma, the Cochin and the Langshan of today.

Go to http://www.heritagepoultry.org/2010/04/and-never-the-twain-shall-meet/ to read the remainder of the article.

 

[haTHOR]

Quote:
Your link states you received your Javas from John Tunstall. He was a great breeder/exhibitor. Never met him but heard a lot about him.

jim, i am so excited to hear that. i had NO information on him other than he was an elderly gentleman who raised BJs forever. his birds all went to a local guy up here in NW Arkansas, and he only held them for under a year before having to liquidate (due to a heart attack). so i am pleased to hear someone has heard of Tunstall...I googled him once but got nothing and "assumed" he was not an exhibitor, just a farmer. you have made my day. i didn't know enough about chickens to ask the right questions when i bought my BJs--i would have been taking notes, i fi knew then what i know now, about what's important in breeding.

by the way let me know come spring if you want some BJ eggs for that 4-H project we chatted about on the chicken meet up forum earlier this year. i ran out of plentiful eggs before i could get to you.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Black Java’s was requested to me by a beginner as a Heritage Breed and they sure are at the top of the old time list. When I think of a fellow who is into this breed it’s a fellow in Kansas named Monty.
I have had correspondence in the past on another site and I typed Black Java’s into my search engine and found this article. He has bred them for not only type but for production. I would think he or his friends he has helped would be more than happy to help you get a start. I have attached a good article he has on another club site. Hope this helps you who wish to get some of these fine old Heritage Chickens. Bob

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Java/JavaExp2.html