Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[saladin]

That is a good question. I'm not sure I have the correct answer. I'll give one, but understand it may not be the best one.

If I could only keep say 20 chickens.

I'd hatch at least 100 chicks. Replace half of my breeders every year with the 10 best chicks: cull the rest.

Every 4 or 5 years, maybe less, I'd obtain a new cock of the breed I'm raising from a good breeder: that would help to avoid degeneration.


Does that help? You've asked me a question with which I have never had to deal. With no experience in the area I'm only taking a stab in the dark.

 

[highcountrychickens]

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[kathyinmo]

Thank you very much. I think many here are wondering about this. I would like to share a portion of a PM I received ....

Hi Kathy, I don't want to reply on the thread it's self so I'm pming you. I think Bob started this thread with the idea that some of us would want to take on a Heritage breed and "slowly" work on perfecting our flocks....but..the thread now seems dominated by the types that discouraged me from pursuing any type of "Standard" breeding program. It seems you must breed "hundreds of birds and cull, cull, cull" or you don't fit into the "club". How can we cull from the brooder if the Standard speaks to mature/near mature birds? There is a learning curve, and like you, I probably don't have 30 years to become experienced enough to do that. A mentor is what new to the "fancy" need, not being told to get a bantam bird if we don't have room. The bantams out number large fowl at every show because "you can have more because they take up less space and eat less".​

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

Don't overlook what Saladin has already said, and other's have stated. If you have limited space, just keep one breed. And if you have lots of space, I'd still recommend just sticking with a few breeds.

Just my opinion.

David

 

[OSUman]

Quote:

The ways I think you can start from the brooder is if you have birds that have weird things pop up like off leg color and combs and stuff like that. Also if you breed blue and just blue not black of a breed you can cull all of the black and splash chicks.

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

I also want to add, if you want to improve a breed. You can do it with fewer birds. Just know how to cull and do not be afraid to do it. Cull from the incubator on. I can hatch out 100 chicks of a kind and within a month be down to half of that or less. Of those, I try to let grow out until 6 months to adulthood, depending on the breed.

David

 

[saladin]

Quote:

Culling from the brooder:
1. You cull those with deformities or weakness of any kind.
2. As they grow you continue to look for unwanted traits.
3. You watch growth and health very closely. Cull sick or unhealthy birds through out the growth process.

Facts.
1. When keeping a small flock there will be degeneration in size, health, and fertility if you inbreed to closely.
2. This hobby cost money. (Can't get away from that one).
3. All of us learn as we go along. There is always something too learn.
4. There is nothing in the world wrong with bantams. Some are very rare and need preservation such as the Pyncheon and Nankin.
5. Many rare breeds are rare for a reason. Some are hard to keep. Some have health issues.

It has never been my purpose to scare anyone off or to exclude anyone. But I don't believe in telling half-truths to get people into rare breeds.

 

[kathyinmo]

Thank you, saladin. I appreciate your time and responses. Really, I do.

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

Quote:

The ways I think you can start from the brooder is if you have birds that have weird things pop up like off leg color and combs and stuff like that. Also if you breed blue and just blue not black of a breed you can cull all of the black and splash chicks.

Here are some good examples of culling from the brooder. It really depends on what breed you keep. Faverolles for instance, you can cull at day one for toes, beards, and muffs. Rose comb breeds, cull for single combs that may pop up. Crooked toes, beak problems, etc. When I used to raise black crested white polish, at about a month, when they were feathered out, you could cull about 90% of them based off of color. If the crests weren't black, or the body was, even at this young of an age, I found that they would grow up the same way. Just get to know your chosen breed. Read all you can on it, and ask lots of questions. Find somebody who raises your breed, who others think of as an expert, and ask them for ideas, tips, and secrets. This person doesn't have to be nationally known, but could be an old timer who just shows at local fairs, that nobody ever beats in his chosen breed.

David

 

[saladin]

Allow me to give a personal example:

I love Malays. More than a decade ago I purchased stock from the best breeders in the country. Then I began to discover how difficult they were to raise. Leg problems and heart problems plagued me from the start. They also require a great deal of room (which I have). Still, after spending enormous amounts of money and time, I felt I was at the end of my rope. Year after year, I would hatch every egg laid. I would keep countless numbers of males only to have them go down on the hocks at 12 weeks of age or develop heart problems by 6 months of age. Finally, I decided I didn't have enough money or time to continue with the breed, but I still loved Malays.

That is when I rec'd Malay bantam eggs from Danny Padgett as a gift. I also rec'd a very old pair (10 years old) of bantam Malays from a friend. Since that time I have hatched hundreds of chicks and given them to anyone that asked. I don't have the health issues I had with the large fowl Malays.

So, for me, the answer has become the bantam Malays. Because, I love Malays.