Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[punky rooster]

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thats why I'm getting rid of my LF buckeyes to focus on the bantams. there les bantam buckeye breeders than LF so I want to help them out.
punky

 

[NotAFarm]

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Now, this is helpful information for those of us starting with limited space (or in my case, spousal tolerance). Thank you.
And thanks to those of you who have posted the authors and titles of books and illustrations. These are also very helpful.

 

[NotAFarm]

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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.

Thanks for this post as well. Great information on culling from the brooder and being honest and forthright about what the cost, in time, space & cash, is, is definitely valuable to me.

Thank you Bob for starting this thread!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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Plant lots of corn, oats etc!

Seriously, with that much land you need lots of winter pasture. Cuts down on the feed bill. Here is the article I wrote for the 2010 APA Yearbook.

Winter Pasture for Poultry

Jim A. Hall
ETL Member #194
Monticello, Arkansas

Growing up on our family farm on the beautiful Lake Eufaula and North Canadian River in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, winter was always green and luscious! Folks would visit and ask, “What are those cows eating in all that snow?” Dad would answer, “Green grass.” Each fall we would broadcast a mixture of Elbon Rye and Hairy Vetch in our fields and pastures. Everywhere we could get the 8N Ford tractor between the trees, we would broadcast the seed. Dad would have me pull handfuls of green vines to feed the laying hens. The USDA has an extensive online publication on winter cover crops and a wise poultry breeder would read and study this information. We still plant Elbon Rye and Hairy Vetch each fall for a cover crop and for our livestock.

Then one fall we discovered Kale. Our hens really loved the kale. Kale is very versatile. You can cook it like spinach. Eat it raw in salads. It has a very sweet taste. Kale should be planted in your garden or flower beds in late summer or early fall. Check with your county extension service as to the correct plating dates for your area. The nutritional value of Kale is amazing. Nutritiondata.com states in each 67g of Kale there is: 2.2g of Protein; 10302 IU 206% of Vitamin A; 80.4 mg or 134% of Vitamin C; 547 mcg or 684% of Vitamin K. Kale is high in calcium and nine other minerals. Kale has absolutely no cholesterol.

Feeding either Kale or winter cover crops to your poultry will keep them healthier, happier and in better condition. Egg yolks will be richer. A healthy bird will have higher fertility. A healthy egg will have higher hatchability. A healthy bird has a better chance of bringing home those blue ribbons. But don’t take our word for it. Try feeding your birds green pasture this winter. Rake that snow back, take a pair of scissors and clip your poultry some healthy and tasty greens all winter long. Just remember, if using Kale, plant enough for both your birds and yourself.



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[1] http://www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/covercrops.pdf

[2] http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2​

 

[cubalaya]

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do you mean 20 of one breed? i keep less chickens in the winter , just breeders although i had a late hatch in october and am still evaluating these birds. i think we should get rid of our easter eggers and our mix breeds and just concentrate on cubalayas and black australorps(heritage chickens). that way we could keep 4 or 5 cubalaya cocks and 2 or 3 australorp roosters. we have 15 acres here but my neighbors may start complaining if we keep too many roos because of the crowing.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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LOL, I read this as many are culled and few are Chosen!

My wife even thought it was funny!

 

[saladin]

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do you mean 20 of one breed? i keep less chickens in the winter , just breeders although i had a late hatch in october and am still evaluating these birds. i think we should get rid of our easter eggers and our mix breeds and just concentrate on cubalayas and black australorps(heritage chickens). that way we could keep 4 or 5 cubalaya cocks and 2 or 3 australorp roosters. we have 15 acres here but my neighbors may start complaining if we keep too many roos because of the crowing.

Yes, I mean 20 of one breed. That can include more than one variety, but only one breed.

 

[danhonour]

Here are a few suggestions that might help people with issues of space or close neighbors.Perhaps you can team up in an effort to help in the breeding of your chosen breed.Perhaps if 2 or 3 people work together and split the birds or the jobs.For example one could keep the breeder flock,another do the hatching,or brooding.Perhaps all three could split the 200 chicks into 3 smaller groups of 60+chicks.Perhaps one is better at culling anmd could go through all three flocks.Pooling the talent and making the best use of space,etc.

Some of the old masters would build a big or long cockerel house,one bird per cage and put them in late in the fall to finish out.The best were kept for breeding(often many breeding pens-each needing a male),many were conditioned for shows or grown out to sell to other customers wanting good breeding birds.These cockerel houses had roomy pens and were well insulated and pretty much sound proof.Trees and bushes,fences etc. were used to buffer the noises also.Some were only used in the worst weather,as they used outside pens/runs to keep the cockerels exercising and healthy,when noise was not an issue.This issue is more common today then in the past.

 

[saladin]

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I certainly apologize for posting anything at all then on this thread. The title said "Official Heritage Large Fowl Threade" and I assumed that is what it meant.

Again my apologies.

 

[punky rooster]

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I certainly apologize for posting anything at all then on this thread. The title said "Official Heritage Large Fowl Threade" and I assumed that is what it meant.

Again my apologies.

saladin we still like to here your breeding advice me and other beginners need good teachers and this thread has provided this for me and others
punky