Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[HallFamilyFarm]

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The Chantecler is a tight feathered breed. The Orp would be too loose feathered. Plus we need a yellow skin/shank breed to use in the improvement.

 

[punky rooster]

Did not even think of that......
punky

 

[Chickielady]

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And so the breed "Buckeyes " were born in the US of A !!!
THAT is a heritage heirloom TO ME!!!
But no misunderstanding that the red breasted game WAS here at the time, it was NOT created here.

It was brought here from another culture/country/ continent, regardless of the year.
WE United States citizens cannot claim that bird as 'ours', another culture of ancient peoples "created" that bird. And too bad it has not survived ?
Or does anyone have any ?

Never thought the Game was created here. Most of the breeds that make up our "Heritage breeds" were not bred here as a breed but used in the make up of our breeds.

Exactly!

 

[Chickielady]

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I was told and have read, that the hen can carry the sperm from Cock #1 for 1 1/2 weeks.

 

[Chickielady]

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This subject came up at the Arkansas State Fair. Dr Keith Bramwell, UA Extension Reproductive Physiologist ( http://poultryscience.uark.edu/4633.htm ), told us that you actually need no time to wait. If the new male is in good health his sperm will be on top and used first. Eventually the old male's will be absorbed into the hen's system. Dr Bramwell is considered an expert in this area. He is also on the board of the Heritage Poultry Conservancy. Heard he helped P. Allen Smith recently import some Barred Plymouth Rock hatching eggs from Australia.

From the University of Arkansas website:

Research Area
The many factors (both management and physiological) that influence fertility and embryonic mortality in broiler breeders. Specifically, Dr. Bramwell has been involved with studies on the effects of breeder flock age on the decline in fertility and sperm-egg interaction, hatchability and the associated increases in early embryonic mortality from a commercial perspective.
Hatching egg handling and storage and the effects on hatchability and embryo livability.
The various areas of the poultry industry as they relate to reproduction and hatchery management.
​

Thanks for the great info!

 

[Chickielady]

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The Chantecler is a tight feathered breed. The Orp would be too loose feathered. Plus we need a yellow skin/shank breed to use in the improvement.

If you needed to 'help' the chantecler by introducing a different breed, why not try the RIW or maybe white wyandottes ?
Maybe even a r/c white leghorn ??

Edited to add: Oh I guess you are trying to get buff, not white...

Some friends here south of me in Oregon have Crele Chantecler...what a stunning bird !!

This is one beautiful Cock bird !!!

 

[danhonour]

I like linebreeding as it helps keep traits intact,so the quality breeds onward.It is a good idea to stay within a strain if possible and go back to the source as Bob states.You can and should select only the strongest,most vigorous birds as breeders,if you do this inbreeding will be of minor concern,just watch egg production ,fertility and hatchability. If fertility becomes a factor than outcross,follow up backcrossing the offspring to the old original line and continue. Breeding is slow and improvements are often slight varations,but in a few years time all the little improvements add up to a big difference. The old "grading -up " principle works on many levels.

Even with Buff color,a simple method of using good colored males each year can transform the whole flock into good colored birds after a few years.It is known as backcrossing to good colored males.What happens is the color good genes are re-injecteded into the entire gene pool and after a few generations these genes become fixed or homozygous. In relation to the Buff Chantecleer,use good colored buff males each year,on the female side have the larger size,good type,and for both sexes select the tighter feathered birds when ever possible.Many lines of Buff Rocks,and Buff Wyandottes are too loose feathered and Buff Orpingtons and Buff Cochins are even more loose.It might be possible to find some hatchery Buff Rocks or Buff Orpingtons that are both large and tight feathered.I found some about ten years ago (while judging a fair)that were hatchery Buff Orpingtons,big birds with long bodies and very tall that were tight feathered.They did not look like Orpingtons,but they would have been good for something like Buff Rocks or Buff Chantecleers.The white leg color can be bred out as it is dominant and the recessive yellows will come back out and will breed true.

 

[buffalogal]

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I can understand that, actually. We have dairy goats, and when someone calls and says they want to buy a"billy" or nanny" or (grrrrr) uses the word "bag" instead of "udder" we politely tell them we don't have anything for sale at this time. I don't want my animals going to someone who can't even be bothered to learn the right word to describe the animal they want to buy, as the odds are they won't be bothered to learn how to feed or house or otherwise care for it properly either. These are the people that will call you at 9:00 PM Sunday night to tell you their "nanny has been trying for two days and it cain't have it's bay-bee". Tell them they need to call the vet and they'll say, "he said to bring it in for a c section, but we don't want to do that."

No, of course not. You'd rather wait until the the kid is dead from stress, the doe is nearly dead from exhaustion and then wake me because you think I'm going to jump in the car, drive 40 miles at beak neck speed and use my magic baby extraction powers to make this train wreck all better.

What is it Ron White says? You can't fix stupid. (but you can make sure you don't sell to them)

Okay, I'm not saying anyone is stupid because they say "roo", but I can see where someone who is serious about their animals would expect other people to be equally serious about them too.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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Yes, we are working on the Buff. the Partridge and White Chantecler are like most breeds, improvement is needed, but are in good shape. We have be warned not to sue the white. takes numerous generations to get rid of those white feathers. The final cross for the White Chantecler was a White Plymouth Rock. The general thought is we may only need a Buff Plymouth Rock to improve the Buff Chanteclers.

There are couple of Partridge Chantecler breeders that are using a Partridge Plymouth Rock male this season to improve the size. Thus why the American Class breeds are called composite breeds. A composite of other breeds.

As for the Creole, it is one bird. It will be interesting how the breeding project develops. Though it is a pretty bird. Have not heard if it meets the SOP for the color Creole.

 

[punky rooster]

nice pic of my male BR: