Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[punky rooster]

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Yes buckeye are good mousers.

 

[CharlieVoda]

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Bob that book is a classic. Falls into the must read category for poultry.

I agree about the feed. I use a lot of fresh grain and table scraps for added protein along with a local brand of pellets. The birds appreciate it up here in tropical Mn. It was 24 below zero with a 41 below windchill here yesterday morning with no heat in the coop. I use heated dog dishes that hold 1 gallon for water and 4 65 watt bulbs 15 hours a day. Gotta love it. Gotta love those pea combs too.

Keep it simple and have fun.

Good luck with the birds
Charlie

 

[cgmccary]

junglebird:Punky, thanks for that suggestion. I've heard Buckeyes are good mousers. Anyone know if that's true? I liked the picture, earlier in this thread, of the aseel carrying a rat. lol - that's my kinda bird!

Punkster:Yes buckeye are good mousers.​

Oh yes. I've observed my Buckeye hens stalking and catching mice around the waterers in hot summers. I also have seen a couple of cockerels (one just 12 weeks old) catch a mouse and call the pullets/ hens over & give it to them. One cockerel caught the mouse and roared loudly while his foot was planted on top of it. Recently, I observed a hen running with what I thought was a rat with about 4 other Buckeye hens in hot pursuit. I caught up with the hen and saw that she had caught a chipmunk.

I set a mouse trap in the hanging feeder in the coop. One time, the feed was low and when the trap shut on the mouse, it flipped over and just the head of the mouse stuck out to where the hens could reach it . . . no head on that mouse that morning.

A fellow breeder tells a story of when he was accompanying another breeder out to the Buckeye coop at night. When the light was turned on, mice were revealed running in all directions. He said the Buckeye hens come off the roost descending on the running mice.​

 

[Chickielady]

I have had a few instances of hen vs mouse.. or hen vs snake.but the birds sleep at night.
If I have that many vermin that active in daylight, I hate to think of the mouse party that occurs after dark !

We need a nocturnal chicken !

 

[Robert Blosl]

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I use to live in your climate. Many breeds will do good on your hobby farm. Here is the question.? What would you like to have in your chicken yards. Do you or have you seen a breed that you might like? Have you seen some pictures of breeds in catalogs that kind of got you excitted?

Befor you get some chickens make sure you get what you want. Not what we may suggest. Thats like trying to get your daughter to marry the farm boy down the road. She first has to want him for a husband.

Have you had any chickens from a hatchery or seen some chickens that other have had from a hatchery.???

If you want to breed Heritage pure breed or Standard Breed chickens they will not look like the chickens from the hathcery or grow like them.

Do you like a buff colored, a Red or White colored chicken. Look forward to what your needs are. God knows we can line you up with the breeds and the breeders that have them. Have you ever been to the Oregon State Fair in Salem? They have a lot of birds there. Also, there is a show in Livingston Washington and my home town of Centralia each year. You could go and look at the birds at these shows.

Also, dont be in a hurry to marry up with a breed. You may in a year or two find a breed that you really want and the first choice you may get rid of.

I look forward to your reply. Nice to see a new person to this thread who wants to try to help keep a rare breed that is in low numbers in the USA. bob

 

[denniselk]

here some old pictures from Tacoma Wa


Leona Schultz with champion cockerel, a Dark Barred Rock, at the 44th Annual All-Northwest Winter Poultry Show. Schultz is wearing an all-tweed outfit with fur collar coat. (T. Times, 12/15/1938, p. 1).

Surrounded by a sea of cameras this Rhode Island Red posed regally with his winning ribbons at the poultry show held on November 30, 1939 after being declared the Grand Champion of All Breeds. The 45th annual show, sponsored by the Tacoma Poultry Association and the Rhode Island Red Club of America, was primarily for the Rhode Island Reds, although other breeds were also shown. As winner of the club's national show, the 9 month old cockerel was considered the finest of the breed in all of the US and Canada. The winning fowl's owner, Mrs. Charles F. Cummings of La Canada, California, was not present when the Grand Champion was announced; not expecting to win, she had gone shopping. (T. Times 12/1/1939, pg. 5; 11/27/1939, pg

 

[cybercat]

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Junglebird I went threw the process of selecting a breed a few years ago. I have it in my chicken blog under the title THE SEARCH. I chose to go with one breed for a few reasons. One I wanted to help perserve a breed. For those that choose to mix breed the the ABLC Heritage Chickens resouce article are best for breeding. If you write down a list of want and not wants and then break that down to breeds it will help alot.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

A new related thread on the Buff Duck is now at https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=443152

 

[Robert Blosl]

Where did you find that old cliping of the Barred Plymouth Rock and the Rhode Island Red? Thats pretty good. I wonder if the lady in the picture is still alive.?

Both of those birds the barred rock and the Rhode Island Red grow and live very well in Oregon and Washington and both are in need of help as endangered Rare Breed Large Fowl.

I have rasied both of them and found them to be excellent dual purpose fowl for you home. If you get good ones you can even win throphys at that Poutlry Shows with them. bob

 

[danhonour]

Hey Bob,Maybe you can start a separate heritage waterfowl thread?Seems to be some interst in waterfowl and this thread it getting very long.