Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ashandvine]

Just wanted to post a couple pictures of the Delawares that are here right now which I took quickly. They are in the barn basement so the pictures aren't the best but I hoped you would all give me some quick feedback on type. These aren't my birds per se. I have been holding them for a young gal here but she was supposed to have them out weeks and weeks ago-- hence their rather poor housing as I thought it would be temporary and now can't let the cockerel out to range unless I juggle him with another cock I have here. One thing I should address that you can not see in the pictures is that they are about 4 mos old and have very yellow legs. Each hen has a slightly different height on her comb. The spots on their necks are even and pretty, and the boys color as you can see is still coming in. I don't even know how to guess what they weigh. He isn't small by any means-- biggest thing here for now. He stands almost 2 feet tall without stretching.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: JIm, I'm a know-nothing, I only know they look different. And your BO looks like a Paul Bunyun of buffs.

 

[Robert Blosl]

WHAT LINE OF DELAWARES DO YOU HAVE? NOT MANY STRAIN OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. This is a breed many people find interesting and popular just not many strains or gene pools left in the USA.

In regards to water I have my water also on timers. I have a timer that comes on every two hours or four with drip hose tubing going into a one qt container. It flushes out the old water with fresh water. You could do this four times a day a total of one gallon of water for one eight by eight pen. It is so much better than having a one gallon bucket and changing it out every day.

bob


Just wanted to post a couple pictures of the Delawares that are here right now which I took quickly. They are in the barn basement so the pictures aren't the best but I hoped you would all give me some quick feedback on type. These aren't my birds per se. I have been holding them for a young gal here but she was supposed to have them out weeks and weeks ago-- hence their rather poor housing as I thought it would be temporary and now can't let the cockerel out to range unless I juggle him with another cock I have here. One thing I should address that you can not see in the pictures is that they are about 4 mos old and have very yellow legs. Each hen has a slightly different height on her comb. The spots on their necks are even and pretty, and the boys color as you can see is still coming in. I don't even know how to guess what they weigh. He isn't small by any means-- biggest thing here for now. He stands almost 2 feet tall without stretching.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote: JIm, I'm a know-nothing, I only know they look different. And your BO looks like a Paul Bunyun of buffs.


The hatchery bird has a longer and more upright tail. Its depth is also less than a heritage bird. Weight would be about 7# with a hen being about 5 or 6#. The Standard calls for Male:10# Hen:8# Cockerel: 8.5# and Pullet: 7#.

If you can ever see a hatchery bird and a heritage bird side by side, you would clearly see the difference.

 

[kathyinmo]

Just wanted to post a couple pictures of the Delawares that are here right now which I took quickly. They are in the barn basement so the pictures aren't the best but I hoped you would all give me some quick feedback on type. These aren't my birds per se. I have been holding them for a young gal here but she was supposed to have them out weeks and weeks ago-- hence their rather poor housing as I thought it would be temporary and now can't let the cockerel out to range unless I juggle him with another cock I have here. One thing I should address that you can not see in the pictures is that they are about 4 mos old and have very yellow legs. Each hen has a slightly different height on her comb. The spots on their necks are even and pretty, and the boys color as you can see is still coming in. I don't even know how to guess what they weigh. He isn't small by any means-- biggest thing here for now. He stands almost 2 feet tall without stretching.

You want feedback on type, you say. Well.......
Walt is good at that!

 

[The Old Yolks]

Good Afternoon Everyone,
I have been a lurker for quite some time and have read every single post on here. First and foremost I want to pass on a sincere and heart felt thank you to all of you who have grabbed my hand and led me down the correct path and provided all of us who read this forum with knowledge we can only hope to accumulate in our lifetime. Like most people I have had hatchery birds for several years not knowing any better and purchasing them based on a picture I've seen either in a advertising catalog or a website soley based on their "eye candy" appeal and I must confess I have also been suckered into the "rare heritage breed" hatching egg scam. Needless to say I have seen the errors of my ways and took the words of advice to heart and have since significantly down sized my flock, just kept a few hens and one old guardian rooster for eggs, and up sized my freezer volume. So now that I have cleared out my "practice stock" I am hoping that I am now on the correct path to better chicken husbandry. I already had the coop but we have modified it so that it now has a breeding pen and seperate run attached as well, I ordered my SOP which will be delivered on monday next week (plenty of time to read it starting on page 1 (I have been listening Walt) several times before my birds get here), I know it was suggested that you should pick just 1 breed to start with but I faultered here a bit. I have a small flock of Nankins that I just couldn't part with, so in addition to them I will be adding a trio of New Hampshires that I will be picking up from Bill Braden in October (thank you for providing his name Bob, what a wonderful man he is). Now that I have braved posting here I want to give some personal thank yous to specific people. Kathyinmo, chickens in pool, LOVED IT! I have shared it with every person I know who have themselves passed it on to everyone they know it may be viral by now. There aren't words to describe how much I enjoyed that post. Thank you. Punky, where ever you are (haven't seen him post for quite sometime) you young man give me hope for our younger generation. Chris09 you sir are like my own personal cyber encyclopedia. I know if you don't have the answer about a particular question, you will search until you find it. I thoroughly enjoy every post you write. Thank you. And to Bob and Walt what can I say, thank you for starting this thread, thank you for generously and freely giving us your knowledge and not giving up on us. Thank you for having hope that people will take that knowledge and use it so that they may pass it on to others just like us one day. Oh and Bob my hubby wanted me to share this photo with you and let you know if you ever wanted to join him on one of his fishing trips he would be delighted to have you. After all it is the least he could do considering all the education you have given me for free. He caught it on 10lb test line. Have a spectacular day everyone. I will share pictures of my birds when I get them home.

 

[ashandvine]

At this time I do not know where they came from other than the name of the seller. I can ask her though. These birds are bossy pullets and a bit noisy of a rooster but he isn't real aggressive yet. The pullets are very good foragers though, very, and they eat the Japanese Beetles!

 

[fowlman01]

Just wanted to post a couple pictures of the Delawares that are here right now which I took quickly. They are in the barn basement so the pictures aren't the best but I hoped you would all give me some quick feedback on type. These aren't my birds per se. I have been holding them for a young gal here but she was supposed to have them out weeks and weeks ago-- hence their rather poor housing as I thought it would be temporary and now can't let the cockerel out to range unless I juggle him with another cock I have here. One thing I should address that you can not see in the pictures is that they are about 4 mos old and have very yellow legs. Each hen has a slightly different height on her comb. The spots on their necks are even and pretty, and the boys color as you can see is still coming in. I don't even know how to guess what they weigh. He isn't small by any means-- biggest thing here for now. He stands almost 2 feet tall without stretching.

They are hatchery type Dels.

Walt

 

[Arielle]

Quote: JIm, I'm a know-nothing, I only know they look different. And your BO looks like a Paul Bunyun of buffs.


The hatchery bird has a longer and more upright tail. Its depth is also less than a heritage bird. Weight would be about 7# with a hen being about 5 or 6#. The Standard calls for Male:10# Hen:8# Cockerel: 8.5# and Pullet: 7#.

If you can ever see a hatchery bird and a heritage bird side by side, you would clearly see the difference.
THe key is side by side. I have hatchery hens as I first started with hatchery birds. THen I saw HUGE BO at the Boston Poultry Expo, I think I told you about this, and I was in awe over the size of him. Of course that was a year ago and had not idea about conformation, or even body part names yet.

A 10# BO is IMPRESSIVE.

 

[2 britts]

Good Afternoon Everyone,
I have been a lurker for quite some time and have read every single post on here. First and foremost I want to pass on a sincere and heart felt thank you to all of you who have grabbed my hand and led me down the correct path and provided all of us who read this forum with knowledge we can only hope to accumulate in our lifetime. Like most people I have had hatchery birds for several years not knowing any better and purchasing them based on a picture I've seen either in a advertising catalog or a website soley based on their "eye candy" appeal and I must confess I have also been suckered into the "rare heritage breed" hatching egg scam. Needless to say I have seen the errors of my ways and took the words of advice to heart and have since significantly down sized my flock, just kept a few hens and one old guardian rooster for eggs, and up sized my freezer volume. So now that I have cleared out my "practice stock" I am hoping that I am now on the correct path to better chicken husbandry. I already had the coop but we have modified it so that it now has a breeding pen and seperate run attached as well, I ordered my SOP which will be delivered on monday next week (plenty of time to read it starting on page 1 (I have been listening Walt) several times before my birds get here), I know it was suggested that you should pick just 1 breed to start with but I faultered here a bit. I have a small flock of Nankins that I just couldn't part with, so in addition to them I will be adding a trio of New Hampshires that I will be picking up from Bill Braden in October (thank you for providing his name Bob, what a wonderful man he is). Now that I have braved posting here I want to give some personal thank yous to specific people. Kathyinmo, chickens in pool, LOVED IT! I have shared it with every person I know who have themselves passed it on to everyone they know it may be viral by now. There aren't words to describe how much I enjoyed that post. Thank you. Punky, where ever you are (haven't seen him post for quite sometime) you young man give me hope for our younger generation. Chris09 you sir are like my own personal cyber encyclopedia. I know if you don't have the answer about a particular question, you will search until you find it. I thoroughly enjoy every post you write. Thank you. And to Bob and Walt what can I say, thank you for starting this post, thank you for generously and freely giving us your knowledge and not giving up on us. Thank you for having hope that people will take that knowledge and use it so that they may pass it on to others just like us one day. Oh and Bob my hubby wanted me to share this photo with you and let you know if you ever wanted to join him on one of his fishing trips he would be delighted to have you. After all it is the least he could do considering all the education you have given me for free. He caught it on 10lb test line. Have a spectacular day everyone. I will share pictures of my birds when I get them home.