Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[galanie]

I did just a tiny big of research and all I could find was the purple is the mahogany gene.  I didn't do any further research, because I knew from other readings for my breeds you don't want to breed mahogany genes forward.

Anybody else have anything to add?  or was the info I read way off the mark?

Is this for any breed or a certain breed?  I mean, I only ask because I thought mahogany was a desired color in certain breeds?  I know there is a mahogany orloff...and I thought a Buckeye's coloring was called mahogany too?

[Edited to add] Completely off topic from the purple feather, but I wanted to know if the Partridge Chantecler is a heritage breed?  I see white is another variety but I'm not fond of completely white chickens.  The white one was recognized in 1921, and the partridge was 1935 so according to dates... should be a heritage breed right?

I can't tell you exactly why the purple sheen shows up for sure. But I can tell you what I do remember. A purple rather than a green sheen indicates the bird doesn't have the proper genetics for black coloring. The right melanin enhancers are not present. If it has both purple and green sheen, as in purple one way then green when the light hits it another, then that is acceptable. But my experience is that diet can help get rid of the purple sheen in a bird like that. And by diet I just mean a really good ration with something like calf manna added to it. None of this vegetarian stuff either. Real "meat by products" and even a splash of oil from time to time.

Do take into consideration though that I've only raised 3 broods of black chickens and not an old timer. I just look at my Sugar and remember that first year when her and all her hatch mate's feathers shone both hues. Now she's finishing her molt and all her new feathers have only a green sheen, no purple in them at all.

 

[NYREDS]

I asked that same question one time a long time ago and the answer I got was this...
A purple sheen on a black bird is not bad if he is green when the light hits from the other direction., it is a purple barred sheen that will get your bird disqualified. Apparently is has something to do with feeding corn to a black bird.
Don't hang me... this is what I was told so am just passing it on.

Purple barrng is a defect, not a disqualification. It's a genetic trait, not a result of diet. I have 4 different black breeds [ 5 if you include the blacks from blue matings ] none produce purple barred offspring & I do feed corn.

 

[NYREDS]

Originally Posted by Robert Blosl


I am going to ask does anyone have the whole book Start Where you are with What you have?
It was written by and printed I think by Walt for him. Even if we have nothing but a
photo copy to share with the new people it would be a great read. I learned allot from this book
and my interview with him even though it was a short one he set me straight in many was as a beginner.
=============================================
It's been reprinted in New Zealand.
http://tinyurl.com/d2g5alq
Best,
Karen

It was written by Ralph Sturgeon

 

[NYREDS]

Uh oh...I just came across a picture of a Redcap hen...now that's an interestingly colored bird for a hen! Uh oh because I already decided which breeds were my top 2 picks and then I found this one. It says they are classified as a light fowl so I guess that would mean they're not a large fowl heritage breed? I think I like these, too.

Redcaps are large fowl but are a smaller bird than some of the dual purpose breeds. They are a very old breed so I don't know why they wouldn't be considered "Heritage".

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: ...and you are right. Even though you may have no experience with Silver Laced Wyandottes and you are just looking at a picture (and not a good one), you can see a difference. What thedragonlady was saying is, go to shows, and see the difference in birds bred to the SOP and those from hatcheries that are bred to "look like" a breed but are crossed with production breeds to get more eggs...because that is where the hatcheries make their money. More eggs = More money. Breeders generally have a different goal, so their birds are going to be different. They keep their bloodlines from being diluted with crossbreeding. If you are interested in "preserving" a heritage breed, getting hatchery stock is not the answer. If you are interested in seeing what you can accomplish by taking hatchery stock and breeding toward the SOP, then that is a totally different project than preserving...it is creating.
That's all I got........back to reading and learning now..........

 

[Fred's Hens]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear.

Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then?

Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening.

Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

 

[Chris09]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear.

Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then?

Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening.

Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

I agree 100%

Chris

 

[countrygoddess]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear.

Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then?

Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening.

Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

Well said, Fred!

 

[NanaKat]

Before people begin fantasizing about heritage birds and breeding them, let's take a moment for a reality check. It seems the beginners who live in the city, who are limited, by ordinance, to 6 hens, allowed no roosters, who have only had chickens in their bathroom or backyard tiny coopette for just a few weeks, ought to really master the whole keeping of birds first. I'm trying to say here what needs to be said, not necessarily what folks want to hear. Use some hatchery grade hens to practice on. Get used to raising out chicks, integrating birds, living with them for a few years and experience the entire cycle for a couple of years. Feeding, coop cleaning, life, death, euthanizing, disease, the whole deal. If you succeed with those hatchery birds and still want to do this in two years, great. Until then? Sell your city house and buy yourself a place in the country where you really can breed quality birds, keep crowing roosters, learn all about rooster behaviors up close and personal, build multiple coops, pens and barns. Meanwhile, sit in on some local breed club meetings. Go to regional APA sanctioned poultry shows, look at the fancy birds, submit to a mentor, meet some people, and spend a whole lot of time as a student and spend a lot more time just listening. Otherwise it's just an Internet fantasy.

Great advice. To be a "new breeder instead of an old breeder" (Card), those experiences are invaluable. I would add that having a breeding plan with set goals keeps a breeder on target. Have been working with large fowl Wyandotte and Cochin now for 3 of my many years with chickens. And my path is what you described. According to Card, I am a new breeder...not an old breeder that is continually starting different new projects each year with different breeds.

 

[normanack]

. . . . Otherwise, this is all just an internet fantasy.

As someone brand-new to chickens (less than a year), I know I've learned far more than I could have imagined from my birds. And that tells me I have a massively huge amount of learning to do ahead of me. As much as I learn from reading, as good as the information is (and the best I've found is from the OTs around here and a couple other threads), it just isn't real until it happens with my birds. Then I say, "Oh yeah! THAT'S what he was talking about!"