California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

I agree with you. I wasn't advocating his business. I find it curious that anyone would, so I check in on him every once in a while. I only posted about it because Ron and Barbara were looking for Australorps. There are 2 local breeders on his list raising them.
Jim is an APA judge. He started a business, charging large amounts of money, annually, to "certify" your flock. He was using the APA name. Here is what is on the APA website, about it:
"
Flock Certification Program

The American Poultry Association (APA) has received several inquiries in recent months concerning a flock certification program. It seems that there are individuals offering flock certification services, via the internet, and are mentioning the APA in their advertising. It should be known that the APA does not endorse any individuals advertising flock certification programs nor do we oversee or offer a flock certification program at this time.

The APA is looking into the feasibility of such a program and , if we go forward with it, we will certainly inform the public through our website and the various poultry publications. However, until that happens, please enter into any flock certification agreements at your own risk.

Dave Anderson
APA Director

Now Jim is training "coaches" to certify flocks. These coaches aren't even judges or haven't been breeding standard bred poultry for long, from what I can see.

I met Jim in person, in 2013. He seemed so nice, I thought maybe I was wrong about him. I talked to him and told him that I liked his promotion of standard bred poultry but he was charging too much. He said that he needed to cover his travel expenses. He also said he'd like to see my flock, if he was ever in the area.
I contacted him, last month and told him that I had made some progress with my Delawares. I invited him to come see them and my Dorkings, but I said that I couldn't pay him for it. He invited me to his workshop, which I declined. He asked where I lived and said he would really like to see my birds.
So, I was surprised that he was in Dixon and Woodland, a couple weeks ago, and didn't mention it. I grocery shop in Woodland, it's 30 miles from my ranch. I'm back to thinking it's all about making money for him and less about standard bred poultry. JMO

Thanks! That is too bad.

Anyone North of Gilroy getting rain yet?

-Kathy

We started around 6:00 4 hours north west of you

I posted on the Delaware thread but maybe someone here can comment. I know the breeding is different between a Columbian Rock and a Delaware but can you really tell the difference if the patterns are the same without genetic testing they look very similar to me. Though I think the Columbians might be a bit larger.

Im still having trouble with distinguishing some chicken shapes. Especially if they are a mix of Rock and or RIR.

There is probably a specific term with which I am unfamiliar but if I were to describe it I would say that the barring/cuckoo pattern on the neck of a Delaware pullet is more subtle and looks more like random spots.





On a Colombian Rock or Wyandotte or Cochin the neck markings are more like bars of black. The coloring is more concentrated or saturated.




Also the tails on the Colombian color patterned birds are generally black with white penciling and the Dels have barring in their tails.

As far as body shape, again I know there are terms to describe these things but I don't know them but the shape of a rock is like a D turned sideways so the flat part is up and the curved part is down. Their breasts curve out more from under their necks whereas a Del's tend to have a straighter beak to chest line. A Del, at least from my experience which is admittedly pretty limited is a bit more streamlined than a Rock

Since the Rock is one of the foundation breeds for the Del it does stand to reason they share a lot of body type characteristics.

Hopefully Kim will be able to contribute more insight.

 

[chiqita]

Here us the hen in question. I regoogled rhodebar and she is not red! I thought they looked the same now i r confused..

And for those asking from before here are my blue silkie projects:

here is mum

 

[Happy Chooks]

My pad is refusing multiquote.

Someone concluded a full 1/2 pig would be about a 5 day sous. Could you imagine the size of the bag?? They did it for a fire free lua as caterers. They had pictures of all these guys with tourches on the skin. The reasonable circulators they have now qill do this! But you need about 3 for the amount of water. My little oven would not take a whole ham we have an older one.

Even trying to vacc pack a bone in ham would be interesting. We had to buy a special roll online for the ducks. Not more expensive but tricky to find.

Kathy yes that is it tyvm!! Someone is repeating the 3 cc wazine too. I already had that discussion with her and she ignored me so not going there again

.

Does anyo e raise rhodbars and legbars? What i thoufht was a rhodebar hen just started laying what looks to be a blue egg. Not 100% sure its her but my new ams are not in that coop and she looks very red ive been expecting eggs. There were 4 here hidden. Nice light blue fkr sure pullet not vonnie...

When I was a kid, my parents were in the local Jeep club. They used to cook a pig in the ground, and boy was it delicious! They would set the head out on the ground and us kids would dare each other to kiss it.

 

[casportpony]

When I was a kid, my parents were in the local Jeep club. They used to cook a pig in the ground, and boy was it delicious! They would set the head out on the ground and us kids would dare each other to kiss it.

Nothing tastier than a whole pig or goat cooked in the ground!

Even my vegetarian friend enjoyed it once!

-Kathy

 

[ronott1]

When I was a kid, my parents were in the local Jeep club. They used to cook a pig in the ground, and boy was it delicious! They would set the head out on the ground and us kids would dare each other to kiss it.

I cooked a pitted pig for the fourth of July back in the early 2000. We put a couple of chickens and pork butt roasts inside the cavity.

Yes, it was very tasty!

It was in the ground for about 14 hours. I used a temperature probe in the pit with the pig to know when it was cooked. I started the fire a 11pm on the third and it burned down to the correct thickness of coals by about 4 in the morning. The wood was prune!

 

[capayvalleychick]

And while im thinking about it, @capayvalleychick are you going to have pigs next year? I still think a learn to butcher a pig party would be awesome! I thought if we organised early we could get it going.

Yes, I will have pigs. Haven't put the boar with the sow, yet, but will one of these days.
I can't kill anything and my husband does not want to butcher, any more. So, either I have to talk him into it or find someone who is good at it to do a class. I also had a request from a meat buyer for a chicken butchering class. We're missing out on opportunities because we're both squeamish.

If we do it i might save my xmas and birthday presents together and get a professional grade vaccum sealer. I have a semi professional one now but the resteraunt grade ines are not cheap.

I need one of those, also. The Delawares that we had processed yesterday were 6 lbs dressed and wouldn't fit in gallon ziplocks. Had to wrap them in butcher paper and plastic. American Poultry said "Chickens too big!"

Are you going to get one big enough for a pig?

sous vide whole pig?

What's so funny?

That's what's nice about Guinea Hogs. They are small.

Someone concluded a full 1/2 pig would be about a 5 day sous. Could you imagine the size of the bag?? They did it for a fire free lua as caterers. They had pictures of all these guys with tourches on the skin. The reasonable circulators they have now qill do this! But you need about 3 for the amount of water. My little oven would not take a whole ham we have an older one.

Even trying to vacc pack a bone in ham would be interesting. We had to buy a special roll online for the ducks. Not more expensive but tricky to find.

I have the hardest time trying to figure out what you are saying. I have some plastic on a big roll, like butcher paper comes on. Again, a Guinea Hog would be faster & easier. Many people do them on the kitchen counter. And perfect for a whole hog roast for a smaller group. Here's a medium sized one.

 

[chiqita]

The vaccum sealer i have takes rolled plastic but a normal sized ham would be too big to fit in it. The roll we got for the muscovies is 12 inches wide and it was very hard to fit ducks in. It took 2 of us and some compressing. A 6 lb chicken should easily fit in a 9 inch roll id think? It is a decent vaccume seal and holds with no air for 6 months to a year.

But these are2 sided like bags not 1 sheet like butcher paper. Sounds like it is all a moot point however if we are all too timid to kill a pig ha!

 

[capayvalleychick]

I posted on the Delaware thread but maybe someone here can comment. I know the breeding is different between a Columbian Rock and a Delaware but can you really tell the difference if the patterns are the same without genetic testing they look very similar to me. Though I think the Columbians might be a bit larger.

Im still having trouble with distinguishing some chicken shapes. Especially if they are a mix of Rock and or RIR.

Barbara gave a good answer. I'll add to it.
Weight is a bit higher in the Rocks. Body shape is similar. Head shape is different. Tails & tail angle are different. That round, full breast should be the same for both breeds. You just don't see it much on Delawares because they have not been bred with attention to it.
Columbian plumage is different from Delawares. Most important, Columbian undercolor is slate, Delawares must be white.
Columbian markings are dark green sheen and solid black. Dels are barred.
One very difficult thing on Del hens is the tail. The main tail feathers are black edged with white. The coverts are barred.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Sounds like it is all a moot point however if we are all too timid to kill a pig ha!

Maybe I can find someone to come here and do the class. I'll look into it.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Any idea as to what this is? It was in a nest box with a thin shelled egg. Poking it with my scraper, it "felt" kind of leathery.