California - Northern

[caychris]

Newest addition this is a delaware from Neil's pen (silkie didnt make it) Kind of cool almost as big as the 4 buff orps she

is in with who are at least 2-3 days older.
Hatched during Debi's processing day

 

[lualshannon]

 
[COLOR=0000CD]"Temperament: active, inquisitive, very tame, hardy, lays all winter. Seldom broody, heavy, quiet and not flighty".[/COLOR]  Got this info off ShowChickens.com - would you concur that this is an accurate temperament assessment of your Pitas?  Sounds very much like the description of Swedish Flower Hens who are also a spotted variety of chicken.

It depends on what they consider active. They are busy and not lazy. The other parts are true.

They may lay more eggs than Swedish flower hens.

 
Yes not sure about the heavy comment though on the smaller side for meat birds they are very tasty too. Could be that those we have in the small group are on the smaller side.

They are big for dual purpose egg layers--bigger than Basque hens at 16 weeks but slightly smaller than Bresse. They do very well compared to heritage breeds. Some of the nice New Hampshire Reds likely do as well but I can't say the same for Mohawk Rhode Island Reds.

Oh wow! Do you have Mohawk RIRs? How nice if you do have some. Does it apply to the other RIR lines, or just Mohawk RIRs?

Lual

 

[ronott1]

Oh wow! Do you have Mohawk RIRs? How nice if you do have some. Does it apply to the other RIR lines, or just Mohawk RIRs?

Lual

It turn(s out that the RIRs from Ron Fogle that we have(I have some hens still and maybe some Cock birds at the egg farm) were originally from Bob Blosl's Mohawk line. They did change a bit with the different breeders but that is where they came from.

No wonder Bob thought they looked good when he saw the pictures.

Different lines will develop at different rates. I only have had these though to compare.

 

[PetRock]

It turn(s out that the RIRs from Ron Fogle that we have(I have some hens still and maybe some Cock birds at the egg farm) were originally from Bob Blosl's Mohawk line. They did change a bit with the different breeders but that is where they came from.

No wonder Bob thought they looked good when he saw the pictures.

Different lines will develop at different rates. I only have had these though to compare.

I still have a pair of the Horstman/Kittle RIR's that I got from you, Ron. I've only hatched a few of their eggs and have a cockerel and two pullets that hatched last year. I love these birds and need to find a breeding pen or two to continue them. The cock is free ranging at the farm right now and is top rooster over my big Langshan boys. The two pullets are still here in town with me. They are beautiful girls that are built like bricks! They are also very sweet.

 

[ronott1]

I still have a pair of the Horstman/Kittle RIR's that I got from you, Ron. I've only hatched a few of their eggs and have a cockerel and two pullets that hatched last year. I love these birds and need to find a breeding pen or two to continue them. The cock is free ranging at the farm right now and is top rooster over my big Langshan boys. The two pullets are still here in town with me. They are beautiful girls that are built like bricks! They are also very sweet.

I have three kittle hens too--They are very sweet!

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

It turn(s out that the RIRs from Ron Fogle that we have(I have some hens still and maybe some Cock birds at the egg farm) were originally from Bob Blosl's Mohawk line. They did change a bit with the different breeders but that is where they came from.

No wonder Bob thought they looked good when he saw the pictures.

Different lines will develop at different rates. I only have had these though to compare.

Do you have any images of these Mohawk Rir I'd love to have a look at them, my mother really likes her some RIR =)

 

[Sylvester017]

Yes not sure about the heavy comment though on the smaller side for meat birds they are very tasty too. Could be that those we have in the small group are on the smaller side.

ShowChickens.com did add that although the Asturian Painteds are/can be used as dual purpose their main function has been for eggs mostly. Probably because they are so rare Spain's Pita Breed Club can't bear to process many of them for meat just yet. Their numbers are still gaining slowly in Spain but the breed club is active in preserving them.

It depends on what they consider active. They are busy and not lazy. The other parts are true.

They may lay more eggs than Swedish flower hens.
They are big for dual purpose egg layers--bigger than Basque hens at 16 weeks but slightly smaller than Bresse. They do very well compared to heritage breeds. Some of the nice New Hampshire Reds likely do as well but I can't say the same for Mohawk Rhode Island Reds.

I think it was Greenfire that said their SFHs layed the largest egg on their farm. I'm always wary about a large egg layer w/ fear of eggbound or prolapse. Give me a lightweight hen w/ the normal egg for her size any day of the week! It's one of the reasons I stay away from Jaerhons who are only a 3.5-lb hen laying LG eggs - doesn't sound safe for the hen to my thinking. Ultimately the temperament of a hen's breed is my primary focus w/ eggs as an added sideline bonus.

I have her in with Delaware and Buff Orps so she looks small. She is bigger than my CLB though

I like the 'tweeners in size - not super big and not wimpy either.

The pullets and hens are not super big--the Cockerels are big though.

Reminds me of the Bredas - the pullets/hens are slight while the cockerels/cocks are big boys by comparison. I mean that's usually the case with all breeds but it really seems disparate in the Breda breeds.

 

[PetRock]

I have three kittle hens too--They are very sweet!

I would love to see pics of the two different lines. I'll try to take some of the pullets that I have here. I am hoping to put them in with their father and the hen with her son but breeding pens are at a premium right now. Two of them have my Pita Pinta and the other one will soon have my blue Langshan cockerel over the best of my black pullets.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Got some shots of everyone hanging out yesterday.

This Clorinda and Sylvester. She's the biggest pullet and I'm pretty sure she's top of the pecking order.



Everyone (but Phoebe) lined up (Babs, Clorinda, Venetia, Sylvester).



Pullet egg (top paler one) compared to an Eatwell Farm Egg (Australorp flock).

 

[caychris]

Got some shots of everyone hanging out yesterday.

This Clorinda and Sylvester. She's the biggest pullet and I'm pretty sure she's top of the pecking order.



Everyone (but Phoebe) lined up (Babs, Clorinda, Venetia, Sylvester).



Pullet egg (top paler one) compared to an Eatwell Farm Egg (Australorp flock).

Good looking birds