Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Kassaundra]

Here, here Beekissed!!!!

 

[Arielle]

Yes, the Derby was over a few weeks ago. The most recent leg of the Triple Crown was Saturday. No Triple Crown winner again.

I was really hoping. Retired 1 day before the final race at three years old. So for those of you bickering about the breeding of chickens, breeding race horses is also a hot topic. Many believe that their will be no more triple crown winners because the racing methodology has changed and the breeding with it. These horses are not bred for long term endurance anymore, and racing as a 2 year old is too damaging to the body. And I'll stop there.

My take away from this discussion is that the old lines are so well established genetically, that an amature may actually do better working with old lines. Far less work. THe work has already been done. Primarily maintenance. Not creating. I've started with french black coppers--and I get a headache trying to figure them out! I'm actually looking forward to some Buckeyes. And I figure if I want cornishX I can go to the grocery store. Just not what I want to raise. I raised BBW last summer and was shocked at how little they moved in the last weeks; at 35# dressed, one could have been dinner for an entire family of coyote. I am now focusing on Bourbon Reds instead.

I want a farm animal that doesn't cost as much as a horse. No vet costs; less feed costs.No farrier. Why not have breeds/lines that don't need as much medicating and vaccinating; the hatchery birds have been living in a situation that mandates antibiotics and vaccinations for many good reasons for a great many generations, BUT I want birds that can withstand the rigors of a New England farm. I want lines that have been living this way for generations. I see this as the cheapest method in the long run.

Don't get me wrong, I do have hatchery stock. I had to start somewhere. A year ago I only knew I could get a few chickens from a hatchery. A good place to start. So I understand those who want to enjoy what your have, and I have many a mutt,too, and love them. A red laced hen is particularly beautiful and I'm sure she is sired by a black sexlink on one of the silver laced wyandottes. And then I have the designer egg colors: greens, blues, olives. Fun. That is what my chickens are to me. Fun.

Sorry, rant over. THe title of the thread did invite this line of info from the OT.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
That's a broad generalization of hatchery stock that is oft repeated by breeders. I've raised hatchery stock flocks for many a long year without the use of vaccinations or antibiotics AND have done it quite cheaply, I might add, by selective culling and breeding for hardiness from that stock.

Breeders do not have the monopoly on hardy stock..the only stock I bought from a breeder was the most sickly chickens I've ever had the displeasure to own and were all culled within a month of purchase. It was the hardiness of my mutt flock that kept them from catching what the breeder stock had during that time frame. I've never repeated that mistake..it was a costly one.

Good, hardy birds can be obtained and maintained from hatchery stock...I'd put my flocks up against anyone's for sheer hardiness and productivity. Breeders do not own the genetics for hardiness..this can be developed within a few generations of any stock if you know what to look for and what to do.

If I've paid $10,000 for breeding stock(one breeder admitted to paying that much for a few chickens), I imagine I'd be less inclined to kill one as a cull. It's much cheaper and easier to cull cheap hatchery stock for undesirable traits than it is expensive breeder stock, I imagine.

 

[fowlman01]

What s being missed here is: Modern games are ornamental only. they have no use and obviously not much to eat. They are small, don't eat much and don't require a lot of space so now in my old age even though feed now comes in 50# sacks the less I have to deal with the better. I have lived on a commercial poultry farm, I have raised thousands of large fowl for food, eggs and show. I can still raise and learn about poultry on a smaller scale now that I can't sling 100# sacks of feed around. Some of these bantams are extremely difficult to get too match the SOP. Maybe it is more like dressage in the horse world. Those horses don't haul logs, run around a track or do "useful" things either. It doesn't mean that the folks doing that don't know horses.

Raising poultry has many facets and area's of interest. During the WWII the State of OK required every school district to have one poultry show per year. If they did not have one they lost their Federal funding. Why do you think they did that? Well they could care less about blue ribbons either, but they wanted people that know about genetics to help feed the USA. Some of the most important people in commercial poultry were heavily involved in showing poultry.

Some people understand it and some don't. It's a whole lot easier to propagate, brood and raise these birds than it is to keep them they way they were meant to be. The SOP describes the ideal bird in each breed and what we are doing is preserving those breeds to the letter of the description.....or go to the feed store and buy an egg machine. ....that's why most people have chickens these days.

Many of my 4H poultry kids have gone into the commercial end of poultry......most still show chickens even though they are adults now.

I don't know anyone that makes money off showing, but the hatcheries seem to be doing well. There is a huge interest in breeding ot the APA SOP on this site of over 100k people. There are a lot of things about poultry that interest some folks......a lot of it quite different. If we were all interested in the same things what a boring life this would be.

Walt

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! There is room for breeders, hatchery mutt lovers, foo foo owners and all other chicken enthusiasts on the forum~no need to debate whose interests or birds are better. I'm sure everyone chooses the birds that are best for their life, their interests and their needs and everyone's needs are different.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

one thing I learned in this little fork in the road, is I like my game birds, and I like to watch the little cockerells fighting for the top dog spot--active and stamina with lots of kick. Are they purebred -heck no but they are only from stock that is of the hardiest sort. One roos makes enough for two people, yes, that would be the looser -or, runner to be technically perfect and they are worth some money I traded one for a ton of horse manure.

 

[chickletteSarge]

  my thoughts, just eloquently worded. I COULD NOT agree more!  The only thing I have to add is, then I'll hide under a chair. I don't understand showing chickens, dogs, cats, cows etc if you are over 14 years old. But that is just me. For those of you who are into it, enjoy it, make money off of it, I am genuinely happy for you. For me, it does nothing. If I have a hen in a cage, it is because she is wounded, not mortally and healing. If a rooster is in a cage it is because he attacked me, and will be prepped for dinner later.   . When I go to our county fair I never look at the animals. I can walk outside or to any of my neighbors farms to see livestock. 

    But then I like "mutt" hens. And my purebred, never shown, never will be shown Asian Sumatra's. Of which the roosters dress out just right for a dinner for 2 

Ok I asked this ? On the other thread but got an off answer....
Stony, are the roos the only birds that are harvested? I was wondering because DW and I read that they taest like pheaseat.
Never had phesant before and don't want to be suprised. (In a founkey face way.)lol

 

[fowlman01]

I have a little diversity in what I raise and they are not all midget birds. The black female in this picture is 9lbs. The male is 33" tall and growing. Plenty to eat here.



I also raise Sumatras and Asils. ......Sumatras don't taste like pheasant to me.

Walt

 

[Aschenfire]

I have a little diversity in what I raise and they are not all midget birds. The black female in this picture is 9lbs. The male is 33" tall and growing. Plenty to eat here.



I also raise Sumatras and Asils. ......Sumatras don't taste like pheasant to me.

Walt

Wow,,,big birds! I'm only 5 feet tall. I could almost ride that big guy like a Chocobo

 

[MagicChicken]

I have a little diversity in what I raise and they are not all midget birds. The black female in this picture is 9lbs. The male is 33" tall and growing. Plenty to eat here.



I also raise Sumatras and Asils. ......Sumatras don't taste like pheasant to me.

Walt

Interesting birds in the photo, Walt. What are they?