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

[fowlman01]

I am better at being a visual person. I've read and re-read the SOP for breeds I care about, over and over. Yet, my eye is better trained by seeing photos, old photos from the turn of the last century. I love those prints, those old photographs and old paintings. I can "see" the lines, the shape, the wing, the back, the legs, the head, feathering etc.

When Al, Bob, KathyinMo, NYreds, Walt and other really great breeders post photos of their birds, I can see immediately what they say in words, what they are going for in their breeding.

I hate pinched tails and narrow butts on hens, for example. Faults aren't all that easy to miss. Where the skill and experience comes in is in breeding to "fix" or correct faults. Breeding to maintain and propagate the good features. THAT is what I am just a freshman student when enroll in these experienced breeders discussions. I am at the place in life where I now have the time and the interest in such things. I'm afraid I have little to contribute, really. I'm just a newbie.

This is a drive by post...still have chores to do. This bird has a pretty big fault. the lower breast is flat as a board. Rocks should have an underline that is bowl shaped...roundish and here we have this flat spot just before the legs. This is not for appearance, that is where organs reside. This bird is showing a lack of capacity to correctly house some important body parts. Could be why it placed second. Schilling usually corrected some of that in his drawings/photo's, but maybe this guy wanted to show it the way it was. She is kind of crow headed too...better stop before I pick it totally apart.

Can ya see it Fred?

Walt

 

[stonykill]

Wow, Al!!!!! Thanks for the great post!!!!!! If I quote you I will definitely put in the line about growing cucumbers.....

Fred, I loved that pic....that hen had the cleanest lines and nicest topline I've ever seen on a hen. Do you and Al have any pics of your best birds you'd like to share or is that showing too much of your trade secrets?

I'm just a mutt breeder, so I'm not into the whole pureblood, show thing but I do respect hard work and commitment to excellence in a working breed of chicken. Not too much into the ornamental breeds with tails longer than a horse's, though...just don't see any purpose for the animal unless it's to look upon.

I'm quoting this because it is shorter than Al's post. Great post, takes up 1/2 page everytime it is quoted . That is fantastic info for breeding to standards. Now if breeding 1 breed for egg production does all of that apply or not? As Al pointed out there are a million different reasons for breeding and states what he uses his system for. Could be an entire seperate chapter in Bee's book. 1 on breeding for shows/standard and one chapter on breeding for the farm/homestead.

 

[Fred's Hens]

This is a drive by post...still have chores to do. This bird has a pretty big fault. the lower breast is flat as a board. Rocks should have an underline that is bowl shaped...roundish and here we have this flat spot just before the legs. This is not for appearance, that is where organs reside. This bird is showing a lack of capacity to correctly house some important body parts. Could be why it placed second. Schilling usually corrected some of that in his drawings/photo's, but maybe this guy wanted to show it the way it was. She is kind of crow headed too...better stop before I pick it totally apart.

Can ya see it Fred?

Walt

Yup.

When you get back from chores and have a minute or two. We swap more photos/pics.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Some of the very best keepers of quality, heritage, 75 year old lines have never shown them and never intend to. I don't show, never have, and never likely will. Having some purebred, heritage birds, for ME, is about appreciation of a type, a style, a look, a character, a biological art-form. Something to do with my grandmother is mixed in all this, but I cannot necessarily articulate it all. Something about my own heritage, not just the bird's heritage. I understood exactly what therapydoglady was saying above when talking about her family's Doms.

I'm geeked over some heritage birds I now have for about the same reason Mississippi Farm Boy is geeked over his new heritage RIR. Don't want to put words in his mouth, but we've come to a place in life where we ask, "Why not?". I don't drink, play the lottery, don't gamble, I've travelled enough to last a life time, so I've no plans for any big trips, I live a near subsistence, "plain" and "simple" lifestyle, so heck. Why not have a late in life hobby that pleases me?

 

[normanack]

Fred, if I ever get up to the UP, wherever you are there, I'll beg and plead for a visit, and bribe you with the baked goods of your choice. I make a darned good apple pie. . . .

 

[al6517]

It was just a little sort of broad stroked Ideology, we could go blue in the face explaining details of every breed situation and a persons reason for doing it. Walt may want to take the time as he has the sharper eye for a much wider range of breeds and standards. He is a walking chicken sop encyclopedia, and you can take his critique to the bank.

My top 10 was not soley designed as a guide to show on the contrary, but for anybody striving for excelence in breeding and just getting started, they can decide their venues and audiences as they see fit.

The same goes true even if your just wanting to breed layers and layers alone and to just get eggs and more eggs and then breed again for even more eggs, but the hatcheries have already done that for you. the same principles hold true even if your wanting to breed to get a rainbow striped egg, you go about it the same way. Projects are slightly different and cannot in the true sense be labeled as breeding to perfection but to just attain a certain outcome.

 

[thedragonlady]

Some of the very best keepers of quality, heritage, 75 year old lines have never shown them and never intend to. I don't show, never have, and never likely will. Having some purebred, heritage birds, for ME, is about appreciation of a type, a style, a look, a character, a biological art-form. Something to do with my grandmother is mixed in all this, but I cannot necessarily articulate it all. Something about my own heritage, not just the bird's heritage. I understood exactly what therapydoglady was saying above when talking about her family's Doms.

I'm geeked over some heritage birds I now have for about the same reason Mississippi Farm Boy is geeked over his new heritage RIR. Don't want to put words in his mouth, but we've come to a place in life where we ask, "Why not?". I don't drink, play the lottery, don't gamble, I've travelled enough to last a life time, so I've no plans for any big trips, I live a near subsistence, "plain" and "simple" lifestyle, so heck. Why not have a late in life hobby that pleases me?

My thoughts exactly. Having shown successfully for years, everyone expects me to jump back in. I MIGHT, when my whole flock totally pleases my eye. I need a few years yet, but the start is looking pretty good.There is nothing that feeds my soul more than watching a really level flock of birds turned out to range in the morning sunshine. A cup of coffee, and a bowl of scratch, and I MIGHT be back inside in an hour. I'm a lucky gal that my wonderful husband understands this!

 

[stonykill]

The same goes true even if your just wanting to breed layers and layers alone and to just get eggs and more eggs and then breed again for even more eggs, but the hatcheries have already done that for you. the same principles hold true even if your wanting to breed to get a rainbow striped egg, you go about it the way. Projects are slightly different and cannot in the true sense be labeled as breeding to perfection but to just attain a certain outcome.

that is good to know. Sure the hatcheries have done that for us, but there is a lot to be said for perfecting your own flock and not buying new birds every 2 years. For some of us, myself included that would be much more rewarding than just running to the local feed store and ordering chicks every year or 2. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Thanks. 2 helpful posts!

 

[al6517]

Quote:


I hear you............. but I think Bee is surely a much better choice to get that certain advice from, she raises hers to go through a nuclear war and still lay an egg a day for 30 yrs before they have had enough. Bee's goal is to be sitting at the last supper when the end of the world is in sight and be eating the last fresh chicken on earth, caught up from out back and cooked up finer than a Sundeey pullet. Yup that's Bee's flock, we should actualy name her line of birds for her, maybe a contest LOL.

 

[stonykill]

I hear you............. but I think Bee is surely a much better choice to get that certain advice from, she raises hers to go through a nuclear war and still lay an egg a day for 30 yrs before they have had enough. Bee's goal is to be sitting at the last supper when the end of the world is in sight and be eating the last fresh chicken on earth, caught up from out back and cooked up finer than a Sundeey pullet. Yup that's Bee's flock, we should actualy name her line of birds for her, maybe a contest LOL.

and that is what I want. Birds like Bee's birds. Healthy and good laying I have. Some are older girls and still laying well. But of course one always wants to improve.

Beeckens.That is what I want.....lol