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

[NikkiMiChickie]

Thanks Fred, that was a great lesson! I think I've been focused too much on DP birds too and do not yet have the eye to pick up certain traits just from snapshots like Bee did. But I'm working on it.

I feel like that was one of the lessons learned today. We have to keep in mind the purpose of the flock. An egg laying breed is never going to provide much meat, so looking for it is meaningless. A CX on the other hand, could not be judged by its ability to lay a perfectly shaped large egg 7 days a week. A DP bird should have some combination of the two. Knowing the purpose of the bird or the flock-keepers ultimate goal for his/her flock is first and foremost in judging a bird.

 

[Fred's Hens]

If Bird #1 were a dual purpose, would you really keep her? Sure, she has pretty legs and gorgeous feathering, but why does she? Cause she's a dud.

You couldn't breed her, cause she doesn't lay. She wouldn't breed true anyhow. If she were a DP, you could at least make a half way decent broth stock and pulled meat out of her. But she isn't breeding stock, she's not a Dual Purpose fowl. She's a layer that doesn't lay. Now, if she were your "pet"? I don't have an answer for you. Go ahead and feed her and pet her, I guess. We're a farm. We don't do that sort of thing here.

Bird #2. If you voted to cull her? You just culled my best layer. She cranks out a huge, brown egg, everyday. I mean EVERYDAY. None of this supposed "good layer" nonsense. That is why she has no leg color, it's all in the yolks. That's why her feathering is more ragged lookin'. She's far too busy laying to primp in front of the mirror. She's a workhorse, not a show pony. She'll meet her 330+ egg pullet year.? Yup, Bee is spot on. She's gonna burn out. Absolutely, as sure as God made little green apples.

Do not keep commercial red sex links for pets or for long life companions. LOL They're gonna drive you to post those famous tear soaked, drama filled threads we see so often. If you cannot accept what these RSLs truly are, in 90% of the hatchery cases, for goodness sake. Do not order them. I don't care how cute the name the hatcheries come up with to label them.

 

[Beekissed]

When you are looking at different breeds or strains, different birds for different purposes, don't get all locked into pre-conceived personal preferences.

I keep Heritage Large Fowl, Dual Purpose Utilities and the ISAs, dedicated Layer and nothing else. THAT is a very wide spectrum. Dial your eyes to what is actually in front of you, not what you have at home, etc. OK? Hope I said that gently.

Add to that, all the different birds, hundreds of breeds and types from the bantams to the exotics, from Dual Purpose traditional fowl to ducks and geese.

Hope this give you a REAL appreciation for Walt's life experience and how hard he works on his craft, both as a breeder, but particularly as a judge.

This one's me. We kept leghorns and RIR when I was growing up and it was all about the eggs but we had the occasional DP breed that somehow got in the mix now and again and I found myself really liking their ways. They went broody when the layer didn't and would bring chicks in from the woods all sweet and little. To a little girl, that was just magic!

Grandma had the same mix...primarily layers but she also had the DP breeds that she would breed a leghorn rooster over to get a cross. I loved her DPs also.

I still got layers over the years to see me through the slow times but I started more and more moving towards the DPs who were exceptional layers and centered down into that slot.

Now? My eye is always on a DP level, sad to say, and I retained very little of the eye for layer builds. Sorry, Fred.

 

[Pozees]

When you are looking at different breeds or strains, different birds for different purposes, don't get all locked into pre-conceived personal preferences.

I keep Heritage Large Fowl, Dual Purpose Utilities and the ISAs, dedicated Layer and nothing else. THAT is a very wide spectrum. Dial your eyes to what is actually in front of you, not what you have at home, etc. OK? Hope I said that gently.

Add to that, all the different birds, hundreds of breeds and types from the bantams to the exotics, from Dual Purpose traditional fowl to ducks and geese.

Hope this give you a REAL appreciation for Walt's life experience and how hard he works on his craft, both as a breeder, but particularly as a judge.

MOST definitely!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Thanks, Fred for the quiz, and for all the information! I have learned so much from this.
Thank you for taking the time.

Edited to include: My Mother used to say "The rattiest hen always lays the most eggs". She was obviously on to something.
Even my curviest DP BAs are not sitting on the roost at mid-morning!

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
This is my slip showing when I said she wouldn't be exceptional. My perception of exceptional has changed over the years to include longevity of lay along with exceptional lay. Now, to me, exceptional is laying every day clear up to mid-winter and letting things slide a little between Dec. and Feb. but back up on the horse by the end of Feb.~and doing this for year after year. This is a rare thing and, to me, is the blue ribbon of chickens.

For this breed~which I failed to consider~longevity is not in the contract. That was my blind spot.

 

[champer]

I never considered leg color and I couldn't see the difference in feather condition. Thanks for an interesting lesson!

 

[galefrances]

Pretty cool. Thanks Fred.

 

[aart]

Hmm so it was all about the color of legs and combs, bright combs and darker legs are better than dull combs and bright legs. Interesting, thanks!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I never considered leg color and I couldn't see the difference in feather condition. Thanks for an interesting lesson!

Yeah, I know. Early on I admitted that without being able to photograph them outside in the sun, feathering would be tough to see. In the sunlight? WOW!!!! Another reason you cannot really judge fowl off of my crummy photography posted on here. Ditto, though, for almost everyone else who posts here.

That said, the neck (too thick) the body, (too full for a layer) the legs (far too yellow and thick for a layer) were plenty enough though.