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

[Beekissed]

Fred, here's the pic of that flat tailed(just growing out from molt in this pic), poor shaped hen that will be a definite cull. I don't know if you can see the wry tail in this pic but this is the weirdest hen I've ever seen in one of my flocks...truly odd shaped. She waddles when she walks. Her tail feathers are grown out right now and they don't peak like a hen but lay flat across, much like a turkey tail.




Her tail is grown out a little more in this pic three weeks later but still very weird growth pattern. Her wings aren't pinned up tight to the body and often you can see them in an almost angel wing position. Her body has no real definition but really resembles a ball with a tiny head on it. This is about the worst looking hen I've ever seen as far as body type goes.

 

[bruceh]

this is great reading. this was passed on to me from a member. http://albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/chickens.html#chicken. the first 3 chapters are the answers for what to look for when selecting birds.

 

[aussie pete]

good info thanks bruce

 

[Kansas Prairie]

OT's I need some help!

I remember reading a wise OT's list of how to tell what is killing chickens by the evidence left behind. I've searched and searched and can't find it.

 

[stonykill]

OT's I need some help!

I remember reading a wise OT's list of how to tell what is killing chickens by the evidence left behind. I've searched and searched and can't find it.

I don't recall the list but you are correct. I'm sure someone has the list. If not I'll chime in later with thoughts when I return home for the day

 

[thedragonlady]

A question for Fred and dragonlady, you both mentioned that your lines are good layers, how many eggs a week or per year do your pullets/hens lay on average in these 2 heritage varieties?

This stems from my curiosity as I build a flock and I would guess others that subscribe here that are raising birds for egg production. I know Fred's thinking on birds for production purposes, but am curious as to what a "good" layer in a true heritage line will do

Bee, thanks for letting the thread lean to these fine heritage breeds for a bit

Dan

My SOP Buff Orps will start laying at 6 months. They will lay an egg a day, pretty much for about 6 months. Some will try to go broody about then, but a couple of days in a show coop will change their minds, and they resume laying in a few days. The English Orps are not as heavy layers. They try to go broody more often, so I cull those birds without a proper work ethic. The English birds have added size, width, and the deep keel that provides more meat. They are also very good mothers if you let them hatch chicks. There are a lot of warm petticoats for chicks to get under, but those chicks are rarely under mom, as they have such heavy down. The English chicks require much less heat to thrive.

One caveat : These big Orps do not fly well once they are past 4 months old.I can divide mine up using a 2 foot fence. This is either a pro, or a con, depending on your set up.They are good foragers, and have plenty of sense about predators, but you need to have cover for them to hide under.

 

[smilot]

I am in south central FL so we have the lizards everywhere. My RIR is like the lizard and bee hunter she likes to live on the edge I guess...lol It's kinda neat how she breaks all the little bones in the lizard up until there mushy and then gobbles them down. The bee's she grabs out of the air throws them on the ground and only eat the heads. She eats the heads off butterflies too. Gotta appreciate a little sardonicism on the farm...lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

A question for Fred and dragonlady, you both mentioned that your lines are good layers, how many eggs a week or per year do your pullets/hens lay on average in these 2 heritage varieties?

This stems from my curiosity as I build a flock and I would guess others that subscribe here that are raising birds for egg production. I know Fred's thinking on birds for production purposes, but am curious as to what a "good" layer in a true heritage line will do

Bee, thanks for letting the thread lean to these fine heritage breeds for a bit

Dan

Bob Blosl, who I consider to be as knowledgeable about the Reds as anyone on the planet, says his Mohawk heritage RIR lines were 180 eggs per year birds. They dominate the show world and seem to be what people want in show RIR and who can argue with that? I can't, so I won't. That said, there are other heritage lines that may never likely beat those Mohawks or Bennet birds at the shows but are well known to lay 220-240 eggs per year. Depends on what you're going for I guess. To make the RIR a 250+ egg layer, folks "cheated" 6 or 7 decades ago and mixed in brown leghorn. The "production" strains have been around a very long time.

On the Barred Rocks, I'll tell you in a year. My guess? 220 eggs per pullet year. I'd be very happy with that and frankly, disappointed in 180. I'd be thrilled with White Rocks that lay 240 and will work on that next year, perhaps. That's a goal for 2013.

Since the tight, dizzying, zebra stripes of the true bred Barred Rocks require a slow process of stop and start feathering, thus giving them that look, there's no way you gonna make a 280+ egg layer out of a true, heritage, Barred Rock. Some things will get compromised.

Which is why I breed healthy, 300 egg type, productive, utility stock on one hand and heritage fowl on the other. I enjoy both. The just aren't the same. Hope that helps.

 

[thedragonlady]

I was told she's around 2 years old, but I was also told she was a lavender! Lol. Can you elaborate on the faults you mentioned? I don't know what either of those things mean. It doesn't really matter with her, I won't be hatching her eggs. But I'd like to know faults to look for with other hens if I ever do decide to hatch from my own stock. I plan to get better stock before I get into that. I don't even know if she's laying, but she's probably on the freezer list anyway.

There is a vast difference between a hatchery Orp, and a SOP Orp. The hatchery birds are tiny compared to the SOP birds. If this bird is 2 years old, try weighing her. If she were a SOP Orp., she should weigh 8 lbs.

The stubbs ( feathers) on her legs and feet are a throwback , probably to the Cochin blood that was used. Orps are supposed to be clean legged. The side sprigs are merely a blemish, but a disqualifiable one, that is inherited. Orps should have a 5 point single comb.

A lavender is really a self blue bird. That means that the whole bird is an even shade of light blue. This bird is a true blue, with lacing , and a darker hackle.

 

[Fred's Hens]

this is great reading. this was passed on to me from a member. http://albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/chickens.html#chicken. the first 3 chapters are the answers for what to look for when selecting birds.

Good, easy reading. Most of the guidance has been discussed here by all of us. But there was one statement that jumped out at me. "When raising a bunch of cockerels, make note of the one that simply grows faster than the rest". Yup. Unless that top dog, fast growing, cockerel has sober faults you just cannot live with, that is a good piece of advice. That boy has vigor! He's obviously got fast growing genes. Likely, he's got a gut system that processes feed better and turns it into muscle and skeletal growth. Same with the pullets. Make note of the runts. Do not breed them, unless for some reason, you need to pull your birds back down in size for some reason. Vigor and feed conversion can be and should be noted by the flock keeper. Breed for it, especially in your utility flock ventures.