Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Yellow House Farm]

Yeah, I realize I've gone into the deep end here with the Malines. It just sounded like the perfect breed for us for the meat. These are 11-13 lb birds. The fat is spread throughout the muscle, not just over top of it. Perfect for free range. There are few faults in my eyes about this breed, if they are everything the breeders say about them. I believe if they can be brought back from near extinction, they would be very popular. I just learned that another man who had bought a trio of them back in December, has found another flock. I will contact Bart & get his recommendations. Thanks to everyone for your timely responses!

'
Well, if they work for you over time, that's great. Otherwise, you could do an awesome job with some Jersey Giants. You can enjoy them in more spheres, and they're definitely in need of champions who are willing to raise them in number for meat purposes.

 

[BGMatt]

'
Well, if they work for you over time, that's great.  Otherwise, you could do an awesome job with some Jersey Giants.  You can enjoy them in more spheres, and they're definitely in need of champions who are willing to raise them in number for meat purposes. 

Brahmas also fall in same size range and need breeders in all 3 colors of large fowl if y'all decide to move to a recognized breed. This hobby in the end is about enjoying what we do and what we have though. (Are Jersey Giants scarce back east? Can't swing a cat without hitting at least decent ones here in the PNW)

 

[Shellz]

I've heard from Bart & he's going to help me plan my flock & future breedings! He has a group of others also helping to bring the Malines' numbers up. We are very optimistic for the future of this breed!

 

[NanaKat]

• 
  Shellz, congrats on your Malines. Importing the breed to the US is somewhat cost prohibitive at this time . I communicated at length with Bart and found him very helpful. His black and white single combed Malines are gorgeous but I really prefer the Golden Cuckoo Malines with the pea comb (turkey-headed) variety. Bart knows breeders in Canada for them as well. One of the problems Bart and I discussed was the large eggs are hard to incubate for the second generation. A dry hatch and watching the air space during incubation improves the percentage of egg hatch. Please keep us updated on your birds and their progress. I started a thread on the Belgian Malines this past year but there are a few breeders in Canada and Flanders and so far no one in the States.

 

[Shellz]

Thanks, NanaKat! I totally understand how costly it can be to export outside the country, even as close to the U.S. As its early days yet, I can still think about the breed's popularity increasing in time. As Malines become more available, I'm sure more folks will take to breeding them.

The turkey-head variety wasn't my first choice, but I understand their appeal to others. I'm glad they are around here being bred - all the Malines need a lot of support! They share all the great qualities that the single comb variety has.

Interesting about the dry hatch on 2nd generation. I will make a note of that. Thanks for the tip! I will update as things develop.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Brahmas also fall in same size range and need breeders in all 3 colors of large fowl if y'all decide to move to a recognized breed. This hobby in the end is about enjoying what we do and what we have though. (Are Jersey Giants scarce back east? Can't swing a cat without hitting at least decent ones here in the PNW)

Good call. Good Brahmas are treat and not common around here. Ye, good Jersey Giants don't really exist here. Sometimes someone shows up with hatchery stock, which kind of resembles oversized Australorps, but the exhibition Australorps dwarf them...which is a whole different conversation about the SOP quality of an Australorp being that big...

 

[Robert Blosl]

I got a personnel message a few days ago that made me think a little about what many on this web site would like to do with rare breeds.

First of all a majority of these people have very little Poultry Husbandry skills to begin with. Some never used a incubator before but have purchased baby chicks from feed stores or had chicks delivered to their post office by a hatchery. However, that is a positive thing as they at least have maybe three years experience raising chicks and have gone through a majority of the head aches we all have to learn with.

First of all I have been breeding this time for twenty two years and I would not want to take on some of these breeds you all want to have because I think the pictures of the birds that you see in the catalogs. Many of these pictures are the same pictures in the Colored APA Standard of perfection so what you see in that picture is what you will get in the book when you buy it. Then the WORDS in the standard.

You read it then you have me on your right and a APA judge on your left we look at the birds that you have raised to ten months old and we say to ourselves we got a lot of work to do. In fact when you consider a blue bird most of them are so few and far between their are not many breeders. WHY. They are so far down in quality it would take ten years and ten thousand dollars of feed to get to the level of some of the more modern breeds. People just don't have the money to do it.

They are Blue so you are getting four different colors most of the time. They don't breed true. In the history of Poultry The Blue Andalusia s breeders the top ten in the last one hindered years where most likely the best breeders in breeding. WHY because it takes a master breeder to understand the color and the double mating that it takes to get good females and males. So here we have a rookie chicken person who does not know how to hatch a egg and wants to take on the most difficult color pattern in the world.

Do you see why I don't get excited about working with these color patterns. I have tried to help people wit Columbian Plymouth Rocks and having pretty good success. The Silver Penciled and Partridge are run down and we are not getting very far. Some strains that are good have bantam blood in them and they are small because of it.

In Conclusion: If you want a rare off the wall breed of chicken, you do not plan to show them you can get a standard of perfection or you don't have to. The odds of you being a provider to others in twenty years with good birds that they can show or say are above average are slim to none.

Sounds bleak doesn't it. That is why we have such a hard time finding any of these rare breeds. The feed store chicks that have the title of these breeds are not breed to a standard and if judged under the old time scoring system by points would not score 90 points. Most of them would be disqualified.

So if I was a Homesteader I would not get to excited about all these rare breeds and saying you will preserve the old breed for future generation. It would take a group of ten people with one leader to maybe ten years to get a breed to be improved. The Buckeye people did this ten years ago. It can be done. But its is a very hard mission to do buy yourself. In the twenty years of helping people with chickens I don't know one person who has taken a rare breed and improved them other than the buckeyes. One master breeder did it with Capines in New York. There are some great White Dorkings being breed in New England buy Joseph. But that is about the sum of it.

Get your chicks from who you can. Raise them, Study them and enjoy them. Don't try to go into fancy Line Breeding methods with these breeds. Most of them have been cross breed to try to make the breed. The vigor is there for twenty years of breeding because of this.

Well I will get off my soap box. I will send my new friend who wrote me sent this message and then he can do what every he wants to go.

In the Hobby of Rare Heritage or Standard Breed Chickens you can count the number of master breeders of a breed on one hand. All of these people show their birds. I don't know one person who has a great flock of fowl and does not show or say they don't own a Standard of Perfection. Nuf Said.

If you see mistakes on this message I am going to the eye doctor to get a new pair of glasses. I lost my old pair fishing so I am in big trouble.

 

[Sonia]

I got a personnel message a few days ago that made me think a little about what many on this web site would like to do with rare breeds.

First of all a majority of these people have very little Poultry Husbandry skills to begin with. Some never used a incubator before but have purchased baby chicks from feed stores or had chicks delivered to their post office by a hatchery. However, that is a positive thing as they at least have maybe three years experience raising chicks and have gone through a majority of the head aches  we all have to learn with.

First of all I have been breeding this time for twenty two years and I would not want to take on some of these breeds you all want to have because I think the pictures of the birds that you see in the catalogs. Many of these pictures are the same pictures in the Colored APA Standard of perfection so what you see in that picture is what you will get in the book when you buy it. Then the WORDS in the standard.

You read it then you have me on your right and a APA judge on your left we look at the birds that you have raised to ten months old and we say to ourselves we got a lot of work to do. In fact when you consider a blue bird most of them are so few and far between their are not many breeders. WHY. They are so far down in quality it would take ten years and ten thousand dollars of feed to get to the level of some of the more modern breeds. People just don't have the money to do it.

They are Blue so you are getting four different colors most of the time. They don't breed true. In the history of Poultry The Blue Andalusia s breeders the top ten in the last one hindered years where most likely the best breeders in breeding. WHY because it takes a master breeder to understand the color and the double mating that it takes to get good females and males. So here we have a rookie chicken person who does not know how to hatch a egg and wants to take on the most difficult color pattern in the world.

Do you see why I don't get excited about working with these color patterns. I have tried to help people wit Columbian Plymouth Rocks and having pretty good success. The Silver Penciled and Partridge are run down and we are not getting very far. Some strains that are good have bantam blood in them and they are small because of it.

In Conclusion: If you want a rare off the wall breed of chicken, you do not plan to show them you can get a standard of perfection or you don't have to. The odds of you being a provider to others in twenty years with good birds that they can show or say are above average are slim to none.

Sounds bleak doesn't it. That is why we have such a hard time finding any of these rare breeds. The feed store chicks that have the title of these breeds are not breed to a standard and if judged under the old time scoring system by points would not score 90 points. Most of them would be disqualified.

So if I was a Homesteader I would not get to excited about all these rare breeds and saying you will preserve the old breed for future generation. It would take a group of ten people with one leader to maybe ten years to get a breed to be improved. The Buckeye people did this ten years ago. It can be done. But its is a very hard mission to do buy yourself. In the twenty years of helping people with chickens I don't know one person who has taken a rare breed and improved them  other than the buckeyes. One master breeder did it with Capines in New York. There are some great White Dorkings being breed in New England buy Joseph. But that is about the sum of it.

Get your chicks from who you can. Raise them, Study them and enjoy them. Don't try to go into fancy Line Breeding methods with these breeds. Most of them have been cross breed to try to make the breed. The vigor is there for twenty years of breeding because of this.

Well I will get off my soap box. I will send my new friend who wrote me sent  this message and then he can do what every he wants to go.

In the Hobby of Rare Heritage or Standard Breed
Chickens you can count the number of master breeders of a breed on one hand. All of these people show their birds. I don't know one person who has a great flock of fowl and does not show or say they don't own a Standard of Perfection. Nuf Said.

If you see mistakes on this message I am going to the eye doctor to get a new pair of glasses. I lost my old pair fishing so I am in big trouble.

I am one of those going with the blues simply because I like the way they look. I chose breeds for utility but why should I not at least have something I actually want to look at too? I don't ever plan to show or be a provider to others but who knows what might happen in the future? I may never be a master breeder but I can at least try to breed my own birds closer to the SOP.

 

[Shellz]

I get your rant Mr. Blosl, and although I'm not a total newb at this, your reasoning sounds fair. I'm not getting any younger & I would just enjoy the opportunity to be able to contribute SOMETHING to this remarkable breed. I figure once I have tasted a few, I can make my final judgment whether to continue on with this lofty project. Our needs are simple, a meat bird that can forage for most of its own feed & be sustainable. The Malines had been bred for this (ok, so they can be clumsy broodies - nothing a good incubator can't fix) - they are very meaty looking birds in real life! I know there are a lot of LF breeds out there, but I have crossed them off my list for one reason or another. Time will tell how this all turns out.

 

[chiques chicks]

Isn't it legal to transport a dozen "eating" eggs from Canada when visiting?

Eta. Just checked, looks like the answer is no.