Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[spartacus_63]

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It has been my experience that if the word "heritage" is in the subject, the thread will wander and the SOP will come up. I also think this is ok as long as it remains productive and somewhat on point.

As for my flock, it is varied and this is somewhat on design. I have multiple breeds in the yard but that has nothing to do with how I breed. All I ask of my birds is that they lay eggs or hatch them. Only my two primary breeds are involved in breeding. It's kinda like Richard Petty having Fords and Chevys in his garage next to his Dodge, but he only raced the Dodge.

I also do not limit my resources to just one task. I am able to run multiple breeding cycles per year by breed. I have specific goals when I breed and I do not cull pullets until maturity. So far my primary breed is improving along my goals and my secondary breed is developing much better than I anticipated. I am still early in the process and all of my success could be luck. Only time will tell, but I am meeting my goals and that is what a homestead flock is all about in MHO.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

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Punky this is first post. Yellowhouse Farm started this thread. Just refreshing everyone on topic.

Which reminds me of a question. Does anyone harvest feathers to sell? Where I live we have alot of craft stores as well as fly fishermen. I have seen feathers for sell for both here. Personally I am planning on doing it for a couple of local craft stores when I get my numbers back up.

Funny you should ask that. I was just looking at all the feathers in my run today wondering if there would be a market for them or if I could sell flies if I learned to tie them. I'm going to look into it, could be fun.

 

[punky rooster]

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Just a question, how do are you going to build your reputation? you got your birds from Mcmurry right, why can't customers go there too? They would probably get birds that look and produce similar to your birds right? What would make costumers say, WOW, look at those birds sparticus has! and they lay over 250 eggs a year! I want some!

I think the standard kind of sets them apart gives you a goal to reach. Now if you want to breed to the standard and for production, then, that would give you a even tougher job, but, I bet it would pay off. If you can accomplish that then you would have a superb line. Just Imagine if there was a standard bred line that produced equally as well as your birds, I think many people would jump all over that. And that is my goal.

I know the standard is not for everyone, and most people only want egg layers or meat birds and they get them from a hatchery. most people don't want to take the time or don't have the space, I get that. That is fine I have nothing against that 2 years ago thats all I had and I was happy. Now, I want to save my breeds and I think the most effective way to do it; is to breed to the standard
JMHO, thanks for listening
PR

 

[Jared77]

I appreciate all the cold weather info. There is too much coddling on these forums for what I want. I keep chickens and but I've never wintered a bird over. I raise meat hybrids that have a living "expiration date" on them so wintering them isn't in the cards. We do want to make the transition over to a true dual purpose flock but having never wintered birds I was worried about frostbite. I'm guilty of it, but I do appreciate all the info that was posted. It clears up a lot and gives me a lot more confidence when I look at SC breeds that I think would fit our needs vs having to limit ourselves to a RC breed.

One of the questions I do have though is regarding the homesteader and heritage birds. If the homesteader is focused on having birds that fit their needs is that more of a landrace approach vs breeding to a standard? They have their own standard in mind. They want a bird to be ____ size by ____ time. Lay around ____ number of ____ sized eggs and be _____ broody and able to withstand _____ conditions and be a strong free ranged bird. They look at the SOP to find a breed that gets them close to what they want. After that they focus on their own goals which is what Id expect from a homesteader. Maybe they push the production from their hens because they sell the excess eggs. Maybe their birds are a pound or 2 over the standard because they eat all their birds.

So what if they are closer than the hatchery birds of the same breed not as close to the standard to the birds you'll find benched at a show? If it suits the needs of the homesteader and they are breeding true then who are you to get down on them for not breeding to the SOP? Im sure the bird they are producing will be closer to the SOP because their needs are closer to the SOP. But Id put my own needs ahead of the SOP if it ever became a question. But then I don't show birds anymore. (For the record I never showed poultry. Canaires, and finches yes, but never fowl)

 

[WallTenters]

From what I've told... it's exactly that thinking that has made many heritage breeds extinct or obsolete. Eventually, you're breeding something that doesn't match the breed at all because it's much bigger or lays better - you lose other qualities of the breed. Look at what happened to RIRs with the "production reds", look at what happened to Dominiques with the Dom/BR crosses that got passed off as Dominiques. They were larger, had bigger eggs, etc... it ruined the breed and made it go almost extinct.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

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I really like the part in bold, that really is what a homesteader is looking at when it all boils down and the SOP is the easiest way to compare birds and hopefully find something that fits your needs and your eye. I know some people don't care what they look like as long as they produce but most people want something pleasing to the eye too.

As for them not being up to the standard of birds benched for a show, some people simply aren't interested in showing and that's fine. Some might like to put them in the local show but not do serious showing. SOP is still a handy guide. I want my birds to be obviously recognizable as the breed they are. I also plan to use the ALBC selection criteria. I want to get my birds up to the standard weights because they will also be better on my plate. I also want a good number of eggs for eating and hatching. No good to me having the perfect show bird if it only lays 60 eggs a year like some strains.

I know though my birds aren't stunning examples of their breed some of them will be scrubbed up and taken to the local shows. Why? Because many of our local shows have stated that without support the poultry sections will close. Some have even opened classes for pet/cross bred/sexlink birds just so they can have something on display in the poultry area. Many people have never seen rare breeds so I will take some along to support the shows and to show the public there are options out there. Who knows, maybe someone will see them and fall in love. I think many people these days simply don't know there are so many beautiful and practical options for their farm. They just buy sexlinks because they are delivered to the local feedstore. (We don't have hatchery pure breeds delivered like you do in the US.)

I hope as the years go by my birds will not only improve in production but be closer to the SOP. It is after all the Standard Of Perfection. I want useful farm birds that can also be cleaned up and go to shows as good examples of their breed.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Here's my biggest gripe with "breeding to standard" and the could interfere with both breeding to standard and having the ultimate heritage homestead bird: Plumage Color/Pattern.

Breeding to size/body shape and even being sure things like skin color and comb type are on target are all things that will make a good utility homestead breed. But if you're culling your best layer because her lacing/barring/color is not the best, there's something wrong. If you're culling your meatiest rooster because he has an extra point on his comb or his tail is too dark, something's wrong.

Obviously, this makes the non-patterned birds much easier to breed to standard for homestead use. I think also having to take into account difficulties involved in some plumage patterns could be a distraction from the primary goal. I suppose this could be dealt with in one of two ways: Either pick a breed where it's not a concern, or just focus on breeding the best bird you can and let the paint job come out as it may.

I guess that's my biggest gripe.

I'm done now.

 

[punky rooster]

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x2, That happend to a lot of breeds

 

[punky rooster]

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Well, its a challenge, single color birds will be easier to breed. party colored birds will be more of a challenge, I think it will be fun challenge!
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it depands, Are those birds good examples of the breed?

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

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Well, maybe the problem is the standard itself. Why should a breed not be offered the opportunity to evolve and change as we, hopefully, get better at breeding? I do understand holding onto traits that are hallmarks of the breed. But if holding onto those traits prevents developing the breed into the most useful bird it can be...perhaps its fate really is the way of the Dodo.

Standards are written as a snap shot at one point in time for what a breed is at that moment. I believe frequent evaluation of the standard and possibly changes would be a good thing. Without that, eventually, birds become very consistent and judges begin to reward the "exceptional" such as a large crest or fancy over-exaggeration in desirable type traits, and eventually these things are detrimental to the utility function of the breed because, in order to win, everyone wants bigger, floofier crests to the point the birds can't see to eat or defend themselves from predator attacks, etc.

This is one fear I have with the Houdan, and a reason I'm actually not too afraid of the hatchery birds, IF i can find some that aren't too small.