Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[WallTenters]

Dominique LF may fit your needs perfectly.

They're small as far as LF go - and aren't nearly as poofy looking as most of the American Class, so even if you had a 7lb Dominique and a 7lb Rock, the Dom would still be a smaller bird. They have done really well for us this last winter - and we had -30F in the morning several times, and the hens kept on laying and the boys kept on growing. We've had zero issues with frostbite, and it gets really really cold with the wind chill - we get tons of wind on the high desert.

And, if you have any room at all for them to forage - they will. I haven't seen enough Dominique bantams to really tell you otherwise, but the ones I have seen didn't look any smaller than any of the other bantams I've seen.

If you do decide to go with Dominiques, there are a few good breeders that ship chicks. They are for sure the way to go instead of hatchery - the hatchery birds are for the most part nothing like Dominiques should be. I know that one hatchery has Mark Fields's line of bantams, but I have no clue if they've kept it up. Again, sorry I don't follow the Dominique bantams. If you do decide to go with them, there was one guy showing them in Stockton this year - I could get you his contact info and he may have better information than I.

 

[kathyinmo]

If you are interested in Heritage Barred Rocks, I have started an auction for hatching eggs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5744073#p5744073

 

[WallTenters]

Nice rocks

I love the photos on your page of them in the woods - they really look at home there!

Also.. Kathy, I think the link you posted about Mr Thompson is really relative to this whole debate... If we all bred as he did, our heritage birds would prosper. He bred to standard but also bred for vigor and all the homestead traits a good flock should have.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Mike nice to talk to you on the phone again today. You saw the pictures of the different style of reds. For your needs of high egg laying birds and not wanting to breed them to the standard I think you need to do what one of the persons who writes on this thread has done and get you 25 or 50 chicks from Murry McMurry. You will be happy with them as they lay tons of eggs. If you want meat birds get you some of the rock cornish crosses and harvest them when they are about four months old. Glad you see the difference in the two styles of reds and you want to go the commerical route which is fine with me. bob

 

[Stevenson]

Great thread. I finally have been able to read through it all!

 

[buffalogal]

Great pumpkin, Stevenson.

 

[Stevenson]

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Thanks. Don't really grow them anymore...my focus has shifted to growing things I can eat (heirloom tomatoes, peppers, etc.....and now chickens!)

 

[buffalogal]

Chickens eat pumpkins too. Just crack 'em open and they'll pick the shells clean. Of course, when the pumpkin is the size of Cinderella's coach, it might take a while, but they'll get it finished off eventually. I've been thinking of planting pumpkins this year just to feed my chickens and goats; and suggestions for varieties, or special tips for getting them large/ (Not huge,so much as big; unless we park it in the garage, I'm not sure where we would keep a squash that's as big as a car until we're ready to feed it out.

 

[Stevenson]

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Do you have any pictures of this Bob? I am very interested in seeing how it was constructed.

 

[Stevenson]

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Sending you a PM. Don't want to get too far off topic