Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Yellow House Farm]

Read through this thread and really enjoyed it. In particular Bob's posts have really changed the way I want to approach breeding my flock once I get things settled. Which brings me to the advice I seek. I am having a terrible time finding a good source of the breed(s) I'm looking for so I'm wondering what my best option is: Option A: be more patient and keep looking even if it means a couple years before I get started. Option B: Pick different breeds that are more readily available. Option C: resort to hatchery stock, order 100-200 chicks, cull them down to 8-10 (if i could even find that many not horrible) adults to start my line.

There are some amazing Langshans in the Northeast. The display at the Northeastern Poultry Congress this last January was truly stunning. If your inclination is to them, they and the White Faced Black Spanish are truly in need of patrons. That would be an excellent program. I believe there's a Langshan club which might have a breeders directory. This link should work.

I, too, have found it at tims difficult to limit, but finally have taken the total plunge. Our geese are gone, and we only have one remaining pair of Black Muscovies to sell off. It's a bit crazy; the drake won Super Grand Champion of the Show for the New Hampshire Poultry Fanciers last fall. Nevertheless, I am truly looking forward to using the expanse of our facilities for two breeds. We keep White Dorkings and Rose Comb Anconas. With this reduction we have an infrastructure to really suit the needs of an expansive program. I do think, though, that I'm going to build a lean-to off one of the sheds for a fattening pen. It's been a relief to be at only two; it allows so much freedom of thought.

 

[BGMatt]

I know the Midwest and northeast have always had decent showings of them (Langshans). Been a while since I've seen any significant numbers of then out here in the NW. I will have then and the Spanish eventually. It looks like one of my Chantecler leads might pan out so that's a positive. I can support 3 breeds at 4 breeding pens each, plus the grow out and "show" pens.

I wish I would have known in my teens what I feel now about certain breeds and birds and lines I had the opportunity to do something with but was more interested in variety and show competition than preserving anything and long term impact in a breed and limiting myself to a few breeds. Thankfully im blessed with a large area for poultry that can easily be expanded, but I can't imagine trying to seriously breed more than 3 breeds anymore, I could see a single pen of just flock bred randomness or something, but not full on breeding projects ya know? By the way Yellow, you Dorkings look gorgeous in the photos and glad to see and read that they're functional as well. I think the last time I saw any large fowl dorkings that weren't hatchery stock was the time I went back to Columbus for the joint national in...uhhh 98? 01? Something like that anyway. The memory is not good apparently.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

That sounds like an awesome set up. I think four pens is a very comfortable number. We, too, have been working out of four pens. I have a breeder and judge friend who swears by four coops.

Ahhh...youth...YEAH!

Look at this way--now you know, and you really know.

 

[BGMatt]

Got the four pen setup idea from a post Bob made in this thread. I will be running my breeding program according to that, think it was called rotational breeding? Never tried it before and it may take more infrastructure but it will make record keeping much easier and genetic diversity which is important for these rare breeds while allowing for improvement. (Also should help keep chicken math in check, and promote selling birds and keeping freezers full)

Edit: how large are your breeding pens? I was thinking 8'x6' should be large enough for breeding pens for a trio to quad per pen? (This is for breeding purposes only, doesn't include shared runs or free range)

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Got the four pen setup idea from a post Bob made in this thread. I will be running my breeding program according to that, think it was called rotational breeding? Never tried it before and it may take more infrastructure but it will make record keeping much easier and genetic diversity which is important for these rare breeds while allowing for improvement. (Also should help keep chicken math in check, and promote selling birds and keeping freezers full)

Edit: how large are your breeding pens? I was thinking 8'x6' should be large enough for breeding pens for a trio to quad per pen? (This is for breeding purposes only, doesn't include shared runs or free range)

That's tons of space, more really than needed, especially if outdoor access into runs is available. 8x6 is 48 sq'. That's room for a lot of birds, dividing that into two 4x6 would better IMO.

We have one house with eight 4x6 pens, each with a run, that is very useful.

 

[BGMatt]

Glad to hear that I was worried it wouldn't be enough, I wanted 8'x8' but trying to fit the breeding pens into an already fenced part of the yard and it was either three pens 8x8 (which doesn't work with breeding plan) or four pens 6x8, do I chose that one. I plan on making the interior runs removable so maybe during hatching season I can go with four 4x6 pens and use the rest of the structure for growing out. Kinda hijacking this thread and didn't mean to. I will probably make a thread in coop forum chronicling the building of new breeding pens and remodel of "the cage" which is a 16x24 former turkey run that will turn into grow out pens and show barn.

 

[3riverschick]

does anyone know if there is a blackhead issue with the future poultry runs being former turkey runs?
karen

 

[neopolitancrazy]

does anyone know if there is a blackhead issue with the future poultry runs being former turkey runs?
karen

I thought it was the other way around, turkeys catch blackhead from chickens, not turkeys give blackhead to chickens.

 

[7961]

BGMATT: Since you are exploring heritage breed fowl, you may be interested in a wonderful thread that I highly encourage you checking into, the Heritage Large Fowl Thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/heritage-large-fowl-thread
Good luck

 

[Yellow House Farm]

does anyone know if there is a blackhead issue with the future poultry runs being former turkey runs?
Karen

Nope, it's the other way around. Chickens an be carriers, but they rarely succumb. Turkeys on old chicken land, though, can be contaminated, both by extant droppings and by the earthworms in the droppings. The usual recommendation is a two year rest. I'm not always so good at following all the rules....