Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[capayvalleychick]

Still waiting to hear from a couple of the leads I have out but I'm sure I'll be able to find my breeds eventually, if you guys are anything to go by it's certainly worth it, and impatience of youth was what led to short tenures with breeds in the past.

You might ask Walt Leonard aka fowlman01 for a lead on the breeds you seek, since he lives, judges and shows here on the west coast.

I know another breeder of Langshans who is just starting out and may appreciate having another breeder with the same line as a team approach. Her name is Debi, she is known as petrock here on BYC.

 

[PetRock]

You might ask Walt Leonard aka fowlman01 for a lead on the breeds you seek, since he lives, judges and shows here on the west coast.

I know another breeder of Langshans who is just starting out and may appreciate having another breeder with the same line as a team approach. Her name is Debi, she is known as petrock here on BYC.

Thank you for the recommendation, Kim!

I remember BGMatt from the Langshan thread. There are not too many of us on there but we do have a few Langshan breeders who have been raising them for years. Dirt Farmer is another beginning breeder who is here in N. CA. He has a good looking black roo that he purchased at the Stockton show from the breeder who won BB and I think BV with his LF black cock. I have serious bird envy when I think of those birds. I am just in the process of getting pens set up to start breeding my birds. If all goes well, I should be hatching chicks by the end of May or first of June.

 

[Arielle]

Sorry I"m a bit behind . . .catching up . . . .

u have to have a different mind set about your birds... I'm not saying that some heritage breeds wont have a meaty carcase but most are way less than CX... so u have to look at it differently they are your birds raised in a healthy environment no growth hormones or antibiotics and processed humanly... that is worth allot more per pound than the nasty CX's u get from the store... so it is still worth it to raise and process your own birds even the small breeds IMHO...
Quote: You are right!! I wasn't clear-- most of the birds I have now are "hatchery" that I bought as egg layers. ANd they do lay well enough. As meat birds they are not even close. I also have ameraucanas and marans--not much more to those either. I do love the taste!! And if I am going to raise these things, I do want the grain bill to shrink considerably, so I would like a bird in the freezer by 6 mo, no over wintering. I'm considering the buckeyes and the NH from Mr Reese--these are my highest on the list.

Quote: I wonder if the wrong chicks were sent. I saw broilers going to the butcher last year and I was amazed at the width in the breast and between the legs. They have kept me thinking ever since.

I find we don't eat as much of our farm raised bird as we did store chicken. The meat is more satisfying. Two grown ups, a 16yo daughter and 8 yo twins will eat a half of a 5lb(dressed out) roasted Basque cockerel at dinner, make sandwiches or chicken salad for lunch from the big portions of the other half, and then soup from the pickins and the bones, skin, neck and feet. So one bird makes part of 3 meals for the 5 of us.

I love the extra chew!! A very differentmeal than the commercial lines. But I have to admit I like them BOTH.




Finally caught up. I've been checking out resources for improving the land. Looking for bulk seed of various types. Including root crops to break up the soil a bit. ANd looking for a pig to help with the tilling. DH has started up his chainsaw again, just girdling the trees destined to come down, but should die off and let more light down to the ground.

Looked at the tiny ponds that fill in the spring. Unfortuantely these dry up by summer. Does anyone have suggestions as to what size will hold water longer and how to design it for safety for the birds? THey sure love running to the small stream-- about 4 inches deep for a sip of run off and the duck take a daily bath!! All input welcome.

 

[BGMatt]

Thank you for the recommendation, Kim!

I remember BGMatt from the Langshan thread. There are not too many of us on there but we do have a few Langshan breeders who have been raising them for years. Dirt Farmer is another beginning breeder who is here in N. CA. He has a good looking black roo that he purchased at the Stockton show from the breeder who won BB and I think BV with his LF black cock. I have serious bird envy when I think of those birds. I am just in the process of getting pens set up to start breeding my birds. If all goes well, I should be hatching chicks by the end of May or first of June.

Yup, I recall seeing you in that thread too, but thought you were in North Carolina for some stupid reason. Do you ship chicks and/or started birds? Or know anyone that is coming up to either of the PNPA shows (April or October? Edit: I guess the April one doesn't apply since you said chicks in May...sorry). Hopefully in the next couple years if business grows I will be able to make road trips to the CA shows but it's hard traveling as a small business owner without any even regular part time employees. Anybody down there working with Blues? (Yes I realize all this should probably be in the Langshan thread, sorry again guys.

 

[PetRock]

Yup, I recall seeing you in that thread too, but thought you were in North Carolina for some stupid reason. Do you ship chicks and/or started birds? Or know anyone that is coming up to either of the PNPA shows (April or October? Edit: I guess the April one doesn't apply since you said chicks in May...sorry). Hopefully in the next couple years if business grows I will be able to make road trips to the CA shows but it's hard traveling as a small business owner without any even regular part time employees. Anybody down there working with Blues? (Yes I realize all this should probably be in the Langshan thread, sorry again guys.

We could head on over to the Langshan thread...

 

[Yellow House Farm]

We could head on over to the Langshan thread...

Good Luck! come back and tell us how it went.

 

[gjensen]

I think the idea with four or more is an attempt to be self-sufficient. The difficulty with rare breeds is not having anywhere to go if the stock starts to run dry. Admittedly it takes a lot for it to happen, but, as we know, it does eventually happen. It's what is worrying about a two-pen system. However, Bob often talks about having a partner, someone working with the same base, who is not going to import foreign blood, such than an exchange of stock can occur as needed. I think this an ideal situation because it allows one to feel more confident in making one's pairings based on virtues and not simply relationship, e.g., there is someone now working with our strain of White Dorkings in a serious way. If he sticks with them and doesn't add anything to them, we become a sort of insurance policy one to the other, if a few more breeders can be added on, all the better.

I think that it is helpful to add that you can do any number of selected matings on the side when following a breeding plan like this.

 

[BGMatt]

I think that it is helpful to add that you can do any number of selected matings on the side when following a breeding plan like this.

What effect would that have on genetic diversity of the flock though? Would you just not use the offspring of those birds in the breeding program so as not to mess with your rotation?

 

[Sebrightsrock]

I just got some Rhodebars do you think they could be a decent homesteading breed? Hens can produce up to 200 eggs per year. Weight for hen: 6 lb. Weight for roosters: 8lb. They are also auto-sexing. If you don't know what auto-sexing is here is a link that talks about it. http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-breeding/what-is-autosexing

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I just got some Rhodebars do you think they could be a decent homesteading breed? Hens can produce up to 200 eggs per year. Weight for hen: 6 lb. Weight for roosters: 8lb. They are also auto-sexing. If you don't know what auto-sexing is here is a link that talks about it. http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-breeding/what-is-autosexing

I suppose so. I don't really know. The various ???bars are a mid-20th century British focus that never really was impactful here. A British author I enjoy mentioned them as being a bit of a fad because, though practical, they were never really attractive.

Whether or not your birds will actually lay that amount or weigh in at those weights may yet to be seen. Breeds are often described as such and such but the reality of the output is strain related. The birds in your backyard have to be specifically bred to make that mark. In the current poultry atmosphere, most strains fall short of the mark most of the time.

To make them worthy, they need to be bred along lines that will lead to 200 eggs per annum, which actually is a process. There are no ???bars in the American SOP. Are the Rhodebars in the British Standard?

Eventually you might want something that is more feasible in the US. There are breeds of fowl in the American SOP that are autosexing. Duckwing patterns are fairly reliable. There are Red Dorkings and Light Brown Leghorns; the former is strong meat with good eggs; the latter is strong eggs with OK meat. If you're interested in one of those let us know, we can attempt to point you in the right direction.

Best,

Joseph