Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Robert Blosl]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69042700/1899-melchener-coucou-de-malines-chicken


looks like a fades barred rock with feathers on his legs or a skinny bared cochin.

Never heard of this breed. But I bet if I started breeding them I would sell hundreds and the old breeds needing help you could not give away.

 

[Sonia]

I plan to go with blue orpingtons and blue hamburgs. My kids raise silkies for fun and I reserve the right to put whatever eggs I want under broodies. I know many are saying to go with only one breed but I feel that we need seperate egg and meat breeds due to the very large size of my family. We also have yokohamas as yard art but my personal focus will be the hamburgs and orpingtons. Thoughts? Advice?

 

[Arielle]

Hmmm....I'd offer some different ideas. Outcrossing is actually very hard to see through to completion. It takes major dedication, very high numbers, and ruthless on-going culling. There's actually nothing easy there.

If you keep enough breeders and manage your program, keeping strict records, wing-banding, toe-punching, maintaining multiple cocks, you don't need to bring in new blood as long as you began well. With rare breeds, if one is really intending to work with them, one needs to maintain either alone or with other equally long-term committed breeders a large enough program to be self-containing, or one will be forced to bring in other blood which will likely be a step down.

@Shellz: Being the bearer if hard tidings isn't easy, but Malines were a difficult choice for beginning. They are not in the SOP. There is no established bloodlines surrounding them in North America. You won't have a standard to breed to or mentors to support you save this fellow who has them. I totally--100%--applaud your move to settle on one breed, but before you open Pandora's box and lose another season or two,, I'd honestly--politely--but honestly recommend recycling the eggs, and getting an SOP standardized bird. On many levels, Malines are dead end. I know this falls as a disappointment, but in the long-run you're going to find yourself fairly alone with your Malines. There's so much fun community to be had otherwise.

Best,

Joseph

I viewed the outcross differently. Most people don't go the extra mile to cull back to the standard rather breeding continues like a two breed cross generation after generation. That is what is easy. Clearly I misunderstood Shellz's meaning.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I plan to go with blue orpingtons and blue hamburgs. My kids raise silkies for fun and I reserve the right to put whatever eggs I want under broodies. I know many are saying to go with only one breed but I feel that we need seperate egg and meat breeds due to the very large size of my family. We also have yokohamas as yard art but my personal focus will be the hamburgs and orpingtons. Thoughts? Advice?

Two good choices for just as you stated and two breeds that need to be bred in proportion to the SOP and maintained well and numbers increased.

Jeff

 

[catdaddyfro]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69042700/1899-melchener-coucou-de-malines-chicken


looks like a fades barred rock with feathers on his legs or a skinny bared cochin.

Never heard of this breed. But I bet if I started breeding them I would sell hundreds and the old breeds needing help you could not give away.

Malines are probably in a French standard/ or Continental somewhere I'd reckon.
http://ultimatefowl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Maline
Jeff

 

[Sonia]

I plan to go with blue orpingtons and blue hamburgs. My kids raise silkies for fun and I reserve the right to put whatever eggs I want under broodies. I know many are saying to go with only one breed but I feel that we need seperate egg and meat breeds due to the very large size of my family. We also have yokohamas as yard art but my personal focus will be the hamburgs and orpingtons. Thoughts? Advice?

Two good choices for just as you stated and two breeds that need to be bred in proportion to the SOP and maintained well and numbers increased.

Jeff

How would I go about finding out what the SOP for my breeds actually are? We are only wanting to breed for personal/family use but if I'm going to be a crazy bird lady id like to do it right the hamburgs and orpingtons we have had in the past were the best producers and hardiest free rangers we ever had. I want to go with the blues purely for asthetic reasons.

 

[Sonia]

I plan to go with blue orpingtons and blue hamburgs. My kids raise silkies for fun and I reserve the right to put whatever eggs I want under broodies. I know many are saying to go with only one breed but I feel that we need seperate egg and meat breeds due to the very large size of my family. We also have yokohamas as yard art but my personal focus will be the hamburgs and orpingtons. Thoughts? Advice?

Two good choices for just as you stated and two breeds that need to be bred in proportion to the SOP and maintained well and numbers increased.

Jeff

How would I go about finding out what the SOP for my breeds actually are? We are only wanting to breed for personal/family use but if I'm going to be a crazy bird lady id like to do it right the hamburgs and orpingtons we have had in the past were the best producers and hardiest free rangers we ever had. I want to go with the blues purely for asthetic reasons.I have ben very not happy with any of the hatchery stock at all and am looking for good breeders to buy either chicks or eggs from.

 

[catdaddyfro]

How would I go about finding out what the SOP for my breeds actually are? We are only wanting to breed for personal/family use but if I'm going to be a crazy bird lady id like to do it right the hamburgs and orpingtons we have had in the past were the best producers and hardiest free rangers we ever had. I want to go with the blues purely for asthetic reasons.

APA sells the Standard of Perfection

http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/store.htm


Jeff

 

[Sonia]

Thanks jeff

 

[Shellz]

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!