Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[HeritageGoose13]

How many people here have participated in the poultry census?

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/north-american-poultry-census

Quote: Looks like it is a census of chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.

 

[finnfur]

How many people here have participated in the poultry census?

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/north-american-poultry-census

I just did and others should also. Thanks for the post.
Great organization .

 

[fowlman01]

I am not sure how many Buff Orpingtons you have seen, or what their breeding was, but not all Buff Orpingtons are the same (just as not all White Plymouth Rocks are the same).  I agree that Buff Orpingtons are loose feathered, and White Plymouth Rocks are closer to a hard feathered breed (though not as much as say a Cornish or Malay), but some Buff Orpingtons are massive even under the feathers.  I don't know of any Plymouth Rocks (white or otherwise) weighing 12-15 lbs. (not in the hands of a normal fancier anyway).  Yes, I know that is above standard weight, but some Orpingtons (particularly Buff) can attain those weights.  I have a fairly large Buff Orpington Cock (around 12 lbs., though he might be a little larger now), and it is interesting to see him next to the Plymouth Rock cockerels.  Granted, it seems to take an excruciatingly long time for the Buff Orpingtons to fill out, but once they do, some really are massive, even aside from the feathers.  I have a son from the aforementioned cock, and I thought he was a pullet for the longest time, until he began to fill out.  He is still filling out, at around 9 months of age.  As far as the thickness of legs, there are some Buff Orpingtons with thick legs, though they tend to be short in proportion to their bodies compared to a White Plymouth Rock.

As far as female White Plymouth Rocks not showing the effects of being bred by their feathering, I have seen many instances where they did have their feathers messed up by mating, but it was generally by an aggressive male. 

Exhibition white Rock males in the show world are physically larger than Orps as a rule and every bit as heavy as an Orpington. Their feathers are tighter, so what you see is what you get. I am a poultry judge, so I am able to handle both breeds often.

Walt

 

[Beekissed]

Yep. Someone had given me a couple of HUGE blue Orpington males, 6 mo. of age...I swear they looked as big as a turkey! Then they got to my place and had to exercise for their rations and within a week or so they were the same size as most other DP males except for the fluffy feathering. They had been penned and fed up to reach those huge weights but it was all fat, loose muscle and feathering.

Flash to a WR male given to me that was huge when he arrived, 18 mo. old....and has to work for his tucker every single day and he's STILL huge. The difference? His was all muscle and bone, not fat and feather. When I have to pen him for awhile and he isn't running off his fat, he becomes even more huge. Another aspect of the breed is they don't have to eat a lot to get that size...they seem to have a slow metabolism that lets them burn fuel at a very efficient rate, so not a lot of food needed to get them and keep them at good weights. Whereas, all the Orps I've had were the first to the feeder and the last to leave and weren't the best at foraging for meals. For the feed they ate, it made no sense to keep them when you can keep a WR, that gets bigger and stays that way on less feed.

Like Walt said, with the WRs, what you see is what you get....big equals heavy as a rock...er...Rock...in this breed.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

How many people here have participated in the poultry census?

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/north-american-poultry-census

Looks like it is a census of chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.

I filled out the survey a couple weeks ago. It was interesting watching the Livestock Conservancy tweak the "required" fields on the survey to address people's privacy concerns right after the survey went "live." They were super responsive!

 

[NanaKat]

 
How many people here have participated in the poultry census?

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/north-american-poultry-census

Looks like it is a census of chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.

I filled out the survey a couple weeks ago. It was interesting watching the Livestock Conservancy tweak the "required" fields on the survey to address people's privacy concerns right after the survey went "live." They were super responsive! 

I also completed the survey. I would have liked seeing a breakdown including the accepted color varieties within the breeds but understand it was a tabulating difficulty that did not allow that.

 

[Beekissed]

Sorry...but there is NO WAY I'm telling any organization that I even have a flock, let alone how many breed stock I have on hand. Call me paranoid but I question their motives all the way. Especially nowadays.

 

[finnfur]

Sorry...but there is NO WAY I'm telling any organization that I even have a flock, let alone how many breed stock I have on hand. Call me paranoid but I question their motives all the way. Especially nowadays.

I wouldn't get paranoid - the NSA knows about everything they want to know about you just from your posts online. The safest way to send private information any more is snail mail.
The conservancy is just trying to get estimates to determine breeds that are in trouble and may disappear. Like white Rocks, it would be bad news to loose them.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...I'm sure that's the reason they want to know who has them and how many they have. Nah...I'll make them work for their information if they want it that badly. They can call the NSA.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Yep...I'm sure that's the reason they want to know who has them and how many they have. Nah...I'll make them work for their information if they want it that badly. They can call the NSA.

What motive do you think they have?

Its the Livestock Conservancy. They are trying to conserve livestock.