Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Lacy Blues]

Warm air rises. I would not want open tops on sleeping boxes.In a cold climate, you will get frostbite on the males' combs. We've been in the low 20s here, and I've had to close the poop doors to keep my boys' heads inside.I have a huge cockerel who likes to sleep in the poop door way, and keep watch. With the door shut, he's been snuggling with his girls. His dad, Monty, always snuggles, so no problem with his comb.

No problem with moisture in my sleeping boxes. I pick, and fluff the deep straw every day. It stays clean, and dry with Sweet PDZ under it.

I was trying to remember your sleeping boxes. Are they deck storage boxes that have been modified? With several birds in one of those, do you have any fresh air inlets? Is it totally closed?

Our temps have been in the low teens at night here. I have a south facing door that is covered with wire and I have several pop doors for the rooster pens running along the eastern wall that I have been leaving open nightly about one inch. So far, so good, this year.

I plan to refigure my barn space and cull down to 4 large fowl males and keep each with a small flock of hens in a larger space in the barns and more space in their yards. No more roosters in single pens living alone waiting for their turn to be with the girls. This should reduce my work load quite a bit after I get it all finished. In the winters, I will provide sleeping boxes.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Lacy Blues,
Next year we will expand things too. I can't decide. Either build 3 pack of connected breeding pens.
Or build another 4x6 coop with attached covered yard. Plus we need another grow out yard.
Best,
Karen

 

[gjensen]

I was trying to remember your sleeping boxes. Are they deck storage boxes that have been modified? With several birds in one of those, do you have any fresh air inlets? Is it totally closed?

Our temps have been in the low teens at night here. I have a south facing door that is covered with wire and I have several pop doors for the rooster pens running along the eastern wall that I have been leaving open nightly about one inch. So far, so good, this year.

I plan to refigure my barn space and cull down to 4 large fowl males and keep each with a small flock of hens in a larger space in the barns and more space in their yards. No more roosters in single pens living alone waiting for their turn to be with the girls. This should reduce my work load quite a bit after I get it all finished. In the winters, I will provide sleeping boxes.

I have seen Vickie's "sleeping boxes" in person. I have to say that it is a pretty smart idea. They would especially be nice where the winters were especially cold.

 

[Arielle]

Would keeping track of weights on a weekly basis be beneficial? I was wondering if being able to see the weights at every point and then what size bird that leaves me with in the end would work for being able to cull small birds the next season. This way I don't feed them to maturity and realize it won't even be worth keeping them. If I tracked the weights of all birds hatched and then trio'd them up for breeding I could then compare their growing weights to their offspring and see how they compare. Then as I do this year to year I could then compare to their "grandparents." Would this even work or would it be like everything else and just have too many variables to even work? I was also thinking this might be beneficial in getting birds that matured faster.

Just a heads up to include the meat characterisitcs for the dual purpose types. For years I selected the heaviest, fastest growing lambs, and yes I got BIG lambs but not the muscling to go with it. Frame and muscling are to different characteristics. If the muscling isn't put on until later, is there a clue to those that will be well muscled later??

Quote: That's correct, I ordered one as a Christmas gift about a week ago and final total was $59.
Thanks Fred!!!!

Quote: Anyone have pics of the boxes??

 

[Lacy Blues]

Anyone have pics of the boxes??

post #16675 on page 1668

 

[TeaChick]

Is Cochin a heritage breed?

 

[gjensen]

Yes. Now in Sussex, back then ( pre 1915) folk sold eggs and poultry for a living. We still do, but not on that subsistence level they did back then. It was important for Sussex to be good winter layers for 2 reasons. The price of eggs went up in the late Fall because the summer layers were going into molt. So if your Sussex started laying then, you got a better price for your eggs. Plus that put the hens right on track to be laying in the winter when the breeders wanted chicks which would be fattened and ready for market on Derby Day in England. Their big poultry feasting holiday of the Spring(late May).
Nowadays, we have eggs all year long. Fattened poultry whenever we want it. If our Sussex start laying 45 days later than usual, it's no big deal as long as they are laying for Spring hatch...which can be later than historically because we no long fatten chicks for Derby Day.. we hatch early for Fall shows and chick buyers in March /April/May.
So we do the same things with Sussex but for different reasons. I think that gives us a bit more leeway in the laying cycle of our Sussex while still adhering to the historic purpose of the breed. Yes, I still advocate the historic view that March-hatched Sussex are the best winter layers.
Best,
Karen

Karen, I like your enthusiasm. I like how you are truly interested in your breed. The breed's genotype, phenotype, and history. I believe it all goes together and makes your breed of choice more appealing.

When a breeder can keep the qualities a breed is known for, it is an advantage to that breed.

The truth is that will always be few good breeders of a breed. Then those that reproduce stock they got from those master breeders. Then you have those that just want to keep birds and have their eggs etc. When that breed has a good reputation, it creates or keeps demand at the bottom. It is just good for the breed.

Egg size, quantity of eggs, rate of maturity, good low light egg laying, etc. They all matter. There is a lot about a breed that appeals to people.

A good productive standard bred bird is something to be admired.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THanks . . . now I understand the design.

 

[BGMatt]

Is Cochin a heritage breed?

By most people's definitions yes. Again when dealing with the definition of "Heritage", you have to take into account if it's being bred to (and meeting!) it's Standards or not. Even within the same breed.

 

[TeaChick]

By most people's definitions yes. Again when dealing with the definition of "Heritage", you have to take into account if it's being bred to (and meeting!) it's Standards or not. Even within the same breed.

Okay. Thanks. =)