Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[LindaB220]

The thread was heritage themed with the goal of encouraging others to preserve the Heritage Breeds. Feed, pens, coops and just about anything to help "kick the can down the road" would be good to post here. If we got off of topic a bit, Bob would post something like a breed description or a Story about how he met a famous breeder as a teen working at a show in Washington State. He would end by saying something about getting back to talking about those old time Heritage breeds.

Keep posting because I do not think the new SOP page has a goal of Kicking the can, so to speak. It is more geared towards seasoned breeders that may not have much patience for those of us figuring what the heck to do with the can....

That would be me. Total beginner. Learning, but still.......

 

[keesmom]

It is really nice to know I am not the only one experiencing problems this hatching season. I've been wondering for weeks what I am doing wrong. I will just hatch what I can and hope things can get on track next year.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, out of 18 eggs in the hatcher, 10 of them hatched. Not a great hatch, but better than none. Got a lot of blacks, a few splashes and very few blues!

Still breeding and kickin' that can down the road!

 

[ronott1]

Ok, out of 18 eggs in the hatcher, 10 of them hatched. Not a great hatch, but better than none. Got a lot of blacks, a few splashes and very few blues!

Still breeding and kickin' that can down the road!

Did they hatch on time? Did you ever get a thermometer that reads in tenths? .5 of a degree low can cause problems with hatching.

I know the one you have is very accurate, but you can still be nearly a degree off if it does not read in tenths.

 

[gjensen]

Today I culled my largest, widest cockerel. His weight and width were fantastic but his proportions were all weird. He had an extremely wide breast and a short back. His tail was wider than my other birds' tails, but he looked like a triangle from above. His back sloped steeply and he always held his wings pointed down. I wrestled with the idea of complementary pairing him next year with a narrow-breasted, long-backed hen. Finally decided to cull him in favor of a smaller but better-proportioned bird whose wings are more level. Kept hearing Bob Blosi saying "go slow, and go down the middle of the road."

Kicking the can. Trying to stay in the middle.

Several of this spring's cockerels are knock-kneed. Very glad I wing-tagged everybody, because it was my most promising pair that threw most of the knock-kneed birds. Another scenic detour in the journey...

Culled the most obvious knock-kneed cockerels today. Watching the developing birds carefully. Hoping the knock-knee issue doesn't pull me off to the sidelines.

Sarah

I have some of the same dilemmas with the Catalanas. I need to push for size, but my largest birds have not been my best birds. I hope that I have a little luck this year. I need a break.

I had some bad legs and knock knees last year.

I suspect that my birds were a little close concerning their breeding. I got a couple long removed but related birds for an outcross. I cannot say any will be any good, but they are a little ahead of the others. I hope this means more vigor and that I can find a decent pair that can help me.

Sometimes, I think that is what we need. I know the taboo about crossing strains, but many of the good strains that I know of were started by crossing strains. I think we need to know when we need to.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Did they hatch on time? Did you ever get a thermometer that reads in tenths? .5 of a degree low can cause problems with hatching.

I know the one you have is very accurate, but you can still be nearly a degree off if it does not read in tenths.

Yes, they hatched on time. They weren't due until last night. For whatever reason, I always start them at night. Maybe because it's easier to candle those that are already developing. The first one hatched a day early and the last one hatched last night before I went to bed.

No, I never got another thermometer. I've tried to keep the range between 99 and 101. Usually when it hits 101 or higher, I know my reservoir needs refilling. That will drop it down to 100 again.

If you could recommend an accurate thermometer that also reads tenths, I could check into getting a couple. One for the incubator and one for the hatcher.

 

[ronott1]

Yes, they hatched on time. They weren't due until last night. For whatever reason, I always start them at night. Maybe because it's easier to candle those that are already developing. The first one hatched a day early and the last one hatched last night before I went to bed.

No, I never got another thermometer. I've tried to keep the range between 99 and 101. Usually when it hits 101 or higher, I know my reservoir needs refilling. That will drop it down to 100 again.

If you could recommend an accurate thermometer that also reads tenths, I could check into getting a couple. One for the incubator and one for the hatcher.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Taylor-1523-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer-and-Hygrometer/24727251

It is not too expensive. Getting two would be a good idea, then you can average them.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Looks like I will need to find some birds for an outcross sooner than I had planned. Today a couple of dogs got into my yard while I was out, and massacred several of my birds. In two days my flock has been culled of the worst - and the best. In equal numbers. This wasn't the version of "middle of the road" I had in mind

The only cock remaining is the one who threw a lot of knock-kneed cockerels. On the up side, most of the hens survived. They may not be show-worthy but they lay eggs and they were smart enough to escape into the neighbor's yard to get away from the dogs. Amid all the chaos, one of them decided to go broody. These are all worthwhile traits for a backyard dual-purpose chicken. I just want them to look a little more like the pictures in the Standard.

The dogs took all of my most-promising birds from this year's hatch. I'm keeping an eye out for a good trio of Black Javas in late summer or fall. Time to mix things up a bit.

Sarah

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ooooo, I'd be buryin' some mangy carcasses!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks Ron. Do you use the remote sensor (don't know if that's what it's called) inside some kind of egg for internal temps? Is this the one you use? I would probably get two and use them in tandem with my others.