Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[brahmabreeder]

H

I just presumed how folk would think about my birds and found out that wasn't how it was.
Now I am back to reality and know the best place to be idealistic is about my plans for my flock.
No one appreciates a vision as well as the person creating it.

Have to agree with you on that one!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I had someone once mess with me over fertile eggs from my mutt laying flock ... I had no clue people could be so shady. My first clue should have been when they whined to me about how nobody else would sell them fertile eggs.

 

[3riverschick]

I had someone once mess with me over fertile eggs from my mutt laying flock ... I had no clue people could be so shady. My first clue should have been when they whined to me about how nobody else would sell them fertile eggs.

Funny how we miss those warning signs because we are so enthusiastic about our birds.

 

[3riverschick]

Sussex folk don't seem to be interested in heritage. They just want to color cross, and make bigger, fluffier birds.
Even if they are stationed like a Langshan. If another Sussex person brags to me about their 11 lb. hens and
13 lb. cocks, I think I am gonna throw up.

 

[fowlman01]

Sussex folk don't seem to be interested in heritage. They just want to color cross, and make bigger, fluffier birds.
Even if they are stationed like a Langshan. If another Sussex person brags to me about their 11 lb. hens and
13 lb. cocks, I think I am gonna throw up.

They do seem more interested in new colors than fixing what they already have. It's common these days and the main reason the APA is changing it's admission rules. We are trying to force some loyalty to existing colors. With many breeds now it is let's see how many colors we can get into the Standard instead of "hey we need to fix most of the colors in this breed". The more you dilute the breed the less you will see reasonable examples of the breed in general.

Walt

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I absolutely believe in having fun ... but intentionally breeding living creatures for novelty seems a little bit twisted to me.

 

[LindaB220]

I absolutely believe in having fun ... but intentionally breeding living creatures for novelty seems a little bit twisted to me.

Getting into chickens a year ago, I thought that the best thing ever was pure bred. Now I see soooo many mixed, crosses being sold on the buy/sell forum that I just can't believe it. And they are so thrilled to brag about it. I did buy some Sapphire blue egg layers but they turned out to act just like the hatchery birds so I'm selling all off. I do have one lone Coronation Sussex that hatched but I'm not really interested in keeping them. Just the Lights.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I've had tons of fun with the surprise mutts that hatched this year. They are all different, and seem to be growing up nicely ... good size, nice feathers, matured faster than the Delawares, extremely thrifty and predator savvy. It would be SO tempting to keep a few and see how much bigger and prettier they could get "next year." But I have too many mouths to feed as it is and know in the long run a properly bred dual purpose bird will perform better.

Now the males from the surprise mutts are in the cockerel cage headed to freezer camp. We're trying to train the females to come inside the coop at night so maybe they'll lay in the nesting boxes this winter (the rest of the laying flock is old enough to take a vacation).

Here are a couple of the big cockerels awaiting processing ...





Those three are from this year's surprise mutts (8 cockerels, 8 pullets).

The one below is a stealthy little sucker who kept hopping the fence of the cockerel pasture last fall and hid in the laying flock last winter ... he matured slowly enough to pass as a pullet until processing season was over, then he was your typical trouble-maker all spring. Also he looked a lot like my best guardian rooster so I kept miscounting him, except the way he behaved (Why is Shade being such a jerk? Ohhhhh! That's not Shade! Duh!). He was supposed to go a LOOOOOOONG time ago. Finally I got fed up and made a covered cage for the cockerels and he was the first one I put in it.

Now the cockerel cage is a bit like a lobster tank at a "fancy" restaurant. You can just point and pick your dinner.



The pullets are just as cool looking. I kinda understand the attraction of mutts, but I also think it is a wagon with loose wheels and "breeding" them would be a short-lived folly.

 

[3riverschick]

They do seem more interested in new colors than fixing what they already have. It's common these days and the main reason the APA is changing it's admission rules. We are trying to force some loyalty to existing colors. With many breeds now it is let's see how many colors we can get into the Standard instead of "hey we need to fix most of the colors in this breed". The more you dilute the breed the less you will see reasonable examples of the breed in general.

Walt

Yes, Yes, Yes! We don't need Cuckoo Sussex ( tho they did once exist) or Lavender Sussex or anything but Red and Speckled and Light and maybe....Brown.

 

[3riverschick]

Here are a couple of the big cockerels awaiting processing ...

I am partial to Red Shouldered Silver Duckwings. I know they don't breed true, but they sure are pretty.
Best,
Karen