Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[gjensen]

I have been checking in everyday but have not had anything to add- guess everybody is just busy with life.
On the chicken front we have had the worst molt I can remember and hens running around naked and then a cold front
comes thru. I have only been raising chicken about 5 years and yesterday was the first day we had zero eggs. And I have more hens[16] than ever.
Have not changed feed or watering routine in 3 years . All appears to be healthy. Stumped. Maybe its the winter lighting ?

I do not think it is unusual to not get any eggs yesterday. Not for hens, including molting hens etc.?

I will post a picture of a project Catalana. I am guessing that in another generation, I could settle into simply breeding them. Feel free to comment on the good and bad. There is both. If there is any interest, I will comment on what I like and do not like.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

@gjensen ... I bet those are gorgeous in the sunshine.

I've had eye surgery, and now have even worse vision than before. Hoping that's temporary. I can't wash eggs for our egg selling income source, so am collecting them on my counter. From what I can see, the baskets are looking mighty empt, I'm considering that a "blessing." Ha!

Also, sold some cockerels to someone who took them to a processor, got news back that we've got worms, which I suspected to the point of knowing anyway, and am now digging through all the frustrating stuff about how to deal with that considering all the factors here. Yuckity yuck.

Dad decided to sell the farm portion of our property, breaking an enormous list of promises he made me when I traded him "my" property for the use of that parcel. Dad has this amazing ability to pretend his "wishful thinking" is reality, so kept telling me it wouldn't impact the poultry stuff. Of course the new property line goes right through my breeding coop and eliminates ALL the green part of the pasture. To say I'm annoyed is a HUGE understatement.

Once I can see again, IF I can see again, I'm going to have a lot of practical stuff to work out. Fingers crossed I can do that without completely losing my cool. I'm not sure where I'll put the birds, or frisbee the dog.

 

[finnfur]

I do not think it is unusual to not get any eggs yesterday. Not for hens, including molting hens etc.?

I will post a picture of a project Catalana. I am guessing that in another generation, I could settle into simply breeding them. Feel free to comment on the good and bad. There is both. If there is any interest, I will comment on what I like and do not like.

That gives me some relief - thanks
And I must add I have never seen Catalana before and they are just gorgeous !

Leslie - wish you the best recovery on your eye surgery-

 

[NanaKat]

Posted these photos on the Heritage of Perfection thread and it was suggested I post them here also....so here they are

I've been selecting first string birds for the Columbian Wyandotte breed pens and have been banding them.
What other qualities should I be considering?

This Columbian pullet shows the round breast I look for



While these pictures are of a Blue Columbian, they show the characteristics I look for in a Columbian patterned bird for the breed pen.

A sharp clean contrast of white and color in the primary feathers. I would like to see more of the solid color on the wing

A narrow white edge on the tail feathers. This tail will fill out.


An even expanse of white edged feathering in the cape with good color contrast ,a good eye color, a proper ear lobe, a nice wide head, with good texture on the comb and wattles.


A nice straight comb, wider at the beak and tapering to a nice tip. The comb must follow the skull.

A nice buttery yellow shank and foot with nicely shaped toes.

A nice white back with no ticking that is wide both at the shoulders all the way down the back to the tail


A tail tent with a wide teepee. I should be able to place my full palm between her legs feeling a straight keel with plenty of room for organs and egg production


Wings held close to the side with a nice horizontal line.

 

[MagicChicken]

I have been checking in everyday but have not had anything to add- guess everybody is just busy with life. On the chicken front we have had the worst molt I can remember and hens running around naked and then a cold front comes thru. I have only been raising chicken about 5 years and yesterday was the first day we had zero eggs. And I have more hens[16] than ever. Have not changed feed or watering routine in 3 years . All appears to be healthy. Stumped. Maybe its the winter lighting ?

I do not think it is unusual to not get any eggs yesterday. Not for hens, including molting hens etc.? I will post a picture of a project Catalana. I am guessing that in another generation, I could settle into simply breeding them. Feel free to comment on the good and bad. There is both. If there is any interest, I will comment on what I like and do not like.

I would like to hear what you do and don't like about your Catalanas. I'm not familiar enough with the breed to make any meaningful comments. Always happy to learn. Sarah

 

[3riverschick]

Wow NanaKat! What a great post! Love the pics and proper commentary. Easy to understand. All I need to do it add some minor extra points which apply to my Sussex, not Wyandottes, and I could use this for my birds. Looks like you have some real nice color balancing going on in your bird's underfluff to get such nice top color in the white in your birds. Real nice birds, congrats!
Karen

 

[gjensen]

I would like to hear what you do and don't like about your Catalanas. I'm not familiar enough with the breed to make any meaningful comments. Always happy to learn.

Sarah

Sarah, you might note that the color is not even. I enjoy her depth of color, but the goal in a buff breed is even color across the sections. What I mean by depth of color, is that it includes her under color. We want her color to go all the way through. We do not want buff birds having a light under color. We want depth.

Her tail spread is not bad, but I want more spread. They hold their tails differently at different times. I know her from knowing her that she needs a little more spread. I wish she had another feather, but they will have to do.

I would like better colored tails. It is hard to get with getting black in other sections, but it can be done. New Hampshires allow black in the hackles, but they do not with the Catalanas. Nicely marked tails are often linked to color in the hackles and/or under color. I am fortunate to be this close. I do want the entire feather black though.

The top two feathers are allowed to be edged with buff. A personal preference would be that they all were, but that is just an opinion. I would like them marked like a New Hampshire. I am not going there, and only sharing a thought.

An opinion is that a black tailed buff (or similar variety) should have well developed and marked tails. It provides a nice contrast to an otherwise all buff, white, or red bird. As much as I like the rich dark red of a Red, I prefer the black tails on a lighter red New Hamphire. I especially like it on white and otherwise all buff birds.

Her legs have reasonable slate legs. I need to get them darker, and I will. I actually like these slate legs on a buff bird. Another contrast, where yellow would blend in. I do not like white legs on any bird, but I especially do not like them on a buff bird. A reason that I did not go with Minorca.

Her type is pretty good. I wish her legs were not cut off. I want to see a developed slope to her back. It is there, but softened by the cushion. Spanish breeds should stand tall and proud in my opinion. I like the proud station, and the big combs.

I like how her cushion softens the transition between the angle of her tail, and the slope of her back. Her wings are nice and tight (a pet peeve of mine). Her feather quality and width is pretty good.

Her tail is not normally as high as it is here. She is alert, but her tail will probably end up being too high. It should be 40 degrees.

She has a reasonably well rounded breast. It is important on all breeds, but these can become too angular without it. So it is not just a practical consideration.

I like her head. The comb has the right amount of points, and they are well formed. The first point should be erect, and the rest progressively drooping to one side. I will admit to liking Minorca combs on the females, but I will be going with the written Standard.

I like large drooping combs on the females. A friend rightly stated that it appears maternal. It is related to hormones, and many good layers have this characteristic.

It is hard to see here, but she has a good shaped earlobe, and they have decent size. I would not mind them a little larger. The white earlobe looks good against the buff and red. A little more white would look good. This is more apparent in person. These birds look better in person.

The beak is good. Her eye color is a little light, and I want them as the Standard is written, a reddish bay. That is not very specific, but enough. I like some color in the eye. I like a good eye, with good color, and for it to fill the socket. Poor eyes ruin an already good head. Good eyes are ornaments on a good head. It should be bright and alive. Reddish bay is a good color for a buff bird.

I like her over all. I am happy to be working with a breed that I like almost everything about. They are good layers of large to extra large white to pink eggs. I hope that I do not mess that up.

What did I miss?

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Thank you. This was really informative!

 

[MagicChicken]

Took a couple of my Black Java cockerels to a small local show a couple of weeks ago because I wanted feedback on the direction I was headed. After the judging was over I had a long discussion with the judge. He mentioned that the birds I brought would do better as Australorps. He has a point.

Now I'm considering entering one of those same birds in an upcoming show - as an Australorp. Does that make me a bad person?

 

[gjensen]

Took a couple of my Black Java cockerels to a small local show a couple of weeks ago because I wanted feedback on the direction I was headed. After the judging was over I had a long discussion with the judge. He mentioned that the birds I brought would do better as Australorps. He has a point.

Now I'm considering entering one of those same birds in an upcoming show - as an Australorp. Does that make me a bad person?

I wonder why he says that. Did he say why?

Can you post some pictures of your birds?