Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Maggiesdad]

Petaluma,
Home of the USCG Chef's School. Ever think about selling them fresh farm eggs?
Best,
Karen

I'll sign up for eggs from Walt - $6 a dozen!

 

[fowlman01]

I'll sign up for eggs from Walt - $6 a dozen!

if you lived close by you could have them free.

w

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Regarding my original point, I think I was trying to say that What a bird looks like in his original home may not transfers so regally to his new home. I seem to remember Bob saying this a few time. THe birds actually look crappy compared to the "nice" birds purchased, but if given time to adapt and continue to apply correct selection the birds will look nice again. THough I think he did say there can be excpetions.

He gave an example about some "crappy birds" and they were sent back to the orig where they looked nice again. ANyone remember this???

(( Sorr y I'm way behind, too much to absorb-- great discussions with lots of depth. )

 

[NYREDS]

Regarding my original point, I think I was trying to say that What a bird looks like in his original home may not transfers so regally to his new home. I seem to remember Bob saying this a few time. THe birds actually look crappy compared to the "nice" birds purchased, but if given time to adapt and continue to apply correct selection the birds will look nice again. THough I think he did say there can be excpetions.

He gave an example about some "crappy birds" and they were sent back to the orig where they looked nice again. ANyone remember this???

(( Sorr y I'm way behind, too much to absorb-- great discussions with lots of depth. )

I don't recall the statement you're referencing but the bird shipped to the new location doesn't change it's appearance on arrival & return to it's origional appearance if it were to return home. What changes is the offspring over time due to selection decisions [per Dr Bell's statement above].

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I guess he didn't like Dorkings.........

w.

Hm...apparently, but history and his peers easily out-voted him

 

[Pathfinders]

Magic, that is SO very interesting to me. I purchased some birds from a breeder in Florida in February; they're single combed, and GOODNESS they have honking huge combs. I have the exact same breed, and live in Michigan. The breeder told me that the birds bred in Florida have larger combs due to the comb helping to dissipate heat, and that through the years, they've adapted to heat by (in one way) increasing comb size. My first thought was....HUH? I thought she'd gone off her rocker. But, the longer I thought about it, the longer it made sense. I'll find out for myself in a few years, I guess, as I'm keeping that line pure on my farm. If I see comb size diminishing, I guess that'd fall under the proof being in the pudding.

One of my mentors is LeJean Marshall, longtime breeder of Dutch Bantams. He taught me that to keep single combs small, one should put birds (especially males) out in the bright cold as early as reasonably possible. The combination of bright light and cold temps resulted in small combs. Conversely, darkness and heat results in large combs.

I found it to be very useful, and work well to keep single combs not only small, but straight as well.

 

[Pathfinders]

As long as they are from the same line.

Some Breeders are setting up Work Groups and sharing chickens from their flocks every couple of years. Some have had great success improving the Breed that they are working on by doing this.

I actually do that with both Bob Gilbert and Chris McCary for my Buckeyes. It has worked particularly well. And in some cases, shortened dealing with some issues. Bob focuses hard on one thing, I work on another, Chris on a third, and then we do a round robin every three years or so and we all benefit. Because we're all working with similar lines (with previous crosses from each other in it), the results are quite nice.

I like that a lot. Plus, it means if something catastrophic happens to one of us (predators or storms or something) we could get replacements and not have to start over from scratch.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I didn't state the idea clearly-- the offspring are not as expected.

I think he was trying to explain that the genetics are just fine, the new environment is differnet from the original, so continue with the selection protocol and each generations will be better addapted to the new location.

No one remembers this????

 

[bnjrob]

One of my mentors is LeJean Marshall, longtime breeder of Dutch Bantams. He taught me that to keep single combs small, one should put birds (especially males) out in the bright cold as early as reasonably possible. The combination of bright light and cold temps resulted in small combs. Conversely, darkness and heat results in large combs.

I found it to be very useful, and work well to keep single combs not only small, but straight as well.

So the simple act getting them outside in the winter to live as soon as possible will help with keeping combs smaller?

What about light? Here in Winter it is frequently overcast and dreary. Would adding a light for a few hours in the morning to the coop like when trying to supplement light to get eggs work, or should a light be kept on all day in the coop?

How long many generations have you seen it take in order to have a noticeable difference in comb size?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

So the simple act getting them outside in the winter to live as soon as possible will help with keeping combs smaller?

What about light? Here in Winter it is frequently overcast and dreary. Would adding a light for a few hours in the morning to the coop like when trying to supplement light to get eggs work, or should a light be kept on all day in the coop?

How long many generations have you seen it take in order to have a noticeable difference in comb size?

My situation was the exact reverse of Wynettes. My original trio (Col Plymouth Rocks) came from Canada to NW Georgia (probably a lot like N Tx)....HOT humid summers, winters get cold, but not like Canada cold.

My original trio had small combs, the males and the females. I was concerned that they would become huge here due to the heat. After my 4th yr of breeding them I have seen just a "slight" increase in comb size and moreso on the males than the females. I do all of my hatching in Dec/Jan so the young birds do get exposed to the worst of the Ga winters....that seems to help me finish larger birds AND comb sizes that are not too large