Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[capayvalleychick]

How about these UK Silver Grey Dorkings?!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Golden laced wyandottes were the eye candy that I was smitten with when I first wanted to buy into chickens-- finding them was another matter--- I have a few silver laced from a hatchery to fill my need for GLWs.

Welcome to BYC!

The GLWs I got from the feed store were big and beautiful birds ... really solid both males and females ... one of only two hatchery breeds I would have kept for Dual Purpose purposes ... I can imagine "real" GLWs would be fantastic.

 

[Pathfinders]

I saw Jerry's SLW at the Bluegrass show this past October, and they were monstrous big birds! Just lovely things.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

I saw Jerry's SLW at the Bluegrass show this past October, and they were monstrous big birds! Just lovely things.

THat is a reoccurring theme-- the real birds are much larger than the hatchery stock. I enjoy the girls in their fancy feathers.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I bought mine at my local feed store, where they usually carry any mix of pasture seeds one would want and also the individual types of seeds as well. I used to mix in some crimson clover but found it grew too high and soon enough the WDC would crowd it out anyway. WDC has many jobs at our place...it attracts pollinators to the garden, fixes nitrogen in the soil, provides ground cover for tilled soil to keep soil from eroding and to keep moisture there, as habitat for bugs and beneficial bacteria and also to feed the chickens and deer~both being our meat source. We keep WDC in the garden paths between the rows to keep weeds from growing there and for clean footing in the garden and also around the base of our fruit trees.

A good time to seed your lawn is in the winter time...the snow acts like a fertilizer and has many minerals in it that rain does not have. I used to seed mine right on top of the snow. It's one of the earliest and quickest to germinate and so can get established before some of the native grasses can take over.

Here's a pic or two of some of the meat birds grazing the clover and also my layer birds. Everywhere I move that I intend to have free ranging flocks, I overseed the orchards and yard/pasture with some WDC and also do some pelleted lime along with it, as the soils here tend to be more acidic and the WDC likes a balanced pH. I also like to plant tall fescue(22% crude protein) at the same time, so that when the nutrition in the WDC declines somewhat at the end of summer, the tall fescue is coming into its highest level of sugar and, man, you never saw livestock fatten like you've seen them fatten up on tall fescue. My sheep would be rolling with fat on that graze(the sheep were all grass fed only) and the chickens as well.

Okay, I've been properly intimidated and am afraid to post anything here ... but looking for the "right" place to post it just made me more scared. So I give up ... I'm posting here.

I was told they sell "subterranean clover" as the shorter varieties ... so your birds don't drown in it ... that are self-seeding and enjoy being grazed.

They grow a lot of clover seed in Oregon ... so here is a document from the OSU Extension Service about different types of clover for different environments ... http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/15233/em8702.pdf

And here is a link to a website promoting the use of clover as lawn, which is perhaps more suited to the non-industrial farmer ... http://cloverlawn.org/

That's the basic info I got in my 5-minute School of Clover-seed Shopping anyway. I did find that there are several places on the internet where a person can purchase a "chicken pasture mix" of seeds ... tiny quantities, clever marketing, big markup, but pre-mixed with lots of chicken-friendly stuff so good for a backyarder.

A little seed can go a long way.

 

[BGMatt]

THat is a reoccurring theme-- the real birds are much larger than the hatchery stock. I enjoy the girls in their fancy feathers.

It's because the proper size birds might be slower to mature and not as heavy as layers, the trade off for being dual purpose fowl. The hatcheries have also bred leghorn into almost everything to increase egg production, hence smaller size. Not much meat on those things, they sure can crank out a lot of baby chicks though.

Me? I'll take the real thing over a poor imitation any day. But if we as poultry lovers don't get these real Standard bred fowl in the hands of more people they'll all disappear someday.

 

[Beekissed]

That's the basic info I got in my 5-minute School of Clover-seed Shopping anyway. I did find that there are several places on the internet where a person can purchase a "chicken pasture mix" of seeds ... tiny quantities, clever marketing, big markup, but pre-mixed with lots of chicken-friendly stuff so good for a backyarder.

A little seed can go a long way.

Yep...been seeing a lot of that nowadays.

Supply and demand...always. If you have a local feed mill or Southern States feed store in your area, they will have it in bulk and a mite cheaper.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Talked to Walt B. last night. He is happy with where the breeding program is and has produced. Yeah! One thing I did find out that I had misunderstood. Tho my foundation trio has the same sire...the dams of the 2 pullets weren't hatchmates from a different pen than the cock. I had thought so, but found out they were from different origins and not hatchmates. So that means the trio isn't as closely related as I had thought. Tho that doesn't change my breeding pen plans, it does mean I can expect different results. And that the mating of bro to sis ( Rocky to the egg flock pullets) isn't going to be as close as I had thought. Mating Tux to his dam, May, is now going to be even more exciting. And Walt said I should not only breed the new outcross hen (Sweetie, a proven show winner) to Junior's son , Knight and Day, but also to Tux who is Knight and Day's full brother. I hadn't thought of that. Tho I like Knight and Day's breed type a bit better, both sides of Tux's hackle meet across his chest. Something I have really been wanting. to see and for which the English say to strive. So maybe I can eventually get that closed hackle and Knight and Day's type. Now that would be exciting.
Best,
Karen

 

[normanack]

Hi,
. . . . . Tho I like Knight and Day's breed type a bit better, both sides of Tux's hackle meet across his chest. Something I have really been wanting. to see and for which the English say to strive. So maybe I can eventually get that closed hackle and Knight and Day's type. Now that would be exciting.

I'd love more detail on what makes hackles good, bad, or excellent -- not even getting to color yet.

Gotta say it: if you have Knight and Day, you have to have Dawn and Dusk.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Okay, I've been properly intimidated and am afraid to post anything here ... but looking for the "right" place to post it just made me more scared. So I give up ... I'm posting here.

I was told they sell "subterranean clover" as the shorter varieties ... so your birds don't drown in it ... that are self-seeding and enjoy being grazed.

They grow a lot of clover seed in Oregon ... so here is a document from the OSU Extension Service about different types of clover for different environments ... http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/15233/em8702.pdf

And here is a link to a website promoting the use of clover as lawn, which is perhaps more suited to the non-industrial farmer ... http://cloverlawn.org/

That's the basic info I got in my 5-minute School of Clover-seed Shopping anyway. I did find that there are several places on the internet where a person can purchase a "chicken pasture mix" of seeds ... tiny quantities, clever marketing, big markup, but pre-mixed with lots of chicken-friendly stuff so good for a backyarder.

A little seed can go a long way.

I have a "food plot" designed to HELP keep the deer out of my flowerbeds/shrubs. The chickens are getting use of it by way of accident. This plot is approx 1/2 acre and is predominantly clover; ladino, patriot and crimson. It grows well here, is self - seeding, sets nitrogen into the ground (as opposed to using it) and has a decent amount of protein. In the early fall, I'll normally over seed lightly with a brassicas mix (rape, kale, turnips, radish) as it produces well through the cold months and provides a little variety