Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[3riverschick]

Karen I got ya'll close in the post above yours LOL

Jeff

Thankee , Jeff!

 

[3riverschick]

Low Rider Sussex

I want to lower the chassis of my Light Sussex on their legs even further than they are now. Is there a way to breed this in other than just visual complementary matings? Are there connections between structure and station I should be looking for to help guide my way?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[gjensen]

He sure was - not a day goes by that I don't miss him and feel like the very best "cheerleader" for the fancy is gone. I smile each time I see someone mention him, and attempt to pick up that torch!

I hate to admit it, but I have to admit it. I appreciate him more now than I did. I am not saying that I did not appreciate him. Maybe I did not realize how much.

When he left, it hurt. I was a bit surprised by it. I had never met him etc. On the internet, people seam far away. A little less real. That was different with Bob. He seamed and was real.

I do not think there could ever be one like him again. There a lot of people qualified to contribute, but he was an unique combination of qualities.

I do hope that this thread can be steered back towards what he had started it for. I am guilty of getting off topic as anyone, and I think there is a lot of subtopics that go along with the main theme. Some have tried to steer it back. Maybe it could be done. Bob was flexible and let the kids play so to speak. He reigned it in and kept in check in the right way. He did not scold or over correct. He seamed to be able to correct it by contributing.

 

[gjensen]

I've got the opposite issue. My new breeding pens are getting too much sun. The pens are 6' deep and the low winter sun gets all the way to the back of each pen for several hours each day. Each pen does have a little shade at all times, but they could use a better balance. I'm in southwest desert country. While the northeast is getting a blizzard we've had unusually warm temps. Been in the 70's all week.

Fortunately for me it's easier to add shade than to increase sunlight. I'm curious to hear what others have to say about the shade issue.

This is a good thing this time of year isn't it? I only see the sun as an issue when it is hot.

 

[ronott1]

All my breeding pens are in the shade or roofed. I haven't had any problems with vigor because of that. Personally,
I think fresh air is more important that direct sunlight. Yes, I know about the vitamin D thing. Still, I think a fresh air
run which is dry is more important than a yard in direct sunlight which gets wet. Others may disagree.
Best,
Karen

Bob sent me a PM and told me to keep my Fogel....Reese or whatever RIRs out of the sun If I was going to show them. The sun washes out the red in them.

 

[gjensen]

All my breeding pens are in the shade or roofed. I haven't had any problems with vigor because of that. Personally,
I think fresh air is more important that direct sunlight. Yes, I know about the vitamin D thing. Still, I think a fresh air
run which is dry is more important than a yard in direct sunlight which gets wet. Others may disagree.
Best,
Karen

It easier said than done, but it is ideal to have sun hit every portion of their enclosure at some point in the day. Sun is a good disinfectant, but so is fresh air.

Otherwise as long as they have access to sunlight and their enclosure is dry with fresh air they will be fine.

Sunlight is not just important for physiological reasons but is a behavior modifier to.

For us sunlight early after rising boosts Serotonin levels.

I did not do as well with my enclosures as I wish that I did. Part of that is I started putting stuff together before I had went through all of the seasons. Part of it that I know more now than I did. I am always scheming improvements.
Another mistake was building everything in the summer without as much consideration to the other 9 months of the year. Heat and humidity is our most limiting factor.

On the other hand, many a production bird is productive without ever seeing any natural lighting.

 

[Zanna]

Relating to how the sun makes me feel, I believe it to be of value. When we built the 3-sided pole type shed around my chain link dog kennel breeder pens, we put a sheet of clear plexiglass roofing over the middle of each of the 5 pens. The front is completely open so depending on the time of day some sun gets in from the front as well.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Oh yes that sunshine is a great hormonal stimulant, temperature changer, vitamin producer, and as George said the disinfectant too eg: Turtles on a log in the sunny part of the day is not so much of a blood warmer(which it does a little bit) but it kills off a lot of harmful bacterias (cooties/crites) also. My dog smells a bit better after some time in the sunshine too than she normally does/would most any other given time LOL

The buzzards sun themselves to great extent and all that is for obvious reasons too(pshewwie) LOL new word for sunbathing (buzzard bath) LOL

Jeff

 

[3riverschick]

Bob sent me a PM and told me to keep my Fogel....Reese or whatever RIRs out of the sun If I was going to show them. The sun washes out the red in them.

I think that may be because they are eb (brown) based? In the beginning of the Light Sussex, the three breeds which contributed to it were eb, eb, and eWh, respectively. The breeders had a lot of trouble with brassiness, often caused by weather and sunshine. If I read the classic lit correctly, they stove for birds which would "stay white" regardless of weather or sun. Eventually they succeeded. From my personal research, I believe it was because they moved the Light Sussex from eb/eb and eWh/eb to homozygous eWh/eWh. About the time the breeders stopped discussing problems with brassiness, a bit later the eWh gene was pronounced. Now Light Sussex are described as eWh/eWh Co/Co S/S. ( newly, the Hackle Black gene pronounced by Grant B. has been added. Grant says without Hackle Black, the Light Sussex would look like the Black-Tailed Jap bantam. i.e., no black hackle at all. )
It would be interesting to know if the Delaware fowl has problems with brassiness in the weather or sun as they are eWh/eWh Co/Co S/S with the barring gene.
Best,
Karen

 

[ronott1]

I think that may be because they are eb (brown) based? In the beginning of the Light Sussex, the three breeds which contributed to it were eb, eb, and eWh, respectively. The breeders had a lot of trouble with brassiness, often caused by weather and sunshine. If I read the classic lit correctly, they stove for birds which would "stay white" regardless of weather or sun. Eventually they succeeded. From my personal research, I believe it was because they moved the Light Sussex from eb/eb and eWh/eb to homozygous eWh/eWh. About the time the breeders stopped discussing problems with brassiness, a bit later the eWh gene was pronounced. Now Light Sussex are described as eWh/eWh Co/Co S/S. ( newly, the Hackle Black gene pronounced by Grant B. has been added. Grant says without Hackle Black, the Light Sussex would look like the Black-Tailed Jap bantam. i.e., no black hackle at all. )
It would be interesting to know if the Delaware fowl has problems with brassiness in the weather or sun as they are eWh/eWh Co/Co S/S with the barring gene.
Best,
Karen

You are likely correct!