Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[3riverschick]

Karen, Your birds will be better able to withstand real cold if they go to roost with crops full of whole grains. Digesting whole grains generates much more heat than digesting mash.My Orps get rolled oats, BOSS,and wild bird seed at 4:00 pm on really cold nights. They have Flockraiser,24/7 , but it won't keep them as warm.Herb Holtz taught me that 35+ years ago. He lived in Iowa.

Yes, hellbender explained using just cracked corn at night to help keep them warm. One thing I did notice this morning is that
I have another pullet interested in laying in spite of the cold. I can't help but wonder if the difference in feeding "warmth" feed is
during the cold is in egg production even if they don't need it for warmth because of their special physiology.
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[fowlman01]

I have been to and exhibited in hundreds of animal conformation shows but never one that features poultry. I'm looking forward to going with my son, just as soon as he gets home and settles in.

We certainly won't even consider trying to have our feelings hurt 'til we've been to several, simply as spectators. So much to do and learn before that will happen.

Should be great quality time together. Perhaps Jason will make contact with a sweet country gal.

What a great idea. Poultry shows are pretty different than most conformation shows. One of the main differences is that the judges don't know who the birds belong to. When I judge I sometimes recognize strains of breeds, but I still don't know who owns them. There used ot be mostly men at these shows, but things have changed, so maybe your son will meet a nice lady at a poultry show.



Here is a poultry girl. lol

Walt

 

[hellbender]

What a great idea. Poultry shows are pretty different than most conformation shows. One of the main differences is that the judges don't know who the birds belong to. When I judge I sometimes recognize strains of breeds, but I still don't know who owns them. There used ot be mostly men at these shows, but things have changed, so maybe your son will meet a nice lady at a poultry show.



Here is a poultry girl. lol

Walt

Very pretty girl...but she seems to have been taken! lol

 

[Anna6]

Oh, my 'ol stompin' ground! Loving the North County! All my family lives there . Mom and Sis in Oceanside and Bro and his wife in Vista. Both my boys born in San D County. Moved from there in '92 back to western PA. Well, unless you are in the coastal zone, you probably need a bird which will handle heat in the summer. Which city are you in? That makes a big diff on how much heat your birds need to withstand.
Welcome to BYC and this thread!
,
Best,
Karen (formerly of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista, CA)

This is what I found online.
climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 89.10 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 41.60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 27 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

We get just a couple days of very hot weather at most. Right now it is low 50s with sunshine and we are just outside with t-shirt and jeans, kids are mowing the lawn.

 

[gjensen]

Can anyone offer any evidence that a change in the diet will help a bird through a cold night?

Not just because, but actual proof that there is an improvement. I get the theories, but I have seen no proof.

Not trying to debate, just trying to learn something. I have heard it forever, but hearing it is not enough for me. Call me hard headed.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Alright so I'm trying to decide whether or not to show my chickens at the open show at the one fair. Only issue is it's the week before our fair. They would have to go directly from that fair to our fair. Should I just show half of them at one fair and half at the other? Would I be safe showing them all at the first fair and then dragging them to our fair? Trying figure out if this will be too stressful on them or not.

 

[thedragonlady]

Can anyone offer any evidence that a change in the diet will help a bird through a cold night?

Not just because, but actual proof that there is an improvement. I get the theories, but I have seen no proof.

Not trying to debate, just trying to learn something. I have heard it forever, but hearing it is not enough for me. Call me hard headed.

Herb Holtz tried feeding half of his birds on commercial feeds.and half were supplemented with whole grains at night during cold weather. It gets very cold in Muscatine , Iowa.During bitter weather,he had losses with the birds on ground feed, but none on the ones being supplemented with whole grains at night.The bonus came at slaughter time. Not only were the grain fed birds noticeably larger, but their internal organs were larger, and more healthy too. Herb was a very thrifty farmer,who also raised great Wyandottes and Rocks, so I doubt he would have kept it up,if it hadn't made a real difference.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:

Rolled oats, black oil sunflower seeds and wild bird seed at 4 pm when it gets really cold. Got it.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Yes, hellbender explained using just cracked corn at night to help keep them warm. One thing I did notice this morning is that
I have another pullet interested in laying in spite of the cold. I can't help but wonder if the difference in feeding "warmth" feed is
during the cold is in egg production even if they don't need it for warmth because of their special physiology.
Best Regards,
Karen

Karen a few years back probly bout the time this thread started up there was a post on here from one of the far northern breeders Mich. Minn areas like Charlie Voda or one of the more well known breeder he posted a pic. of his poultry house and the chickens in it NO heat at all he posted the low temp numbers they have normally there never has had heat other than water thawing apparatuses and such but those chickens do just fine

proper shelter with ventilation (fresh oxygen is a must) without drafts(drafts cause the windchill numbers) and full bellies of good feed those gals have insulation on them folk used to make pillow and quilts out of before they got cheap and now use oil by-products. when they puff out those feathers it is just like being wrapped in a layer of Owens Cornings best 'cept it don't itch.

Jeff

 

[ronott1]

Rolled oats, black oil sunflower seeds and wild bird seed at 4 pm when it gets really cold. Got it.

I use a bird mix from Costco that has all but the oats in it. I give the layers a 16oz mason jar full of it each night. That combination helps them lay eggs and glosses up the feathers. The Australorps get a nice green color from it.

It also helps distract them while I collect the eggs. The Smarter Hens start hanging out by the side door in the afternoon in anticipation too.