Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[gjensen]

Check into local poultry clubs to, there should be some club run non-fair shows in your area, that part of the country is kind of a hotbed for poultry. There is a world of difference between fairs (which even when sanctioned draw a different crowd) and shows. Fairs usually last longer which means more stress to birds, and the crowds of people and kids poking through the cages and harassing the birds, etc. Don't get me wrong I'm not anti-fair at all, as a matter of fact I show at my local fair (provided I can take a vacation from work and be there to keep an eye on my birds) and show my young birds at it, if they can acclimate to a fair when the real shows hit they'll be old pros!

Poultry makes a wonderful 4-H project for youth and many breeders will bend over backwards to help youth get started, big thumbs up on that idea!

Sorry Walt if i doubted you and asked for other opinions! I'm new to non-hatchery birds and this site.

I want to thank those that gave the references I will check into them. I also want to thank everyone for their opinions. I should get a SOP and also get to some shows. I see the APA has the local fair listed as a sanctioned show. My daughter turns 5 this fall and I'd like to get her into some sort of 4-H project when she is old enough. As a dairy farmer i absolutely refuse to breed a cow for show because I would be breeding a cow that wouldn't work at all in a grazing herd like mine. Chickens would sure be an option to replace a dairy calf!

And the reason that I suggested the strain I did, is from other posts on another thread. I have picked up that you were considering them from the perspective of farming and costs etc. These pullets come into lay fast, and lay well. The cockerels come around fast, so you can deal with a portion of them early. Others might not be aware of the background.

I think that they would produce a birds or two that you could show at the fair. From what I have seen at the local type fairs, they could do quite well.

 

[fowlman01]

Sorry Walt if i doubted you and asked for other opinions! I'm new to non-hatchery birds and this site.

I want to thank those that gave the references I will check into them. I also want to thank everyone for their opinions. I should get a SOP and also get to some shows. I see the APA has the local fair listed as a sanctioned show. My daughter turns 5 this fall and I'd like to get her into some sort of 4-H project when she is old enough. As a dairy farmer i absolutely refuse to breed a cow for show because I would be breeding a cow that wouldn't work at all in a grazing herd like mine. Chickens would sure be an option to replace a dairy calf!

I didn't take it as you doubted me.....it's always good to have opinions from more than one source. Fairs are usually not the best place tolook at chickens even if they are APA sanctioned shows. It is better than nothing though.

w.

 

[fowlman01]

I don't have anywhere near the experience & knowledge that Walt does, but I have a little experience with Delawares. When I was looking for breeding stock, I passed on Whitmore Farms. Some people with them were happy but I just wasn't impressed by any of the birds that I saw (photos) from them.

I hesitate to say that anyone has the "best" of any breed. What I can offer is my opinion as a breeder who is trying to breed standard bred Delawares. I also want to offer you encouragement if that is a breed of your choice.

IMO, all that I've seen still need work. I am impressed with the photos on cpartist's website http://eightacresfarm.weebly.com/delawares.html Their frame size does not look as wide as Kathyinmo's. Some of the tails look a bit pinched. The color needs improvement but not as much as Kathy's. I might consider these if I were looking.

I've had 3 strains of Delawares, starting with some from Sand Hill. Glenn has been working with this strain for decades with emphasis on production qualities. Awesome layers and a decent meat bird for a small family, but not for production. Would need some work to meet standard but this is another strain that I would recommend- if you don't mind improving on them for a few years.
My Braden Delawares were a huge disappointment. Bill is the nicest man, I hate to disparage his stock. That strain gave me the most experience with seeing a great number of SOP defects & DQs firsthand. They were relatively scrawny, poor layers and most of them dropped dead when the summer heat set in. Other breeders may have had better results but I would not recommend this strain.
Last year, I had my own combination of the Sand Hill/Braden birds that I had intended to keep and try to improve upon. Then, I was fortunate to be able to get some chicks from Kathyinmo. As those chicks matured and I got a good look at the width of them compared to all the others, I got rid of the other line. There was a huge difference in frame size!

I'm very happy with Kathy's strain. I can see in them what the original Delaware must have been. They are, still, a work in progress. They didn't start laying until 30 weeks, but started off with huge brown eggs and many of the hens lay every day. They didn't fill out their frame as well as I had hoped. (Bear in mind that I have the Schilling illustration in my mind's eye.) They matured slower than the traditional Delaware should. This may have something to do with my management, diet, environment... who knows. I have the next generation now growing out and I think they are maturing a bit faster. I'll select for that. With the birds from Kathy, the color on the females is almost to standard but the males have too much barring. Something else to work on.

I like the Delaware as a meat bird. Once I get these maturing as fast as the original Delaware, I can see the breed giving those Freedom Rangers a run for their money. I think they will appeal to farmers who want the qualities of a heritage breed to raise on pasture.
My plan is, to raise Delawares as fryers and Silver Dorkings as roasters.

Here are a couple of not so good photos of the birds from Kathy: (8 months of age)

You are getting there Kim. Have I handled this female?

w.

 

[capayvalleychick]

You are getting there Kim. Have I handled this female?

w.

I think so. She was one of the pullets that I brought to you for evaluation.

Thanks so much for your help and encouragement, both with the Dels and the Dorkings.

 

[fowlman01]

I think so. She was one of the pullets that I brought to you for evaluation.

Thanks so much for your help and encouragement, both with the Dels and the Dorkings.

The male and the female
Del look good with the exception of some color faults. You are getting close.

w.

 

[3riverschick]

Sorry Walt if i doubted you and asked for other opinions! I'm new to non-hatchery birds and this site.

I want to thank those that gave the references I will check into them. I also want to thank everyone for their opinions. I should get a SOP and also get to some shows. I see the APA has the local fair listed as a sanctioned show. My daughter turns 5 this fall and I'd like to get her into some sort of 4-H project when she is old enough. As a dairy farmer i absolutely refuse to breed a cow for show because I would be breeding a cow that wouldn't work at all in a grazing herd like mine. Chickens would sure be an option to replace a dairy calf!

You may want to rethink poultry showing in PA. Unfortunately some one in Commonwealth government has decided to lose their mind and demand that all shown poultry be vaccinated. The vaccine chosen is a live one which sheds in the flock and can make unvaccinated birds sick. Plus, if you sell the vaccinated birds to other folk, as I understand it, it can shed and make their flocks sick, if that new flock hasn't been vaccinated.
Have you thought rabbits instead? PA has some top breeders in different breeds which win BIS. Lot of colors and breeds to choose from. Or you can not vaccinate your birds and show them outside of PA. It's really a shame, the vaccination thing. I hope they repeal it. Haven't checked the news lately. Our neighbor was a new 4H poultry leader. So excited for something to do with his daughter. We helped him build a lovely coop. Gave him SQ Light Sussex for his daughter. Then he ran head long into the vaccine thing. Quit and doing other things now. They still have the birds as a laying flock.
For out-of-State shows, Baltimore is less than 2 hrs. away and Newark is about 2 1/2 hours. By contrast, we drive over 3 hrs. to get to the Columbus, OH National.
Best,
Karen

 

[Wisher1000]

Last November, I drove over 12 hours, one way, to the Ohio National! And I didn't take any birds (but I brought some home.)

When I first got home, I thought, "That was fun, but I will not likely do it again." Here we are, less than 6 months later, and I am thinking of making that trip again. There is no substitute for seeing live birds that look like they are supposed to look. I was a bit star struck, and overwhelmed. I believe I could get more from my second trip.

 

[bmvf]

Quote: Funny you should say rabbits, the next door neighbor raises rabbits for show. Rabbits aren't for me. They stay in their cage and look pretty.

As was mentioned, I'm looking for production birds. I want a good bird but showing may be down the road.

 

[fowlman01]

Last November, I drove over 12 hours, one way, to the Ohio National!  And I didn't take any birds (but I brought some home.)    When I first got home, I thought, "That was fun, but I will not likely do it again."  Here we are, less than 6 months later, and I am thinking of making that trip again.  There is no substitute for seeing live birds that look like they are supposed to look.  I was a bit star struck, and overwhelmed.  I believe I could get more from my second trip.

Everyone should try to get to Columbus at least once. You can see birds you would never see anywhere else.

 

[3riverschick]

Everyone should try to get to Columbus at least once. You can see birds you would never see anywhere else.

Last year it was incredible.

There were over 6,000 birds! I had been to the same building before for the Collie National in 1996. Wow. Unbelievable it was filled with poultry! They had ducks, geese and last year they also had pigeons!

There was one duck who got loose and was flying around in the building. Every time he circled the duck area, there as a power quacking from all the ducks, like "Run, Forrest, run!".

Everyone was so very nice. Didn't meet a single haughty person.

They had time to discuss their birds and carry cages and...well name a poultry subject! The awards table was awesome! And the Juniors so thrilled with their awards. Lots of vendors to shop from.

So many stunning birds. I really got a feel for the huge size of a correctly bred Orpington or Australop.

I also got a chance to compare my birds mentally against other dual purpose breeds. It was really educational, despite having to mentally adjust for differences in breed standards.

Even tho I, too, was overwhelmed by the bigness of it all and more than a bit starstruck (LOL), I sure had a good time.

This year we will be going again and entering a bird for the first time. I think I have the breedings lined up correctly and the breeders should produce better than themselves. So, I will enter one of them.

Then 2015, watch out! I will be there with bells and a bunch of Light Sussex from this year!

Best,
Karen