Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Big Orp]

Treat her like a new flock member. Provide a space in the coop for her to live where the others can see her but not get to her.

In my opinion, it's always best to introduce more than one bird to a flock if you're going to add. Perhaps after she has been there for a week or so, get the lowest flock member and add that one in with her. After they are getting on well, perhaps grab the new lowest flock member to add to the group. Once they are getting on well, perhaps then you can let them in with the rest of the flock.

OK I will give it a try.. Thank you.

 

[3riverschick]

Sussex and the Winter Weather

Hi,
Finally back on line after 6 week absence. I hope everyone came thru the winter ok. Finally warming up here in western PA which brings me to the topic in question. In Jan. 2014, when the first of the polar vortexes hit, a major news network had a storied weatherman on their show. they said he was the most elite weatherman in North America. They were discussing the brutal cold vortexes and he opined that he thought this might be the start of 10 year trend. I thought that was very interesting. The next day I decided to print out a transcript of his talk. I couldn't find it anywhere on the Net and research is my thing. It was just like he never said it. Now we have just passed the second season of bitter cold weather just like he predicted. I am a believer now and this brings me to a sad decision. I am going to place my pure English Light Sussex and get a more cold hardy breed. Western PA used to be 5-8 planting zone. Now we are 3-8 like Minneapolis. I don't have to tell ya'll the havoc just one night of sub zero Artic blast can wreak on a flocks combs. Even tho I prepared for winter there was no way to defend against 22 below zero wind chill. They stayed cooped up the great majority of the winter. Tho the girls came into lay in Nov. at 29 weeks, once the bitter cold hit, no eggs, they were just staying warm. May, the 3 yr. old Boese hen, just started to lay 1 1/2 weeks ago. None of the others have yet. All the show stocks' combs were ruined due to the cold. This is the 2nd year this has happened. More to the point, the boys aren't siring until they heal up which is the end of April or May. So I am not getting chicks till end of May, June, and July. To breed the good winter layers I wanted, I needed March-hatched chicks. I am just not equipped with my set-up to continue with Sussex due to the brutal winters. There is a farmer in Blairsville, PA who bought a bunch of my started bird last season. Inbred Boese and strain-cross Boese-Ross. He is very excited about them and wanted eggs and chicks this year. I am going to gift him the flock with the pedigrees. I think it is the right thing to do. I feel bad he will probably mingle to pure Boese with the strain-crossed Boese-Ross birds and the pure Boese strain will probably disappear. However both strains have winning show quality backgrounds close up so this can be a good thing. I have spent hundreds of dollars and 3 years putting this breeding program together. I can only save 1/2 of it, not require the saving of the pure Boese. That's not fair to gift the birds with that kind of perquisite. . So it is what it is.
Right now I am looking at Buckeyes and Chanteclers. Leaning to the Chanties. I am not sure if I want bantams or large fowl. Need to check and see if the bantams are as hardy as the large fowl. It's been a winter of sad realizations.
Sigh,
Karen

 

[Wisher1000]

I'm so sorry to hear this, Karen. I know you will do what is right, but remember that you have a few months to decide since spring is just starting and summer is ahead. Could you maybe gift the crosses to the man you mentioned and the pures to someone who will breed them up and do them some justice? I'm sure someone could be found that would be thrilled to have them and know what they had.

I know you have made some hard decisions, but your logic is spot-on, IMO. Sometimes, you have to go with what works, even if it is not what you want. I hope that your next breed will be everything you wanted.....

Good luck!

 

[3riverschick]

Thanks wisher,
I only have 4 or 7 pure Boese left in both sexes. I don't remember off hand how many of the inbred chicks I kept from last season. Not enough to continue pure with my level of knowledge, I think. I ran into a cushion problem with the Boese inbreeding. That's why I brought in the Ross-descended show hen ( placing 1st 2nd and 3rd at the shows) . Seems to have solved the cushion problem. Pure Boese was always maintained by their original breeder in Montana by inbreeding one generation to the next thru the male side of the pedigree.Frankly, I think the Ross blood will be good for the flock.
And so it goes,
Karen

 

[capayvalleychick]

Karen, I've missed your posts!

If you are thinking that there is any chance of keeping your Sussex, you might talk to Liz Munro in Red Deer, Alberta Canada. She keeps single comb SG Dorkings through those brutal, long winters. No damage to their combs, she even shows them and wins. So, she must know how to manage single comb birds in a cold climate.
I think she has Chanteclers, also, so maybe you could discuss those with her, too.

 

[3riverschick]

She may be able to heat her coops. I do not have heated coops. The famer in Blairsville can run a larger operation and I think that is what these strains need right now. many more chicks hatched to recombine the best of both strains. I only have the capacity to hatch out about 40 chicks each year. I did get about 12 nice birds last year. which really pleased me and proved out my calculations. But he can keep them better in winter and hatch more chicks.
Best,
Karen

 

[gjensen]

Karen, there are some that keep Minorca farther north than you and are successful preventing frost bitten combs without heated coops. I do not know what the tricks of the trade is specifically because I do not have to deal with it. They would be good to discuss this with to. Especially given the exceptionally large combs.

The north east has had a tough and long winter. I can imagine that it would challenge your thinking.

Bantams are an excellent option for many. There is a reason that they outnumber large fowl today. Less space, less feed, etc. etc., and they still lay eggs. I prefer the large fowl, but if circumstances were different, I would enjoy bantams. There is a lot to commend them.

Regardless of what you decide, good luck.

 

[Ifish]

Karen, I was having second thoughts about picking the New Hampshire as my breed after the lingering cold this year. Worried about their single combs and thinking I should have gone with a Rose comb breed. Feburary was the coldest month on record in our area. weeks of sub freezing temps for highs, with negative over nights, and brutal windchills. I have decided to stick with the New Hampshires and see what happens. The main coop should be fine most days, it's the bitter, moist air days that will bother me. The breeding pens may end up with a heat lamp since that's where the good ones will be.

 

[gjensen]

Maybe a discussion on how to manage breeds with large combs in places that get exceptionally cold would be helpful.

 

[Regin]

I have Bresse (they're not APA). They have very large combs, I was worried when it got down to 10 degrees. but they were fine.

I have mostly open coop (good ventilation) with a sheltered area.

I noticed that some roosters will not tuck there heads at night.

I'm sure the cold is much worse in PA than in SC.