The American Hollands Chicken Thread & Census

[smoothmule]

I've subscribed, can anyone post photo's for critique? I only have young started Hollands but "goodness!" they are growing fast

Would it be possible to close one of the Barred Holland threads so everyone is on the same page? It would be nice for all interested members to find one thread with everyone together.

Also, is there an ALBC effort to work with breeders to keep track and assist breeders in helping other breeders?

 

[AraucanaAnnie]

I wonder how those whites are doing...

 

[Heidi Dingman]

The white's we have are coming along. With two mature hens it takes so long to get a "good" chick. It seems we got one pure white hen that is third generation that we really like. She has no ticking. My holland cock bird has had a bad winter. His comb is miserible due to frost bite and fighting with and Old English Game bantam. He's not so pretty anymore.

 

[mhollow]

Hello All. I am new to this thread but have raised poultry for over 12 years. I recently purchase BH chicks from a breeder whose BH breeding stock came from Gracie Mae. I have followed the BH for a number of years now but up until recently was unable to find anyone with chicks for sale. The breeder showed me eggs from his BH hens and they are as white as any egg I've seen. I hope to do my part in bringing this wonderful breed back from the brink and I look forward to being a part of this group.

 

[Pocket Farmer]

Hello All. I am new to this thread but have raised poultry for over 12 years. I recently purchase BH chicks from a breeder whose BH breeding stock came from Gracie Mae. I have followed the BH for a number of years now but up until recently was unable to find anyone with chicks for sale. The breeder showed me eggs from his BH hens and they are as white as any egg I've seen. I hope to do my part in bringing this wonderful breed back from the brink and I look forward to being a part of this group.

Hi mhollow! Did you get your chicks from Kevin? If so, I agree those eggs are WHITE! I have a dozen in my incubator as we speak. I also have a rooster and hen that are one year old from Gracie Mae's line. The hen is laying but her eggs are buff. The rooster has been crossed with my existing BH line and all babies this year will be from him. I've posted the pics of our roo here, he looks pretty good. Can't wait to see how his babies look.

 

[mhollow]

Yes I did get them from Kevin. I don't know if you have had the opportunity to see his rooster but if not he has some good size to him. From a distance, the barring looks pretty clean too. I am very anxious to see them 12 to 18 months from now.

 

[smoothmule]

Yes I did get them from Kevin. I don't know if you have had the opportunity to see his rooster but if not he has some good size to him. From a distance, the barring looks pretty clean too. I am very anxious to see them 12 to 18 months from now.

How old are your chicks now? I got mine from the same person. Two cockerels and 8 pullets but one was quite a bit younger and died the first week here, I think it was over run by the larger ones but I tried putting it with my other younger Araucana chicks and it cried incessantly so I reluctantly put it back with it's own kind and it died the next morning. The others are growing like WEEDS! My goodness they're going to be good sized at this rate. I was told they eggs were as white as any grocery store egg. I'm so excited about these, the day olds from Ideal that I got a year earlier were pitiful and all died before feathering out. I've never had such weak chicks.
Mine have been moved out of my heated building, into a large rabbit hutch, well covered and shelter in it. They are growing so fast that as soon as the worst of winter is past, they are moving to the large grow out pen I have waiting for them.

 

[mhollow]

Mine are just a week old. Fortunately I live close enought to Kevin to be able to pick them up. I was not pleased by the thought of having to have them shipped at this time of the year. All 10 chicks seem to be just fine. The other benefit to picking them up is that I got to see the parent stock and the eggs. Again they are white as white can be. As far as the size of the egg is concerned, I would say they are of a medium size at best. Never the less, I was pleased by what I saw during my visit. My plan is that this will be a breed improvement project and I believe I am starting at a good place. How old are yours? Is your intent meat and eggs or is this a project for you?

 

[smoothmule]

Mine are just a week old. Fortunately I live close enought to Kevin to be able to pick them up. I was not pleased by the thought of having to have them shipped at this time of the year. All 10 chicks seem to be just fine. The other benefit to picking them up is that I got to see the parent stock and the eggs. Again they are white as white can be. As far as the size of the egg is concerned, I would say they are of a medium size at best. Never the less, I was pleased by what I saw during my visit. My plan is that this will be a breed improvement project and I believe I am starting at a good place. How old are yours? Is your intent meat and eggs or is this a project for you?

Mine were hatched about Jan 1st They are gorgeous, very good sized for their age and so friendly, I'll be filling the water and feed and they will be right up on me wanting attention. Genetic diversity will go a long ways to improve their size as well as egg size. A diet high in protein will also help. A friend here has a 4H group and they did a "test" using peanuts in the feed and there was a good bit of improvement in size and numbers laid. I typically feed 21% protein when they're laying, along with vitamin A.D & E supplement, free choice grit and oystershell for my Araucana's, which can be a challenge for fertility and hatchability but I'm getting great results. I never feed "layers" feed. According to my son who has a degree in Ag, the layer feed is intended for layers, not breeders. They get calcium in the feed whether they need it or not so the eggs can be too thick for good hatching in some cases. They still need the calcium but I provide free choice and they take what they need rather than force feeding it.

I plan to move mine to a larger growing pen, also a wire pen off the ground, once February has passed. The pen they have now is enclosed on 2 sides and a heat lamp, they're quickly outgrowing the need for all that, just in time for spring. I am hoping for some chicks as early as this fall but not sure how old before they're laying. I don't want to push them though, when they're a little older, the cockerels will be separated from the pullets to keep the pressure off the girls till they're ready and laying. I want them to mature as long as needed for healthier hens later.

Anyone have information about average age at point of lay? and how soon do the cockerels mature? If the cockerels mature much earlier than the pullets begin to lay, I'll give them a couple of mellow hens from my Araucana pen that will squat for them and I can check fertility before putting them with "their" girls.

 

[AraucanaAnnie]

The white's we have are coming along.  With two mature hens it takes so long to get a "good"  chick. It seems we got one pure white hen that is third generation that we really like. She has no ticking. My holland cock bird has had a bad winter. His comb is miserible due to frost bite and fighting with and Old English Game bantam. He's not so pretty anymore. 

Yay! Where did you get your stock? I hope your roo does okay...