Barred Rocks Good Shepard Poulty Ranch

[catdaddyfro]

Guys, this is just my farmer logic, do with it what you will. These birds are HUGE. We know that. We also know that they are slow to develop. We're gonna do a couple of things. First, we're not going to put smaller eggs in the incubator. Just not going to do it. With other breeds we have, a slightly smaller egg hasn't been an issue, but with these BR, we going to be a bit more selective on the egg size for hatching.

I do think there is a bit of a learning curve on the right temperature for these as well. If we all share what we're learning, it'll be a help. Once the broodiness kicks in, come June, we'll let the ladies do a lot of this for us. Kathy says they are a broody bunch, so we're gonna watch for that come late spring, early summer.

I also agree here too Fred on the smaller/pullet eggs may have a whole bunch to do with this here issue you are correct these guys are monsterous even at hatch. The first time I saw my half breeds I got from Kathy BRxNH I was in awe at their size. I've never hatched chicks that size before. this is why I lean towards there needing to be some real good stuff in the yolk for the first hours of life there may just not be enough room for all that is in the smaller eggs/and usually have smaller yolks.IMO

Jeff

 

[FOGELLY]

In my previous post I meant to say large breed not large eggs.
I corrected the post.
Sorry don't want to confuse anyone.

Also it does make sense not to hatch from small eggs on these bird birds.

I have hatched a bunch of Columbian Rocks this year and they are almost as big as the GSBR.
No troubles.

Ron

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I replaced the double wafer thermostat system on my 1202 and have started my first hatch since. I can't believe how much more stable the temperature is staying with the electronic thermostat. I have the incubator in a garage that drops down to about the high 40's at night. I cover the cabinate with old bath towels. The temperature has varied about .25 degrees worst case and typically not at all. I've been able to fine tune it from 100 to 99.5 easily. Will see how the hatches go but so far I'm glad I did it. GQF sells it on their website. I think it was $87, fairly easy to install; and I'm no handyman.

 

[Marengoite]

Are there any breeders in Ohio with GSBRs? I would like to purchase locally rather than ship if I can.

Thanks,

rick

 

[cbnovick]

Fred,
My birds came from 2 different people and I separated them to start 3 different families ( basically I have 3 pens going right now) I'm using my best roo in pen 1 and 2 and the only other roo that I have left in pen 3. I had culled down to 3 roos but lost one a few weeks back. Right now I only have one hen in each pen but I have 3 others that I can also use down the rd. if I need/want to. Counting the one chick from last night I've hatched 6 or 7 chicks so far out of just over 2 dozen eggs that have gone into lock-down. My RIR's and NH's are hatching out left and right with no issues. All of my breeders eat the same food but I'm going to up the Omega 3 in the food my BR's eat by using Cod oil and see if that helps.

The chicks in the un-hatched eggs are fully formed. Some peep but don't hatch and some don't break the shell at all. I did help 2 chicks out to see what they would do once hatched and they did fine. This is going to sound funny but it almost looks like the chicks are to big for the eggs and can't move to peep but I doubt this is the case. The one that hatched last night is huge compared to my German NH's and RIR's that hatched along side of him.

I'm sure that it's no big deal and I'll get it figured out eventually. I may just go and double the hens in each pen to increase my egg production or just shut these pens down for now and try again in a couple of months.

Chris

Quoted from Robert Blosl on Heritage thread:
If they are laying well, but most of all exploding out of the eggs once piped and are vigourous there is no need to cross for vigor. Why waist all the money on culls to feed. However, if they die in the shell at 18 days and there is a good air sack you need fresh blood. If you get your egg production and feathering rate up your vigor will be at the max and may go many years.
I am wondering if some of the vigor of this relatively closed line/strain needs a smidge of outcross with slight variation of strain...it's so good though, seems crazy to even ponder it...but makes me wonder...what do you guys think??

 

[Fred's Hens]

No, no. Not for many more years.

There are a half dozen or more keepers of these birds. If we keep track of each other, within 5 years, we can exchange "fresh blood". This is why when I separated the two "families" of our birds, I went to far as to put them separate farms, 5 miles apart.

As I said, our first hatch was statistically quite good. One day? yes. I have to reach out to Chris, Ron or somebody and make a swap of eggs or something. If I've not gone home to my reward by then. LOL

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quoted from Robert Blosl on Heritage thread:
If they are laying well, but most of all exploding out of the eggs once piped and are vigourous there is no need to cross for vigor. Why waist all the money on culls to feed. However, if they die in the shell at 18 days and there is a good air sack you need fresh blood. If you get your egg production and feathering rate up your vigor will be at the max and may go many years.
I am wondering if some of the vigor of this relatively closed line/strain needs a smidge of outcross with slight variation of strain...it's so good though, seems crazy to even ponder it...but makes me wonder...what do you guys think??

I think the magic words here Chris I believe is the air cell still intact or broken is a big clue here something to look at next go around, I'm now leaning towards your post yesterday of you saying you're going to try the leaving the eggs uprighted instead of laying them down in the hatcher this may be where things are going awry for you. Try it in cut up(styrofoam) egg cartons 4x4 or 6x6 sect. so as they will sturdy themselfs and not tump over and cut a dime size hole in the bottom for air movement. It may be these guys are getting disoriented thrown out a whack when you lay them over and too this could go back to the sheer size of the chicks and not be able to move around to pip and zipp. Just an opinion I've pondered on since yesterday and most of the night(dmed insomnia)LOL not trying to sound as a "noitall" or pest just ideas.

I don't think there should be a inbreeding factor here yet as Fred says most of these from Jeremy/Kathy/Matt haven't been closely bred for that long.(4 or 5) years max probly less ask Jwhip

Hey if you need another breeder male though for an opt out I got 4 over here nice big boys these are from Kathys flock if you think this will make a difference your more than welcome to one. I cant use all of them, not at one time anyway I only got 6 pullets. I'm using a Kathyinmo male over Matt pullets, at least they aren't from the same brood.

Jeff

 

[Chris Herzog]

The good news is that I have plenty of time to try and figure this all out and like Fred said earlier, there is quite a few people with these birds so I don’t think that I have to go out side the GS line just yet.

I added fish oil to the feed of my Barred Rocks to increase the Omega-3 and I’m going to try and hatch some this weekend upright in the egg carton and see what that does for me. I was even going to put the eggs that I collect this week or next week in a different incubator and see how that goes. Finally, I also put a 2nd hen in each pen to increase the number of eggs that I’m getting each day. So instead of collecting eggs from 3 hens I’m collecting eggs from 6 hens.

Jeff, if by the end of this month (February), I have not got anything figured out, I may take you up on that offer. If nothing else I may just borrow a roo from you for a few weeks and see if that helps!!!

Thanks,
Chris

 

[catdaddyfro]

No problem ol' boy and hope you get it figured out too sooner rather than later I know you have your mind set on having fun with all this and will too. This is just a bump in the road, man, lessons learned, hard knox, the best ones usually LOL

Jeff

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I got a surprise phone call this afternoon from none other than Frank Reese himself. He wanted to personally let me know that he had shipped my hatching eggs (got a dozen of his BR and a dozen of his Cornish) and give me the tracking information. He said to keep his number and if I had any issues or questions feel free to ask. He also asked me to report back to him my hatch results from his eggs. What a genuinely nice person.
So, my eggs are scheduled for delivery on Thursday according the the tracking information. My fingers are crossed that I'll have a decent hatch at the end of the month or 1st of March.