Belgian Malines Have Arrived!!!

[Our Roost]

Some day a prince will come and I'll have eggs too!

 

[Shellz]

Some day a prince will come and I'll have eggs too!

Yeah!!!
I've gotta say, the last cockerel we harvested several months ago, was the best ever!!! Had planned to process sooner than his 24 weeks, but life got in the way. Anywho, he dressed out at 5lbs & was the tastiest, tenderest bird yet! Not a tough spot on him. Magnificent eats! This boy had amazing sized thighs too. My fave part. What is not to love about these birds?! I believe they truly live up to the standard of the ideal homestead bird.

 

[Shellz]

Time for some pics! My flock is made up of 3 different ages of Malines plus one black star hen who brooded some of them & one buff orpington hen.

Here's little Bert, my youngest cockerel who is going to a new home in trade for another rare breed of hatching eggs.

Here's Boris with the gals.

Big Bertha

Boris again

Boris on the left & Bruce to the right with their harem.

Here's the next generation on day 11 of the incubation process. 25 eggs with a few being Malines X Buff Orpington. Those will be meat birds for sure. Hatch day is Feb. 26

 

[Shellz]

From a few days old to 2 weeks. Here is the next generation on my farm.

 

[Gen9]

Wow looking good!

 

[HeyWatch]

Can you please tell me how you like your Belgian Malines, now that you have had them for a while? Thanks very much.
If other people have these birds, and would like to comment, I would appreciate that as well. Thanks

 

[Our Roost]

Well, I have a couple of stragglers left and the rest died off. Of 28 hatching eggs I purchased, only 6 lived. I ended up with 5 to work with as one died within first week. 2 roosters had heart attacks within first year and died also. The second season hatching was more promising but I continued to have more deaths with no explanation. I couldn't acquire another bloodline so things started to go south. The U.S. cannot exchange birds over international borders without a paper trail of regulations attached, so acquiring another bloodline ( which is gravely needed) is up in the air and not coming down anytime soon. Would be a great bird if it had some fresh blood. You would have to line breed these birds for longevity and they would still be from the same bloodline mostly.

 

[prijicrw]

Well, I have a couple of stragglers left and the rest died off. Of 28 hatching eggs I purchased, only 6 lived. I ended up with 5 to work with as one died within first week. 2 roosters had heart attacks within first year and died also. The second season hatching was more promising but I continued to have more deaths with no explanation. I couldn't acquire another bloodline so things started to go south. The U.S. cannot exchange birds over international borders without a paper trail of regulations attached, so acquiring another bloodline ( which is gravely needed) is up in the air and not coming down anytime soon. Would be a great bird if it had some fresh blood. You would have to line breed these birds for longevity and they would still be from the same bloodline mostly.

I experienced a lot death as well, including sudden heart attack around 20 weeks. They were also incredibly slow to feather.....like around 12 weeks