BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[holm25]

Choosing a heritage breed to work with has got to be one of the toughest choices to make. You're just reminding me of how grateful I am to have my Silver Grey Dorkings. It's getting harder and harder to find quality stock to work with as fewer and fewer people make the choice to put in the time and effort to really work with breed improvement.

Do you have any pics of your SGD?

 

[Diannastarr]

My goals this year are to primarily keep doing what I've been doing, because I'm getting really good production results. I've managed to breed some large, hardy NNs that have also proven to be outstanding layers. At this point I've got a lot of good stock to work with, so I just want to accentuate the best of their genetics and cull for the poor.

I've hatched out small flocks of Lavender Australorps and Swedish Flower Hens and also secured some Aloha chicks from the creator of the breed just north of me in Phoenix. They add more eye candy to my flocks and can help me add more color variations to my NNs. I'd still like to get some Buff Brahmas, which I would eventually cross with my NNs. I've just always coveted the breed but have held off getting them out of fear that subjecting them to the summer AZ heat would amount to cruelty.

My Silver Grey Dorkings are finally mature enough for me to discern the breeders from the culls, so I'm now working more intensively on improving their genetics as well. It looks like I'll be getting my first taste of pure Dorking meat this year.

Beyond that....I have a lot of culling to do. I've got too many birds and now that I know what I really want it's time to get rid of those who don't fit into the breeding programs, whether by selling them off or sending them to freezer camp. My feed budget could use a break.

HI DesertChic if you have a good Dorking broody that you are willing to sell & that you think would hatch some eggs and be a great mama hen , i will take her & i promises to give her a good for ever home , let me know, , THANKS & take care

Hoping this is the year I can work on getting the tail angle on my New Hampshire pullets lower.

Also adding another egg laying flock as egg demand is going up. More leghorns, some sexlinks, and then maybe some hamburgs if I can find the right birds.

Would like to start a sop project with White Wyandottes, but can't find any good starter birds. And Urch is not hatching this year because of health issues.

hi RYE, i just wanted to say i just love my NHR they are the best...! i have 12 of them and what great jumbo size eggs they lay & are the crowing glory of each box of egg we sell...!!!!

 

[DesertChic]

Do you have any pics of your SGD?

Here are the two I'm currently hatching eggs from:

This guy, Wesley, was actually on my cull list in spite of his amazingly snuggly personality because he initially didn't develop very well. As soon as I separated him from the rest of the flock I discovered that his poor development had been the result of the dominant rooster preventing him from eating. Over a period of about three months Wesley transformed into a gorgeous, meaty bird with a nice body shape. The purple sheen of his old feathers is being systematically replaced by a lovely green sheen on his new feathers, and he's still a total love. I'll sit on the wall he's standing on in this photo and he'll jump up and saunter over to me and lay next to my leg until I pick him up and put him on my lap. Then he just totally relaxes in my arms as I pet him. He's also a FANTASTIC rooster to his hens and takes amazing care of them.

And this is Celine:

She too was at the bottom of the pecking order, flighty and skinny compared to the others, though VERY affectionate with me. She was also very fond of Wesley, so I housed her with him and it was instant love. Within minutes the two of them were laying next to each other in the dirt and cooing affectionately. She was the first of my SGDs to start laying again and his filled out beautifully. And she's calm now, running to me for hugs nearly every time I go out into the yard.

 

[DesertChic]

HI DesertChic if you have a good Dorking broody that you are willing to sell & that you think would hatch some eggs and be a great mama hen , i will take her & i promises to give her a good for ever home , let me know, , THANKS & take care
hi RYE, i just wanted to say i just love my NHR they are the best...! i have 12 of them and what great jumbo size eggs do they lay & are the crowing glory of each box of egg we sell...!!!!

Right now I'm still waiting for the rest of the SGD girls to resume laying, so no signs of broodiness yet. I made note last year of which of the hens showed broodiness, so if they repeat the pattern this year I may have one for you. Otherwise, I will be hatching more SGD chicks throughout the year. These aren't winter layers by any stretch of the imagination, but they're undoubtedly the most affectionate chickens I've ever hatched, and I have some REALLY affectionate birds, so that's saying a lot.

 

[DesertChic]

And these are from my primary SGD breeding group. You can see that the rooster, Squiggy, is significantly larger than Wesley, even now that Wesley's gained so much weight.

And here's one of my more robust girls:

 

[Diannastarr]

Right now I'm still waiting for the rest of the SGD girls to resume laying, so no signs of broodiness yet. I made note last year of which of the hens showed broodiness, so if they repeat the pattern this year I may have one for you. Otherwise, I will be hatching more SGD chicks throughout the year. These aren't winter layers by any stretch of the imagination, but they're undoubtedly the most affectionate chickens I've ever hatched, and I have some REALLY affectionate birds, so that's saying a lot.

hi Desert chick what every you say i will go with your advice ..!! i like both these birds and if you might have one other hen you think that will also be a good broody mama , that will be there only job is just being good dependable broodies , i can take her as well so that should be perfect 2 broody hens and one sweet roo...!! i have a giant pen for them 40'x40' with a tree and fenced over roof ,so they can have their own little world all to them selves . well so let me know ,but no rush , no worries..! thanks & take care

 

[dan26552]

I finally got a breeding pen set up! My Ranger rooster and six hens, three rangers, two RIRs and my runaway chicken house laying hen.

 

[dfr1973]

Why, why, WHY do predators always go for your best bird? I lost one chicken overnight, but it was my BIG GLW hen I named Beauty. Whatever hit me, dug under the corner of the tractor (which is inside electronet fence) and ate out her guts, apparently not interested in all the meat on her. Does this sound like I have another raccoon? I've already trapped one, when I was expecting to get my 16th possum.

 

[DesertChic]

Why, why, WHY do predators always go for your best bird? I lost one chicken overnight, but it was my BIG GLW hen I named Beauty. Whatever hit me, dug under the corner of the tractor (which is inside electronet fence) and ate out her guts, apparently not interested in all the meat on her. Does this sound like I have another raccoon? I've already trapped one, when I was expecting to get my 16th possum.

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this! I hope you catch that predator and deliver justice upon him quickly.

 

[YdogsflY]

I lost my main cock back in November. Came home from work and he was laying in the front yard near the corn field half eaten. Ticked me off, as he was the A house cock and put some nice front ends on the pullets/hens.

This year is gonna be a crap shoot with Cock B and new Cockerel for C pen. I didn't have another cockerel at that point to replace him, so three pens and only 2 cocks.