Hatching my first KONZA!!!

[holm25]

What are Konza????

 

[tommysgirl]

@holm25 check out the 1st post on this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/695265/konza-prairie-rangers/130#post_13967205

 

[Arielle]

THanks for posting the link.

Winter will be arriving soon. Probably will pen a miscellaneious group together as " meat birds". THe down side of hatching eggs as a start is the small numbers to work with.

 

[tommysgirl]

THanks for posting the link.

Winter will be arriving soon. Probably will pen a miscellaneious group together as " meat birds". THe down side of hatching eggs as a start is the small numbers to work with.

My silver and black Konza boy will be in my large pen with the majority of my mixed flock of dual purpose girls. I am going to market the hatching eggs from that pen as Meat Bird and Dual Purpose probably starting in January. I will also have a New Hampshire/Sex link dual purpose pen with My NH roo and NH Dorkings, Delawares and California Grey girls. This will be a new thing for me. I will start out really small and will likely stay really small but I am a little excited about what this Konza boy will produce.

 

[Arielle]

I looked at the California greys. SHould be an interesting cross. My biggest roooster is my half bred boy = half marans and half cornish cross. A monster sized boy. NOt sure any girls can withstand his attentions . . . . will see. He is in the buckeye pen but I still plan to move him out soon. Worried he might hurt one of the young girls that are 6 months old.

My Konzas are still so little . . . smaller than I expected. I stillworry that they did not get enough protein early on to make for a bigger chicken. My hopes is that their chicks will be good meat birds and those I will feed a higher % and see if they grow better on that.

 

[EdenCamp]

Hey Stranger! Was just wondering if you got your start in Konzas and found this thread! And you're thinking of crossing in Sulmtalers too. I split off a konza hen with a Sulmtaler roo, collected eggs, started incubating and then did a stupid and lost the hatch. Going to have to repeat. Wanted to show off my own monster roo! Moose is almost as big as this LARGE 2 drawer file cabinet. Those are full grown muscovies for comparison. One of his girls in the background. Have 4 girls in with him in a breeding pen but only 1 girl laying right now. Chicks growing out. Planning on making a run to Renee's and collecting another trio of her last breedings to add to the flock. Just a note, I would keep the ratio of hens to roos low. While moose is good about protecting his girls the fertility rate of eggs isn't what it should be. Keep in touch!

 

[tommysgirl]

Hi @EdenCamp we corresponded over a year ago about chocolate rocks do you remember? You asked me about splits and I had no clue what that meant

. Anyway thanks for the picture and the info about your Konzas....did you not end up with pullets either?

Funny my Konza keeper is named Magnus. He is a wide body for sure. Hope he grows to be a big boy like Moose.

It is good for those of us that have them to keep in touch. I just have the two cockerels right now...at the end of the month it will just be the one. I will for sure want some eggs if anyone has them in the spring.

I looked at the California greys. SHould be an interesting cross. My biggest roooster is my half bred boy = half marans and half cornish cross. A monster sized boy. NOt sure any girls can withstand his attentions . . . . will see. He is in the buckeye pen but I still plan to move him out soon. Worried he might hurt one of the young girls that are 6 months old.

My Konzas are still so little . . . smaller than I expected. I stillworry that they did not get enough protein early on to make for a bigger chicken. My hopes is that their chicks will be good meat birds and those I will feed a higher % and see if they grow better on that.

My best producer is the CA Greys but they are smaller than my other LF girls so Magnus may be too big. But it would make a nice cross if it happens. I am surprised that your Konzas are little. Mine have been getting a 22% turkey/game bird starter so maybe that accounts for the difference. Can you tell how many pullets you have? I am going by size, by the fact that one of them hatched with a head spot and by leg and foot size. Mine hatched 7/2...two days early! so they are about 11 weeks old now. They are as wide as some of my adult pullets but still lack length and height.

 

[Arielle]

We butchered 14 muscovy at 8-10 weeks ( lost track of exact dates) and was very pleased with the amt of meat on such a young bird. More than any chicken I have processed at 4 months except the cornish crosses. SO now I am looking for a chicken that can beat them. No losses on the ducks like I get for the chickens.

Hi Edencamp-- glad you will get more stock. I left Renee a msg and will see if she contacts me . . Might need to get chicks from you in the spring if possible. I wonder if a large size is often a cause of low fertility. Not sure. BUt I can see it happening. Your boy is impressive. I want one!

In contrast I have a good rooster, a blue AMeracana that is by comparison small and beefy, and his fertility is thru the roof on shipped eggs.

Ultimately the big size isnt the only factor: growth rate, ability to forage , survivability etc all play a part in pounds of meat in the freezer.

Winter is closing in and I am emptying pens for the winter and I only want stock that can produce meat or eggs. If it cant produce it is outa' here.

 

[EdenCamp]

Oh yes, I have 4 konza hens and chicks growing out, more eggs in the bator. I do think the large size can inhibit fertility. Some of the girls are quite a bit bigger than others. Molt hit here and the heat pretty hard so eggs are way down as everybody gears up for winter production. Some say this early heavy molt everybody seems to be getting is sign we're in for a rough winter. I hope not - last was bad enough! I've gone to start-n-grow fermented feed this summer - not sure about this winter - pickled tubs brewing in the house..... ewww. But the nice thing is I don't have to worry about chicks and roos getting too much calcium and they are all getting higher protein feed - and it goes further once they settle down from pigging out on the stuff.

Yep, the roos I got from Renee were not split to choc so I've wasted a year breeding regular BRs. Same situation with the Marans. Trying to get with her and supplement those to actually do something with and pick up another trio of the konzas and a couple other things but she's so hard to get in contact with let alone actually meet up with. 5-6 hours one way so it's not a quick trip. If I can't get it done next weekend I give up - I'll cull all the BR's and Marans - done with them. Plugging away on the Silkied feather AMs in BBS, choc and starting up lav. Bunch of fancy orps going, started and hatching for new flocks. So if the BR's and Marans aren't progressing towards choc, they're history. Have a bunch of legbars that are going to at least get cut back on - such steady layers and sexable at hatch so they have their place. And MOICEY the Scovies are fertile! Swamped with them. Start taking them to swaps to cut back but going to be a huge freezer full of duck! Processor is a ways away but for $2.50 a bird - they can do it!

On the Konzas, the rest of us may just have to pull together on those we have. Be glad to work with you all, do some swapping back and forth to help with small flock diversity that kind of thing. I also want to take a good look at bringing the sulmtaler into the project, parallel to start, before taking them all in that direction. With such a small gene pool we're going to have to look at doing something to diversify stock. I've breeding adult wheaten now but also have gold wing in the bator. So have those also if someone wants. Moved birds and the hen with the sulmtaler went back with the Konza boy - too early darnit! That's why I HAD to mess that hatch up!

 

[Arielle]

You definitelyhave a good start with 4 hens!! Love it. Yes, we will need each other to keep the Konza going.

I have only one sulm pullet, but she got injured and I have delayed culling her. She is special.

I only got one shipment of eggs from Renee-- she had promised more but was unable to ship more. As she was selling off the layers. So I only have 2 for sure and a third that got mixed into my AMericanas so I dont know that I can distinguish it from the blue black splashes with the small comb.

THe two Konzas travel with the Sulm pullet.

I looked at the bourbon red tureky pen today and was momentarily shocked to see all the feathers. THey are molting. All the turkeys have stopped laying much earlier than last year. THey have me worried that this winter will be a bad one. Fortunately we have our firewood dried but it needs to be split. Yah, I'm worrried this winter will be a bad one. At least I have until December before I must put away the hoses for watering the animals.