How About a Jumbo Co Op

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casey jones runs the train here ,well him and a guy named Jerry LOL

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My eggs from Buttercup are hatching! 16 so far and 4 more pipped. All brown and all eating like little horses right from the get.
 
OK, guys I figured a way for you to compete with me and for you to see if you are heading in the right direction. I have 2 different batches that were just 2 weeks old at 1 AM Saturday Morning. I weighted them Thursday and Fri night at 11PM. The Browns are F1's from my second Parent pen that I will cross with the F2's from the First Parent Pen. I told you I go the long way on breeding - for sustainabity.

The Whites are a special hatch with my special Boy over my very lethal Whites. I had 100% hatch from all fertile eggs. Whoopy, I set 12 eggs 2 were not fertile, 1 I aborted and you each know what happened and why, 1 I helped and I should know better and yes it died. The other 8 are fine and this is the first time I have not lost any up to 3-5 weeks old.

Thursday Whites were 3 -3.4oz. The browns were 2.7-3.7 Oz.
Fri night weights I didn't separate by color (we were testing wine), but the range was 3.-3.9 with most in the range of 3.5-3.7oz at 2 weeks. Now this is average and not anything special for my Browns. These babies are smaller than my F2's which a few of you got. Remember, I top off the feeders everytime I check on them and they start eating again. Also, I grind their feed up to 10 days, while in the house at any rate. My babies are out in the outside brooder now, so I won't be stuffing them everytime I walk by.

The eggs from the browns mailed out were from 5 different hatches, not 5 generations. So their sizes are going to be all over the place. Pick the best or toss all the females with the best males into a large growout pen and let them pick their mates. Pick the best and eat the rest. How can you tell they are not picking from the same hatch. Their colors. Each hatch is slightly different. As they grow you should be able to tell them apart. If not, just pick the best and eat the rest. But remember to pull any showing Egytian Gold markings and breed separately or eat them.

2 of you got eggs like my special hatch. How I hatched them is very different. So I am anxiously waiting your results using a normal hatching method. I am asking you not to show pictures of those particular babies after the age of 9 days though, at this time. Once I sort out what the difference in hatching is needed then those that want to work on them can help me sort out the Why and yes, it will affect my Golds too. The Browns were not in the mix so it doesn't affect them.

That top weight was 13.8 oz at 6 weeks old. I don't care what they weight after 7 weeks, but that's my birds. I have to top that weight with this second group as well. Nothing like competing against yourself. So hurry up and Get Them As Big As They Can Get. I want some competition.
 
I just moved mine to the shop today.There on wire, but wheat straw scattered on the floor. They are under a blue flood light, large cage, really large feeder, and a sand box. The Blue heat lamp is controlled with a thermostat set at 86 deg. It cycles on and off as needed. Its dim at all times. There is a yellow, 25 watt, "party light" thats on all the time, so they can see to eat, day and night, and they do... And a small compact florescent on a timer for a "day light cycle". We gonna see some big birds Im think'in, lookin good so far. Some dwarf others already, like there from 2 different hatches. 2 different colors too. Not drastic but definitely not all the same. I will weigh the larger birds at the 2 week mark.

I have Butler Bobs right beside them, same set up. I figure we'll see if this grow out method will effect them as well.

Fact is, I set the thermostat up so it feeds a power strip. All lamps plugged to this strip. Have a row of cages set up on tables with all heat lamps hung. Each lamp is hung at the level needed to get right temp for the birds in that cage. All red or blue lights. All cages have thermometers so I can adjust lamp height as needed. Its working very well so far. I did all this because in Kansas, we can be 25 deg at night, and today its 80. If the heat lamp is just on, well premature BBQ'd quail.... Bill
 
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Once again, I am following this and those who are participating. I am willing to take instruction from any of you who are succesfull with this co-op.

I had really hoped to purchase into that golden and black line. But big is good in any color.

I am trying to read between the lines and understand how it is that you are doing your breeding and then cross breeding.

Anyone willing to mentor me via PMs or a create a sticky type thread on proper breeding tactics would be neat as a result of this co-op. Breeding tactics, best brooding strategy (lighting, temp, etc.) I'd take any notes on your observations.

If any of you are willing like Bill and Buttercup,etc. to do a summary post of your style of husbandry that would be just fantastic. (forgive me if that was the plan all along).

Respectfully,
Tonya
P.S. Very nice to hear from you Buttercup, was worried we lost ya. I am afraid, I'd refuse to do that my dear.
PPS
God, I want to get my hands on some of the finished product eggs. This is a darn cliffhanger!
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thank you.
it sounds like you have gotten off to a good start !
@kahlertm...Buttercup sent us a email on the way she deals with her birds...growing out methods and goals etc. If you pm /email her maybe she would send you a copy that you can print out...?
 

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