Jumbo Pekin vs Pekin

[JFreeman]

I think it is a crapshoot on the breed wether or not there will be problems from their size. I have a jumbo drake and a regular-sized crested hen, along with a standard Pekin mix hen. My jumbo is in excellent shape, but I only feed him once a day with a large area to exercise. Maybe it's the genetics from the parents that give many trouble? Mine came from TSC, so I'm not sure what hatchery they are from...

Here's a picture of them.

 

[JFreeman]

I had to share some of my favorite photos.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had to share some of my favorite photos.

They are beautiful healthy looking Pekins.

 

[av8torcrj]

My speculation is yes, it's the genetics. If you look at their web site the breeds I mentioned are basically the only breeds available this time of year. They are obviously pushing them hard for production and again, obviously, the breed is raised for meat. They really remind me of the cornish cross chicken with the addition of a quack. I've seen some disturbing you tube vids of commercial duck farms and see poor birds suffering from some of the difficulties mine have.

 

[JFreeman]

Sadly, as long as there is a demand, it won't stop. Not all hatcheries are like that, thank God...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sadly, as long as there is a demand, it won't stop. Not all hatcheries are like that, thank God...

X2

 

[paulandashia]

I have 3 Jumbo Peking females that are coming up on a year old in a couple months. I also have 1 male and 1 female Magpies, and a pair (M/F) Golden 300 Hybrid laying ducks... They were fed very little as they were growing, and what they were fed wasn't commercial feed. But they foraged for most of their food with the other ducks thru the whole summer on dandelion, clover and grass, among other things... They grew very nicely, and not too quickly. Yes, they waddle a bit more, but their legs are straight and strong, and they have no trouble getting around. I'm in Alaska, so a good, heavy, hardy bird is VERY important, considering it gets to -30 here sometimes. The girls started laying a few weeks ago, and they lay gorgeous, HUGE, nearly goose-sized eggs. They are currently eating the same thing as my chickens, and share the same run (for the winter), in the summers they free range on an acre of green. I feed home-mixed Fermented feed, with a touch of Alaska Salmon for protein, and they are doing very well, though I also feed only once a day. The only thing I hate is the fast that these poor guys can't swim, because everything is frozen! I wish I had a warm pool for them to splash in...

 

[av8torcrj]

I had to cull a second and a third is now marginal. I'm trying to ration their feed as they seem to really have had a growth spurt over the past weeks. Interestingly metzer supposedly sent me some of their white layers by mistake ( according to the leg tape on arrival) and I can't see any particular difference in size right now between them and what are supposedly the jumbo pekins. Only real difference are some pinkish bills versus some really orange bills. I've got a second set of pekins I hatched from a neighbors stock. No evidence of leg problems with them at all.
I have been impressed with the foraging instinct these birds are showing. All the metzer birds spend a great deal of time motoring through the bottom of the pond and dabbling the shore for food. My muscovies basically just sit and watch them.

 

[needlessjunk]

I had to cull a second and a third is now marginal. I'm trying to ration their feed as they seem to really have had a growth spurt over the past weeks. Interestingly metzer supposedly sent me some of their white layers by mistake ( according to the leg tape on arrival) and I can't see any particular difference in size right now between them and what are supposedly the jumbo pekins. Only real difference are some pinkish bills versus some really orange bills. I've got a second set of pekins I hatched from a neighbors stock. No evidence of leg problems with them at all.
I have been impressed with the foraging instinct these birds are showing. All the metzer birds spend a great deal of time motoring through the bottom of the pond and dabbling the shore for food. My muscovies basically just sit and watch them.

Did you call and ask about the leg tapes? When I got my girls Only some of leg tape colors matched up the chart on the back of the paper but I did get the correct type and sex.

 

[av8torcrj]

Yes, I did call and tell them the leg tapes didn't match the chart. They claimed it was a mistake and refunded the money for the birds. I suppose we will ultimately see as they mature. They say the white layers are only 4-5 pounds. These birds all seem pretty big. Honestly I'm not sure they know what they sent.