Old and Rare Breeds

[NanaKat]

Quote: Great comments. I agree that early hatched chicks do better than fall hatched. I keep mealworms on hand for those late chicks and know several people who raise dubia for their birds.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Great comments. I agree that early hatched chicks do better than fall hatched. I keep mealworms on hand for those late chicks and know several people who raise dubia for their birds.

My fall , winter chicks do just as good as my spring , summer ones. as far as laying.
Maybe depends on location.
But we get snow in the winter and gets hot and dry in the summer.

 

[Penny Hen]

Great comments. I agree that early hatched chicks do better than fall hatched. I keep mealworms on hand for those late chicks and know several people who raise dubia for their birds.

Would feeding high protein gamebird feed provide the extra boost they need.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Well, I must say I have been observing mother hen finding bugs for the chicks to eat. She does it all day long, and if they were in my care, .... well, I know I wouldn't be so attentive ;P So there *might* be a difference in vitality at my home

 

[OSUman]

I was always told that summer hatches the birds would get to lanky, and if not raised in a large enough pen indoors winter hatches would stunt growth, so they would not reach their potential size wise. I have never really tested it out so I am not sure, I have seen males that were raised individually in 3ft cube cages that were bigger then their counterparts that were raised free range, and that was credited to the fact that the males in the cages didn't have to worry about the pecking order they could just eat what they needed when they needed.

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[Hangtown Farms]

I was always told that summer hatches the birds would get to lanky, and if not raised in a large enough pen indoors winter hatches would stunt growth, so they would not reach their potential size wise. I have never really tested it out so I am not sure, I have seen males that were raised individually in 3ft cube cages that were bigger then their counterparts that were raised free range, and that was credited to the fact that the males in the cages didn't have to worry about the pecking order they could just eat what they needed when they needed.

This I am not sure of as I have 3 runs that are roughly 18x36 feet long.

My Crele penedesenca Pen has 5 hens and a rooster
My Empordanesa pen has 3 hens and a rooster.

I have 2 crele hens and 2 empordanesa hens I am growing out that will be added in a few weeks

My third pen has these young emp's and crele's plus a young crele rooster a few odds and ends and 10 black penedesenca. they all grew up together. Eventually will just hold the Black penedesenca ( of the 10 only 4 are hens ) so I have some roosters to move. This run will hold my layers to so will free range. I will throw some U of A blue hens , ameraucanas or something in there too and keep 3 roosters.


My grow out run is a 10x10 dog run with a small coop. this usually holds up to 10 younger ones till they get moved , sold or added

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm wondering if I'm seeing things, or not. Being new to "breeding" (Not calling myself a breeder, I am just starting out with what I've got on hand) but this batch of chicks I have growing up seem so much more vigorous, healthy and larger than their parents (it seems). The only difference is that they were hatched and are being raised by a mother hen rather than myself and a brooder with chick feed?!?! Am I seeing things, or do you all experience the same results from a mama hen raising the young?

Anyway, it would be awesome if they really were growing more vigorously and ended up larger as what I have is puny! LOL

Ugg! I misplaced my scale and can't find it

I'm not saying this is the case with you but IMO most people using a brooder keep the chicks too warm. A broody doesn't keep all the ambient air the recommended temp. She provides a warm spot and lots of cool space. The same way I brood.

 

[Gallusfarm]

I was always told that summer hatches the birds would get to lanky, and if not raised in a large enough pen indoors winter hatches would stunt growth, so they would not reach their potential size wise. I have never really tested it out so I am not sure, I have seen males that were raised individually in 3ft cube cages that were bigger then their counterparts that were raised free range, and that was credited to the fact that the males in the cages didn't have to worry about the pecking order they could just eat what they needed when they needed.

This is good information... Regarding summer hatching, here the birds never finish as well as those hatched earlier. Pehaps feed intake is down due to water consumption?

Has anyone found that increased heat early in development causes combs to grow overly large? Why is this?

 

[OSUman]

The birds release heat through their combs, so if they are exposed to a lot of heat during their growing period, hotter than what the line is used to, you will get bigger combs on the birds.

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[Gallusfarm]

The birds release heat through their combs, so if they are exposed to a lot of heat during their growing period, hotter than what the line is used to, you will get bigger combs on the birds.

Well said. Thanks!