Started out with a flock of 9 Delaware’s, 1 Roo. Roo ended up being a real jerk so I traded him with another Delaware Roo from a buddy that got his in the same batch as me from McMurry.
Bred the Delaware’s and reproduced 10 chicks in the bator. 5 were hens, 5 were Roos. We slaughtered the Roos at 3 months and sent them to freezer camp and put the hens in with the layers, which gave us 13 & 1, plus two Buff Orpington I inherited from a buddy, making 15& 1. Lost two hens to dog attack, and one died inexplicably. They were eating eggs and I decided to sell them all off for $25 after picking up some RIR chicks from Tractor Supply (5P1C).
I kept the RIR’s for a year and bred them. They’re in their second year now. I bought 8 American Bresse from GreenFire farms in April and received 11, which all lived (7P4C) and are 10 weeks old as of today 07/08/2018. I hatched 7 RIR chicks from flock and bought 10 more American Bresse from Bresse Farms. I have 8 Bresse and 7 RIR chicks ~ 1 week old in the brooder now.
I may or may not keep the RIRs depending on laying of Bresse. If Bresse work out I will switch over to only them and pick up a few White Orpingtons to work in some broodiness into the bloodline and freshen things up a bit.
Currently at 3 flocks.
Flock 1, RIRs, 13mos, 5P1C
Flock 2, AB, 10wks, 7P4C
Flock 3, 7RIR8AB, 1wk