Recent content by StephWind

I don't know about anyone else, but *I* am trying several different crosses to see if there are specific crosses that do well at our altitude and conditions as a meat bird. I have been buying the best quality stock (no hatchery birds here), and culling to standard. I either eat the culls myself...

I've not had any of the silver-grey dorkings. I have rose comb colored chicks, and will wait to see how they mature before I decide if I want to try that cross. I will say that I am extremely impressed with my Delawares though! I think they will make an awesome cross with the Cornish. :)

Which Dorkings did you have? I don't have barred rocks, but I have some very nice pencilled rocks. :)

I am planning on trying a number of crosses with my Dark Cornish as well. I plan to keep good records of the crosses and weights. The breeds that I plan on using include Delawares, Dorkings, Niederrheiner, and Chantecler.

Looks pullet-ish right now, but I have a cockerel that looked like a pullet until he was 6+ months old!

Well, in Canada I would expect to see a pure Malines looking far closer to the "standard " with a lower set tail, and a wider body. That said, he certainly could be a Malines! :)

Where are you located? He looks like he MIGHT be, but his body style actually looks quite different from my birds...

I am surprised at how well my pullets are laying already, but the 2 young cockerels in with them are 6 weeks younger, even thought they are bigger. Are they likely to not be breeding then until the older girls have been laying for 6+ weeks? Also, what is the recommended ration of cockerels to...

I'll review and send my e-mail back this morning, after I get coffee in me and can think straight! :P

That shouldn't be too many, but fertility declines in th winter. Also, sometimes a roo just doesn't like certain hens, or those hens might not be letting him do his job.

Well, candled this morning and down to 31 now... The roo must have been ignoring some of the girls. We have also had some pretty cold temps that might have affected the eggs...

First major hatch of the spring, and all went well! Had 24 fertile Niener eggs, and got 19 fluffy chicks! Set another 40 Niederrheiner eggs on 3/19 and have a while yet before I can candle and see how many are fertile. I think that will be it for me to hatch for the spring. Gonna wait until fall...

I use 2 different e-mails and I'm not sure which I used when I e-mail you. They are [email protected] and [email protected]

3rd row up from the bottom - mark CdM (for Coucou de Malines)

I'm still interested. I am just slammed at work until April 15th! I have 38 Niener eggs in the incubator right now.