2026 breeding plans! (Meaties, egg/feather color)

[DemeterAD9]

Not sure why there’s talk of finches, must of been accidentally posted to the wrong thread.

Second mite treatment was done yesterday morning. Weather is turning for the better and birds are out and about more often now. I think egg production will be increasing in a week or so. I’ve been getting 5-7 a day.

Anyways time for a photo dump.

Mother OE and look alike daughter, mom (bottom) is a bit bigger. She’s been the best contributor to my egg color project.

Her 3 other daughters, not sure what the single comb black one lays but all the other lay some shade of olive. Due to the pea comb and blue egg gene being linked I suspect she lays brown and is therefore on the sell/cull list.

My pretty light brahma cross. Not sure if dad was the BJG or blue copper maran. I really like her regardless.

The two bresse sisters. Blue CM is the dad.

EE x BJG who lays blueish often speckled eggs. She’s actually pretty nice and big but I plan to sell her. I have too many solid blacks IMO.

My 2 sapphire skies, the right one is a year older. Planning to sell the left one.

The barred/laced hen who does indeed create sex linked chicks when crossed to a non-barred roo.

 

[DemeterAD9]

New incubator just came in the mail and I’m giving it a test run. Looks good so far but just like the other it says it can hold 36 chicken eggs but it’s definitely only a 30 egg capacity.

If I do vertical incubation I can probably fit 42-50 but I don’t need that many right?

I’ve already set 4 eggs (3 barred rock 1 unknown speckled green) in the old incubator that currently has quail eggs. They’ll be moved to the new incubator when I put the quail on lockdown. They’ll be 7 days apart but I plan to brood them together so long as they play nice.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Moved the 7 hens for Chunky Jr. to the breeding pen. Pen is 12X9 feet with a hunting shack ( ~3x8) for the coop. Enclosed it all with chicken wire so there are no escapees. I think I’ll add Jr in a couple weeks to give the girls time to settle in.

Butchered the orange cockerel. Weighed 5lbs 12oz before and 3lbs 12oz. He was smaller than expected but I guess not terrible. 25 weeks old.

 

[DemeterAD9]

@mermaid_of_the_farm if you want that hatch along for speckled eggs.

Hard to see but there appears to be life in all the barred rock eggs. Can’t see through the green one very well. Embryo is but a shadow in the middle.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Did some family collections on eggs that I’ve been getting. Will add more once I have the “complete set” for the mothers and their daughters. Moms are on the left.

Top left is mom’s egg, second photo is her. Best hen for my colored egg project IMO. I’ll be hatching her darker daughter’s eggs this year. Missing an egg from her all black, single combed daughter but I suspect she lays brown and plan to sell/cull her soon.

Legbar X and her two girls though I’m not 100% the green one is her daughter or the Grey OE’s.

Brown EE and her half BJG daughter.

Barred/laced and her girls

Large fowl mix and her only surviving daughter, the other developed a leg issue right around POL and had to be culled.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Down to 42 chickens, sold the sapphire sky and diamond duchess this morning. Also threw Jr. in the breeding pen with the girls I selected for him. I think I’ll start collecting eggs for hatching March 14th. Details for that hatch will be in my other thread, this one will focus more on the results rather than the finer details. I will say I may or may not have found an interesting listing for hatching eggs that would mesh well with what I currently have planned. It's a mixed breeding pen with white rocks and dark Cornish so there could be pure breeds or crosses of the two. If I didn't already have meat bird plans I'd be getting 2-3 dozen to try and hatch for breeding stock. One dozen wouldn't hurt right?

All 3 barred rock eggs are still looking good, I suspect the green one is infertile but will wait till lockdown (next Tuesday) before removing it.