40 chickens and math.

Sapphire is a color variation, not a breed. I believe the breed is probably Plymouth Rock.
I've never heard of Copper Dominant. Do you know the breed?
Novogen is a brown egg hybrid.
https://www.novogen-layer.com/products/novogen-brown/7767-commercial-layers-novogen-brown.html

I think copper dominant is a comercial hatchery attempt to aproxímate the dark egg of a copper Maran with increased laying. The Saphire is a Plymouth Rock crossed and selected for color. It’s not a true Plymouth Rock I don’t think but is bred from it.

Spiral mating: https://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Clan+Mating.html
 

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Hi, and welcome!

I'm not trying to ask tough questions right out of the gate, but I'm horribly curious. How do you plan to improve feed to egg conversion? I could imagine it must be an awful lot of work to track how much each hen eats.
 
Hi, and welcome!

I'm not trying to ask tough questions right out of the gate, but I'm horribly curious. How do you plan to improve feed to egg conversion? I could imagine it must be an awful lot of work to track how much each hen eats.
Mainly by keeping an eye on hen weight. My assumption is that smaller hens laying the same weight of eggs per week are going to need less feed to support their own body. Kind of like a smaller engine in good working order burns less fuel at a stop light. That and including genetics from standard breeds that already have an established norm. Some of my birds were chosen to add color. Some were chosen for feed conversion. my idea is to casually cull ofspring that turn out huge. While hopefully keeping a variety of egg and feather colors. So keeping primarily those roosters that come from small hens that lay lots of eggs. Of course I don’t know much about genetics. So it could be I am way off.
 
Mainly by keeping an eye on hen weight. My assumption is that smaller hens laying the same weight of eggs per week are going to need less feed to support their own body. Kind of like a smaller engine in good working order burns less fuel at a stop light. That and including genetics from standard breeds that already have an established norm. Some of my birds were chosen to add color. Some were chosen for feed conversion. my idea is to casually cull ofspring that turn out huge. While hopefully keeping a variety of egg and feather colors. So keeping primarily those roosters that come from small hens that lay lots of eggs. Of course I don’t know much about genetics. So it could be I am way off.
So breeding down in size? Bantam egg machines would be really cool!!! But the eggs might get smaller too.
 

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