A Curious Question about SIZE

[RedneckChikns]

I just recently attended the FL STATE FAIR open poultry show. And I just brough my birds back home, the humble do gooders and not so do gooders

. A friend called who is about to check her birds in for the jr. show. And we both made the same comment to each other...DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THOSE BIRDS. I have pics but its such a pain in the hinny to post them here...let me do my best to describe...There were silkes that took up the ENTIRE PENS and almost needed more head room and they were generous pens and then a few what I consider NORMAL sized silkies (and trust me it wasnt all fluff) Their were cochins that looked like you could ride out of the building and Polish and Wyndottes that were HUGE-I mean GREAT DANE kinda huge (in chicken terms). I have never seen so many breeds THAT KINDA BIG...neither had my friend. ANd of course intermingled where a few NORMAL?? sized birds in the same classes that looked SICK compared to their counterparts-and not like one was a hen and one was a pullet. In fact some listed as pullets or cockerals where HUGE too. Now I cant say I saw any of these GIANTS in the winners corners...but we both had the same question....are they birds on steriods???? How and WHY are they growing some of these normally not that big breeds, THAT BIG??? Info SURE appreciated! I came home and stared at what I considered HUGE roos (RIRs, BUFFs, Brahmans) Old barnyard boys and suddenly they look like sermas to me, after seeing what I saw. ARE PEOPLE DOING THINGS to cause a fast and extrodinary growth rate??? The only ones that looked normal to me (and friend) were the little bantys like the SBs and the OEGs. ??????

 

[Casey76]

To get big birds you have to breed as early in the year as possible. If you hatch out your cochins, or whatever, in February, you have almost 9 months before the show season starts. Once they're off chick starter, you put them on a good quality grower and then keep them on a breeder pellet until the next year.

Brahmas and cochins are giant breeds. Remember cocks can weigh upwards of 12 - 14 pounds, and then they have all of that fluffy feather which makes them look even bigger!

 

[silkiechicken]

Many "show" lines also are just bred larger over all unlike production hatchery lines. Like a "show lab" vs a "field lab".

 

[gallorojo]

Most all of your hatchery birds will come significantly undersized. A good bird bred to the standard, including size, will be much larger than a typical hatchery/backyard/production bird. The birds you are seeing that seem giant are the CORRECT size. It is sort of amazing the first time you realize what a good bird ought to be. It is hard, and expensive, to keep the larger breeds large. Most hatchery buyers just look at color and comb, without regard for proper TYPE and SIZE. Hatchery large fowl all tend towards a similar type under the feathers, and come way to small. The hatchery bantams tend to be too big. If you don't try really hard to breed accurately to the SOP, all the chickens over time sort of drift back to the center in terms of size and type.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
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[thatchickenlady]

I agree that tarting early in the season and providing a quality diet are very important.

 

[donrae]

Browse some of the heritage threads--the "regular" breeds like barred rocks, buff orps, rir, etc are HUGE when bred by heritage breeders vs hatchery birds. Hatcheries want egg production and less feed costs, thus tend toward smaller birds who lay well.

 

[Casey76]

These were my gold brahma pullets

They weren't even lying let alone "mature"

They were show stock, rather than utility, but you can see their potential for *hugeness* sadly they disappeared from my pen during my winter vacation