A Heritage of Perfection: Standard-bred Large Fowl

[ocap]

Just implementing some simple steps and standards is all that is required. I raise New Hampshires, so I select for early growth rates. That is pretty easy to do and is keeping with the breed. I have put some emphasis on point of lay. Then I am mindful of who is laying and not along the way. I put preference on who goes into molt later, and finishes faster. Then I am looking at who is getting into full gear earliest in the spring. When it comes time to set eggs, I cull eggs for size and shape. When they hatch, I do not help and only give them a reasonable amount of time to hatch. These are things that are easy to do, along with selecting for good type and color.

my pens and set-up is small, should I select the best four pullets for type/standard before I select for the above criteria? It seems easy to put my best four pullets in separate tractors and then get production information, then I would hatch from only the best two of four hens.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I would select for type first when culling through your pullets, which is best done at point of lay. Then from among these representative pullets select those that produce the best.


George, there's an easy sing-songy way to your description of an approach, and I don't think it is inappropriate. it's just a general flow and rhythm.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Hi George,
Regarding increasing eggs per year. A while back I was researching grit for someone.
I get my grit from Gran-I-Grit in North Carolina. They have been making granite chicken
grit since 1935 from the world's largest open air granite quarry. Anyway, they have a flyer
about their chicken grit on their website. They make 3 sizes of grit. They state that by
giving the birds the proper size grit at the proper developmental time, you can increase egg
production by 20%. I thought that was really interesting.
There are 3 kinds. Starter(chick) , Grower ( teenager) and Developer(adult).
http://www.ncgranite.com/crushed-stone-surry-county/cut-stone-mt-airy-nc/gran-i-grit-products.html
What Do I Need to Know About Grit?
(specifically about Gran-I-Grit.)
http://www.countrysideorganics.com/product-faqs/product-facts/
Gran-I Grit flyer :
http://www.ncgranite.com/images/gritmailer.pdf

I am just mentioning this grit info because I had no idea, grit was so important to meat
and egg production. Making the most of a bird's genetic potential. People converse all the
time about their birds just pick up pebbles, or dirt by the side of the road, or some sand
here and there. I had no idea correct grit feeding could make such a difference in flock
production. Had a tough time finding out which sizes to feed when. I finally got info off
a guy who was selling Gran-I-Grit and posted it on this BYC review:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/gran-i-grit-insoluable-crushed-granite
I didn't know that for best effect the chicks would change to 3 different types of grit
in their 1st 7 weeks. I sure will be more diligent with grit feeding this year!
Best,
Karen

Thank you, Karen, I found this extremely helpful.
I find it difficult to discern whether someone else's flock thrives because of or in spite of a particular laissez-faire practice.
I have always fed grit, but "guesstimated" when to increase the grit size, and now feel more confident.
Best wishes,
Angela

 

[fowlman01]

Grit is important and if they birds are off the ground, I would feed it to them, but if my birds on the ground can't find grit of some kind here, they are out of luck.

Walt

 

[gjensen]

my pens and set-up is small, should I select the best four pullets for type/standard before I select for the above criteria? It seems easy to put my best four pullets in separate tractors and then get production information, then I would hatch from only the best two of four hens.

Like Yellow House said, select for type. My idea is based on having enough pullets that have already been selected for type. Raising them through their first laying cycle before making final choices concerning the breeding pens. Final selection is after "evaluation". Then you are breeding hens, not pullets. To me, this makes sense on many levels. This is not for everyone.

With a smaller set up, I would go with type on it's own. You can consider the other things when considering who makes it into the second breeding season. That would be my initial thoughts based on the impression you gave me.

But . . . . do not take my ideas as directions. Just a place that I came to, trying to find a good balance. It is more sharing perspective than it is directions. There is a lot to consider, concerning who goes into the breed pens. I have a hard enough time figuring out who is going in mine.

 

[wsmith]

For grit, I only add in the youngster pens. I get a scoop of ant hill gravel (fairly fine) and dump it in the pen. After that they can find their own.

 

[gjensen]

We do not have any grit for the birds to find, so offering them grit is necessary.

I feed them chick grit, until I feel like they are ready to graduate to what we have available locally.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

I grew up on clay soils, and now live on fine sandy loam but the chickens are confined so I provide the grit.

 

[ocap]

I would select for type first when culling through your pullets, which is best done at point of lay. Then from among these representative pullets select those that produce the best.


George, there's an easy sing-songy way to your description of an approach, and I don't think it is inappropriate. it's just a general flow and rhythm.

Like Yellow House said, select for type. My idea is based on having enough pullets that have already been selected for type. Raising them through their first laying cycle before making final choices concerning the breeding pens. Final selection is after "evaluation". Then you are breeding hens, not pullets. To me, this makes sense on many levels. This is not for everyone.

With a smaller set up, I would go with type on it's own. You can consider the other things when considering who makes it into the second breeding season. That would be my initial thoughts based on the impression you gave me.

But . . . . do not take my ideas as directions. Just a place that I came to, trying to find a good balance. It is more sharing perspective than it is directions. There is a lot to consider, concerning who goes into the breed pens. I have a hard enough time figuring out who is going in mine.

after thinking about my question and your answers, I agree completely

 

[capayvalleychick]

Which breed clubs are the most successful and why? I'm a member of two breed clubs that have no participation. Of course, getting members active is key, but I'm wondering how and what else can be done to create a strong, active breed club?