Arizona Chickens

[jbolt]

Ok, I need an answer from more experienced chicken ppl. I have seen recently, some very large roosters for sale. I mean huge compared to what I thought was my "large" rooster. These roosters were of various breeds, some blue ameraucanas, a cream legbar, and a barred rock. Their legs were easily 3/4 inch thick with 2"sharp spurs. They stood at roughly 16 to 18" tall (I measured). My question is what makes these birds so darn big? How do I get my birds that big? Is is freakish breeding ? But seriously my ee roo worths 9 lbs, and these birds were twice his size.

 

[desertmarcy]

Ok, I need an answer from more experienced chicken ppl. I have seen recently, some very large roosters for sale. I mean huge compared to what I thought was my "large" rooster. These roosters were of various breeds, some blue ameraucanas, a cream legbar, and a barred rock. Their legs were easily 3/4 inch thick with 2"sharp spurs. They stood at roughly 16 to 18" tall (I measured). My question is what makes these birds so darn big? How do I get my birds that big? Is is freakish breeding ? But seriously my ee roo worths 9 lbs, and these birds were twice his size.

It depends on their breeding. If they are show stock, compared to hatchery stock, they will be bigger. Hatchery stock is always smaller from what I've seen. Also if they had 2" spurs, those are mature, over a year old, probably more like year and a half, cocks, so if you are comparing them to a younger male, that is not a fair comparison since large fowl mature slowly.

Feed can also contribute to how well they grow, just like any animal. If undernourished, not fed a good diet, they will not get as big. Time of year when they are hatched can also contribute to size, depending on weather conditions where they are grown out.

If you want big birds, you breed from the biggest stock. Bigger is not always better, however. There is a point when bigger size causes other problems. There is a reason why the Standard of Perfection for fowl have a weight range for each breed.

 

[flower]

Thanks for the reply. The eggs shells were actually pretty tough. The one I found on the coop floor looked like it had been pecked, not sure who did it though and hope its not a continual thing. Can one bird lay two eggs within a 10 hour period?
above posted by GreatWhiteAfro

It would be most unusual for that to happen but I have wondered myself one time or another and I have seen other people comment on the same issue. I guess it is possible for a hen to have her egg backed up or stuck somewhere but I will say for sure that IDO NOT KNOW FOR SURE haha

 

[kacklinkelly]

we just got home a little bit ago from swim team and some errands. kids went out back to discover one of my beautiful wheaten ameraucanas torn to bits, parts everywhere courtesy of my beagle. I don't know how she got out, but I am soooo mad. my beautiful fluffy faced girl. sucks.

Pastrymama - so sorry. What a shock to come home to. Hoping your kids are OK.
Many years ago, we had a house cat that would get out once in a while and
left us a present by the front door. I would come home to feathers and body parts
of wild birds. I think she was so proud of herself and I had a hard time looking at
her as my sweet house cat from that point. They all just do what nature intends
when the situation presents itself.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Does anyone have some chicks for sale? I candled my broody's eggs. One was completely black...no air cell at all and two had an air cells but the rest of the egg was solid black. They were due on Friday, so something happened. There was no movement or cheeps. The other eggs were clear. These poor girls have been sitting for a month now. I'd like to give them some chicks so they can move on.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

we just got home a little bit ago from swim team and some errands. kids went out back to discover one of my beautiful wheaten ameraucanas torn to bits, parts everywhere courtesy of my beagle. I don't know how she got out, but I am soooo mad. my beautiful fluffy faced girl. sucks.

That's tearable, and your children found her, doubly tearable. I'm so sorry to hear that.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I woke up this morning to find this in my coop.... The one on the left was in the bottom of the coop under the roost and the one on the right was on a door beam directly behind the roost. They are both the same color so I am assuming they are both from the same girl. My question is, is it normal or just weird that she laid her egg from the roosting bar? And it seems like she laid 2 eggs because neither one of them were there yesterday or last night when they roosted, I checked the whole coop to make sure I didn't miss anything. Also one of the girls keeps going into the nest boxes, sits for about 5-10 minutes making a bunch of noise then leaves....no egg...nothing...pretty normal or no?

I have seen pictures someplace of Possable strange eggs. One was an egg that was stuck, the second egg came down and the shell was laid down over both with the bottom egg not quite double shell. There were a number of pictures of eggs not quite finished, it looked like both eggs are not complete. If I could figure out were I saw that I would reread about Possable things that could happen. Do a search you may find it before me. It looks to me like two eggs were released almost on top of each other and the pure hens body did not finish ether of them (from the picture). Dose that make sense? I may have time for a search tomorrow night, I will be spending the night in the hospital. My mother broke her hip and they may be doing surgery.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

we just got home a little bit ago from swim team and some errands. kids went out back to discover one of my beautiful wheaten ameraucanas torn to bits, parts everywhere courtesy of my beagle. I don't know how she got out, but I am soooo mad. my beautiful fluffy faced girl. sucks.

Dang.

I'm so sorry to hear that pastrymama.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

GUYS!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS!!!! For the state of Arizona, I won poultry proficiency in FFA. Basically this means that out of the thousands of FFA members in the state I had the best knowledge and project relating to poultry!!! I am now going to Louisville in October to compete for the national title!! And yes i attribute much of my knowledge to you fine people!!! And on a side note....... I hear of rain. I like rain.

That is just awesome! You are on such a roll this year, first with your band's award-winning performance and now this. Your parents must be soooo proud of you.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

flower, the chick pics are so cute!