BCM Roo x Red Selinks - 3 generations and they're a new BCM?

[seventreesfarm]

Hang in there!

Sometimes you don't figure out where you want to go until you're already on your way.
My farm started out working with heritage breeds and planning to do preservation. But we discovered many breeds just weren't compatible with our needs, and that there are some awesomely dedicated people doing work with them we could never replicate while meeting our other flock needs. So late in the game we decided to breed for characteristics we enjoy, that our customers prefer, that produce healthy productive chickens, and maybe in the end make up our own 'breed' that is self-sustaining.

BYC is great for exploring what other people do, even if they aren't on the same path. It's really helpful to glean ideas and discover 'new' information, then crunch it into our own management system.

I also went through the 'feeling guilty' phase of breeding what some folks call barnyard mutts, but after a few seasons of directed breeding, I am starting to be really happy with my flock, and we are getting requests from people who want to buy chicks/pullets/hens/hatching eggs from us.

So hang in there, and keep experimenting until you find what works for your situation.

ETA: Here is a list of books that are helpful, and most are available for free on archive.org or google books. http://sustainablepoultrynetwork.com/highly-recommended-books-to-read/

 

[NTBugtraq]

So, here's a video of my project chicks at 3 weeks.

I had my friend over today (the one who gave me the great Roo, and who suggested this project in the first place), and I couldn't believe how effusive she was with praise. The feathers look perfect, their size is amazing, what are you feeding them, the colours are awesome...all good stuff. FWIW, she is always on my about how I over do things, so to get praise from her was an honour indeed.

Second hatch is on Day 13. 34 active, 1 iffy, and 5 I gave to the dogs. I had been working on a 13% weight loss incubation, but read 2 lengthy articles by "Pete", where he recommends 15-16%. So I altered my spreadsheet to reflect that goal, and took the cover off the bater for a couple of hours to reduce the humidity and increase the weight loss over the remaining days. Ideal according to Pete for day 13 is 9.9%, I am at 8.2% on average. I'm still waiting for my scale that will do .00, currently I have one that does grams only. Anyway, many have visible heatbeats (despite dark brown shells). I haven't marked air sacs yet, so that's my plan for day 15 and 18.

Any comments on the project chicks feathering would be appreciated.

BTW, I should point out that dots on the backs of the birds are almost entirely food...;-]

 

[draye]

Looking good. Have you decided if you're going to go with a certain color or just whatever colors you can get?

 

[NTBugtraq]

Looking good. Have you decided if you're going to go with a certain color or just whatever colors you can get?

My goal is egg colour first, so chicken colour never even crossed my mind. I love the male BCM colouration, but I have never thought of chickens as "pretty", just useful. So this is my first opportunity to experience lots of differences, and I have to admit I am enthralled with what I am seeing. I am busily trying to learn what "splash", "wheaten", and other such words mean...;-] For now, all males are going to be culled for meat at 13 weeks (to be culled together with my current bator squad at 10 weeks). I'm more concerned with keeping males fed than anything else, as last time that additional feed really cost me. All hens are being kept to add to my laying flock, regardless of their colour. That gives me 6 months to decide if there are colours I don't want...but frankly, I don't see myself culling any based on colour, I'm too interested in seeing what their eggs look like.

I haven't made it through the list of things to read yet (been too busy planting my ghost peppers and dahlias), but how does one select eggs from specific hens? With 23 hens, and 10 nesting boxes, I typically get 5 eggs in one box...??

 

[draye]

That's a good place to start, egg color. Chicken color to me us unimportant. I'm w working with Bsjed Necks of multiple colors bred to unrelated colors. I have enough genetic material to go with certain colors if I so choose.

I applaud folks who do what they want. I do not believe in governing bodies telling someone that they have to di this or that if that us not the persons desires.

 

[enola]

But, the goal for black eggs? Is this possible?

 

[NTBugtraq]

But, the goal for black eggs? Is this possible?

Wish I knew...;-] But that's what this project is looking for.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I get 4 on the BCM scale, I don't get anything higher. I get brown eggs, but they aren't brown on the BCM egg colour scale. I have a dozen red sexlink hens from a barn where they mingled with great BCM roos, so I assume some of them are not pure red sexlinks (and the owner, who was here today, confirmed some of them might be crosses).

Now, if other crosses or purebreds can produce BCM 4 eggs, that's news to me, but tell me.

 

[enola]

I have had Marans in the past, but all of their eggs have been brown. To my knowledge, no breed of chicken lays black eggs.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I have had Marans in the past, but all of their eggs have been brown. To my knowledge, no breed of chicken lays black eggs.

Pls don't misunderstand, I want very dark brown eggs if that's what you know BCM eggs to be. Black is merely a phrase I use to differentiate between regular brown eggs and BCM eggs