Breeding Delawares to the Standard of Perfection

[timbowsr]

I think Luanne is still shipping hatching eggs but not chicks at the moment due to the heat here in North Florida right now.

May have to wait a bit ... budget constraints. :-(

Well I did begin a weighing program tonight. Didn't get weights on all of them, but got about half. At about six weeks they are weighing in at about 0.85 lbs. At about 4 1/2 weeks they are at an avg of about 0.73 lbs. Does this sound about right to you guys? BTW, I began supplementing their feed with FF tonight. They loved it!!

 

[gjensen]

May have to wait a bit ... budget constraints. :-(

Well I did begin a weighing program tonight. Didn't get weights on all of them, but got about half. At about six weeks they are weighing in at about 0.85 lbs. At about 4 1/2 weeks they are at an avg of about 0.73 lbs. Does this sound about right to you guys? BTW, I began supplementing their feed with FF tonight. They loved it!!

What are you feeding them? What are the pullet weights and cockerel weights?

You are looking for closer to 2lbs + @ 6wks for the cockerels and 1 1/4 lbs + for the pullets.

There should be larger gains between 4 1/2 wks and 6wks.

 

[timbowsr]

LOL. Now you have me freaking out. I'll re-weigh when I get home tonight ... maybe the scale was off or something. I'm feeding the standard chick starter. BTW, I also have two BCM in the same pen eating the same feed and they are at the same weights. Like I said ... I'll re-weight and re-post. Thanks.

 

[caychris]

What are you feeding them? What are the pullet weights and cockerel weights?

You are looking for closer to 2lbs + @ 6wks for the cockerels and 1 1/4 lbs + for the pullets.

There should be larger gains between 4 1/2 wks and 6wks.

Im thinking to get to those weights one would have to be on a higher protein feed than standard starter.

 

[timbowsr]

Im thinking to get to those weights one would have to be on a higher protein feed than standard starter.

I could do that ... any suggestions on a feed or what protein level they should be on?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I could do that ... any suggestions on a feed or what protein level they should be on?

The Livestock Conservancy recommends a 26-28% ration for about the first 8 weeks. After that it starts dropping a bit.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/heritage-chicken-faq

What brand of feed depends on where you live. Generally, Turkey Starter feeds are in that 28% range. I think some Game Bird feeds are in that range, too.

I believe the type of protein is at least as important as the protein percentage. I use a feed with fishmeal. That has a lot of the amino acids that are essential to good growth but hard to find in good quantities in other feeds without a lot of supplements in the feed. And supplements are a whole other conversation.

 

[caychris]

I could do that ... any suggestions on a feed or what protein level they should be on?

I would say anything that gets you to 22 -24 % should be good. If raising for meat, some I hear use game bird feed which can run as high as 30%

I'm not raising meat birds but I think upping the protein early is the most important to get to a bigger bird.

I had been using Purina medicated starter (18%) for the first 6-8 weeks then switching to King Freedom starter/grower (20%) after that ( having good success with not having sick chicks)

When I switch feeds I start feeding them a wet mash and I get quite a bit less waste

 

[gjensen]

Im thinking to get to those weights one would have to be on a higher protein feed than standard starter.

No. My Catalanas and NHs get in that range on regular Dumor 20% chick starter.

 

[gjensen]

LOL. Now you have me freaking out. I'll re-weigh when I get home tonight ... maybe the scale was off or something. I'm feeding the standard chick starter. BTW, I also have two BCM in the same pen eating the same feed and they are at the same weights. Like I said ... I'll re-weight and re-post. Thanks.

Your scale might be off. I wondered about your scale looking at the difference between the 4 1/2 wk mark, and 6 wk mark.

You are describing a single weight, and you are not far off of a range for pullets. You need an average for both. A cockerel could be 3/4 to 1lb more than a pullet a little older than what you described.

Don't get discouraged. Check your scale.

Even if you are light in weight for 6wks, applying pressure for early weights is an often neglected but simple effort.

These early weights are not the defining moments, but they are part of evaluating them. You want to have a picture of their growth curve, and compare that with fryer fleshing, and final weights. You will have to decide where you want them, and why. You do not want to get too big as hens. That just makes for mediocre big eating layers, and extra large frames take a lot of time to fill out. They may have decent weights early, but be all bone and feather (not that they will ever be what we have gotten used to).

Every strain has little variables in how they grow out. It is not just when, but how.

 

[gjensen]

Genetics is the number one factor concerning performance. Management is secondary.

I do not buy into the excessively high protein % methods. I have weighed a lot of growing birds, and there is a point where money gets wasted. 24% game bird starter is not unrealistic up to 8wks, but more is a waste.

Keep in mind that some recommendations for more is for birds on low protein forage. You might be feeding them 30%, but they are not taking that in.

Young birds running all over the field after pullets will not get excellent rates. I prefer them to be confined up to 6-8wks, at which point I separate them, and put them on "grass". From that point on, I want my pullets raised differently (and separately) from my cockerels. There are no advantages, and only disadvantages to pushing pullets. Manage them well, and let the genetics talk.

Chicks use up a lot of energy to stay warm. Keep them warm a little longer if the rates matter to you.

You would be surprised how much improvement can be had from management alone. It is a series of small victories, and not one big one.