BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[3riverschick]

Hi,
I remember someone somewhere looking for a layer management guide for commercial egg layers.
I stumbled onto this one and hope this is the right list for the person who was interested.
LAYER MANAGEMENT GUIDE
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/40596887/LAYER-MANAGEMENT-GUIDE
Best,
Karen

 

[Turk Raphael]

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday and appreciates it for what it really is. We are going to let others do the cooking when we go to our good friends' home in Anchorage for a cook-out then to Old Louisville for 'beverages'. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I'm the designated driver because I am always on-call.

Again, enjoy!!!

Turk

 

[Arielle]

Thank you to all our service men and women-- like ROn ( Hellbender) and Jason!! Whoot.

THis year my boys will not be in the Memorial Day parade though they love riding in the old WWII troop truck own by a local fellow that donates it to the scouts for the event. Off to visit my mother who usually isn't here at this time of year -- so she takes precidence.

 

[LindaB220]

Thank you to all our service men and women-- like ROn ( Hellbender) and Jason!! Whoot.

THis year my boys will not be in the Memorial Day parade though they love riding in the old WWII troop truck own by a local fellow that donates it to the scouts for the event. Off to visit my mother who usually isn't here at this time of year -- so she takes precidence.

You guys are the BEST. All of you.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I hope everyone had a pleasurable and reflective holiday. Mine was great until about 5.30 pm on Monday when I got THE phone call that I all but knew was coming. Folks all over Louisville seemed to go nuts, especially on the West End and even J-Town. Talk about war zones.

On a good note, our Dark Cornish chicks are supposed to be shipped today, 5/27 and I guess they should be here overnight or by Friday at the latest. I'm as excited as any kid. These will hopefully keep us in chicken meat for a while, after they grow a bit.

Turk

While I'm stressed and still awake, I thought I'd mention that I'm going to make SCRAPPLE over the weekend. I don't like the stuff sold in stores and while it does take a while to make, it freezes well and tastes so good, fried up nice and crispy for any meal, it you're true Hillbillies like us!

 

[LindaB220]

I got my new incubator up and running. Waiting for the SBEL's (blue eggs) to arrive today. And on 6/3 I have a doz combined Basques and Coronation Sussex coming Very excited about the meat qualities on both. I hope I can get anything to hatch. I have been reading a lot on incubation so we'll see.

 

[southernmomma]

For the first 2 wks only 20% was available as crumbles. THen found the 27%. We opened bag #3 last weekend. CHicks are 6 weeks and big and need to be moved. DH and I to make new house for them this weekend. I did have one 1/2 bred cornish X hatch at the same time, and that one is noticably larger.

My 22% feed is about 15$ and the 27% is about 21$.


My head is spinning with possibilities. DIets historically, were mostly based on a heavy insect diet for the chicks and poults which is high protien, and what that means for growth. Strong growth also promotes a big appetite. THeoretically grams protein and grams energy per day has already been studied and the commerical facilities make the greatest use of fine tuing such recipes. HOwever while trying to promote more natural food stuffs on the farm I am struggling with this.

I watch the wild turkeys and think about their fods. THey roam all day from place to place in a designated route. I can only sumise that the food in one area is different than another area and they move on after about one day in an area ( this is a guess based on the regualrlity that they shouwed up here ever 3-4 days on clockwork) I'm guessing that when the food is available, they stuf themselves, then the next area might be lower in protein, with each area probably being not exactly the same in protein availabliyt and energy. Makes me wonder if the poults are ok with surges in food and can make use of when much food is available as well as subsist on poor levels until the boon is available again.

WE tend to see growth as a clean curve when we the people can pour food in front of them.

I have raised BBW on the 22% the entire 5 month grow out. ANd that worked fine. I would try an experiment using the 27% for the first 2 months and then decrease the % protein to 22. OF course adding the grasses may bring the % lower but a better mix for the fat on the carcass.

I ear on NPR this morning more about the 8 problems with our food. One is the bad type of fats that develope when chicken and beefers are fed a high corn diet vs grassfed. I can see models developing in which the initall growth is pushed wiht corn based grains, and then finished on grass. Only the problem is that grass eating is a slow method to add fat on the carcass compared to corn.

Left thinking . . . and planting more white clover . . . and thinking more.

We've just spent about a week up at the property, and man.....talk about seeing things differently when I have a modified plan and it reminded me of this post. I noticed wild turkey's as well, on the forest edges mostly but also in some small glens deeper into the property, and they moved by-daily. It was an interesting behavior to pay attention to. It was enough for me to think about how to incorporate some of the woods in the perimeter fence; I can see the value in pushing the fence out another 50 feet to include the wild raspberries and deep leaf litter. It will likely come down to economics but perhaps I can have the same size area only shifted off the pasture proper. I also realized that hay has taken over most of the meadow I want to use, it chokes out all the lovely low growing green plants I saw early this spring. Perhaps a small ruminant is in my future.

So much to think about!

M

 

[southernmomma]

I'm fairly new to chickens and would like to get a breed that will lay well as well as process well for the table. I've been looking into the different breeds, though I am still undecided on what to get, I am leaning towards Buckeyes at the moment. I am looking for a friendly breed preferably, as I have a small child that likes to "help" us take care of the animals.

I will second Arielle's suggestion of thedragonlady~ just look at this juvenile! He's beautiful and she doesn't put up with any guff so I'm sure her birds are the gentle of the gentle.

M

 

[southernmomma]

They are very big birds. I did not eat any of the Boys last year. I have three hens here in town and they are very meaty. Sadly, Chet will not ship hatching eggs or chicks anymore so local pickup only.

Huh, I hadn't realized that. I don't follow the thread but his birds had caught my attention. I'm sure others have his strain though, so if one wished for them it would be possible~ are there others that are being breeding for meat qualities in particular? The largest chicken I've seen in "real life" was an Australorp and it was a cock at a 4H show. Enormous. I wish now that I'd sought out his owner to ask about the breeding/strain.

M

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I have been planting shade and sun lawn mixes in the areas of the woods, hoping something witll take as I push out the ferns. I see lots of baby bluebery bushes too, and on the borders between wide open and wood the shrubs are starting, many are stump sprouts fromt he birches, ( sheep liek to eat the elaves) and the wild raspberries of course move in.

THe native grassesa re estremely tough and I cannot harvest with my hands like the lawn grasses; a scissor is necessary. BUt as I think about their value perhaps it is that they are less palatable and will stay to hold the soil if ever an area happens to get over grazed.

Saw the wild hen this morning-- fenced out by the 3 foot mesh fence to deter the coyote. I would think she would know to fly over it. doh. I'm sure she will figure it out be cause she is onthe coyote trail . . .

Found an abandoned nest in the woods . . hollowed out and only 1 egg.

We planted cultivated berry bushes on Saturday-- only 5, a start. We had burned brush on that spot a few years ago; a high and dry area, and the wild raspberreis have moved in, so figured it might be a good area for cultivated stock, which I have planted many times but cannot get to grow. Praying third times the charm.

We still have so many trees to remove, that I was brain storming alternatives. BOth DH and my mother hing it should work: cut downt he trees, pile the brush, and plant winter squash to vine over the piles. Obviously never done this before, so it will be an experiement. BOught about 30 varieties of winter squash to try out.