BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[bmvf]

As I 'patiently' search for Delawares which I decided to cross a little, I got a recommendation over the weekend to try New Hampshires by XW Poultry Ranch. Well, things happened quickly and....



23 birds arrived yesterday morning....all alive.

Sitting in the post office was a chirping box from Meyer Hatchery that I'm sure could hold 100 chicks. I asked the one lady there if they get chicks a lot and they said yes, just about every day. I didn't know it was so popular in my area!

 

[bmvf]

Quote:
I'll get one going and post the link here. Hopefully the experts on BYC will chime in every now and then! I don't want to pull away from this thread at all.

 

[southernmomma]

Are we allowed to link to the ALBC articles on production breeding? They really are a how-to manual and really interesting.

M

 

[southernmomma]

As I 'patiently' search for Delawares which I decided to cross a little, I got a recommendation over the weekend to try New Hampshires by XW Poultry Ranch. Well, things happened quickly and....23 birds arrived yesterday morning....all alive.

Sitting in the post office was a chirping box from Meyer Hatchery that I'm sure could hold 100 chicks. I asked the one lady there if they get chicks a lot and they said yes, just about every day. I didn't know it was so popular in my area!

Nice!

As to your thread idea~ I too have struggled to find the right thread for my needs......I have no poultry folks to talk to in "real life" and would welcome the opportunity to learn alongside others who are starting out but have a focus; perhaps not breeding to the standard of perfection but breeding towards a standard of perfection. If it was also a thread where I might ask questions about sensible crosses, grading and carcass quality as part of a long-term project, I would be quite happy. If it might also encompass nutrition, pasture improvement and homesteading I would shed a tear and give my screen a hug

M

 

[Turk Raphael]

Nice!

As to your thread idea~ I too have struggled to find the right thread for my needs......I have no poultry folks to talk to in "real life" and would welcome the opportunity to learn alongside others who are starting out but have a focus; perhaps not breeding to the standard of perfection but breeding towards a standard of perfection. If it was also a thread where I might ask questions about sensible crosses, grading and carcass quality as part of a long-term project, I would be quite happy. If it might also encompass nutrition, pasture improvement and homesteading I would shed a tear and give my screen a hug

M

Isn't that what this thread is all about? At least that's the impression I got from reading the first post put up by RON.

ETA: There are 50 + chicks chirping away in my mud room too! They all have green dye on their heads, I suppose to indicate that they are all cockerels.

 

[southernmomma]

Quote: I would love a thread that had a little of everything....we're starting out on a crazy journey and I'm sure there's others doing the same thing. I'm just too lazy to find a different thread for everything I'm curious about

And your chicks arrived!! WooHoo!! From Cackle, right? I am so excited for you~ would you mind tracking weights and commenting on temperament as they grow? It doesn't need to be here, you could always just PM me.

M

 

[bmvf]

Nice!

As to your thread idea~ I too have struggled to find the right thread for my needs......I have no poultry folks to talk to in "real life" and would welcome the opportunity to learn alongside others who are starting out but have a focus; perhaps not breeding to the standard of perfection but breeding towards a standard of perfection. If it was also a thread where I might ask questions about sensible crosses, grading and carcass quality as part of a long-term project, I would be quite happy. If it might also encompass nutrition, pasture improvement and homesteading I would shed a tear and give my screen a hug

M

I was thinking along the same lines, breeding towards a goal whether it's show birds, production birds, etc. The thread wouldn't for those that hatch eggs from the stray rooster that breeds with the hens and after a while you see some chicks running around. It would be for those that want to mate and breed for a purpose.

Turk, your reservations are the same that I alluded to. This thread has been nice to us newbies in that our questions are getting good answers and we aren't being pushed to the side. But a beginners thread would help those searching for the topic, could become a reference thread and might encourage some of the shy BYCer's to ask questions. It would also bring other beginners and not just those following this thread.

 

[southernmomma]

Quote: I've gone back and read some earlier posts by Hellbender and have to agree with Turk. I think this IS the thread for that conversation and I believe we would have Hellbender's whole-hearted support in our quest to breed for production, eggs or meat. I also think he meant for this thread to be for the experienced to share their successes and newcomers to learn and ask questions unencumbered by ideals and requirements set by those not specifically concerned with production.

I do believe that breeding towards a standard is important but it can be a standard, like I said before. It can still be standard even if you are crossing breeds, "improving" a strain, etc. I too am not interested in willy nilly breeding from the hatchery surprise box, but I am interested in exploring ways to get where I want to go. I would love to hear about hybrid vigor, cross breeding and then crossing back, etc. I have a very clear picture of where I hope to end up.....it will probably take years to get there, lol, but it's an exciting journey.

So I say this @bmvf , share your plans and ideas. If Hellbender dislikes the direction of the thread he will let us know.

M

 

[ronott1]

I've gone back and read some earlier posts by Hellbender and have to agree with Turk. I think this IS the thread for that conversation and I believe we would have Hellbender's whole-hearted support in our quest to breed for production, eggs or meat. I also think he meant for this thread to be for the experienced to share their successes and newcomers to learn and ask questions unencumbered by ideals and requirements set by those not specifically concerned with production.

I do believe that breeding towards a standard is important but it can be a standard, like I said before. It can still be standard even if you are crossing breeds, "improving" a strain, etc. I too am not interested in willy nilly breeding from the hatchery surprise box, but I am interested in exploring ways to get where I want to go. I would love to hear about hybrid vigor, cross breeding and then crossing back, etc. I have a very clear picture of where I hope to end up.....it will probably take years to get there, lol, but it's an exciting journey.

So I say this @bmvf , share your plans and ideas. If Hellbender dislikes the direction of the thread he will let us know.

M

Yes, this thread was started for breeding for Production.

 

[seventreesfarm]

Thanks for all the input so far.
I'm already doing a lot of what you all suggest, just looking for more advice that I can use given my particular set up.

Right now I have 3 roos (blue copper marans, golden cuckoo marans, ameraucana) that I have penned with the hens who have the conformation I want (body shape plus good pelvic bones) and also lay nice looking eggs more productively than the rest of my hens.

I do a separate incubator load per pen, and each hen's eggs are hatched in a separate basket. I leg band chicks according to hen, and when they get older, add a band to show roo.

I've also read the ALBC Buckeye articles, plus some older line breeding material.

My first breeding season was pretty casual, but I kept back the better hens and it's their pullets that are ready to lay now. I'm trying to work with what I have rather than bringing in any more unrelated stock, so it's fun to see the 3rd generation of my flock starting to look good and lay well. That's why I'm trying to get a little more 'scientific' about my program, to maximize what I have to work with. But my ameraucanas and their offspring aren't quite what I'm looking for, so I'll probably 'import' more Amer hatching eggs from someone who has nice birds, and start moving the ones I don't like to the auction yard.

I am planning to start with trap nesting on weekends this summer, building some new nest boxes to make them more functional for that purpose. And I may pull out smaller groups of pullets to trap at a time, since I have a lot of pens and coops to work with. Luckily the group of hens I've been using for breeding all lay different-looking eggs so I can tell who laid what, but when my pullets start to lay that will change. I had them penned in the winter for a January hatch, and that gave me a good idea of who lays well year round. Now hopefully that carries on in their offspring.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning more as I go, and having fun with my crazy experiments.