BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[GabrielBane]

Here's the update on the Sulmtalers so far, the median weight between them is about 5.3oz, with some variations in how they're feathering in out, I definitely see pullet in the last one, we'll see!
#1 (I'm starting to guess cockerel):



Chick #2 (cockerel?):



Chick #3 (I'm guessing pullet for sure!)

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Here's the update on the Sulmtalers so far, the median weight between them is about 5.3oz, with some variations in how they're feathering in out, I definitely see pullet in the last one, we'll see!
#1 (I'm starting to guess cockerel):



Chick #2 (cockerel?):



Chick #3 (I'm guessing pullet for sure!)

They look like nice big chunky chicks! Good bone width on the legs.

 

[jbkirk]

That's interesting, I would have thought that your egg production would be good right now - are you finding that it's the shorter daylight hours rather than temperature that affects Wyandotte egg laying in Florida? How long is your day right now? My end of April hatched pullets are laying up a storm now, and the day length here in southern Ontario right now is around 10 hours and 20 minutes.

Here in Western WA egg laying is definitely affected by daylight as they lay more on the cold sunny days than on the warm cloudy days.

Marshall

 

[Turk Raphael]

I see that Greenfire has imported some Ixworths- Definitely a breed worth considering. Unfortunately they do not ship to Canada any more. Those Liege Fighters sure look cool.....
https://greenfirefarms.com/new-arrivals.html

I thought I was through but about 5 Liege Fighter cockerels are on my 'wish-list'.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I've got 2 CCX-Dark Cornish mixes and one pure Dark Cornish from @lpatelski and yes, the heat really weighs on them. When it hits 85* in the cabin my CCX starts panting VERY heavily and I turn on the A/C for him. The girls seem to fair a little better than he does, but at 14 weeks he weighed in at just shy of 8 lbs, so I can't really blame him.

I finally got some pics of my meat birds that are related to yours. Mine have been quite slow growing (thankfully) but I do have one cockerel that looks like a Monster at about 20 weeks of age but weighs 7.6 pounds. These 7 'Cornish' birds have been running with the others (truly free-range) and that keeps them more slim, I'm sure. I don't need nor want fat birds but they have been fed unrestricted and the exercise is great. I am only concerned about how they will do in unheated, non-lighted housing this coming winter. We've had a few cold mornings, in the mid 30's and they jump out the house, usually ahead of the rest. Only the strong survive around here.

The bigger bird that I mentioned is named Moloch. I don't usually name birds but I've made exceptions for these Cornish. I'm having difficulty getting them loaded but I will post one or two to a person who has shown interest in them and if she want's to post them on any thread, she has my permission to do so. I will certainly PM a picture of the solid black pullet to @Kev because I had already asked questions of him about her, well before any pics were in the offing.

 

[draye]

I've also been dealing with a huge slow-down in egg production here in southern AZ. Two days ago I got 9 eggs for the entire day from roughly 50 hens/pullets, and nearly all of those were pullet eggs. We're in the midst of a nasty heat wave. Yesterday it hit 97* at my house so I've still had to run the A/C for my meaties, though only for about 4 hours instead of all day long. I am so ready for the 70-85* temps that are normal for this time of year. 

It seems like most of my hens got together and decided to stagger their heavy molting, which is kinda helpful. Just as a handful come out of molt and start laying, another group stops laying and starts growing their feathers back. Since everyone's stressed anyways I decided to take advantage of this time to perform my fall coop cleanings and then rearrange the housing of my birds into targeting breeding groups. 

Mine has fallen off drastically. I've got most of the older hens molting right now, so that is kind if expected.

I've got those 11 new laying pullets that started laying like crazy, suddenly they aren't laying anything. Cannot figure out why. I've checked the coop/run and cannot see anything that would make them stop. Way too early for molting they're only almost 7 months old. The only thing I can figure is that I had my son "feeding and caring" for them for almost two weeks, with me checking in once or twice a week. Wondering if he wad even feeding them right or at all.

I did get a surprise today though I got a total of 5 eggs,after two weeks of one of them af13 eggs and thus past week I got 12. Hopefully I'm getting them back on track.

Got another 12 young pullets that should start laying anytime now. They were hatched on May 26th.

 

[Kev]

I thought I was through but about 5 Liege Fighter cockerels are on my 'wish-list'.

Kinda hesitate to comment about those... they do look cool but I noticed in videos of several separate cockerels with bad gaits, wanting to sit down a lot. Makes me wonder if leg issues is a problem in the breed.. anybody know?

p.s looking forward to the cornish pics! I'd have thought they would handle the cold well with their frames? The massive show stock bred cornish suffered greatly in the heat here, even when it was not that hot- just 90-100F.. 110F killed them when I was not around to do quite a bit of effort to keep them cooled down. thought their tight feathering would help them deal but guess not...

Naturally I crossed them with NN. It improved heat tolerance quite a lot in the NN 3/4 cornish- managed the second generation by raising pure cornish as chicks through the summer- those handled the heat allright, unlike the adults.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Kinda hesitate to comment about those... they do look cool but I noticed in videos of several separate cockerels with bad gaits, wanting to sit down a lot. Makes me wonder if leg issues is a problem in the breed.. anybody know?

p.s looking forward to the cornish pics! I'd have thought they would handle the cold well with their frames? The massive show stock bred cornish suffered greatly in the heat here, even when it was not that hot- just 90-100F.. 110F killed them when I was not around to do quite a bit of effort to keep them cooled down. thought their tight feathering would help them deal but guess not...

Naturally I crossed them with NN. It improved heat tolerance quite a lot in the NN 3/4 cornish- managed the second generation by raising pure cornish as chicks through the summer- those handled the heat allright, unlike the adults.

The pics will come...I just need a little tech help. Thanks for the 'word' on the Leige birds. That is the last BS I need.

 

[omalicha]

Hi all. Dunno if am writing this in the correct place. I have meat birds, i feed them fermented feed . They are meant to be 5weeks today but they look small for their age. They eat a lot and healthy but why on earth do they look small and with very scanty feathers! Am thinking this is a bad stock!

 

[lcertuche]

If they are only 5 weeks old they are probably going through a feather exchange and look their worst. They also aren't very big at 5 weeks old. Depending on what breed of chicken they are makes a difference as well.