BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Turk Raphael]

I'm glad to hear your travels went well!

Even for us this year, Winter has been brutally warm, it's been an average of 78-80 on most days, with some lower dips into the 20s/30s, but nothing at all that'd compare to a winter up there. I know the Sulms, Naked Necks and Cream Legbars don't mind it. Sometimes the Turkeys look bothered more by the heat than the cold.

We may be getting some cornish X from a gentlemen in GA. there's a couple who wants us to raise pastured poultry for their wedding and they want to go as low-end in terms of cost as they can. I hope they deal with the heat okay.

We look forward to updating you! We're actually in the middle of putting up our two 20x20 stalled coops, after we're done setting up, we'll have 16 breeding stalls to work with for the spring, and a toooooooooooooon of chickens to order.

Man...you guys are going full bore! I suspected the heat would be your greater problem. It gets hot as hell here in Kentucky.

 

[holm25]

Set my first buckeye eggs a few days ago! Can't wait to hatch out my fist Bucks and see how they turn out!!

Also getting ready to butcher an extra rooster. He's out of a Barred Rock Hen and my Welsummer Black australorp project roo who is at a new home now. Should be interesting to see his weight.

And a pulley out of a huge Brahma hen and the Black australorp welsummer project rooster. Plus another pulley out of him and an EE and his son who looks identical to him but with feathered legs.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Random question - anyone ever tried giving their chickens the stems of white button mushrooms? They're very fresh (harvested 2 days ago). Just wondering...

 

[DesertChic]

Random question - anyone ever tried giving their chickens the stems of white button mushrooms? They're very fresh (harvested 2 days ago). Just wondering...

Nope. We always eat the stems ourselves. I don't see how it could be a problem though. They'll either eat it or not. My chickens flat out refuse to eat carrots, no matter what shape or form they come in.

 

[Kusanar]

Greetings to all! I see this thread hasn't exactly been on fire since I last posted.

For those in the know, I'm still the proud owner of property in S.A. and after having time to visit, I'm not a bit sorry. Sis missed a grand opportunity.

I spent three weeks in the Hellenic Republic and have some delicious memories, especially of Crete.

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays at least half as much as I did.

TURK

Sounds like you had fun. I went to Maryland, nowhere near the adventure you had, but still fun.

 

[DesertChic]

So after weeks (maybe months) of staring at my charts and graphs, handling my extra roosters, and quantifying every detail of my breeding plans, I finally ran out of excuses for keeping so many roosters around. I've tried finding new homes for the sweetest of my boys but without success. It's time to face reality and tone down the volume on my little patch of peace. *Sigh* Right now my birchen-esque NN, Pepper, is the first on the chopping block because he's just causing too many problems in the barnyard. Yes, he's beautiful and very good to his ladies, but he's also become a tyrant to the other boys. It will probably take me a couple weeks at least to get through all of the culls I've selected, both roosters and hens, but I'm actually looking forward to what this place will be like when I'm done.

 

[holm25]

So after weeks (maybe months) of staring at my charts and graphs, handling my extra roosters, and quantifying every detail of my breeding plans, I finally ran out of excuses for keeping so many roosters around. I've tried finding new homes for the sweetest of my boys but without success. It's time to face reality and tone down the volume on my little patch of peace. *Sigh* Right now my birchen-esque NN, Pepper, is the first on the chopping block because he's just causing too many problems in the barnyard. Yes, he's beautiful and very good to his ladies, but he's also become a tyrant to the other boys. It will probably take me a couple weeks at least to get through all of the culls I've selected, both roosters and hens, but I'm actually looking forward to what this place will be like when I'm done.

Every good breeder ends up making this decision and in the long run it will most likely benefit your flock. Culling is the most important key to breeding. I once read the best tool to keep around when breeding is an axe!

Anyways good luck and hopefully you can have a flock at peace once again!

 

[DesertChic]

Every good breeder ends up making this decision and in the long run it will most likely benefit your flock. Culling is the most important key to breeding. I once read the best tool to keep around when breeding is an axe!

Anyways good luck and hopefully you can have a flock at peace once again!

Thank you for the encouragement. The culling is definitely the most challenging part of the process. I'm extremely good at making excuses to keep birds around, especially if they're friendly.

 

[Molpet]

yeah I want to keep them all LOL .. but the 17 wks BJG crosses I have 4 roos that at least 3 are going to go to freezer camp, when it warms up, they are starting to be a pain.. I'll keep all 4 cx crosses though only 1 is a pullet.

 

[GabrielBane]

We're actually about to make the tough choices about processing the Sulm boys now or waiting until they're fuller and meatier. (Or whenever we're ready to process the black sex-link boys) We're selling or trading off an extra pair of the CCLB as well. The NN and sex-link ladies are getting a reprieve until I see what their going to lay for me.


(In all honesty, it's all just in preparation for the horde of chicks coming in a month of so... )