BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[LindaB220]

Linda, you shouldn't support any hatchery because they are all owned and run by the Devil. I just can't understand how they stay in business because they produce birds of such poor quality that they have absolutely NO worth or value.

On the other hand, every bird that is hatched by a private 'show breeder' is of absolutely A-1 quality. You should have realized that by now.

Bahahahaha of course. I did know that. I had placed an order with Sandhill Preservation and they were taking so long. So I placed a quick order with Meyer. Ron said they were the worst ever and I did have wretched luck with my delawares, but with my fermenting feed and deep litter, my little 11 wk olds are healthy and happy as a clam. Yes, I'm selling them at point of lay because I will need the space for all the blue egg layers. A-1 quality.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Bahahahaha of course. I did know that. I had placed an order with Sandhill Preservation and they were taking so long. So I placed a quick order with Meyer. Ron said they were the worst ever and I did have wretched luck with my delawares, but with my fermenting feed and deep litter, my little 11 wk olds are healthy and happy as a clam. Yes, I'm selling them at point of lay because I will need the space for all the blue egg layers. A-1 quality.

 

[gjensen]

Linda, you shouldn't support any hatchery because they are all owned and run by the Devil. I just can't understand how they stay in business because they produce birds of such poor quality that they have absolutely NO worth or value.

On the other hand, every bird that is hatched by a private 'show breeder' is of absolutely A-1 quality. You should have realized that by now.

No one said anything like that, but if that is how you want to take it, so be it. Obviously, you are a little sensitive about the subject. Somehow it seams a good idea to turn it into something it is not. Especially since no one in the conversation has ever shown a bird.

When a flock is raised and bred on the scale the hatcheries do, no one is paying attention to the characteristics of individual birds. Maybe this is also offensive, but it is true. It is about numbers, and that is all it is about. They do what they do well. That is why they call them multiplier flocks.

I do not know about everyone, but if I do not like and individual bird, I do not keep it. I have a small flock in comparison, so I know the individual birds. If I think a bird is too nervous and flighty, I can rid myself of the extreme behavior. It is pretty easy to identify, and pretty easy to accomplish.



As the other poster mentioned, there was no pleasure taken in the extremely flighty birds. No one enjoys that, and it gives a breed a bad reputation.

 

[bmvf]

If you read my posts above, you see that I'm at least considering doing something kinda' crazy but on the good foot, the new birds, "should I decide to accept this mission" are the same type and age so they can be kept in the same grow-out pens. I hope you don't mind me asking questions about your projects? I wonder why you get CXs and Pioneers? I know they are both meat birds that grow at what must be dramatically different speeds but it does seem a bit redundant or perhaps over kill. I know that all chicks stink if you don't keep right on the cleaning. I kept my dark Cornish on news papers for about two weeks (easy to get) but that got old fast! We ran the used papers through the mulcher/shreader on the mulch pile but they really began to stink fast while they were under the chicks. Things got so much easier when we finally put them on shavings!!!!!

Sorry..getting disjointed here...I have seen the Cornish Xs a few times but only in those large houses. I'm afraid I just couldn't deal with what appears to be a breed of chicken that is born to be early cripples and drop manure like a B-52 bomber.

You seem to have it under control! I'm still in awe of your work and efforts.

I don't mind the questions!

I forget what I've said and where, so forgive me for repeating things like my 92 year old grandma! I ordered the CX's and Pioneers the day before I realized that I some good NH's where available. If I had known about the NH's sooner I wouldn't have ordered the meat birds. However, I wanted quick meat and I'll get that in the CX's. They may be an 'unholy' type of bird which grows too fast and has too many problems, but I think they are a marvel of modern high production agriculture. (insert debate here!) I bought the NH's for potential breeding stock, so not all the males will be chopped at a young age. I still expect the CX's to outgrow them by late July even though the NH's have a 3 week head start. I bought my rainbow layer assortment for something different for myself and the family to enjoy. That was a couple of weeks before i joined this site which has changed my outlook on chickens and what i want to do.

The chicks were stinking up the house in less than 24 hours after arrival. I had 8 layers of newspaper that i changed daily. They are now in the garage as the part of the house they were in is now under unexpected plumbing and construction. A leaky drain trap turns into ripping up the bathroom floor as we realized the old farmhouse has many more plumbing problems than we thought. Might as well replace everything with new and install the shower stall that I've always wanted downstairs.

 

[Turk Raphael]

No one said anything like that, but if that is how you want to take it, so be it. Obviously, you are a little sensitive about the subject. Somehow it seams a good idea to turn it into something it is not. Especially since no one in the conversation has ever shown a bird.

When a flock is raised and bred on the scale the hatcheries do, no one is paying attention to the characteristics of individual birds. Maybe this is also offensive, but it is true. It is about numbers, and that is all it is about. They do what they do well. That is why they call them multiplier flocks.

I do not know about everyone, but if I do not like and individual bird, I do not keep it. I have a small flock in comparison, so I know the individual birds. If I think a bird is too nervous and flighty, I can rid myself of the extreme behavior. It is pretty easy to identify, and pretty easy to accomplish.



As the other poster mentioned, there was no pleasure taken in the extremely flighty birds. No one enjoys that, and it gives a breed a bad reputation.

No George...I'm not sensitive to the subject. People who think only 'back yard breeders' produce better birds than the hatcheries is what I find amusing.

The well versed breeders who produce show stock is a different plane than the internet experts who think they know it all and pontificate on the matter on such a predictable shrill scale.

 

[LindaB220]

I don't mind the questions!

I forget what I've said and where, so forgive me for repeating things like my 92 year old grandma! I ordered the CX's and Pioneers the day before I realized that I some good NH's where available. If I had known about the NH's sooner I wouldn't have ordered the meat birds. However, I wanted quick meat and I'll get that in the CX's. They may be an 'unholy' type of bird which grows too fast and has too many problems, but I think they are a marvel of modern high production agriculture. (insert debate here!) I bought the NH's for potential breeding stock, so not all the males will be chopped at a young age. I still expect the CX's to outgrow them by late July even though the NH's have a 3 week head start. I bought my rainbow layer assortment for something different for myself and the family to enjoy. That was a couple of weeks before i joined this site which has changed my outlook on chickens and what i want to do.

The chicks were stinking up the house in less than 24 hours after arrival. I had 8 layers of newspaper that i changed daily. They are now in the garage as the part of the house they were in is now under unexpected plumbing and construction. A leaky drain trap turns into ripping up the bathroom floor as we realized the old farmhouse has many more plumbing problems than we thought. Might as well replace everything with new and install the shower stall that I've always wanted downstairs.

Have you thought about fermented feeds for your meat birds. You feed 2x day all they can eat in a 30 min period. Cheap, cuts down on the poop smell and so much healthier for the birds.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I don't mind the questions!

I forget what I've said and where, so forgive me for repeating things like my 92 year old grandma! I ordered the CX's and Pioneers the day before I realized that I some good NH's where available. If I had known about the NH's sooner I wouldn't have ordered the meat birds. However, I wanted quick meat and I'll get that in the CX's. They may be an 'unholy' type of bird which grows too fast and has too many problems, but I think they are a marvel of modern high production agriculture. (insert debate here!) I bought the NH's for potential breeding stock, so not all the males will be chopped at a young age. I still expect the CX's to outgrow them by late July even though the NH's have a 3 week head start. I bought my rainbow layer assortment for something different for myself and the family to enjoy. That was a couple of weeks before i joined this site which has changed my outlook on chickens and what i want to do.

The chicks were stinking up the house in less than 24 hours after arrival. I had 8 layers of newspaper that i changed daily. They are now in the garage as the part of the house they were in is now under unexpected plumbing and construction. A leaky drain trap turns into ripping up the bathroom floor as we realized the old farmhouse has many more plumbing problems than we thought. Might as well replace everything with new and install the shower stall that I've always wanted downstairs.

My brother (and I) use newspapers for the first week too. I got the idea from him as I have unlimited access to them and he gets them for a song at a 'rag' close to where he lives. The thing is, they have to be changed a couple or three times a day to keep the stench to a level that is not noxious for all concerned. That is hard to do but doable. My brother has two women who work full time for him to deal with matters like that and now I have a fella' to work part time. It seems the shavings create a health hazard if they are used too early but I would have thought the newspapers would be just as dangerous because I saw plenty of little pieces being yanked off by chicks and eaten. Each time I saw it happen, I resigned myself to finding that chick dead soon but not one croaked from the paper. As soon as they were put on shavings at one week, they began to eat that too. I honestly don't know if their stomachs toughen up on the papers to where the small pieces of shavings won't kill them. I'm not keen on using incubators at all so I'll be happy if I can get some broody Buckeyes.

 

[LindaB220]

My brother (and I) use newspapers for the first week too. I got the idea from him as I have unlimited access to them and he gets them for a song at a 'rag' close to where he lives. The thing is, they have to be changed a couple or three times a day to keep the stench to a level that is not noxious for all concerned. That is hard to do but doable. My brother has two women who work full time for him to deal with matters like that and now I have a fella' to work part time. It seems the shavings create a health hazard if they are used too early but I would have thought the newspapers would be just as dangerous because I saw plenty of little pieces being yanked off by chicks and eaten. Each time I saw it happen, I resigned myself to finding that chick dead soon but not one croaked from the paper. As soon as they were put on shavings at one week, they began to eat that too. I honestly don't know if their stomachs toughen up on the papers to where the small pieces of shavings won't kill them. I'm not keen on using incubators at all so I'll be happy if I can get some broody Buckeyes.

They are fine after the first few days. They just learn what is food and the shavings aren't. I buy the larger shavings like for horse barns. We have a racetrack close and most places have it.

 

[Turk Raphael]

They are fine after the first few days. They just learn what is food and the shavings aren't. I buy the larger shavings like for horse barns. We have a racetrack close and most places have it.

I know what you mean...we have a couple of small tracks around here...Keeneland in Lexington and then there's Churchill Downs in Louisville...The house and property we just sold was about 4 miles from CH Downs...Likely not as large as the tracks near you but they do get a few good horses coming through this part of the country once in a while...

ETA: I'm considering using bold type as an homage to the thread starter.

 

[LindaB220]

I know what you mean...we have a couple of small tracks around here...Keeneland in Lexington and then there's Churchill Downs in Louisville...The house and property we just sold was about 4 miles from CH Downs...Likely not as large as the tracks near you but they do get a few good horses coming through this part of the country once in a while...

ETA: I'm considering using bold type as an homage to the thread starter.

Fine by me, I alway could see it better.