BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Leahs Mom]

@RedRidge

Do you use a flat (platform) scale or a hanging scale when weighing ingredients? I'm getting ready to purchase a scale. Wonder if you have any recommendations.

 

[RedRidge]

@RedRidge


Do you use a flat (platform) scale or a hanging scale when weighing ingredients?  I'm getting ready to purchase a scale.  Wonder if you have any recommendations.

 

I have a set of large stainless bowls, a slotted stainless large spoon, and a flat produce scale.

 

[Kinmera]

Project(s) for the upcoming year.....

1. Crossbreeding Freedom ranger hens to Orpington rooster to see what happens. I'm hoping to develop a faster growing self-sustaining meat focused bird.
2. Searching around to see if someone has already accomplished what I am attemping in #1
3. Crossbreeding Orpington rooster to Plymouth rock hens to see how fast/slow the offspring matures at various times.
4. My husband dug out his feeds and foraging textbook from college. He's working on tweaking the feed we get from the local mill.

 

[DesertChic]

I agree with you. Dual purpose and meat-type chickens (and probably all chicks,) need more methionine than layers. The animal protein sources are much higher in methionine than plant-based sources, and most commercially produced feeds are rather low in methionine. However, Purina's Flockraiser has recently been reformulated to contain much more methionine than previously, 0.5%, which is as high as my game chick starter.
Best wishes,
Angela

Interesting. I just checked the labeling on the feed I'll be using for my layers once they're off the grower food and it contains 17% protein and 0.35% methionine. The chick starter I used had 22% protein and 0.32% methionine. Any thoughts? Still too low?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Thanks. Is that the old fashioned kind of produce scale or a newer digital type?

 

[RedRidge]

 

@RedRidge




Do you use a flat (platform) scale or a hanging scale when weighing ingredients?  I'm getting ready to purchase a scale.  Wonder if you have any recommendations.

 

I have a set of large stainless bowls, a slotted stainless large spoon, and a flat produce scale.

Thanks.  Is that the old fashioned kind of produce scale or a newer digital type?

Mine is a 10 yr old certified digital scale from my cheese business

 

[hellbender]

Where did you get your Buckeyes? I've been considering them for 2 years now but just haven't gotten started.

We got them from Cackle Hatchery. Very nice BIG birds...I am very pleasantly surprised and pleased with them...especially their temperaments. They have a lot to recommend them. I gave some cockerels to my son Aaron and 'culled' down to three cockerels for our program. We will likely get more pullets from Cackle this year because I just want another 25 pullets around...just in case.

 

[bramblefir]

We supply ourselves and a lot of our family (and even some of their friends, neighbors, and extended family) with eggs. This year I plan on providing ourselves and some of our family with meat as well as selling chicks and hatching eggs. The market here for mixed breed chicks and eggs is very, very good - particularly if the parent stock is rare and attractive. I'm also building a small army of large fowl broodies to make the flock relatively self-sustaining.

The current flock is starting their cock/hen year and consists of:

SS Hamburgs
RC Brown Leghorns
Blue Andalusians
Black Langshans
Barred Rocks
Speckled Sussex
Dark Brahmas
and a Welsummer

Pullets on order for mid-March are:

Redcaps
Cream Brabanters
Norwegian Jaerhons
Gold Campines
SG Dorkings
Buff Laced Polish (for our daughter)
Partridge Chanteclers
Spangled Russian Orloffs
New Hampshires
Buff Orpingtons (for our daughter)
LF Buff Cochins (for our daughter)
Salmon Faverolles (for our daughter)
Barnevelders
Easter Eggers
Olive Eggers
Cornish X


A local gal has raised Cornish X pullets to laying age, crossed them with a heavy breed cock (Orpington comes to mind, but I don't remember her exact cross), and essentially ends up with offspring that performs like the red/black broilers. I'd like to try my hand at crossing them to my Langshan for some meaties. I'm really hoping one of my b*tc*y Brahmas will go broody at an appropriate time to shove the CX chicks under her so they can start ranging asap.

Our daughter is getting "pet" chicks in exchange for us killing off her beloved Polish cock. I'm very pleased to have steered her away from the Silkies and towards LF breeds. She insisted on some Polish girls though.



hellbender, you think the Buckeyes might make a good addition to my wild assortment? I could easily swap out some straight run chicks from my Meyer order for some Buckeye pullets.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Interesting. I just checked the labeling on the feed I'll be using for my layers once they're off the grower food and it contains 17% protein and 0.35% methionine. The chick starter I used had 22% protein and 0.32% methionine. Any thoughts? Still too low?

Different ages/stages/types of chickens require different levels of various nutrients. The following publication is available as a free download, and has recommendations for white-egg chicks, layers and breeders; brown egg chicks, layers and breeders; and broiler (CornishX) chicks and breeders. Use whichever recommendation is closest to your chickens' age and intended use.

Nutrient Requirements of Poultry:

Ninth Revised Edition, 1994 (1994)


Best wishes,
Angela

 

[1zooman12]

Hello Leah's Mom,
As a professional scientist I abandoned scales more than 60 years ago as they are not dependable for accurate weights. This is referring to weights less than say five kilograms, of course. During all that time I have been dependent upon my own personal balance. A balance is far superior to a scale as the latter is dependent on internal springs which are notoriously untrustworthy. Springs tend to stretch and they vary in tension according to the relative humidity and ambient temperature. On one pan the desired weight is placed either in English measure or in metric weights. On the opposing pan a piece of filter paper is placed and one simply keeps adding small increments of whatever is to be weighed until the pans balance and the center needle stabilizes at the zero point. Note: One brings the pans to equilibrium after the piece of filter paper is placed on the second pan in order to negate the effect of the weight of the filter paper itself. Then the substance to be weighed is added until the desired weight is achieved. The more sophisticated balance has one to 5 bars on which are calibrated an array of sliding weights. One sets the item to be weighed on one pan and the weights on the bars are slid until level balance is achieved as indicated by the center needle achieving zero point. In order to see how this simple system works take your new balance to your pharmacist as most take great delight in teaching skills. He will be glad to show you how these goals are accomplished. That is all there is to it!
Neal, the Zooman