BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[gjensen]

Yes she has some really nice looking birds. And would love to get my hands on some but... at $8 a head for straight run +SH that's a little out my price range. I'm thinking a utility breed also need to be price so the average house hold can afford.

Good birds are worth the extra money. The cheapest part of any animal is the purchase of the animal. Consider what it would take in both time and money to breed the birds up. It may cost a couple hundred dollars vs. a hundred dollars initially, but we save money in the long run. That is if the interest is breeding them up. If not, the hatcheries might be a better option. It is certainly a more affordable option.

 

[gjensen]

Jumping in here (i'll go back and catch up tonight) but who has standard bred birds with productivity levels that they are pretty happy with?

Looking at starting up a CSA outside of Birmingham and want to offer eggs and meat, so I've kind of been looking at the heavy dual purpose breeds like Delawares, Barred Rocks, RIR and New Hampshires but I'm mostly unfamiliar with their status in the productivity department. I do not want hatchery birds, but my focus will be on production from birds that could possibly produce show winning stock with more selective breeding as opposed to the flock breeding I would be doing.

The other thing I have to think about though, is how much these heavy layers EAT. I'm almost leaning towards an egg breed and a separate meat breed. Are their any light, sprightly, efficient large BROWN egg laying breeds that I'm not thinking of? Unfortunately folks just don't want WHITE eggs from a farm share!

The big birds eat big. There is no way around that.

I think the Welsummer is an overlooked bird. They do not have the size of the Marans, and that could be considered an advantage.

 

[gjensen]

this is the cockerel that is single mated to the pullet Above . His pen sister began laying at seven and a half months she has laid sixteen eggs this month without lights . He has another pen sister same hatch date that has laid only three eggs this month so she will not b in the breeding pen

You have good looking birds.

 

[LindaB220]

I was looking for the "Outstanding Post" emoticon, but this one will have to do. You're dead on with this post in my opinion. Like you I'm one of those people who has actually sought, purchased and read (and am reading) those antiquated books written and published in the early 1900s. I've been reading and studying poultry genetics, breeding programs, the evolution of the SOP standards....and like you I've come to the conclusion that we really haven't come that far in the past century. As you've so eloquently stated above, "chicken people" seem divided between the show breeder, the heritage breeders, the "let's-mix-these-two-and-see-what-we-get" breeders, and the "what's wrong with hatchery birds" breeders. And all of these groups seem to be on the attack and are being attacked.

I went to my first poultry show recently and saw some amazingly beautiful birds. I also insulted a few breeders when I asked them how many eggs their pretty hens lay. And I mean I SERIOUSLY insulted them. Okay...I'm ignorant...I get that. But I don't own chickens for show. The thought never actually occurred to me. I want eggs and I want meat. I thought that's what owning chickens was all about...and after reading nine books on poultry husbandry, all I've concluded so far is that nobody really seems to have THE answer I'm looking for, and maybe never did. I've learned that I can't expect everything from a single bird and I'm fine with that. But one "expert" claims that "that's a good looking bird" and another sees nothing but its imperfections. As a newbie, I'm downright perplexed.

Right now I'm seeing a slow evolution of people who are starting to see the value in keeping their own birds at least for eggs. I think that's a good thing. It at least starts to bring us closer to our food. But I get frustrated when a perfectly productive egg laying hatchery bird is condemned for not being a heritage, breeder-stock bird. I thought THIS thread was about "Breeding for Production...Eggs or Meat", not about breeding and preserving heritage birds. That's why I continue to ask for insight from those experienced in breeding for production.

Sorry...this was a bit more of a rant than I'd intended. I guess I'm a bit more frustrated than I'd realized.

Yeah, I'm one of those researchers and readers. And yes, it does seem that people have not changed in 100 years. Old magazines talk about the bickering about the production values and the beautiful show values. I'm trying to do both. Ken, what a couple of wonderful birds you have there. My XW cockerel finally started crowing last week and I think the pullets, both the Blosl and XW are getting ready to lay. And boy, am I waiting in the wings. I don't know how many eggs they will lay. But I'll be breeding a bunch to sell. And also, I'd like to get a good New Hampshire and mix the Blosl silver gene with them to give good hybrid values. Whether sex link with the NH cock over the Blosl Hen or the Blosl cock over the New Hampshire pullets. They won't be sex link but will give a good grow out time and size.
And sometimes, it's not all about production. Every person that has walked on my place and looked at the White Plymouth Rocks have dropped chins and whipping out a piece of paper to give me their phone number to call when I get eggs or chicks. A very exciting year.
A little bump in the road on my plans to get the 40 ISA Browns. Money, money money. A trip to the ER the other night wiped out the stash I'd put aside for them. Bummer. Can't be helped. I still have plenty to occupy my time. ha

 

[weavers rocks]

You have good looking birds.

Thanks

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I actually think that rhodebars or cream legbars could be my perfect layer breed, bit I'm not sure if anyone is breeding them for production qualities yet. They're so young in the states, I feel a bit inclined to jump into the melee and get some stock I can breed up to MY production standards while others worry about that standard crap. Maybe bring in some birds that match those standards later on.

 

[bnjrob]

I actually think that rhodebars or cream legbars could be my perfect layer breed, bit I'm not sure if anyone is breeding them for production qualities yet. They're so young in the states, I feel a bit inclined to jump into the melee and get some stock I can breed up to MY production standards while others worry about that standard crap. Maybe bring in some birds that match those standards later on.

I've exchanged a few messages with one of the guys trying to work on the legbars and have heard how very frustrating it has been. Seems that they were brought over here and not much done in the way of raising offspring to maturity to see the results of the matings before being sold to the public and there are a lot of issues that still need to be bred out of them.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I've exchanged a few messages with one of the guys trying to work on the legbars and have heard how very frustrating it has been.  Seems that they were brought over here and not much done in the way of raising offspring to maturity to see the results of the matings before being sold to the public and there are a lot of issues that still need to be bred out of them. 

That's what I've been afraid of. Hoping to find someone with a large flock that is producing large blue eggs well,so I can buy hatching eggs, but that might be a dream. Our even with the rhodebars, which are having similar problems. The RB are heavier,though. It's hard to believe there are no standard bred brown egg laying equivalents to leghorns. Surely there is an obvious solution I'm not thinking of.

 

[LindaB220]

That's what I've been afraid of. Hoping to find someone with a large flock that is producing large blue eggs well,so I can buy hatching eggs, but that might be a dream. Our even with the rhodebars, which are having similar problems. The RB are heavier,though. It's hard to believe there are no standard bred brown egg laying equivalents to leghorns. Surely there is an obvious solution I'm not thinking of.

I'll be getting some CCL eggs hopefully next month from a buddy in South La. She is close to me. Same state. She's really loving hers.

 

[DesertChic]

I'm sticking with NN Turkens and Bielefelders (if I can actually get some eggs). I figure the "naked" aspect of the Turkens will not only be good in this very hot desert environment, but will also help me get a better understanding of what the bird looks like underneath. These will be my two breeds for the long-term and I look forward to breeding them extensively for both eggs and meat.

I have to admit though...blue eggs from those Cream Legbars are pretty darn enchanting.