BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[hellbender]

New to the thread, but I'll jump right in, had a question for hellbender.
We bought a puppy from a litter that was supposedly boxer mastiff mix at a no kill shelter here in upstate NY. Now that he's grown I know he isn't. I had a boxer before and he was huge, this dog isn't nowwhere near the size my boxer was. Last summer we took him for free rabis shots at our town hall. A guy in line asked what kind of dog we had, he said it looked like a cur to him, he was holding a catahuala cur (spelling?). When we got home we researched curs. He originally came in a litter from Tennessee, he's brindle, has a curled tail with a white tip, has four dewclaws, from what I read curs are one of the few dogs that do. He never calms down, super wired, runs like a greyhound. Seems to have a good nose on him, my boxer didn't. From what I read and pics of Tennessee mountain curs 50% are born with bob tails naturally and some are fawn and white colored like a boxer. Do you think they might have been mistaken if the mother looked like a boxer? I never get good pics cause he never sits still.

He looks like a Tennessee Treeing Brindle. The breed is one of the "Mountain Cur' strains and one fine breed. You mentioned what I think is double dewclaws on his rear feet? That a sure sign of Mt. Cur breeding.

More than half the dime, Mt. Curs are born with a naturally short tail...anywhere from like the one in my picture, which was born with NO tail, called (frog-azzed, lol) to half or three quarter tail...others are born with a full tail.

All in all..I'd to with the Tenn. Treeing Brindle.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

When I lived in KY lots of folks bread "huntin' dogs". Lot's of amazing red bones. Quite it's own culture there!

 

[Beer can]

Buddy of mine hunts coons with English Red Ticks, he had a grand night champion he would go on hunts from Canada down to Georgia. Friends of his use Walkers. They do a lot of coyote running with them. Coyotes run just like rabbit hunting with beagles, only bigger circles. I've been thinking of trying this one on coyotes, he doesn't like being cooped up in the house anyway and we have way to many coyotes.

 

[Beer can]

On the whole breeding for production thing, I just ordered white jersey giants and black and blue langshans. My plan is to breed for size, mainly for meat birds. I plan on doing some caponizing next year. What's your guy's thoughts on capons? I've read they take less feed, reach a larger size and have less fighting and no overbreeding of the hens when you have a lot of roosters.
And what's your opinion on this, being those breeds mature slow I want to save as much $ as I can getting them to freezer camp. I have a pond full of duck weed in the summer, free protein, the kids love fishing, I grind up the bluegills, free protein, and I work at a dairy plant and have access to free cottage cheese,free protein and chickens love it. I also plan on sprouting grains and fermented feed, haven't tried that yet.
I've been told heritage breed chickens don't benefit from too much protein and poop out any extra they don't need, that I'd be wasting it. How much protein is too much? I would like to buy as little feed as I can.
I will of course only feed them starter grower in the beginning.

 

[jbkirk]

On the whole breeding for production thing, I just ordered white jersey giants and black and blue langshans. My plan is to breed for size, mainly for meat birds. I plan on doing some caponizing next year. What's your guy's thoughts on capons? I've read they take less feed, reach a larger size and have less fighting and no overbreeding of the hens when you have a lot of roosters.
And what's your opinion on this, being those breeds mature slow I want to save as much $ as I can getting them to freezer camp. I have a pond full of duck weed in the summer, free protein, the kids love fishing, I grind up the bluegills, free protein, and I work at a dairy plant and have access to free cottage cheese,free protein and chickens love it. I also plan on sprouting grains and fermented feed, haven't tried that yet.
I've been told heritage breed chickens don't benefit from too much protein and poop out any extra they don't need, that I'd be wasting it. How much protein is too much? I would like to buy as little feed as I can.
I will of course only feed them starter grower in the beginning.

from that I've read Jersy Giants are really slow growing.

 

[dfr1973]

My plan is to breed for size, mainly for meat birds. I plan on doing some caponizing next year. What's your guy's thoughts on capons? I've read they take less feed, reach a larger size and have less fighting and no overbreeding of the hens when you have a lot of roosters.

I am learning caponizing. The initial learning curve is pretty steep! There is a big honkin' long thread on caponizing in the Meat Birds, Etc section that has a ton of useful pics and tips. Since I am doing Gold-Laced Wyandottes, caponizing just makes sense for meat. When you successfully caponize, the bird does not crow, does not get aggressive, and the muscle does not toughen up ... and some folks say capons will rear chicks as well as any hen. The ones who have done it already, say the capons are "invisible"/non-entities to the roosters, although the hens will pick on them. The long caponizing thread is well worth the time to read in its entirety.

 

[hellbender]

Buddy of mine hunts coons with English Red Ticks, he had a grand night champion he would go on hunts from Canada down to Georgia. Friends of his use Walkers. They do a lot of coyote running with them. Coyotes run just like rabbit hunting with beagles, only bigger circles. I've been thinking of trying this one on coyotes, he doesn't like being cooped up in the house anyway and we have way to many coyotes.

I hope they aren't running coyotes with their coon dogs? lol

If you plan to run yotes the old fashioned way, you had better

have a few buddies with dogs too.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I do fermented feed. It REALLY cuts feed cost.

First, birds don't over eat because they feel fuller faster from the water drenched food.

Second, the live cultures in the food really keep their gut going, assuring they get the most out of the food

Third, I like that I can add herbs to the feed for parasite control, since I range my birds.

Fourth, if you buy food with heavy grains in it the soak helps break down the seed coat which is really healthy and allows for greater consumption.

 

[Beer can]

I've watched YouTube vids on caponing. I need to read that thread, read a short one once.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

I dabbled with jersey Giants last year. Really did like them but it was like feeding pigs. I scrapped the plan late December sold all the flock off. I seriously doubt you will be pleased with using them for meat production.