BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[call ducks]

Regarding year round eggs -- This is why having two breeds (even if you only have a rooster in one breed) can be of benefit. Some one emailed me the other day about Light Sussex chicks this spring. I have a standard "warning" about light susssex ( not really a warning but a heads-up) they lay through out the winter and stop between May - June and won't pick up again until September-October so I will always suggest they get a second breed (Not from me because I only have the one!) often times I suggest a production red - or something of that nature to balance out all year production.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Very interesting topic, I'll be watching. I breed to the SOP, but my barnevelders need some work on production.

 

[call ducks]

Very interesting topic, I'll be watching. I breed to the SOP, but my barnevelders need some work on production.

Ok this is going to sound odd... Get a ruler and your middle three fingers.... well really you only need your fingers. If you can't fit at least three of your fingers (the three middle ones) between a hens pelvic bones cull them out of your breeding flock. The wider the better. It works good. Also you can tell when a pullet will start to lay this way to!

 

[Arielle]

For my part, I would do without, rather than try to choke down one of those miserable things called eggs in most markets.

Which is why I have had to spend a lot of my time finding the breeds that were meant to be "winter layers" . In theory the sussex fit, but the climate of southern England is actually much milder and warmer than Massachusetts. My 3 adult hens quit laying in early- mid October. A few of my hens in the main hen house ( a little of this and a little of that) have started laying again. ( but not eating yet due to recent worming).

Your description of miserable things called eggs, put a smile on my face!! lol

 

[Arielle]

Regarding year round eggs -- This is why having two breeds (even if you only have a rooster in one breed) can be of benefit. Some one emailed me the other day about Light Sussex chicks this spring. I have a standard "warning" about light susssex ( not really a warning but a heads-up) they lay through out the winter and stop between May - June and won't pick up again until September-October so I will always suggest they get a second breed (Not from me because I only have the one!) often times I suggest a production red - or something of that nature to balance out all year production.

My Ss are not anything special, and do keep laying May to June-- perhaps they are a bit of production from the hatcheries as well as some decent breeder stock intheir background. IDK. If my other stock can fill the supply for eggs May to June while the sussex fill the fall needs, I'm good!!

 

[NYREDS]

I agree with you NYREDS. There certainly is no reason why production and correct standard appearance can not be selected for...but I have very strong beliefs that many folks will and do breed for form over function (perhaps unintentionally) and I think you will agree with that if you will take off your dark glasses.

I would have to say you have one of the best selected avitars on this board or perhaps on the entire internet-maybe even in the entire universe. How did you know about my glasses? Spooky.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Call ducks-- While I have great respect for this method, should it be modified to fit the requirement of the breed. Meaning. IF a larger is is desired to follow this??

The reason I bring this up, no offense meant, that I have come to appreciate the medium egg layers, or the less frequent egg layers, as they require less protein per day and less calcium. In a free ranging bird this seems to be helpful. I have come to this theory based on the results of my free ranging sussex. THe more they ate off the land instead of the feed bunk, they didn't produce as well as when they are kept penned with layer infront of them. OF course eating off the land is cheaper for me than a bag of feed. I"m ok with lower production if it is almost for free.

 

[call ducks]

Quote: Call ducks-- While I have great respect for this method, should it be modified to fit the requirement of the breed. Meaning. IF a larger is is desired to follow this??

The reason I bring this up, no offense meant, that I have come to appreciate the medium egg layers, or the less frequent egg layers, as they require less protein per day and less calcium. In a free ranging bird this seems to be helpful. I have come to this theory based on the results of my free ranging sussex. THe more they ate off the land instead of the feed bunk, they didn't produce as well as when they are kept penned with layer infront of them. OF course eating off the land is cheaper for me than a bag of feed. I"m ok with lower production if it is almost for free.
Well it does not have so much to do with frequency than size. I find my Sussex eggs to be about the size of a grade A egg (Canadian weight not sure what that is) maybe a bit bigger. And that's about 3-3.5 fingers width.

Another thing to note the larger a hens body the smaller and less frequent she will lay ( or you will see more double and triple yolked eggs).

 

[Arielle]

NOt to be argumentative, the buff orpington is a pretty big hen --is 3-4 eggs a week considered fewer??

OVerall I would prefer a large egg or larger, even if it meant fewer eggs per week. Calcium , or lack of, seems to be the limiting factor here. THe bug population is quickly decimated, and the hens then depend on the oyster shell or crushed egg shells for the Ca supply. ( My birds are let out in the mroning and cruise all over, back tot he coop to lay of course, but the coop is the only location for layer pellets and supplemental oyster shells. )

 

[Highcotton]

Ok this is going to sound odd... Get a ruler and your middle three fingers.... well really you only need your fingers. If you can't fit at least three of your fingers (the three middle ones) between a hens pelvic bones cull them out of your breeding flock. The wider the better. It works good. Also you can tell when a pullet will start to lay this way to!

When we started to butcher a hen for chicken and dumplings my mother applied the 3 finger technique. The first one that she picked up that wasn't laying was bound for the pot. She would set a hen on her hand with the vent away from her and put her finger between its legs to feel how wide the gap was between the pelvic bones. I would suggest that we do that often to get a feel for the gap between the bones. I am sure the gap is different between different breeds.