BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

I'm sure it wasn't very welcome. I think california will get their rain at some point and it will rain so much, they will curse it because of the mud slides. That is one state that has all the good luck and most of the bad luck. I wouldn't even visit that place, much less live there.

West Virginia is often called a 'Fly-Over State' and that's fine with me. Far too many people on the East Coast has found out how good we have it already.

I love West Virginia! I think it's gorgeous. A bit chilly for my thin AZ blood, but gorgeous.

We've been getting quite a bit of rain here in my little corner of the desert. Monsoons started more than a week early this year, which has been great for my garden, but this humidity sucks. Two nights ago we had pea and marble sized hail, microbursts, lightning strikes, a tornado warning, and about 3 inches of rain in a little over an hour. A couple people died from getting stuck by lightning, but at least our fire danger is way down before people start shooting off fireworks from their backyard for the upcoming holiday.

 

[Beer can]

Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

 

[LindaB220]

Hello everybody there. Too much stuff there to read so I would appreciate if someone would repost main tips and themes. Im selling eggs. Eggs from sex-links. Had few hatched out of them and are as good layers. Now Im looking to add pure breed chickens, and cull all bought sex links. Cull them, cause they immunities ar weak. And my thoughts are that they lay good for 2 years, but for example RIR or Australorp after 2 years of laying will be better layer than sex link hen. Im gonna hatch lot of, mostly laying breeds. But probably sex-links would be more profitable than RIR, cause RIR weight more and eat more. But even if in time, when sex link lay 1 egg in day, pure breed lay 1 egg each 2nd day, wont that egg which would be lay less often be more valuable? So, in future Im gonna mix my breeds, mby mixing RIR hen which weights 2.5-3.0 kgs, its 5.5-.6.5 punds, with some lighter breed, and get as good layer, but a less need for food, you now.. And the theme about good seasonal laying would be great to discuss, for example breeds which lay good in winter, while RIR wont lay anything or I guess every 3 or 4 day, the russian orloff will keep lay every 2nd day.. Breeds Im incubating now is: (P.S, few are just for a good view at my flock, or I just like that breed) Vorwerk, Barnvelder, Wiandotte, Cream Lebar, Australorp, RIR, Kulang, Russian Orloff, Breakel, Hamburg, Brahma, Jersey giant.

Yes, I was not impressed with the sex link kinds. When I get my birds again in February I'll be going for the Australorps. Good luck.

 

[ronott1]

Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

Post pictures when you can!

 

[LindaB220]

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Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

Give them a try . Great eating I hear. .

 

[DesertChic]

Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

The only thing I've heard is that they're some of the most curious chickens out there...like...annoyingly curious. Some find that trait charming, but others...not so much.

 

[hellbender]

Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

Talk to 3RiversChick That's been her breed of choice for quite a long time. Should be able to tell you all about them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

This has probably been addressed in this thread but I'm not going to read the whole thing to find it....so forgive my laziness.

Experience with - and opinion of - Dorkings. Like/don't like? Good for meat or not? Eggs?

 

[ronott1]

This has probably been addressed in this thread but I'm not going to read the whole thing to find it....so forgive my laziness.

Experience with - and opinion of - Dorkings. Like/don't like? Good for meat or not? Eggs?

Dorkings are in terrible shape as a breed. The best are the white dorkings that Joseph has:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/35052/yellow-house-farm

They do not get as big as they should for the rest--and take a long time getting there. They lay a low number of medium white eggs.

I have had experience with Silver gray dorkings.

 

[gevshiba]

Got my SandHill white jersey giants today finally. They threw in nine red sussex as 'packing peanuts' for free. Not sure what I'll do with them. Anyone here have any experience with sussex? I read they're good layers and meaties. Just don't know if I want to keep them.

I have non hatchery Speckled Sussex. They take longer to grow out because they're roasters, but they're about the best tasting chicken I've ever had. I don't know if the other varieties have a faster growth rate or not. Originally, I wanted red, buff or browns, but I couldn't find any. So I settled for SS. Come to find out, finding good SS is just as hard.