BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[JRNash]

Hellbender I've got 31.

 

[dfr1973]

OK, sitting back (of course sipping on some beers) checking out my new chicks. There is definitely a growth curve here. White giants are just as mobile as the supposedly red Sussex, the giants some of them have their wing feathers started, the Sussex have fully feathered wings. FULLY feathered wings stretching them out! 10 days old. I didn't order them but I'm glad they sent them, great to see the difference. The one langshan they sent looks like a duck in the box! LOL! I'm still going to focus on getting a giant breed of capons, not sop, just as big as I can get, but it's nice to know that I might have a meat and egg breed that won't break the bank!!!

Be careful what you wish for!

EDIT: @Beer can ...you and we are on a similiar trail. I know my family is having great fun and I'm enjoying watching them scheme and plan but I don't see them saving many trips to the bank, at least not any time soon and during these trips, they are carrying full bags of cash, from my account.

They won't use the 'recipe' to feed these birds so that is a major savings that they will not realize.

One difference from what's going on here with this chicken project is something the family learned with our rabbits...try to get the most meat with the least PRACTICAL amount of bone and I think they have chosen wisely for that purpose, but no matter how much they watch my pennies and Q's, this is actually going to be an expensive project but at lease we will have some good birds to look at, to eat and who knows...they might stick with this long enough to make a buck....??? Naaahhhhh, no chance.

Actually, while the three of us (maybe more?) have the same destination/goal in mind, we're taking different paths to get there. I should put new batteries in the digicam and get some pics of the six month olds I got from Luanne, that will put good meaty size into my Wyandottes. (oh, George and Angela, I asked Luanne about fluff trimming, and she says yes she has done it a few times, as she sees being in "full feather" to not be an actual fault. I told her that if necessary I would tolerate doing it for one generation only. I personally don't want my 'Dottes that fluffy.)

Of course, I have a couple other requirements than just meatiness. I want the hens to be good for eggs too, and I want all of them to look good while they're doing it. Yup, I want "all that, AND the bag of chips," as the saying goes.

As for your kids, Ron ... what $ value do you put on their enjoyment? I know that sitting and watching the chickens is much cheaper entertainment than driving out for a date night for hubby and me.

I figure a 12-pound Wyandotte capon strolling around the yard ought to look impressive and beautiful ... with luck, I'll be able to see for myself in a couple years! (without the luck factor, I'll get there in less than a decade on sheer stubbornness.)

 

[hellbender]

Actually, while the three of us (maybe more?) have the same destination/goal in mind, we're taking different paths to get there. I should put new batteries in the digicam and get some pics of the six month olds I got from Luanne, that will put good meaty size into my Wyandottes. (oh, George and Angela, I asked Luanne about fluff trimming, and she says yes she has done it a few times, as she sees being in "full feather" to not be an actual fault. I told her that if necessary I would tolerate doing it for one generation only. I personally don't want my 'Dottes that fluffy.)

Of course, I have a couple other requirements than just meatiness. I want the hens to be good for eggs too, and I want all of them to look good while they're doing it. Yup, I want "all that, AND the bag of chips," as the saying goes.

As for your kids, Ron ... what $ value do you put on their enjoyment? I know that sitting and watching the chickens is much cheaper entertainment than driving out for a date night for hubby and me.

I figure a 12-pound Wyandotte capon strolling around the yard ought to look impressive and beautiful ... with luck, I'll be able to see for myself in a couple years! (without the luck factor, I'll get there in less than a decade on sheer stubbornness.)

As I've said before, I dare not keep close account of this 'Chicken "Habit/Hobby).

My daughter and son both have lives beyond the farm gates. Ariel is seeing a guy she met at 4-H camp and Jason is dating "off-and-on", the gal he met a couple years ago...she's a school teacher from another town down the road with a bit of baggage...two young boys. I don't know that marriage is in the offing but they are hardly shut-ins, living their lives for these birds. There's no doubt that I'm getting more entertainment from the whole situation but I have plans...I intend to spend the colder months in a place very (VERY) far South of here. The others in this deal will have to handle things on their own for about 4 months whilst I try to learn a bit more Portuguese and Brasileiro.

 

[gevshiba]

OK, sitting back (of course sipping on some beers) checking out my new chicks. There is definitely a growth curve here. White giants are just as mobile as the supposedly red Sussex, the giants some of them have their wing feathers started, the Sussex have fully feathered wings. FULLY feathered wings stretching them out! 10 days old. I didn't order them but I'm glad they sent them, great to see the difference. The one langshan they sent looks like a duck in the box! LOL! I'm still going to focus on getting a giant breed of capons, not sop, just as big as I can get, but it's nice to know that I might have a meat and egg breed that won't break the bank!!!

I hatch a friend's Orpingtons when I have a hatch of Sussex. The Sussex out feather the Orps by a lot.

 

[JRNash]

My white giants are feathering out as fast or faster than my plymouth rocks and cx

 

[hellbender]

My white giants are feathering out as fast or faster than my plymouth rocks and cx

Since we're talking about feathers, I've never seen a chick feather out faster than these Chantecers.

Edit: I don't know why but I've finally let this batch of 7 week old chicks out of their coop. I guess it was the rain but they are getting too big to be locked up and making a mess for someone (ME) to clean up. They seem worse than the adults this year. It might be because they aren't being fed the 'recipe'.

I don't know why it still amazes me how much stinch these things can leave behind them...almost as bad as geese......naahhh!

 

[Beer can]

My white giants are feathering out as fast or faster than my plymouth rocks and cx

I think idealy you would want giants to feather out slow. I'veread, if your going for size the faster growing ones end up being the smaller ones in the long run. And it's hard to tell what's going on with hatchery giants, I haven't heard good things as far as size goes.
Did you happen to notice there is only six registered breeders with the National Jersey Giant Club, and only four have the whites?

 

[neopolitancrazy]

You do not have the variability to make that fundamental of a change.

fyi, the breeder from whom I purchased my birds had had his strain ~5 years, and outcrossed to another breeder's strain last year. All sorts of surprises amongst my chicks this year.
Angela

 

[hellbender]

fyi, the breeder from whom I purchased my birds had had his strain ~5 years, and outcrossed to another breeder's strain last year. All sorts of surprises amongst my chicks this year.
Angela

I have never owned any of the J. Giants but I have seen them. Most were beautiful birds and while admittedly they were hatchery stock, they had too much bone for my uses, standing as a pure breed but I can imagine that crossed with a Dark Cornish (my preference), they could produce some AWESOME meat birds!!! They had been given serious consideration as part of the capon program.

Here's a bird from Cackle's website..this is a beautiful beast.

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/wgiant.html

 

[neopolitancrazy]

... (oh, George and Angela, I asked Luanne about fluff trimming, and she says yes she has done it a few times, as she sees being in "full feather" to not be an actual fault. I told her that if necessary I would tolerate doing it for one generation only. I personally don't want my 'Dottes that fluffy.)...

I think the ideal heritage (ideal at the beginning of the 1900's, not the end of the 1900's) Wyandotte was much less fluffy than today's exhibition strains, which is what I purchased as breeders. One of the changes I anticipate is selecting for closer feathering. (and earlier maturity, and larger eggs, and more eggs, and ...)
Best wishes,
Angela