BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[hellbender]

I'm surprised that my Dark Cornish pullets are out-laying the Chanteclers by something like 4 to 1. Actually I amazed. They're all fed the same ration(unlimited), they are free-ranged all day and I never use lights or heat. In fact, the building they're in is still functioning as a 'summer house', meaning that all windows and doors are open (we take the glass out of the doors in summer and the heavy wire put back over the window openings of the doors. The temps are getting pretty low at night and it has remained cool to cold throughout the day light hours with some pretty heavy winds.

All the birds come out early in the morning and range far and wide so I really don't know if the Chantecleres are laying elsewhere but I'd come nearer expecting the Cornish to pull that trick early in lay.

 

[draye]

I'm surprised that my Dark Cornish pullets are out-laying the Chanteclers by something like 4 to 1.  Actually I amazed.  They're all fed the same ration(unlimited), they are free-ranged all day and I never use lights or heat.  In fact, the building they're in is still functioning as a 'summer house', meaning that all windows and doors are open (we take the glass out of the doors in summer and the heavy wire put back over the window openings of the doors.  The temps are getting pretty low at night and it has remained cool to cold throughout the day light hours with some pretty heavy winds.

All the birds come out early in the morning and range far and wide so I really don't know if the Chantecleres are laying elsewhere but I'd come nearer expecting the Cornish to pull that trick early in lay.  

That is amazing. Sometimes the least likely will surprise you.

It surprises me, I had some Dark Cornish once. Was going to mix them with some EE's, but never did the DC were sporadic layers. One weeks I'd get 12 ( put of 5 hens) the next I'd get 3/4. So you are doing well with yours.

 

[Beer can]

That is amazing. Sometimes the least likely will surprise you.

You can say that again! The five TSC silkies, probably crossed at some point, are outlaying my leghorns and EE and they are supposed to be poor layers. They might not be the biggest eggs, but the most. Until the giants and sussex start laying the silkies are my only brown eggs at the moment so not hard to keep track. Avg 50grams, some have been smaller but some have been slightly larger.

 

[DesertChic]

I'm surprised that my Dark Cornish pullets are out-laying the Chanteclers by something like 4 to 1. Actually I amazed. They're all fed the same ration(unlimited), they are free-ranged all day and I never use lights or heat. In fact, the building they're in is still functioning as a 'summer house', meaning that all windows and doors are open (we take the glass out of the doors in summer and the heavy wire put back over the window openings of the doors. The temps are getting pretty low at night and it has remained cool to cold throughout the day light hours with some pretty heavy winds.

All the birds come out early in the morning and range far and wide so I really don't know if the Chantecleres are laying elsewhere but I'd come nearer expecting the Cornish to pull that trick early in lay.

I'm completely convinced that as soon as we think we have our chickens figured out, they conspire to confound us once again.

My flocks were consistent and orderly, and then wham! They all decided to start laying their eggs in each other's nesting boxes. I've got four separate coupes/pens with nesting boxes, each one designated to a different flock, and now that I'm allowing everyone to mingle they've decided to swap out who lays where and even where each of them sleeps at night. My frizzled Easter Eggers are especially determined to confuse me.

You can say that again! The five TSC silkies, probably crossed at some point, are outlaying my leghorns and EE and they are supposed to be poor layers. They might not be the biggest eggs, but the most. Until the giants and sussex start laying the silkies are my only brown eggs at the moment so not hard to keep track. Avg 50grams, some have been smaller but some have been slightly larger.

My little Buff Silkie is one of my best layers when she's not broody. And for the past two days she's actually waited for me to come out to her pen and then lays an egg right next to me. I've heard from a number of people who claim their Silkies are their absolute best winter layers. Go figure!

You Silkie lays a brown egg? Mine lays a white one. Hmm....

 

[ronott1]

I'm completely convinced that as soon as we think we have our chickens figured out, they conspire to confound us once again.

My flocks were consistent and orderly, and then wham! They all decided to start laying their eggs in each other's nesting boxes. I've got four separate coupes/pens with nesting boxes, each one designated to a different flock, and now that I'm allowing everyone to mingle they've decided to swap out who lays where and even where each of them sleeps at night. My frizzled Easter Eggers are especially determined to confuse me.




My little Buff Silkie is one of my best layers when she's not broody. And for the past two days she's actually waited for me to come out to her pen and then lays an egg right next to me. I've heard from a number of people who claim their Silkies are their absolute best winter layers. Go figure!

You Silkie lays a brown egg? Mine lays a white one. Hmm....

Obie Wan Kenobi says, The answer lies in the source Dear Pupil.....

The Dark Cornish in Question are from a Hatchery--all bets are off when it comes to the egg laying ability of a hatchery bred breed. They do not follow breed averages because of what hatcheries do and breed for.

They sound like keepers!

 

[Beer can]

@DesertChic I hear they can lay either color, I asked cause I was expecting white and they give four nice brown and one funny bumpy white. I don't know what causes the bumpy rough like coarse sandpaper shell, thought maybe to much calcium but they all eat the same.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Well, I started my day like this:



And here is where I ended, at sunset:


It's the frame for Naked Neck/meat flock coop - 16x8ft, in the style of the 6x10 one next to it. I did it solo, which required some fancy work with bungee cords for the "barn raising" stage.

Everything hurts - I think I'm going to collapse now...

- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

Well, I started my day like this:



And here is where I ended, at sunset:


It's the frame for Naked Neck/meat flock coop - 16x8ft, in the style of the 6x10 one next to it. I did it solo, which required some fancy work with bungee cords for the "barn raising" stage.

Everything hurts - I think I'm going to collapse now...

- Ant Farm

Wow... that's great! I never could do something like that by myself.

 

[draye]

Well, I started my day like this: And here is where I ended, at sunset: It's the frame for Naked Neck/meat flock coop - 16x8ft, in the style of the 6x10 one next to it. I did it solo, which required some fancy work with bungee cords for the "barn raising" stage. Everything hurts - I think I'm going to collapse now... - Ant Farm

I like that. Mine weren't that fancy.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Wow... that's great! I never could do something like that by myself.

Oh, sure you could... I purchased the The Garden Coop plans to use for the first one - very easy to follow, I took a long time to build it because I had no skills. This second one (a modification to increase size, and some other tweaks) is going a little easier (so far)...

- Ant Farm...