BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

@DesertChic had you ever thought of selling her? Someone in your area just might REALLY want a consistently broody hen... instead of constantly fighting her. (like me. Haha)

LOL! Actually, my goal was to always have a broody hen to allow me to break away from using an incubator. Her timing is just way off right now.

 

[NanaKat]

Finally catching up after being off for a while...ya'll have been busy.
I've been moving around the CW juveniles and last few hatches 3 to 5 week olds, 7 to 9 week olds, and the 11 to 16 week olds. Had two bantam OEGB hens sitting in the same nest box hatch a clutch of 6 chicks...Serama, OEGB and Rosecomb.
Attended the Shawnee, Okla Poultry show....lots of Bantam breeds and many LF...but not as many as usually seen. It was the Wyandotte Breeders annual meeting...not many breeders showing so the meeting was cancelled. I purchased two lovely White Wyandotte from Larry Dye to add to my pen.
Been busy making soap 25 fragrances and 459 bars. I've perfected my recipes for tallow bars and Castile over the years. These are for gifts and family. SIL got a 12 point buck and I made a batch using the deer tallow. Wonder how bear fat would do in a soap. Rendered chicken fat makes a nice bar.

 

[Beer can]

I imagine bear fat would be OK for soap. When my dad got a 450lb 16 3/4 yr old bear 20+ yrs ago he rendered a bunch of the fat. Only used it for waterproofing boots from what I can remember though.
Smelled a little funny but not too bad. Worked as good as mink oil but had to keep reapplying it, didn't last as long. Neighbors rotties liked the smell, wouldn't leave me alone when I stopped there during deer season. Must not have bothered the deer, I was 17 and it was my best yr hunting still to this date.
NY requires you call bear harvests in immediately, I've heard they sometimes want you to take them to where you shot it, show gut pile, make sure you didn't bait it. Back then they wanted the lower jaw, ruined dads skull for much use, now they just want a tooth for aging. That's how he knew the age, average bear harvested here is 2 3/4 yrs old, not very big.
The one I've seen behind my house has to go over 500, farmer that has kicked him out of his fields chopping corn agrees. Only time I've run into him besides trail cam vids was in bow season at 20-30 yards, somehow I missed, I swear I wasn't scared....Don't see hide nor hair of him during rifle season, but by then the corn is gone, probably moves on.

 

[varidgerunner]

Bear fat makes excellent soap. My favorite use of bear is in making corned bear and cabbage. I have taken lots of bear meat to picnics and pot-lucks. It's always funny to see someone that swears that bear meat tastes horrible shoveling bear meat in their mouth as fast as they can. You can tell them it's bear meat and they will swear that you are lying, because if they ate bear meat it would cause them to gag and be impossible to chew. Bear-b-Q, bear roast, bear burger, bear sausage, and another of my favorites, bear ribs, all good. I'm sure there are off flavored bear out there, but it probably involves a dumpster.

 

[miss heny]

Finally catching up after being off for a while...ya'll have been busy.
I've been moving around the CW juveniles and last few hatches 3 to 5 week olds, 7 to 9 week olds, and the 11 to 16 week olds. Had two bantam OEGB hens sitting in the same nest box hatch a clutch of 6 chicks...Serama, OEGB and Rosecomb.
Attended the Shawnee, Okla Poultry show....lots of Bantam breeds and many LF...but not as many as usually seen. It was the Wyandotte Breeders annual meeting...not many breeders showing so the meeting was cancelled. I purchased two lovely White Wyandotte from Larry Dye to add to my pen.
Been busy making soap 25 fragrances and 459 bars. I've perfected my recipes for tallow bars and Castile over the years. These are for gifts and family. SIL got a 12 point buck and I made a batch using the deer tallow. Wonder how bear fat would do in a soap. Rendered chicken fat makes a nice bar.

Do you breed your OEGBs for show?

 

[DesertChic]

Finally catching up after being off for a while...ya'll have been busy.
I've been moving around the CW juveniles and last few hatches 3 to 5 week olds, 7 to 9 week olds, and the 11 to 16 week olds. Had two bantam OEGB hens sitting in the same nest box hatch a clutch of 6 chicks...Serama, OEGB and Rosecomb.
Attended the Shawnee, Okla Poultry show....lots of Bantam breeds and many LF...but not as many as usually seen. It was the Wyandotte Breeders annual meeting...not many breeders showing so the meeting was cancelled. I purchased two lovely White Wyandotte from Larry Dye to add to my pen.
Been busy making soap 25 fragrances and 459 bars. I've perfected my recipes for tallow bars and Castile over the years. These are for gifts and family. SIL got a 12 point buck and I made a batch using the deer tallow. Wonder how bear fat would do in a soap. Rendered chicken fat makes a nice bar.

Bear fat makes excellent soap. My favorite use of bear is in making corned bear and cabbage. I have taken lots of bear meat to picnics and pot-lucks. It's always funny to see someone that swears that bear meat tastes horrible shoveling bear meat in their mouth as fast as they can. You can tell them it's bear meat and they will swear that you are lying, because if they ate bear meat it would cause them to gag and be impossible to chew. Bear-b-Q, bear roast, bear burger, bear sausage, and another of my favorites, bear ribs, all good. I'm sure there are off flavored bear out there, but it probably involves a dumpster.

So now I want to learn how to make soap

....and I need to visit @varidgerunner for dinner.

 

[DesertChic]

I'm a little bummed today. With my husband's help we got the last of the 3000 lbs of lava rock cleaned and in place in the aquaponics beds....only to discover that one of the beds is leaking water. He thought he had sealed it up sufficiently right up until that large puddle of water formed underneath it.

Now, while he's at work I have to empty out all the rock in the bed and seal it up with aquarium caulk....and then put all that rock back once the seal has tested good.

I'm really sick of lava rock. Just sayin'.

On a happier note though, my seedlings are looking pretty good. I can't wait to be able to transplant them into those beds.

 

[hellbender]

I'm a little bummed today. With my husband's help we got the last of the 3000 lbs of lava rock cleaned and in place in the aquaponics beds....only to discover that one of the beds is leaking water. He thought he had sealed it up sufficiently right up until that large puddle of water formed underneath it.

Now, while he's at work I have to empty out all the rock in the bed and seal it up with aquarium caulk....and then put all that rock back once the seal has tested good.

I'm really sick of lava rock. Just sayin'.

On a happier note though, my seedlings are looking pretty good. I can't wait to be able to transplant them into those beds.

For a job like that...send your husband to a 'labor corner' in the nearest town, pick out two middle aged but stout men and just pay to get it re-done. You have saves so much already by building your entire facility...you deserve a bit of hired labor!!!

 

[DesertChic]

For a job like that...send your husband to a 'labor corner' in the nearest town, pick out two middle aged but stout men and just pay to get it re-done. You have saves so much already by building your entire facility...you deserve a bit of hired labor!!!

LOL! Tempting....but I'll just do it myself.

 

[miss heny]

Now, I have a question for those who breed for meat...How do you develop your strains?

As those who read I am wanting to develop a black line of meat birds, ATM I got swedish hens and silkies but will be looking at over the next few years a few cemani (once they get a lil cheaper) and some NN (possible) what do you guys recommend to possible breed in for good feed to meat ratio and over all hardiness and size?