BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[BGMatt]

I posted this over on the new heritage thread, but that may not be the right place for it so I'll try over here as well.

Has anyone had a slow-down in egg production over the last few days? Ours have dropped about 30-40% and I've talked to several other flock owners and they've seen production drop from30% up to 90% or nearly completely gone.

The only thing I can figure is the rise in temperature as we head into summer is affecting them.

colburg

My oldest pullets from last year are starting to molt and has slowed them down a bit. We've had some really warm days that might have forced the issue.

 

[hellbender]

FYI...Before I depart for cool weather of Brasil on the 16th, Jason tells me he will introduce himself here. It turns out, he hasn't yet joined but will soon. He's been following as a guest, long before he departed Germany.

He wanted to use my avatar and just tell everyone who he was but I convinced him that I have made a lot of people angry here and he will do much better with his own set-up. I've seen the 'avatars' he is considering...one I like, he refused to let me post before is his pic in military dress uniform. He won't do that but he is going to use a pic of himself, taken by the young man who is doing our video. They are outside now, working on the 'farm and stock' portions of the video...getting a bit of a head start on tomorrow because he has to pick up Mr. Mong at the airport in Pittsburgh tomorrow evening.

Just keeping you abreast of things. Oh...I will NOT be visiting BYC while I'm on vacation...in fact, I'm getting so many 'infractions' they might not let me back on..

Well, It might not be quite that bad but I have made a few folks 'uncomfortable' recently. I will be quite busy and I'll need to keep my head clear. I hope you folks will welcome Jason...he's a great guy and won't stir up the dust and dung like I am so prone to do!!!

RON

 

[hellbender]

Jason had to kennel the Caucasian Ovcharka ..She's not quite one year old but want's to eat the camera guy. It is a worthy attitude but we need him for the weekend, at least!

Some will think she's ugly with her docked tail and her severely cropped ears but she is a thing of beauty to me!!!

She is very 'hard' and I'm finding her breeder didn't exaggerate her temperament at all. She's hotter than the hinges of hell and should produce some 'company' for herself next year. I let her run and play with the male Patterdale Terrier but she and the female Patterdale absolutely HATE each other!!!

RON

 

[Arielle]

Yup a good guard dog already!! IF she is like my rotties, it is in there at an early age. I remember the day we picke up my first rottie pup and we had to make a sotp on the way home. NO ONE could approach the car without a full on barking spree!!!! lol Of course as she grew up to become a show dog ( mostly for socializing) she loved everyone . . . . .

Thanks for saving the camera guy from getting eaten!! lol

 

[ronott1]

FYI...Before I depart for cool weather of Brasil on the 16th, Jason tells me he will introduce himself here. It turns out, he hasn't yet joined but will soon. He's been following as a guest, long before he departed Germany.

He wanted to use my avatar and just tell everyone who he was but I convinced him that I have made a lot of people angry here and he will do much better with his own set-up. I've seen the 'avatars' he is considering...one I like, he refused to let me post before is his pic in military dress uniform. He won't do that but he is going to use a pic of himself, taken by the young man who is doing our video. They are outside now, working on the 'farm and stock' portions of the video...getting a bit of a head start on tomorrow because he has to pick up Mr. Mong at the airport in Pittsburgh tomorrow evening.

Just keeping you abreast of things. Oh...I will NOT be visiting BYC while I'm on vacation...in fact, I'm getting so many 'infractions' they might not let me back on..

Well, It might not be quite that bad but I have made a few folks 'uncomfortable' recently. I will be quite busy and I'll need to keep my head clear. I hope you folks will welcome Jason...he's a great guy and won't stir up the dust and dung like I am so prone to do!!!

RON

I guess you stepped into it again!

It is great having you here Ron!

 

[bnjrob]

Here's a good question that my mentor asked another forum...

She posed the question that if you don't show, and want a productive breed why do you breed to a standard? On these internet forums it is made to seem like poultry shows are a big thing, that there area a lot of them and there are a lot of attendees. But in reality this is not the case 99% of people who want to raise and breed chickens want a productive one.... Go for it...




Also the best advice I have gotten was from an old school professional poultrymen... "Know a good chicken".

Because I want a Java that looks like a Java. I want the production - as much production as I'm going to get out of a dual purpose chicken - but I want it to look like a Java. Just this week had someone who just got their first Javas show photos of their birds and ask opinions....don't think they were real happy with me but the photos of their females looked like spotted Plymouth Rocks to me. They weren't all out hideously ugly, and if I didn't know anything about Javas having a particular body type, those birds would be fine in my pasture as long as they were good eating and laid eggs. But since I DO know that a chicken is made up of more than just their feather colors, I can't just pay attention to meat/egg production without also paying attention to whether or not they have the physical characteristics of the ideal Java. So in addition to looking at tail angle, comb, feather color, leg/foot color, etc., I'm still looking at who lays first and better, who's got better keels and wider pelvis widths etc. It probably would be easier to choose strictly SOP breeding for "looks" or strictly production breeding, but for me, I am not happy with just one or the other.

 

[southernmomma]

Here's a good question that my mentor asked another forum... 

She posed the question that if you don't show, and want a productive breed why do you breed to a standard? On these internet forums it is made to seem like poultry shows are a big thing, that there area  a lot of them and there are a lot of attendees. But in reality this is not the case 99% of people who want to raise and breed chickens want a productive one.... Go for it... 




Also the best advice I have gotten was from an old school professional poultrymen... "Know a good chicken".  

I wish to maintain a flock for mostly meat production. As I read and learn what goes into keeping a healthy flock and all that will come with it~ nutrition, environment, age/weight records, maintaining broodiness in strain, managing broodies, selection for type/temperament/vigor/growth/feather quality/etc, rotation of cock birds, etc, etc, etc~ I can't imagine also selecting for color, combs, pattern, etc.......I have an ever growing respect for people who have a such a talent and are able to balance all of that in one bird. But I agree that it is most likely a small portion of (extremely talented) owners.

 

[southernmomma]

[COLOR=0000FF]I forgot to mention...[/COLOR][COLOR=B22222]According to Jason, my ideas on egg color is dated.  He has done his own little research and found that lots of people would like to have free-range eggs but are a bit turned off by BROWN EGGS!!!  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=B22222]What has happened in the past 25 or 30 years?  Around here, a white egg couldn't have been given away.  I guess I'll have to accept the fact that the world will not hold still for any of us.  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=B22222]Really???? A demand for free-range white eggs.  I want to see them buying the eggs when the Austra-Whites come into lay.  Then I might be convinced.  Of course, the AW's eggs are sorts' off-white or cream colored.  Perhaps I can push them off as very LIGHT brown eggs when the 'white-egg-eaters' fail to come through with the cash!!!  [/COLOR]

The obsession with shell color escapes me~ I would wonder why the customers prefer one over the other when all the shell may do is decorate a compost pile, lol....people attach importance to the most trivial things!

Travel safe.....Welcome Jason

M

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Many qualities are preferred because it is what we grew up with. A white egg is still strange to me-- IN Maine it was ON LY brown egg layers. Saw white only at Easter for coloring/dying. THe larger layers historically were better producers in the Maine climate, so theyruled and eventually became the base for the commerical egg industry. Maine used to produce a lot of eggs; don't know if that is still true today.

Initially when I bought 25 layers, I didn't know about all the fun colors. Learned quick-quick I can have a designer egg with a little breeding and then I can have many colors in my egg basket-- I can't explain why I am drawn to eggs. Each is a work of art. I marvel at what a hen can produce. I often know which hen made which egg.

And yup, they all get crushed up and sprinkled in the woods where the SS hang out.( I have noticed that the shell quality decreases with out this supplementation while free ranging.)

 

[ronott1]

Many qualities are preferred because it is what we grew up with. A white egg is still strange to me-- IN Maine it was ON LY brown egg layers. Saw white only at Easter for coloring/dying. THe larger layers historically were better producers in the Maine climate, so theyruled and eventually became the base for the commerical egg industry. Maine used to produce a lot of eggs; don't know if that is still true today.

Initially when I bought 25 layers, I didn't know about all the fun colors. Learned quick-quick I can have a designer egg with a little breeding and then I can have many colors in my egg basket-- I can't explain why I am drawn to eggs. Each is a work of art. I marvel at what a hen can produce. I often know which hen made which egg.

And yup, they all get crushed up and sprinkled in the woods where the SS hang out.( I have noticed that the shell quality decreases with out this supplementation while free ranging.)

Get some plants out where they forage that will give them calcium:

Squash blossoms
dandelion
clover

All are high in calcium. I bet you could get some clover going out there. IF the Chooks kill stuff quickly line mine do, you can put together some forage boxes and cover it with wire--they can only eat the tops as the plants grow up--and seed it with clover.

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/05/top-ten-flowers-your-chickens-will-love.html