BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

I will likely switch to flock breeding once I have my flock where I like them. Probably be several years before they are ready. Part of the reason that my pullets will have the primary free ranging privileges is so I can add foraging skill to my list of selection criteria.

I am so tired today. 8 hrs. with the electrician replacing my main panel after it literally blew up in my face last night. I am fine, but my undies could not be salvaged

220v...you scary.

I stuck around all day because I know how nice it is to have someone there even if just to hand you stuff.

I'm gonna go pass out.

Whoa! It doesn't get much scarier than that! I used to be a Power System Controller and on my float days would go out with the line crew sometimes to see first hand what they had to do and how dangerous it could really be. For my "initiation" the guys took me up in a bucket on the 250kV line for a hot line order, meaning the line had been grounded, and had me literally kiss the power line. It felt like my body was covered in fire ants, but I did it and gained the respect of every electrician working for the company as a result. The truly scary part was when a storm rolled in while we were still up there in that bucket. Watching lightning strike a power line miles away and then seeing that ball of lightning propel towards you along the line is downright terrifying. I have a tremendous amount of respect for electricity.

 

[varidgerunner]

I don't know how it is with your birds, but I can look at eggs and tell whose is whose. Their will be differences in shape, or the shade of them, glossiness etc.Helps if you have different numbers of each. My naked neck were always a little paler eggs, when I had cochins, they were long and pointy. Remember, a rooster does not have to spend every waking hour with your hens. It is very possible that you could make a couple rooster pens, and free range your hens. Lets say for instance you want to cross some orpingtons on an orpington rooster, and some NN on a NN rooster. Make two small pens, 4'x4'. Put a rooster in each. If you have a few hens of each breed, maybe five, you could go out and take a different hen off the roost and put in with the rooster each night, five day rotation, pick out their eggs and hatch them. Might not be 100%, but it would get you in the ballpark. It would be a lot easier than making a bunch of individual pens to hold six birds in.

Just throwing out there, much easier to throw a rooster loose with a bunch of hens and let nature take it's course.

 

[Kusanar]

I will likely switch to flock breeding once I have my flock where I like them. Probably be several years before they are ready. Part of the reason that my pullets will have the primary free ranging privileges is so I can add foraging skill to my list of selection criteria.

I am so tired today. 8 hrs. with the electrician replacing my main panel after it literally blew up in my face last night. I am fine, but my undies could not be salvaged

220v...you scary.

I stuck around all day because I know how nice it is to have someone there even if just to hand you stuff.

I'm gonna go pass out.

I had a 3 phase panel blow a fireball at me once, flew a fuse, but otherwise the panel was fine.... someone got a couple strands of a frayed stranded wire in another connection...

 

[NanaKat]

 
I will likely switch to flock breeding once I have my flock where I like them. Probably be several years before they are ready. Part of the reason that my pullets will have the primary free ranging privileges is so I can add foraging skill to my list of selection criteria. 

I am so tired today. 8 hrs. with the electrician replacing my main panel after it literally blew up in my face last night. I am fine, but my undies could not be salvaged 
220v...you scary.

I stuck around all day because I know how nice it is to have someone there even if just to hand you stuff.

I'm gonna go pass out. 

I had a 3 phase panel blow a fireball at me once, flew a fuse, but otherwise the panel was fine.... someone got a couple strands of a frayed stranded wire in another connection...

Wow, glad to hear you are Okay!!
I do a little re-wiring when needed....like lamps and outlets...but leave the breaker work to the hubby or a pro.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I free range my very small flock (one rooster, eleven hens) and they have destroyed everything. :-/ They have scratched up an unbelievable amount of soil/plants. I'm getting more in, so there's no way I can free range everyone unless we want to live in a dirt yard. Plus I'm concerned about coccidia/worm build up. So I've decided that mobile tractor coops/runs are the way to go, I'm hoping that if they never know true freedom they won't miss it. I'll let the free rangers live out their lives running loose, but not the next generation. I'ts too bad, I don't really want chickens in cages but unless I keep only a few hens there seems to be no other easy answer. I've set my limit to 30 adult chickens. Any more than that I think it will stop being fun.

 

[Beekissed]

Sounds like you may be overstocked on your range or don't have sufficient forage to support the birds on the range you have. As with any overstocking issue, it may be wise to have rotational paddocks to lessen the stress on any one part of the yard or even range only on certain days or in certain seasons to maximize what you have. Planting grasses and legumes with a higher protein content and arranging for dedicated bug/worm areas(enclosed compost or manure pits where they can't kick the material out) are also helpful.

A coop and run system that integrates a composting deep litter can help maintain the soil integrity in the run and grow frames there can provide a pick and come again green patch that may help you give them the best of both worlds wherein they have foraging opportunities while still confined and concentrated forage when they are let loose.

 

[gevshiba]

I don't know how it is with your birds, but I can look at eggs and tell whose is whose. Their will be differences in shape, or the shade of them, glossiness etc.Helps if you have different numbers of each. My naked neck were always a little paler eggs, when I had cochins, they were long and pointy. Remember, a rooster does not have to spend every waking hour with your hens. It is very possible that you could make a couple rooster pens, and free range your hens. Lets say for instance you want to cross some orpingtons on an orpington rooster, and some NN on a NN rooster. Make two small pens, 4'x4'. Put a rooster in each. If you have a few hens of each breed, maybe five, you could go out and take a different hen off the roost and put in with the rooster each night, five day rotation, pick out their eggs and hatch them. Might not be 100%, but it would get you in the ballpark. It would be a lot easier than making a bunch of individual pens to hold six birds in.

Just throwing out there, much easier to throw a rooster loose with a bunch of hens and let nature take it's course.

This is what I'm doing. But, when I started thinking about getting chickens, I decided I needed to stick with one breed. I'm getting closer to moving my birds to a friend's place. They'll have their own pasture to range in. We've set up 2 fairly large rooster pens. I have 3 roosters at this time. I can add a pen or 2 if needed, because I don't like any of my roosters. I'll need to grow out more to replace them. This year I'm hatching for the freezer, but I'll keep an eye out for anything keep-worthy.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Sounds like you may be overstocked on your range or don't have sufficient forage to support the birds on the range you have. As with any overstocking issue, it may be wise to have rotational paddocks to lessen the stress on any one part of the yard or even range only on certain days or in certain seasons to maximize what you have. Planting grasses and legumes with a higher protein content and arranging for dedicated bug/worm areas(enclosed compost or manure pits where they can't kick the material out) are also helpful.

A coop and run system that integrates a composting deep litter can help maintain the soil integrity in the run and grow frames there can provide a pick and come again green patch that may help you give them the best of both worlds wherein they have foraging opportunities while still confined and concentrated forage when they are let loose.

They have the freedom to go wherever they want, we have 20 acres, but they seem to stick to about a hundred yards maximum from the coop. They have a routine and favourite stomping grounds. They have free choice feed 24/7 but even so are busy tilling the earth.
I agree with you, I need to confine them within an area and move them on occasion to fresh pastures. I hope the tractors will accomplish this.

 

[Beekissed]

That's strange that you have that much space and they are taking your grass down to bare earth so much that your yard will soon be dirt. Could be you have yard but not much variety of forage available?

We have 20 here too but only 3 acres of meadow, the rest is surrounded by woods, so they range out into the woods quite often and only use the meadow for grazing and occasional bug forays. I plant white dutch clover here and tall fescue, to maximize the foraging at different times of year. I also leave areas along the wood line that encourage snakes, lizards, grubs and insects to take up residence so they have a variety of proteins there.

I have the same stocking rate as you, but have had much, much more in the past and still never saw any bare earth where it shouldn't be. Could be the quality, quantity and variety of the available forage you have needs adjusted to prevent over impaction to any one area.

 

[hellbender]

Update: My recent arrivals from Georgia are doing great (are already spoiled, have me trained) and are now roosting). Not sure if they roosted at their previous home because I forgot to ask Linda but I'm sure she will let me know now.

Additionally, my daughter has three of MY hatchery Dark Cornish hens setting, the last two on Chantecler X DC eggs.