BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[bluejean55girl]

I finally got all of the weights and photos taken of my last incubator hatch. I'm still very pleased with their overall progress, but there are a few cockerels that I'm really impressed by for growth rates, weight, and/or appearance: Monty: 24.8 ounces @ 6 Weeks: The photo really doesn't do him justice. Simon: 24.02 ounces @ 6 Weeks: Haymitch: 23.63 ounces @ 6 Weeks - Again, not the best photo. Quincy: 23.07 ounces @ 6 Weeks: Peta: 22.62 ounces @ 6 Weeks - feathered shanks:

nice

 

[Beekissed]

WR porch broody is currently hatching out this fall's meat and new layer crop....7 out last I checked, with many more pipped and a few zipped. She was sitting 16, so will be excited to see how her hatch rate will turn out. Saw several black chicks in there, so got some WR/BA mix birds again...those usually turn out to be males and get quite meaty, so I'm tickled over that. The black chicks I can see have ginormous heads(WR genes there), so I'll likely have some good meat this fall.

Got another WR wood's broody sitting on 19...likely to hatch this next week.

Surprised to have no other broodies in the flock yet...last year at this time I had 4-5 broodies at this time of year. Hope I get a couple more real soon so I can get all the hatching done by the end of May.

 

[bnjrob]

WR porch broody is currently hatching out this fall's meat and new layer crop....7 out last I checked, with many more pipped and a few zipped. She was sitting 16, so will be excited to see how her hatch rate will turn out. Saw several black chicks in there, so got some WR/BA mix birds again...those usually turn out to be males and get quite meaty, so I'm tickled over that. The black chicks I can see have ginormous heads(WR genes there), so I'll likely have some good meat this fall.

Got another WR wood's broody sitting on 19...likely to hatch this next week.

Surprised to have no other broodies in the flock yet...last year at this time I had 4-5 broodies at this time of year. Hope I get a couple more real soon so I can get all the hatching done by the end of May.

I've got them coming out my ears. Two are raising a group of chicks. There are still 8 broodies that I don't have eggs or chicks for and don't have enough broody breaker cages for.

 

[Beekissed]

You need to get you some eggs and fast!!! Think we should give you an egg shower?

 

[bramblefir]

I just have 2 broodies so far this year. The Partridge Chantecler is doing a wonderful job raising some bantams. I suspect they'll be fledged in the next 2 weeks. The other, Black Bird (Langshan x Speckled Sussex), successfully hatched 3 goslings. I moved her into the 12'x12' stall where all of my waterfowl, English Orpingtons, and CX are being brooded. She's settled in quite well and has successfully convinced most of the CX that she is in fact their mother. The ducklings and older goslings are all hellspawn though.

She was very confused by the heat plate brooder and spent a good bit of time standing next to it, head cocked to the side and partially under it, clucking to the CX.


The ducklings and older goslings are very big and very messy now. As of tonight they'll be leaving the brooding stall and moving out into the area of the barn that serves as the daytime chicken run. They've been going out into a small grassy pen during the day for a little bit now.


I started collecting weights on them last week and will start sharing after tomorrows weigh-in for all of you data junkies.

 

[muskratp]

Fairly new to the site - looking at the intro to this thread I think that those of us who are raising for meat and eggs probably have an advantage when trying to also raise to SOP since we are planning to cull most our birds anyway. Raising them up for meat, then watching for and keeping those perfect specimens to use as breeders without having to worry about 'what if I get too many roos". Just sayin...

 

[lpatelski]

Fairly new to the site - looking at the intro to this thread I think that those of us who are raising for meat and eggs probably have an advantage when trying to also raise to SOP since we are planning to cull most our birds anyway. Raising them up for meat, then watching for and keeping those perfect specimens to use as breeders without having to worry about 'what if I get too many roos". Just sayin...

Welcome to the flock!

 

[lpatelski]

 

[lpatelski]

It's name is "Big Bird" #58 - weight at 17 days is 547 grams or 19.2 oz - an average 29 gram per day gain since hatch. 3/4 White Cornish Rock 1/4 Dark Cornish. May be by next cockerel keeper - I can't imagine it's a pullet.

"BIGBIRD" #58 update Cockerel - weight at 40 days is 1496.9g(3 lbs 4.8oz) = 36.1g gain per day.

 

[weavers rocks]

ten month old cockerl I kept this year . I'm seeing improvement every year in my strain of white Plymouth rocks . Egg production is beginning at 28 weeks. Ike to see it at twenty six. But two year ago I wasn't seeing first egs till 38-39 weeks .