BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[southernmomma]

This is a 6 week old Buff Orp cockerel that would provide a good 5-6 lb carcass at 5 months old. You can see the breast development already, and feel the depth of keel in your hand. What you can't see in this photo is that he also has a nice long, wide body that will also produce good layers. He has a plane ticket to Texas, not to the soup pot.

What a chesty 'lil' dude!! WOW! Is much of that is exaggerated by feathers?

M

 

[Arielle]

Keep the discussions flowing-- lots for me to think about while doing the chores.

Thank you for sharing.

WHere is Ron???

 

[armorfirelady]

Speaking of feed efficiency, has anyone figured out feed cost per egg?  How about total feed from day 1 at hatching?  I read recently (I forget the magazine name) that a study with Delware's figured $.39 per egg.  I'm sure others on here saw the article.

Ah the economics of raising poultry. This is highly individual due to feed costs and management style, but with my feed, my management, etc averaged out I figure it costs me around $1 per week, per bird. Obviously the first couple weeks and then at maturity it's slightly less but it makes my math easier when I'm pricing products (in order of preference I sell hatching eggs, chicks, started birds, eating eggs, grown birds, meat).

I haven't figured out cost per egg but I did figure out per bird. I use grains for my feed and it actually turns out to be a about a $1 less than commercial feed. But I only have 8 hens so that's probably why

 

[RedRidge]

 
In dairy farming, feed efficiency is what makes people money, and what pushes people out.  Too many times the dairy industry focuses on production rather than simply income over feed costs.  I take this to heart as a grazer and crossbreed my cows for a more efficient, healthy, and therefore longer lasting cow.  With my 'mutts' I am slightly below the national average for production but can cut almost 25% of my yearly feed costs by grazing.  Feed costs take around 50% of my income.  Also, my facilities are severely outdated but I can make the operation work by getting my cows out of the barn.  Most young farmers in my situation would listen the industry and build a state of the art facility to push for production and milk more cows than they can feed.  They would then have to pay off the facility for the rest of their lives, refinancing every time the markets make paying the bills difficult.

That brings me to my question with price per egg.  At $3.00 per dozen, we can buy eggs at the store for the same price if not cheaper ( We haven't bought eggs in a while!).  I'm sure buying cheaper eggs in the store isn't the point.  But if we can lower that cost by foraging or finding cheap or discarded feed we should do so if possible.  It also raises the question of productive life of the chickens and therefore the frequency of buying /raising replacements.

I can't offer any thoughts on this but there are some folks that frequent this thread that have really neat ideas about alternative sourcing for feed~ perhaps they will drop in soon and be willing to discuss it

M

Yes, in addition to grinding and fermenting our own grains we raise BSF.
However? I don't feed BSF in the dinner when they have plenty to forage themselves - i freezer them daily and feed then over the winter (to the laying hens only as BSF has too much calcium for chicks)

 

[holm25]

This is a 6 week old Buff Orp cockerel that would provide a good 5-6 lb carcass at 5 months old. You can see the breast development already, and feel the depth of keel in your hand. What you can't see in this photo is that he also has a nice long, wide body that will also produce good layers. He has a plane ticket to Texas, not to the soup pot.




Quote:
Originally Posted by gjensen

You want them to grow out in line with what they are supposed to be. You do not want to choose the excessively fast in some breeds. It would not be in keeping what they are supposed to be. They are all different. I would not expect a Jersey Giant to grow out like a New Hampshire or a Minorca like a Leghorn. If you notice that the different varieties have their own path. They are different birds. Then there is also a marked difference between the cockerels and pullets. Everyone has to find their own ideals.

As far as pushing them . . . . that is a management issue that everyone would have a different opinion on. I feed mine what I think is a good growing ration and let the genetics speak for themselves.

One of the points was to be aware of our bird's growth curve and know how they measure up. Once you see them through a couple generations, you kind of know where they are at and where you would like to see them.

This was never meant to be directions, but encouragement to watch it as they grow out. It has helped me understand how it relates to the birds that I raise. It has also helped me see what I wanted to see improved. My Catalanas get around Standard size eventually, but do not flesh out early enough to be useful dual purpose birds. If I waited until a late date to evaluate them, they are already tough. They are sexually mature at an early age. By the time they have the size and weight, they are no longer tender. It is not just the final weight that makes them useful.

EB Thompson bragged that his Rocks had good fleshing early on. It was a remarkable trait to him. I like to see this to. I do not want to see a NH that is all feather @ 8wks, because he will not be a whole lot better at 12 wks. Regardless of how big they get eventually. I want to pick that little 8wk old cockerel up and feel like I have something in my hand, and not be misled by feather. This is genetics more than it is feed.

talk about muscular

 

[RedRidge]

RedRidge, do you rotate your chickens behind your cows?  I would think that the chickens would work for you in other ways by 'cleaning up' after the cows.  This cuts costs too.  Chickens get fed and lower parasite load on the bigger livestock that are more costly to worm.  Just thoughts.  Not sure if it actually works this way.  

The barn where I keep my horses puts a flock of chickens out on the pastures when they are being 'rested'.  Its a closed herd.  We just really don't have new horses coming more than once a year.  I worm my horse once a year.  I get clean fecals on him every time, but I still worm after the first hard freeze based on our parasite pattern.  I used to have to worm more frequently.  It is about management.  Its cheaper to worm a flock of chickens than it is to worm one horse.  

Jennifer

Yes, I use poultry electro netting from Kencove to rotate all livestock. Cattle follow sheep, poultry follow cattle.
Forage is grazed when it reaches 8" and is NEVER under any circumstances grazed to under 4". This guarantees care of the roots of the forage, encourages growth of the quality plants and discourages noxious plants. The condensed grazing also encourages even fertilization and sufficient foot traffic to encourage dung beetles and eliminates the outdated need to drag. Of course the poultry help with this disbursement even more.
I have never ever wormed a chicken and have not had the need to worm sheep or cattle in more than 3 years. There are so many weeks/months before the livestock are ever back on the same forage that deforming is simply not necessary. Their parasite loads are verified semi annually via fecals. I have been thrilled with this intensive rotational method.

 

[bmvf]

Yes, I use poultry electro netting from Kencove to rotate all livestock. Cattle follow sheep, poultry follow cattle.
Forage is grazed when it reaches 8" and is NEVER under any circumstances grazed to under 4". This guarantees care of the roots of the forage, encourages growth of the quality plants and discourages noxious plants. The condensed grazing also encourages even fertilization and sufficient foot traffic to encourage dung beetles and eliminates the outdated need to drag. Of course the poultry help with this disbursement even more.
I have never ever wormed a chicken and have not had the need to worm sheep or cattle in more than 3 years. There are so many weeks/months before the livestock are ever back on the same forage that deforming is simply not necessary. Their parasite loads are verified semi annually via fecals. I have been thrilled with this intensive rotational method.

I totally agree with the pre grazing height and post grazing. However, I'm having problems keeping my animals from going below 4 inches when they are letting grass right next to that spot untouched at 8 inches. It isn't stocking density because they'll do it as soon as they enter the paddock. I move the line every 12 hours, when I bring them in.

I agree with the quality feed and forages point. Quality forage will lower feed costs in a hurry and/or will boost production. The free feed I was referring to was ears of corn dropped in the field, the small piles at the local feed elevator (FIL runs one), or clean out from the feed truck.

Could those that follow other animals with chicken tractors please describe their chicken tractor/house, how they rotate and what the amount of intake from foraging?

 

[holm25]

DO YOU HAVE COWS BMVF

 

[holm25]

IF SO GO TO MY COW THREAD

 

[bmvf]

Yes, I use poultry electro netting from Kencove to rotate all livestock. Cattle follow sheep, poultry follow cattle.
Forage is grazed when it reaches 8" and is NEVER under any circumstances grazed to under 4". This guarantees care of the roots of the forage, encourages growth of the quality plants and discourages noxious plants. The condensed grazing also encourages even fertilization and sufficient foot traffic to encourage dung beetles and eliminates the outdated need to drag. Of course the poultry help with this disbursement even more.
I have never ever wormed a chicken and have not had the need to worm sheep or cattle in more than 3 years. There are so many weeks/months before the livestock are ever back on the same forage that deforming is simply not necessary. Their parasite loads are verified semi annually via fecals. I have been thrilled with this intensive rotational method.

Forgot to add. Last year I was thrilled for the opportunity to take a course from Missouri University on pasture based dairy management. In that course they said that someone rotating cows every day would get 75%-80% of potential forage while continuous grazing (no rotation) would get 30% of the potential forage. As far as even manure distribution, that continuous rotation would take 19 years to get a poop patty in every square yard of pasture while 2 day rotations would take just 2 years to get a poop patty in every square yard. I assume shorter rotations would diverse the manure in an even shorter time.

Sure, that data is for cows but I'm sure rotational grazing chickens would be nearly the same.