BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[call ducks]

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".

 

[LindaB220]

Another FYI...No matter what you folks think of my stock or farm, it should all be shown in it's best light. The camera man is a professional. he has agreed to do this work for free so he gets to have it on a TV farm show run by the local channel he works for.

They are going to do the 'farm thing' tomorrow, then all the rest will be devoted to the 'clinic'.

Jason asked me why it takes three days to pull off this 'clinic' and the only reason I can think of is That Mr. Mong wants to appear to earn his money. But gain...Neither Jason nor I picked up caponizing on the first day it was explained and shown to us so perhaps Mr, Mong knows exactly what he's doing.

So excited about this.

 

[LindaB220]

Somewhere along the line I found info stating he wasn't shipping *anything* anymore~ eggs, birds, nada. Could be false....don't know if that changes anything for you though.


One can breed for meat or egg production without referencing a breed SOP, correct? If one was gifted a flock with unidentified heritage could the generic rules of breeding for meat or eggs not be applied with success?

M

Sure, but the only thing about hatchery birds is they add leghorn to so many of them. My hatchery birds I bought in Mar. (my first ever) are growing like gangbusters but the delawares are so puny compared to what you see in pictures. The white rocks are growing good but I can see the non quality. Golden Comets certainly have the hybrid vigor.

 

[Arielle]

LInda I"m glad you brought this up, RonOtt has mentioned it too.

THe adding of leghorn to all the hatchery breeds . . . . .I have stewed about this one for a while now. ANd here is my take on that: If a breed is increased in numbers expoentially, the average quality of the population decreases. For example, TO start at 50 breeder birds, and build to hundreds in short time . . . .there are more lower quality birds in the flock. THen the size of the bird is not kept up because a smaller bird is more cost effective, and pressing for higher egg production because that is more cost effective . . . and in a few generations I bet the egg production is up and the overall quality/type is down.

I have SS from the hatchery. THe size difference is noteable, especially lacking in width. They lay almost every day, certainly not just 3 a day; and the color is a pale tan, my palest in the tan colors, almost a cream which is correct fora SS; and the eggs are mediums at best, also correct for SS. IMO I can see all these characteristics developing just out of neglect for type, and a push for egg numbers.

Perhaps one hatchery did add leghorn at some point, maybe they used to do it but changed methods, IDK. OVerall adding leghorn then trying to get the breed to breed true again seems like far more work that just selecting for egg production . . .

ANyways . . . that is what my stewing came up with.

 

[hellbender]

LInda I"m glad you brought this up, RonOtt has mentioned it too.

THe adding of leghorn to all the hatchery breeds . . . . .I have stewed about this one for a while now. ANd here is my take on that: If a breed is increased in numbers expoentially, the average quality of the population decreases. For example, TO start at 50 breeder birds, and build to hundreds in short time . . . .there are more lower quality birds in the flock. THen the size of the bird is not kept up because a smaller bird is more cost effective, and pressing for higher egg production because that is more cost effective . . . and in a few generations I bet the egg production is up and the overall quality/type is down.

I have SS from the hatchery. THe size difference is noteable, especially lacking in width. They lay almost every day, certainly not just 3 a day; and the color is a pale tan, my palest in the tan colors, almost a cream which is correct fora SS; and the eggs are mediums at best, also correct for SS. IMO I can see all these characteristics developing just out of neglect for type, and a push for egg numbers.

Perhaps one hatchery did add leghorn at some point, maybe they used to do it but changed methods, IDK. OVerall adding leghorn then trying to get the breed to breed true again seems like far more work that just selecting for egg production . . .

ANyways . . . that is what my stewing came up with.

My son Jason is quite intentionally bringing Leghorn into our laying flock by means of 100 plus Austra-Whites. The part that baffles me is the fact that we didn't have any issues with egg size, quantity or quality. He just felt that he wanted to bring this into the equation. His flock now...his business.

Again, if this were a 'business' like in my Pap and Grand Pap's time, I might have really got out of joint about it but since it's a hobby, he can do what ever he wants... So long is it doesn't get in the way of me heading for BWI about 3:30AM on the 16th!

 

[Arielle]

Just for clarity: I have no trouble with using leghorn-- if on the up and up and disclosed . . . .

Glad to see you have a date with a plane heading south !

 

[hellbender]

I forgot to mention...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!!!

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.

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!!!

 

[colburg]

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

 

[ronott1]

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

Yes, and some may be molting.

I have noticed a drop in egg laying too.

 

[LindaB220]

I forgot to mention...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!!!

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.

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!!!

That's the ticket. Get them both way. Light brown or off-white.