BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beer can]

Thanks ronnet1. I've researched a little on linebreeding.

 

[Beekissed]

Good point. Rare breeds are a challenge. We raise only for our own needs here, so I just want to maintain a healthy & consistent flock. With a small flock though, would it not be feasible to just hatch eggs you know, came from the best of both bloodlines of hens? I know I have more challenges ahead. I can't breed brother to sister in future, so I'm hoping that I can grow out an old line/new line cross cockerel this spring, to cover the oldest hens next year. I'm trying to get distance between generations & using the new bloodline to get some much needed vigor back in my flock. I can only hatch out 25-30 chicks a season. Yeah, a pretty tall order! Hard to get much improvement at that rate, but I know it's a long term commitment. I'm still waffling on whether I should hatch chicks from father over daughters. Maybe I should just hatch chicks from my only rooster over the 2 new line hens I have now?

I could hatch every week if necessary to get the numbers I need.

I'm doing something similar, using Bob Blosl's line breeding method of 3 pens, with each hen I start with getting her own pen, then all her female progeny will be using that pen for breeding as well. I'll be using the father on the daughters and sons on the mothers and aunts for as long as I can without degrading the lines.

I'll be staying small as well, not hatching out more than approx. 40 chicks per year if I'm blessed and I'll be culling hard so as to stay small and efficient in my housing, feeding and time spent.

 

[Shellz]

[ATTACHMENT=858]LineBreedingChart.jpg (81k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT]

[ATTACHMENT=859]LimitedGeneticsbreeding.txt (0k. txt file)[/ATTACHMENT]
[ATTACHMENT=860]ClanBreedingSystem.docx (15k. docx file)[/ATTACHMENT]
This is the stuff I have on it.

Let me know if the word doc is too hard to open. I will make it a pdf if so.

Thanks a bunch! I think I can make clan breeding work for me.

 

[Shellz]

I'm doing something similar, using Bob Blosl's line breeding method of 3 pens, with each hen I start with getting her own pen, then all her female progeny will be using that pen for breeding as well.  I'll be using the father on the daughters and sons on the mothers and aunts for as long as I can without degrading the lines. 

I'll be staying small as well, not hatching out more than approx. 40 chicks per year if I'm blessed and I'll be culling hard so as to stay small and efficient in my housing, feeding and time spent. 

Sounds great!

 

[Shellz]

Jersey Giant hens will reach 10lbs, and lay decent and in winter.
My Easter Eggers have been laying all winter, with no added light, and lay green and dark olive eggs. They all are different colors, reach a good meaty size. The roosters are pretty unique looking birds.
I'm getting into raising white jersey giants and langshans but if I was to give advice as to some of the best dual purpose I'd say rhode island red, new hampshire, delaware.
My EEgrs sure have impressed me this winter though. The welsummer quit and so did the brownleghorns. I have a gl polish that started laying a few weeks ago in subzero temps, she's laying five a week and are supposed to be non productive not hardy breed ??

Ah, yes EEs! I have 3 olive eggers that I had hoped would've pulled up the slack in winter. Every single hen went on strike in December. For sure the EEs will be easy to source. Thanks!

 

[Our Roost]

Well ya see Beer Can, I have had Jersey Giants and they just take too long to grow! The rooster got enormous but the hens did not.

 

[millbrookfarm]

What I could really use is a computer spreadsheet!

I use this one from user @raizin you can find it on his user profile link https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/8997/raizin

I think if you know some basics about excel you can tailor it to what you need.

 

[millbrookfarm]

Millbrookfarm...not sure such a chicken exists. If there is, I'd like to know!

I researched for a year to find my chosen breed, the Malines. I'm still waiting to hear from the buckeye breeder to try to 'fix' the comb issues I have with the roosters' large, single combs. I might ditch this project for another year & keep working with my Malines as they are. They still need some work anyway. The Malines meat can't be beat though! We roast ours as you would a conventional cornish x. They only start to lose tenderness at 7 months of age. I didn't even separate the sexes & they did well on 15% protein grower ration & will happily free range for most of their food in warmer months. Very easy keepers! I will be separating the sexes this year though & watch for any differences in growth.

Sorry...shameless plug.

I'm not sure it exists either. I have you into the Malines. I find a breed that is what I am looking for in terms of production, but then have to look at the same color with every chicken. Ugh. I'm not knocking it. It's just not for me.

 

[millbrookfarm]

Here are 3 birds for you that I have chosen to observe and cross. The bielefelder. the blue orpington, and the belgium malines. The english crele orpington might give you some more thought about color as well. Each of these meet your egg and meat specifics. Forget getting hens to weigh 8-10 pounds! Raise turkeys instead. You surely can get some roosters to meet that weight, but most likely, not the hens.

Yeah I have looked at bielefelders and malines. Bielefelders really got me thinking. I just want vary colors in each hatch. I know it's vain, but I like variety in my flock.

I didn't expect the hens to weigh as much as what I said. I thought if the rooster weighs about that much I could get a decent weight for a 12-16wk cockerel and would wait a little bit more for the hens.

I am leaning toward choosing two or three breeds and crossing them to see what happens.

I have not owned any Easter Eggers but do you think it would take as much effort simply start with some Easter Eggers and then breed toward production traits (mainly meat), since most Easter Eggers vary in color widely and, from what I have read, tend to lay eggs very well versus a cross breeding program of the three breeds you just stated? Thoughts? (from anybody for that matter)

 

[millbrookfarm]

The Blue Laced Red Wyandottes I now have fit those criteria, but the guy who developed this line into something show-worthy (oversized with beautiful lacing and coloring) recommends waiting a year and a half for them to reach full maturity. As much as I love chicken and dumplings and coq au vin I don't want to keep all the chicks that long, so will focus on quicker maturing, standard-sized, (but still beautiful!) birds for my flock.

Blue laced Red Wyandotte's are beautiful birds, but not the multicolored aspect I'm looking for. I want two chicks from the same parents to possibly be different colors. Though now that I am typing this, I am wondering if the color genetics of the blue laced red Wyandotte's would throw several different colors and if this is what you meant?

I am almost wondering if I need to start with a breed that has two of those characteristics and line breed or crossbreed for the third.