BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beer can]

I haven't done it yet but I think I'll start mixing a little condensed whey to my growing chicks feed. The ones I fed it to last yr didn't seem to like it. I'll go a lighter with it this time. Our whey starts out 4-5% solids and It gets condensed down to 40%, thick stuff, they probably don't need much. Wish I knew the protein content.

 

[JRNash]

a little past 6weeks and these two go at everytime they get close to one another

 

[JRNash]

The supposedly layed back white giants are not afraid to mix it up either

 

[hellbender]

The supposedly layed back white giants are not afraid to mix it up either

They're just like kids...dominance-dance goes through the whole bunch when they're young and it matters not if it's fueled by testosterone or estrogen. Expect it to get more fun to watch and it will slow down by about 4 months of age...only the more 'manly' cockerels will keep at it but it shouldn't get out of hand provided they have plenty of space.

We will have our cockerels living in their own quarters by age 6 months, with a mature cock-bird to keep order.

 

[JRNash]

They have plenty of room. And I do have plans for housing roosters separately in order to control breeding

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

They're just like kids...dominance-dance goes through the whole bunch when they're young and it matters not if it's fueled by testosterone or estrogen. Expect it to get more fun to watch and it will slow down by about 4 months of age...only the more 'manly' cockerels will keep at it but it shouldn't get out of hand provided they have plenty of space.

We will have our cockerels living in their own quarters by age 6 months, with a mature cock-bird to keep order.

So, do you keep cocks/roosters together in a "bachelor pad" away from the ladies to keep fighting down until you want to use them for breeding? If so, how well has that worked? Do you range them at different times/in different spaces? I would like to be able to have more than one rooster for my breeding/cross goals, if possible, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I'd make that work and how many structures I'd have to build (!). I suppose I could keep the egg and meat flocks separate, each with their own rooster, but even then - more complicated...

- Ant Farm

 

[JRNash]

Thats exactly what i have planned. Building seperate qtrs for the guys

 

[Mini Meat]

I don't contribute to this thread often, because I have more to learn the to offer, but I just want to let you all know that i am soaking it all in. I am learning a TON.

Hands down this is my favorite thread here.

Thank you Hellbender for starting and hosting this thread and thank you to all who participate.

 

[hellbender]

So, do you keep cocks/roosters together in a "bachelor pad" away from the ladies to keep fighting down until you want to use them for breeding? If so, how well has that worked? Do you range them at different times/in different spaces? I would like to be able to have more than one rooster for my breeding/cross goals, if possible, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I'd make that work and how many structures I'd have to build (!). I suppose I could keep the egg and meat flocks separate, each with their own rooster, but even then - more complicated...

- Ant Farm

Let me say here..this is the way my kids are doing it and I concur, if you don't have a better way to separate them, this is the second best. I have the new barn that was built to keep show birds when we were on that jag, but for some reason the family is doing their own thing...SURPRISE SURPRISE!!

Keeping the cockerels from the hens serves multiple purposes. One, we don't have the large flock with many more hens than cocks/cockerels to keep the hens from having their backs worn down to featherless leather, as when we had the laying flock. Second, it's easier to view the cockerels and make breeder selections and also picking our #2 choice of cockerel..just in case. Since this selection will likely be made at 6 months (early in my opinion) the rest will be either caponized or returned to the 'system' or I might grab one or two of them that I see something in that they do not. They are using four breeds and I have pared mine down to three.

Keep in mind too, theirs is a little business venture and mine is simply for fun and to keep meat for the family and of course, provide them with birds should they get greater demand than they can handle, no matter how unlikely that appears to me at this time....but they have fooled me before.

EDIT: When we had the much larger laying flock with only about 10 to 15 percent cocks/cockerels, the older birds also prevented the youngsters from fighting, just as the one cock they plan to put into their structure to preserve order.

EDIT#2...I'm old. I forgot to mention that eventually, they will have to utilize the new barn, or one of the older barn. With the second option, they would have to spend their profits to make the second option feasible. Despite the dog cages Ariel got earlier, I think they will 'swoller their cuds' and move their operation into the new barn. The structure they are building WILL come in handy or I would have already speed in and gently maneuvered them into the barn...and they know that...before they read it here...

EDIT#3...and again...They have provided 12 capons from my freezer to various food managers to high-end eateries...one in town and to a couple places each of the two main Ski resorts but their goal is NEXT season, not this one coming. Might be a good thing because I have talked them into choosing their breeding birds (especially cockerels) a few months later....plenty of time to organize. They have had 8 confirmed orders placed for next month that will certainly be filled from my freezers as well.

 

[hellbender]

My son suggested that I give a few details of one of our 'Prepper Protein Resources' that I have intentionally not mentioned but I will give it some thought and just might do it....