BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Our Roost]

I am glad you brought up your concern and interest in utility breeding. To me, it can be a good tool to improve or create a better line of bird. I like working with project birds aside from both heritage breeds and now recently another failing and somewhat rare heritage breed. It keeps me active and maybe contributing to a better cause.

 

[gjensen]

Very interesting, which breed did you use in the Catalana outcross a New Hampshire?
Also how many generations of crossing back are you at ? are you near to your goal of introducing this blood to your pure flock ?

No. I did not use a NH. I intentionally stayed away from yellow legs, and I wanted to improve the color. Our Standard calls for more of a buff bird than they would be in other places. I considered the NH, but decided that they could not have helped me enough to go through all of that.

I did use a hatchery Catalana once, hoping to not get too tight again too soon. Help me set the ear lobe color etc. In one project line (there are two) I used a Buff Minorca instead. So one is 3/4 Catalana now.

What I have now is black tailed buff colored pullets with slate legs and white ear lobes etc. Some are 3/4 Catalana. They will all go back to Catalana next spring. I kept one male that I like (3/4) and put him on some Catalana hens. I would love to get one useful male from this cross, and then put him on some 3/4 pullets that need there feather tightened up, but otherwise are pretty good. Then I expect to put a Catalana cock on another batch of pullets. So you can see that I am talking about three groups this spring, on the project alone. I am also going to try and get another "good" quad from the Catalanas.

These (God willing) will go back to the Catalana again. Depending on what I see, will depend on when I use them. They will at least be 7/8 before I use them though. Most will be there this next generation.

There are a number of challenges to work through. I expect another two generations before I really get to begin breeding them. I am hoping that in another five years, I will have found my way, so to speak.

 

[Ifish]

Utility Fowl breeding has certainly peaked my interests. Reading about poultry during the 1920's to about the 1960's is interesting to me because it seems like such an interesting time in the history of poultry. The Chicken of Tomorrow contests, transition from farm raised poultry to mega production, grocery stores, and the major decline, and development of some really neat heritage breeds and hybrids.

So we have set some breeding goals for our flock. We will breed to the New Hampshire SOP with production in mind. I'd like decent egg layers and a decent carcass. The birds still need to look and act like New Hampshires. I'm sure those goals may change, or become more strict as time goes on and I find what works best for us and our flock.

Thankfully in my case, a lot of the work was already done by some dedicated people.

 

[gjensen]

Utility Fowl breeding has certainly peaked my interests. Reading about poultry during the 1920's to about the 1960's is interesting to me because it seems like such an interesting time in the history of poultry. The Chicken of Tomorrow contests, transition from farm raised poultry to mega production, grocery stores, and the major decline, and development of some really neat heritage breeds.

So we have set some breeding goals for our flock. We will breed to the New Hampshire SOP with production in mind. I'd like decent egg layers and a decent carcass. The birds still need to look and act like New Hampshires. I'm sure those goals may change, or become more strict as time goes on and I find what works best for us and our flock.

Thankfully in my case, a lot of the work was already done by some dedicated people.

I call 1910-1950 the golden years.

 

[Ifish]

I call 1910-1950 the golden years.

I like that. Golden years certainly fits imo.

 

[gjensen]

Utility Fowl breeding has certainly peaked my interests. Reading about poultry during the 1920's to about the 1960's is interesting to me because it seems like such an interesting time in the history of poultry. The Chicken of Tomorrow contests, transition from farm raised poultry to mega production, grocery stores, and the major decline, and development of some really neat heritage breeds and hybrids.

So we have set some breeding goals for our flock. We will breed to the New Hampshire SOP with production in mind. I'd like decent egg layers and a decent carcass. The birds still need to look and act like New Hampshires. I'm sure those goals may change, or become more strict as time goes on and I find what works best for us and our flock.

Thankfully in my case, a lot of the work was already done by some dedicated people.

Luanne does a great job with all of her birds. You did well to start there.

 

[TNBielefelder]

If you will notice, I said could be traditional breeds and crosses.

My main interests has been two breeds. New Hamphires, and Catalanas.

My Catalana project is just that. A project. There are only a couple viable flocks in this country other than my own. That is, that I know of. If there is another, it would be a pleasant surprise. I had put a lot of effort into sourcing them and tracking where they had been, and who had them at some point along the way.
Because the other couple flocks were distantly related, and some concerning faults seamed to be fixed in my starter flock, I opted for a breed cross on the side. I am repeatedly breeding the offspring back to the original birds, and trying to fix a couple problems while doing it. A grading project. I will eventually (I hope) use this new line as an outcross for the original.
I feel like I am making progress, though I have concerns. But, there are always concerns. I will let others judge them in time. If I get them to a point where they are any good, others will recognize that. Those that knew where I started, and where I am now (or will be), can make their own judgments. These would be the most qualified to do that.

I love the New Hampshires. I have neglected them the last couple years. I hope to correct that. Again, I will let others decide whether or not I have done well with them. I hope that I have. I would not have traded them for any other flock in this country though. That is not speaking of where they should be, but where I have been, and that what is there could get me there.

Once the Catalana project is stable, I expect that I will shift my emphasis. The challenge of it appealed to me. Anyone can buy birds and keep them on the yard. Many can maintain them for a time. Very few make something out of nothing. I am trying, but it is not known yet whether or not I will be successful.

I started in this hobby experimenting with misc. It is in my nature to do that. Along the way, my interest evolved into breeding and improving actual breeds. The challenge of it appeals to me. However, I never lost my interest in breeding utility fowl. I have felt that it was a lost art that we should re learn. I have spent a lot of time trying to relearn it. I am not interested in beauty contests, but I do want a bird that represents the breed well. I do still breed them and expect them to be productive. Unproductive birds do not live long here.

What I mean by traditional simple crosses, is the simple crossing of two breeds to benefit from hybrid vigor and/or visible sex linked traits. Here in the States, that would be Reds and New Hamphires over Delaware or Barred Rocks etc. etc. If I was where you are, It would be Reds or New Hamphires over a good table strain of Light Sussex.

Do you know someone in the middle Tennessee area that would have a New Hampshire breeding rooster for sale? I would like to have one to put with my golden sex links.

 

[gjensen]

Do you know someone in the middle Tennessee area that would have a New Hampshire breeding rooster for sale? I would like to have one to put with my golden sex links.

Tennessee, but I do not know about middle Tennessee. I will ask.

I cannot help but ask why though. What is on your mind?

 

[TNBielefelder]

I

Tennessee, but I do not know about middle Tennessee. I will ask.

I cannot help but ask why though. What is on your mind?

I thought I would hatch some eggs and keep me some pullets just for egg laying. I have a flock of 10 golden sex links now.

 

[DesertChic]

That would be me, with my "gift" of being able to kill mint in three states with three different climates and soils (Indiana, Tennessee, now Florida). Ah well, I do have one very happy Greek oregano plant out there, and one Swiss chard that survived the summer heat. There's always hope for the next season - in this case, the winter garden going in.

On the chicken side of things, I will be doing a day 17 candling of 24 eggs as I take them off the turner this evening! All but two are Wyandotte eggs, and I started with a total of 29 eggs. Two clear, two blood rings, and one that appeared to have a crack in the shell at the day 10 candling.

The little black Silkie cockerel (the only one I was sure was a cockerel) managed to injure himself, so I took him up to Leo, who had called me Friday asking if I would have any Silkie cockerels ready any time soon. He's been wanting two a month at the minimum, and I've had to explain they just don't grow *that* fast. He was very excited when I said I'll be setting Silkie eggs starting with the next batch. I am hoping another little black Silkie chick I saw chest-bumping is also a cockerel that I can put in with the five splash pullets. Yup, I am aiming for blue Silkies, just for my own enjoyment.

LOL! Yep! You sound like me! The only herb I've been able to grow is Basil. Mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, cilantro and parsley all hate me. I mean it. They really hate me. Swiss chard, kale, lettuce and broccoli have learned to love me, but herbs? Not a chance. I did manage to resurrect my heirloom tomato plant after the intense summer heat and a whole lot of green caterpillars did their best to kill it. I even have tomatoes growing. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that they grow well and I can manage to can some before it gets too cold.

Good luck with your final hatch days!