BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Fire Ant Farm]

Lifespan? 12 weeks to frying pan...Lol!
I've thought about them, maybe someday, have too much going on now. Their eggs look awesome! Buddy of mines dad used to raise tons of them. Sold a lot to people training bird dogs.

That is super appealing! I've got too much going on now, too, but I'm definitely going to look into this at some point. I can get the A&M ones very easily locally.

- Ant Farm

 

[DesertChic]

Hatching question, but also sort of related to Buckeye's egg shape question as well: My Cream Legbar pullets have been laying since Oct/Nov (and yes, were wormed before POL), and while most eggs are quite normal and lovely (some rounder than others), occasionally, as the eggs get larger and larger, they are sometimes pointy at one end or not a "perfect" egg shape. Not all the time, and usually when they take a jump in size.

I will be hatching from these girls this spring - my first time. Any tips on egg shapes that lead to poor outcomes, hatch-wise?

- Ant Farm

"Torpedo" eggs are the only ones that gave me real problems at hatch time. I just don't think the chicks have enough room to maneuver property and always wound up shrink wrapped and in need of hatching assistance. Also, the really round almost golf ball-like eggs tend to fizzle out for me around day 14. An otherwise nicely formed egg that turns sharply pointy at the end has still hatched just fine for me.

 

[Beer can]

That is super appealing! I've got too much going on now, too, but I'm definitely going to look into this at some point. I can get the A&M ones very easily locally.

- Ant Farm

I've seen the A&M white ones on ebay, hatching eggs for sale.
I've heard egyption fayoumi chickens are also fast to lay, and fast to breed, but dang, they're small also...

 

[Beer can]

@hellbender Scottish Highlands have always been a want of mine also. There's a farm in the town I work has a lot of them, their awesome furry beasts. Did you get those furry pigs back awhile ago? Mangalitsa, another want someday. Have to get rid of a couple kids first and wife get a full time job. We should have stuck to our guns when we bought a house and bought one with land, three acres is just not enough. We've got another twenty yrs min before we 'retire' so I guess there is time.
Other 'free range' breeds I've thought of on cattle, I really like the milking Devon's, they also have some bred towards meat production, beef Devon, both make excellent Oxen.
Dexter cattle has been mentioned, small, Kerry cattle, very rare are where the Dexter came from, Kerry are bigger and are known to live off the bare minimum of available feed, or forage, and still do well, the 'poor mans cattle'.

 

[angry rooster]

If you are interested in a something hardy and a bit of an odd ball look at water buffalo there was a farm in Ontario that had some for milk and meet
They are so posed to be super hardy in the heat and cined of pest resistant they are not picky eaters eather

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My property in Brasil is relatively near two fresh water rivers and fish/seafood is a major component in the restaurant fare around Porto Alegra but even the most renown place for seafood/fresh water fishes will have BEEF as a major part of their menu.

I kinda' miss the beef cattle we sold out a while back. Who knows, perhaps when we get back, I might consider a smaller breed that does well on grass feed without much or any grain.

What do you folks think of Scottish Highland cattle?

I think there is a reason we only see Brahman type cattle in the tropics. Heat and insect tolerance. Unless you are high in the mountains, I wouldn't try Scottish Highland, Dexter or any similar breed.

If you are interested in a something hardy and a bit of an odd ball look at water buffalo there was a farm in Ontario that had some for milk and meet
They are so posed to be super hardy in the heat and cined of pest resistant they are not picky eaters eather

The heat and pest resistance is a key in the tropics.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Hatching question, but also sort of related to Buckeye's egg shape question as well: My Cream Legbar pullets have been laying since Oct/Nov (and yes, were wormed before POL), and while most eggs are quite normal and lovely (some rounder than others), occasionally, as the eggs get larger and larger, they are sometimes pointy at one end or not a "perfect" egg shape. Not all the time, and usually when they take a jump in size.

I will be hatching from these girls this spring - my first time. Any tips on egg shapes that lead to poor outcomes, hatch-wise?

- Ant Farm

Egg characteristics are heritable, so it's best to set only those eggs that are "perfect". From what I could find, the recommendations (for large breeds) are to set eggs larger than 50 grams (Me personally I am going for a minimum of 55 grams) and not too big either, eggs larger than 70 grams should be incubated at lower temperatures for optimum hatch- they tend to overheat- not to set double yolk eggs, and to discard the late hatchers. Apparently you can select for late hatch (23-24 days).
A combination egg shape is inherited, so I'm hoping that my project Buckeye/ Dark cornish cross hens will lay a perfect egg- Buckeye too long, Cornish too round. Hopefully perfect in the cross. We'll see.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Dexter cattle do what you want. They are geared for eating only grass. I have had some steaks and a roast from Dexters--they were very tasty!

I have a friend in the Missouri Ozarks who raises Dexters well, with low-input management, in a climate probably very similar to West Virginia. They were calm, and friendly despite having little human handling during the tourist season. (My friend and her husband run a canoe/cabin rental business.)

Regarding breeding for egg production, I made a trip to my source breeder to purchase additional hens, brought home 3. Two of them are laying pretty regularly WITHOUT LIGHTS!!! They are penned with my "best" cock-bird, and as soon as I disinfect the brooder, I am gonna start incubating eggs!

Best wishes,
Angela

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've floated most of the MO and AR streams. What river do they service?

 

[Beer can]

Town past where I work, Downsville NY, Triple M Ranch raises a cool hybrid. They raise pure Watusi cattle and Texas Longhorns and have a cross for sale also. They own a restaurant/Inn in town and serve them up. Pretty impressive animals, they have them on a mountain they clear cut yrs ago across the road above the high school. Wish I could find a pic of the mountain, it's steep, they must use those massive horns to balance and not fall all the way to the bottom Lol!


One of their longhorn cows was featured on Fox and Friends, http://video.foxnews.com/v/4360118/after-the-show-show-chicken-and-longhorns/
Spent too much time talking to Larry Gatlin and the Hooters girls, Longhorn only made a short appearance at the end.