BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

I was thinking the same thing about roosters. I currently have two adult roosters that are brothers and same age. They do fine. I just added two more roosters and 14 pullets that are about 12 weeks old or a little older to the coop. I hope they do fine just like all of your roosters in your pens. You might want to give them more space because some look like they are being beat up around the neck area.

.. LOL I would love to have a pen that looks like that. Some day.

There have been a couple small cuts on the necks of a couple of the cockerels from battling over who gets to eat first, etc., but I'm not too worried about their space right now because I'll be systematically "thinning their numbers" over the coming weeks. Eventually there will only be 3-4 left, and I'll release them to free range with the other birds.

 

[DesertChic]

DesertChic, your chicken digs never cease to impress me!!!

- Ant Farm

I agree... That is one swanky pad.

Very very nice! I also really like how you used hardware cloth.

Thanks guys! It's been a lot of work. And sometimes that hardware cloth has gotten the better of me. It's supposed to be square, but never is.

My husband laughs at me when I handle it because I'm always griping about how it's not square. I'm one of those very detail-oriented people when it comes to my construction projects. When I build good furniture I measure in millimeters. Do you know how hard it is to find tape measures that measure in millimeters? When I find them I buy them in bulk. I've got nearly a dozen tape measures in my wood shop...and never have one within reach when I need it, LOL!

 

[ronott1]

This jest (just) doesn't seem like Ron Ott's grammar...to met.

It was a quote with the reply inside. It is hard to figure those out sometimes.

I do post with different grammar when I use my "smart" phone though...They are quite silly....

 

[angry rooster]

It's easy to put the reply in the same text box as the quote.  ;-)

JUST KIDDING HELLBENDER hope you ARE having a great time!

Ya sorry guy's I'm not the best at anything word to paper
And I am jest getting a handle on this new age stuff called typing
In all seriousness I am dyslexic and if you have true understanding me it's OK I have the same problem sometimes
So all jokes are welcome it's OK maybe I will hear a new one

 

[angry rooster]

I do have a question I read on another forum that the gene for dark eggs runs in the males
So do the amount of eggs a hen can lay depends more on the roosters genes then the hens for egg production
Like a leg horn or australorp rooster over the hens I have now

 

[Beer can]

@angry rooster LOL, your not the only one that has put a comment inside the quote box.
Then there's the ones using the 'smart phones' sometimes you end up with really odd words with the 'predictive text'. I see 'pulleys' quite often. I typed woolrich coat on another thread, reread it and it posted 'comment coat' WHAT?!! that doesn't even have the same letters!? I think my 'smartphone' has dyslexia...

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I do have a question I read on another forum that the gene for dark eggs runs in the males
So do the amount of eggs a hen can lay depends more on the roosters genes then the hens for egg production
Like a leg horn or australorp rooster over the hens I have now

Angry rooster it's Hellbender who was getting teased, not you- but we all know that Hellbender's fine with a little ribbing now and then so hopefully he's laughing too. It's not a joke unless everyone is laughing, and sometimes these things do backfire on the Internet. And very often the auto correct will do some amusing things, all on it's own!

Anyhow, back to your question- had this discussion on a genetics forum. Egg characteristics are apparently not sex linked. But, the rule of "thumb" is, you want a rooster whose mother had the egg characteristics you are looking for in the next generation. So, if you were wanting to breed for dark eggs, you select the son of the hen that lays the darkest eggs (and you'd probably want to choose a hen that not only lays dark eggs but lays lots of good sized, well shaped ones with good shell quality). You would cross that rooster to another hen that also has the characteristics you are looking for. Hopefully their female offspring will carry those genes from both parents, and they will lay lots of dark eggs with good shape and shell quality.

 

[ronott1]

I do have a question I read on another forum that the gene for dark eggs runs in the males
So do the amount of eggs a hen can lay depends more on the roosters genes then the hens for egg production
Like a leg horn or australorp rooster over the hens I have now

Egg genes are not sexlinked so it does not matter which one has the dark brown genes.

Angry rooster it's Hellbender who was getting teased, not you- but we all know that Hellbender's fine with a little ribbing now and then so hopefully he's laughing too. It's not a joke unless everyone is laughing, and sometimes these things do backfire on the Internet. And very often the auto correct will do some amusing things, all on it's own!

Anyhow, back to your question- had this discussion on a genetics forum. Egg characteristics are apparently not sex linked. But, the rule of "thumb" is, you want a rooster whose mother had the egg characteristics you are looking for in the next generation. So, if you were wanting to breed for dark eggs, you select the son of the hen that lays the darkest eggs (and you'd probably want to choose a hen that not only lays dark eggs but lays lots of good sized, well shaped ones with good shell quality). You would cross that rooster to another hen that also has the characteristics you are looking for. Hopefully their female offspring will carry those genes from both parents, and they will lay lots of dark eggs with good shape and shell quality.

The reason you do this is because you cannot tell what brown genes the rooster has--he does not lay eggs after all!

It will increase the chance of getting darker eggs but now guarantee it. The trick will be hatching the darkest eggs over time. It may take a lot of generations but is much easier if you are not also working on body type and etc. for winning at poultry shows.

 

[WVduckchick]

That's what I'm talkin' about! Oh yeah! 

Women with tools!

 

[lpatelski]

I believe that's true for Demodectic mange more so than Sarcoptic.

Sarcoptic Mange — infection of the skin with the microscopic, parasitic miteSarcoptes scabei. Sarcoptic mange is contagious, and most dogs catch the disease via direct contact with an infected individual. People and cats can also be transiently infected.
Demodectic Mange — overgrowth of mites, Demodex sp., that are normally found in small numbers in a dog’s skin. Demodectic mange is usually diagnosed in young dogs without fully functioning immune systems, or in dogs that are otherwise immunocompromised. Demodectic mange is not contagious.

Demodex is hereditary. The dogs are allergic or sensitive to the Demodex mite(which all dogs carry around). Episodes of stress like breeding, food, or environmental changes can cause flare ups. Usually if you spay/neuter it helps-spaying and neutering the parents is even better so they don't keep making puppies with Demodex. Keeping your dog on it's Vet prescribed meds is crucial to avoiding flare-ups.

Poor nutrition...maybe. We see demodex in every type of healthy looking dog.