BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[hellbender]

So I finally decided to introduce my NN/Australorp cross, Pepper, to what was supposed to be "his" flock....Australorp and Barred Rock hens. I'd planned to breed him back to those girls since they're my best layers, but Pepper obviously had other plans. He shunned those girls in favor of my bantams & frizzles. He weighs over 7 lbs at 22 weeks, and selects the smallest girls for his mates. Ugh! Unfortunately he's proving to be as high-strung as his father and is behaving far more aggressively with me than I can tolerate. If he keeps trying to bite me every chance he gets I'm inviting him to dinner.

Please don't even think of killing that cockerel! Give him time to grow up and get over his pizz and vinegar. You can ALWAYS cull him but when he's gone, there's no bringing him back...at least no way I'm aware of, with in reason and short of collecting him.

 

[DesertChic]

Please don't even think of killing that cockerel! Give him time to grow up and get over his pizz and vinegar. You can ALWAYS cull him but when he's gone, there's no bringing him back...at least no way I'm aware of, with in reason and short of collecting him.

If his behavior doesn't escalate then I'll spare him...but I still have at least 6 more "extra" cockerels to choose from, 4 of which have the same father as this guy. And I've got eggs in the incubator right now from my top layers too...so there's potential for more cockerels from them. I don't mind when they're a little nervous and keep their distance, but I really don't have much patience left for being attacked.

 

[hellbender]

If his behavior doesn't escalate then I'll spare him...but I still have at least 6 more "extra" cockerels to choose from, 4 of which have the same father as this guy. And I've got eggs in the incubator right now from my top layers too...so there's potential for more cockerels from them. I don't mind when they're a little nervous and keep their distance, but I really don't have much patience left for being attacked.

 

[dfr1973]

You could just give the next chicks to the hens, instead of making the hens sit for 3 weeks.
Angela

I've been doing that with some of my Silkiebators. It made for easy sleeping when we got some wacky weather in January and February.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I'm still trying to hold off hatching anything until my pullets are hens, but so far so good- my sweet Buckeye rooster is doing a great job, all the eggs are fertile! That's 11 hens for 1 rooster.

 

[dfr1973]

A couple new pics of Bigfoot, the one grow-out cockerel from the October hatch (Tiny x the Flashy Girls).



I did weigh the one cockerel I slaughtered from this hatch (my customer Leo bought the other two for Chinese New Year meal) and he clocked in at two pounds, 15 ounces. Not bad for an F1 cull. IIRC, he was 17 weeks at slaughter.

Looking over the January hatch (Azar x the Pretties) and the best cockerel there has a single comb, so all those boys will be caponized. I hope to get them all done before the end of the month, to avoid a repeat of last batch's problem of being too old.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

He's a handsome boy, very nice. Looks like he will be a big one.

 

[AnthNDacula]

 

[bramblefir]

Well, well, well, look who started laying! This is our first goose egg. And yes, the chickens are clearly doing a good job too.



Goose egg with duck on the right. The rest are chicken.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Are you going to eat the goose egg?