BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[alisar]

I have White Bresse. I find that it tastes very similar to really good duck. It's a very dark meat bird so if you prefer white meat it would probably not be your first choice. Large legs, long breast. Also excellent layers their pullet year.
I've been trying to talk myself out of finding some good quality dark cornish and doing a bresse x cornish cross. I want to stay under 100 adult birds this year.

 

[varidgerunner]

If they are from France AND GFF, I'm sure they are the best thing going. If you don't like them it would only be a reflection of your cultural status. They taste exactly like the emperor's new clothes! I'm just kidding of course, but from a purely business standpoint, if I were aforementioned hatchery, I would have no clue what my chickens tasted like. You don't eat the cow that lays the cash egg, or something like that.

Seriously though, a chicken that tastes like a duck interests me. I like the darker meat chickens, (but not too dark). When we had Marans, they definitely had a different taste about them, almost duck-like, we had some big fat dopey cuckoos, with no feather legs. Years later we got some black coppers, and that unique flavor was nowhere to be found. Nor was the size, those things were huge. And the cocks were ranker than any of my gamefowl, you had to run them separate, even brothers. Wish I knew what line they were, just some eggs we got on E-bay, probably close to 15 years ago.

 

[bramblefir]

Does anyone have experience with botulism or other neurological toxins in fowl? I posted in the Emergencies section earlier today, but haven't had any response.

Long story short, my gander turned up this morning with obvious neurological issues. Essentially he's doing the best drunken sailor impression ever. When we cleaned their night water bucket out, which we do every evening, we discovered that they had had a great deal of fun with a mouse. One of them split it open and drowned it, not sure if things happened in that ordered. I'm thinking this is likely the cause of the sudden onset of the gander's symptoms (staggering, falling down, somersaulting, ruffled feathers, etc).

At this point I realize that there isn't really a good treatment and it's just keeping him comfortable, hydrated, and fed until he either pulls through or passes. I never thought I would get so attached to a darned bird.

 

[varidgerunner]

Does anyone have experience with botulism or other neurological toxins in fowl? I posted in the Emergencies section earlier today, but haven't had any response.

Long story short, my gander turned up this morning with obvious neurological issues. Essentially he's doing the best drunken sailor impression ever. When we cleaned their night water bucket out, which we do every evening, we discovered that they had had a great deal of fun with a mouse. One of them split it open and drowned it, not sure if things happened in that ordered. I'm thinking this is likely the cause of the sudden onset of the gander's symptoms (staggering, falling down, somersaulting, ruffled feathers, etc).

At this point I realize that there isn't really a good treatment and it's just keeping him comfortable, hydrated, and fed until he either pulls through or passes. I never thought I would get so attached to a darned bird.

Something sticks in my steeltrap mind (very rusty, bent and missing pieces steeltrap) about ducks and niacin deficiency, or something like that, for which feeding bread is the treatment. Don't know if this extends to geese, or even if this is the right information but worth reading up on.

 

[varidgerunner]

Maybe it was thiamine and not niacin that I was thinking of.

 

[bramblefir]

Something sticks in my steeltrap mind (very rusty, bent and missing pieces steeltrap) about ducks and niacin deficiency, or something like that, for which feeding bread is the treatment. Don't  know if this extends to geese, or even if this is the right information but worth reading up on.

Yes, niacin deficiency causes lameness in waterfowl. Mostly in ducklings and goslings. Unfortunately my gander isn't lame, per se. His legs and feet are great, but apparently the world is spinning for him. He gives the impression of being very dizzy, loses his balance and falls, etc.

If he's alive in the morning I'll try and get a video.

 

[alisar]

VA, it's quite a dark meat taste and strange bones, very light and hard. I don't really buy into the whole "best tasting chicken in the world" because my husband doesn't care for them. He prefers white meat. They are also chewier than a normal chicken, which doesn't bother me but bugs him. Our rooster is my husband's favorite though, he's very mellow and throws giant babies when outcrossed to other breeds. I realize I didn't include their most distinctive feature (the blue legs) in this picture, so please imagine him with light blue legs

 

[alisar]

Bramblefir, how old is your gander?

 

[varidgerunner]

VA, it's quite a dark meat taste and strange bones, very light and hard. I don't really buy into the whole "best tasting chicken in the world" because my husband doesn't care for them. He prefers white meat. They are also chewier than a normal chicken, which doesn't bother me but bugs him. Our rooster is my husband's favorite though, he's very mellow and throws giant babies when outcrossed to other breeds. I realize I didn't include their most distinctive feature (the blue legs) in this picture, so please imagine him with light blue legs

He is a good looking bird. The meat you describe sounds similar to the Marans I had. Their bones were very pink. They didn't have the meat quality that I would want to find in every chicken I eat from now on, but I would like another mess of those. That is the beauty of what we do, variety is truly the spice of life. They don't all have to be cornish x broilers.

 

[lpatelski]

1st: How many of us said, "When I have kids ..." back in the day? And what happened once we had kids?

2nd: "If ye don't eat yer meat, ye can't have any puddin'!
How can ye have any puddin' if ye don't eat yer meat?!"

Age check ... if you recognize that, you are as old or older than I am.

1960