BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[stryker]

You are right about better raised meat birds. I bought 4 and they are 4 weeks old and are calmer than the welsummers that are in the same pen. I will miss them when they are in the fryer. I am not feeding mine a buffet but twice a day and they are still growing like a weed. I was hoping to use one for breeding but all I have is roosters. Cannot imagine a 15 pound roo covering 5-6 pound hens.

 

[lpatelski]

I have seen folk on here mention the Sasso Medium grow X431A Farm Ranger being very similar to your Red Rangers.
I'm sure someone said they had some.

I had some. They were always lighter than my Cornish Rocks and mean. I ate them.

 

[cyborg]

I have seen folk on here mention the Sasso Medium grow X431A Farm Ranger being very similar to your Red Rangers. I'm sure someone said they had some.

I had some. They were always lighter than my Cornish Rocks and mean. I ate them.

 

[lpatelski]

How are the West Virginians doing? Can we help?Just let us know. Prayers to everyone.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I had some. They were always lighter than my Cornish Rocks and mean. I ate them.

LOL Dave You never have to say you are sorry with chickens, that's the good thing!

Looks like I have hatched a bunch of feather picking b@stards. I don't think they have an excuse, but perhaps the protein levels aren't high enough? I started them off at 28%. then dropped to 22% at five weeks, then at six weeks 17.5%. The feed has meat protein in it and I have offered them cat kibble. They aren't really interested in it. I believe they have enough space, and they are outside each day but not free ranging, they have grass and greens and food and water 24/7.
These are all Buckeye crosses, the worst are the Buckeye/production red, I even have pure buckeyes doing it. The Dark Cornish, Buff Rocks, barred Hollands and Buckeye/cornish crosses are not feather picking. . And I mean bad picking, running after other chicks and pulling feathers non stop. The perpetrators have all been removed from the flock, I understand it can be a learned behaviour and possibly genetic so I certainly don't want more of these. Any thoughts? Ugh. I will cull all of them if I have to :-/

 

[Beekissed]

Not interested in cat kibble?

Usually feather picking is a space issue and birds with nothing better to do than pick at one another....or so I've been told. I've no experience with it at all....many breeds and many birds over the past 40 yrs but have never had a single feather picker, so it could very well be a space issue...I free range and that could be why I've never seen it.

 

[Dave C]

I had some. They were always lighter than my Cornish Rocks and mean. I ate them.

I don't blame you. They never going to compete with the CX but I like them for the free ranging, the males made 10lb at 14 weeks so I was happy. I'm keeping some hens back this year to try to breed with my Sasso Slow grow Gallic & DC.

 

[Dave C]

Some of My Buff Plymouth Rocks are 6 weeks now
They have a decent shape but not much weight to them, now at 430g.




They are not in my project plans for next year but possibly later depending how things shape up.

 

[Turk Raphael]

LOL Dave You never have to say you are sorry with chickens, that's the good thing!

Looks like I have hatched a bunch of feather picking b@stards. I don't think they have an excuse, but perhaps the protein levels aren't high enough? I started them off at 28%. then dropped to 22% at five weeks, then at six weeks 17.5%. The feed has meat protein in it and I have offered them cat kibble. They aren't really interested in it. I believe they have enough space, and they are outside each day but not free ranging, they have grass and greens and food and water 24/7.
These are all Buckeye crosses, the worst are the Buckeye/production red, I even have pure buckeyes doing it. The Dark Cornish, Buff Rocks, barred Hollands and Buckeye/cornish crosses are not feather picking. . And I mean bad picking, running after other chicks and pulling feathers non stop. The perpetrators have all been removed from the flock, I understand it can be a learned behaviour and possibly genetic so I certainly don't want more of these. Any thoughts? Ugh. I will cull all of them if I have to :-/

A very wise man banged into my head that the quantity of protein is not nearly so important as the Quality.

ETA: I might stipulate that we live in horse country and it's very easy for us to get horse meat from an equine dedicated slaughter house. Like anything else, you have to know someone to get it. My partner's job at the Courier Journal put him in contact with the right folks. Fine horse roasts for 2 bucks per pound. It's liberally smeared with charcoal to ostensibly prevent folks from eating it but admittedly, I've tasted it and given the need...I COULD clean it up and eat it...but I've never been that hungry, not even in my college days.

My folks in WV have a sweet deal but their system is too much work and we are not set up like they are and do NOT want to be. The horse meat does well. I'm working on getting some livers but that goes into another realm. I think the race-dog people get all of that.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

A very wise man banged into my head that the quantity of protein is not nearly so important as the Quality.

ETA: I might stipulate that we live in horse country and it's very easy for us to get horse meat from an equine dedicated slaughter house. Like anything else, you have to know someone to get it. My partner's job at the Courier Journal put him in contact with the right folks. Fine horse roasts for 2 bucks per pound. It's liberally smeared with charcoal to ostensibly prevent folks from eating it but admittedly, I've tasted it and given the need...I COULD clean it up and eat it...but I've never been that hungry, not even in my college days.

My folks in WV have a sweet deal but their system is too much work and we are not set up like they are and do NOT want to be. The horse meat does well. I'm working on getting some livers but that goes into another realm. I think the race-dog people get all of that.

I agree completely, I think chickens definitely need meat and sourced the only feed I could find that has meat protein in it (pork). Although I don't have any idea of the actual % meat in there. I've offered them an expensive cat kibble as well that supposedly has a lot of meat in it too, but they aren't that interested in it. I can get them beef bonemeal, I will add that to their diet.