BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[oshun55555]

Quote: What is that bird in your avatar? Bielefelder? Or Rainbow Cockerel? All the cockerels have had that feather pattern as far as Pioneer/Dixie Rainbows go.

 

[oshun55555]

I definitely want to get some of these Dixie Rainbows. They sound like a truly dual purpose bird. I would like to get straight run for meat and eggs. I free-range my birds along with FF. We have 3 ponds on the property and a small creek and I am always seeing my birds running by with a frog dangling. They found a nest of pack rat babies, small snakes or anything to slow to get away. They also get all our scraps. My BSL cockerels are pretty puny at 18 or 19 weeks but come cooler weather they will go in the freezer. My same age Production Red pullets are on the small size too so I don't expect their offspring to be much bigger.

If I get 50 Rainbows I should have enough pullets for eggs and fill up my freezer. I like that they grow slower too because I like to use the birds for insect patrol around the house. They really keep the tick population down, not to mention crickets, grasshoppers, ants, etc.. I think getting a good DC and maybe a NH to breed to the Rainbows will produce a really sustainable dual purpose bird. Trading out rooster every year or two will help (I think) the genetic diversity may help with overall resilience of the flock over time. I have a large family and 'size does matter', lol. I will be watching this thread to see how the 2nd and 3rd generation rainbows come out. With hybrids it is a roll of the dice when reproducing desired traits.

I love this thread and look forward to seeing how everyone's attempt to have decent production birds comes out. My family loves meat and eggs so if I can get a flock I really want a DP that has a decent amount of meat on it. That means 5-7 pounds processed and at least 200 eggs (more would be better). An occasional broody to hatch eggs. Oh, to dream... Am I asking too much?

I probably won't be able to get the birds until spring but looking forward to the process.

The old fashioned birds were like the Rainbow, good utility and early maturity, hatcheries and even show bird breeders no longer concentrate on the utility aspect and so the dual purpose breeds are basically pretty birds now a days.

 

[lpatelski]

Final update for Auggie chick#123 -Dark Cornish/Cornish Roaster over the same Bob and Pebbles.
This live picture is from Auggie @ 44 days of age post#10269. I did not have time for a live pic today.


Auggie was processed today @ 79 days, just over 11 weeks of age. Date of hatch DOH(5/22/16)
Weight before processing 6 pounds 9.4 oz
Weight (skinned) 4 pounds 8.6 oz

 

[oshun55555]

Final update for Auggie chick#123 -Dark Cornish/Cornish Roaster over the same Bob and Pebbles.
This live picture is from Auggie @ 44 days of age post#10269. I did not have time for a live pic today.


Auggie was processed today @ 79 days, just over 11 weeks of age. Date of hatch DOH(5/22/16)
Weight before processing 6 pounds 9.4 oz
Weight (skinned) 4 pounds 8.6 oz

Good show, beautiful bird, fine fine job. Now that's how chicken is supposed to look.

 

[varidgerunner]

I acquired some dorking hatching eggs last year to put under a broody. The two hens I got have laid decently. The rooster had the makings of a jerk, he always wanted to leave his hens and go play with fire around one of the game pens, had some bucket aggression which would have eventually have turned into back of the calf aggression, so I had to let him go. Do have some chicks out of him. The two hens have both gone broody, it was well up in the summer. They are fair mothers, lost several chicks, no game hen by any means when it comes to rearing. Wean their chicks and start laying very soon, not as attentive and don't seem to be able to count. I kind of like the old biddies though. The rooster was heavy, but not as heavy as my off colored BLR Wyandotte. I just like mutt egg layers with a variety of colors and fairly heavy cockerels, not trying to specifically breed for anything.

 

[DesertChic]

Okay DesertChic, after much thought and deep, deep reflection I finally broke down and added a half dozen straight run NN's to one of my fall orders per all the good reviews everyone has given them. I was telling friends and family what I heard about them on here, and after I mentioned they're supposedly delicious and referred them to an article I read about French gourmet chicken being NN's everyone insisted we give 'em a go. Hopefully we'll get a good cockerel and pullet out of the bunch to keep for breeding - we won't eat them but we'll BBQ the rest and see how they are. If they're as tasty as everyone says I'll switch over to them for BBQ exclusively. Nothin' like good-n-fresh chicken off the grill if ya know what I mean.

I sure hope you like them! I absolutely love mine. And if you're at all disappointed in the quality of what you get just let me know. I've always got extras around here, both boys and girls, and I'm constantly working to improve upon them. I'm sure I could help you meet your goals.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

@lpatelski very, very nice. What impresses me the most about your chickens is the nice balance between the large breast and the legs- today's cornish cross seems to be all breast with tiny little legs and wings.
Any chance you are keeping records of the number/quality of eggs the hens in your line are laying?

It would be nice to see a processed rainbow chicken, if anyone has a photo please post! they look very good with the feathers on but it's hard to tell what they are like under there.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I acquired some dorking hatching eggs last year to put under a broody. The two hens I got have laid decently. The rooster had the makings of a jerk, he always wanted to leave his hens and go play with fire around one of the game pens, had some bucket aggression which would have eventually have turned into back of the calf aggression, so I had to let him go. Do have some chicks out of him. The two hens have both gone broody, it was well up in the summer. They are fair mothers, lost several chicks, no game hen by any means when it comes to rearing. Wean their chicks and start laying very soon, not as attentive and don't seem to be able to count. I kind of like the old biddies though. The rooster was heavy, but not as heavy as my off colored BLR Wyandotte. I just like mutt egg layers with a variety of colors and fairly heavy cockerels, not trying to specifically breed for anything.

Are your Dorkings laying white eggs?

 

[Fentress]

Final update for Auggie chick#123 -Dark Cornish/Cornish Roaster over the same Bob and Pebbles.
This live picture is from Auggie @ 44 days of age post#10269. I did not have time for a live pic today.


Auggie was processed today @ 79 days, just over 11 weeks of age. Date of hatch DOH(5/22/16)
Weight before processing 6 pounds 9.4 oz
Weight (skinned) 4 pounds 8.6 oz

Nice carcass! Is that really a Dark Cornish? I did not know they had a barred feather pattern? No need to use a hybrid with that kind of performance.

 

[varidgerunner]

Are your Dorkings laying white eggs?

Yes, just slightly off color white, between game eggs and leghorn color.