BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

Thank you!

I kept chickens for about 13 years, and got to try a quite a few different types of bird during that time. I loved doing it, but had to take a 6 year absence from chicken keeping due to life blowing me around a bit. So I'm building my flock from scratch and testing breeds new to me. I may go back to breeds I know, but since I'm starting fresh I may as well take a chance or two on the unknown.

Right now all we have are pet breeds, unintended for the table, with a few very young bresse thrown in. I'm trying to clarify what my family needs and wants out of a duel purpose bird.
I know someone local who breeds American bresse from green fire stock so I'm not worried about trying to find more bresse if I need them. However bresse are flighty and I've heard the roosters can be aggressive. (none of mine are very old) I have young children so an aggressive rooster CANNOT be tolerated. Also pure bresse can have problems with thin shelled eggs and other issues caused by no protective bloom to keep bacteria out of eggs. Unless I luck out with a calm rooster and can figure out the shell issues I don't see myself breeding this bird when I have a source so close.

I would love to keep dorkings, but have heard mixed things about hatchery stock for this breed. If I can find good birds, I would like to keep and breed some of the pure strain, since they are so hard to find. but I would also like to see if breeding to bresse would help offset some of the temperament and shell weaknesses in the bresse. Supposedly the cross results in a flavorful bird that reaches processing size earlier than the dorking but that also stays tender at an older age. All I have to go by is hear say so experimentation is very tempting.

Well, I'm incredibly biased, but I'd like to throw the NN Turken out there for consideration too.

I've been experimenting with a number of breeds, including Dorking-mixes that were supposed to be pure Dorkings, and I keep coming back to my NNs, which are also very easy to breed to other birds, have exceptionally friendly temperaments, supply good meat at reasonably young ages (14-20 weeks), lay lots of eggs, and with 50% fewer feathers are MUCH easier to pluck. I know many people find them ugly at first sight, but after raising them I guarantee you would come to love the breed. I've actually begun crossing all of my other breeds (Barred Rocks, pure Bielefelders, White Rocks, Australorps....) with my NNs and have seen consistent improvements from each cross, and they're incredibly hardy and healthy birds.

Just a thought...

 

[JCarlsness]

Thanks Turk

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you!

I kept chickens for about 13 years, and got to try a quite a few different types of bird during that time. I loved doing it, but had to take a 6 year absence from chicken keeping due to life blowing me around a bit. So I'm building my flock from scratch and testing breeds new to me. I may go back to breeds I know, but since I'm starting fresh I may as well take a chance or two on the unknown.

Right now all we have are pet breeds, unintended for the table, with a few very young bresse thrown in. I'm trying to clarify what my family needs and wants out of a duel purpose bird.
I know someone local who breeds American bresse from green fire stock so I'm not worried about trying to find more bresse if I need them. However bresse are flighty and I've heard the roosters can be aggressive. (none of mine are very old) I have young children so an aggressive rooster CANNOT be tolerated. Also pure bresse can have problems with thin shelled eggs and other issues caused by no protective bloom to keep bacteria out of eggs. Unless I luck out with a calm rooster and can figure out the shell issues I don't see myself breeding this bird when I have a source so close.
well ok, this is where the Marans could help you. They have a tough thick shell . Said to be the "salmonella-free" eggs as the bacteria can't get thru the shell. Plus, your crosses would have that pretty brown color so many people like. I ate a lot of Marans eggs, I thought they were esp .delicious.


I would love to keep dorkings, but have heard mixed things about hatchery stock for this breed. If I can find good birds, I would like to keep and breed some of the pure strain, since they are so hard to find.
Joseph at Yellow House Farm has the best White Dorkings. Don't know if he has birds this year maybe someone who bought from him? but I would also like to see if breeding to bresse would help offset some of the temperament and shell weaknesses in the bresse. Supposedly the cross results in a flavorful bird that reaches processing size earlier than the dorking but that also stays tender at an older age. All I have to go by is hear say so experimentation is very tempting.

 

[ejcrist]

I never heard that before about Marans having thick shells. I read about them being dark but didn't know they were known for thick as well. That's a good quality to have.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't think they're that much thicker. It is the fact that the amount of pigment applied is so heavy they aren't as porous.

 

[ejcrist]

I don't think they're that much thicker. It is the fact that the amount of pigment applied is so heavy they aren't as porous.

Oh, ok, that is very interesting. I'm sure there are probably other things you have to do right like making sure you maintain the right amount of calcium in their feed, etc., but that is very interesting and a very good quality to have in a layer. I feel better - I learned something new today.

 

[abbevilleoz]

Well, I'm incredibly biased, but I'd like to throw the NN Turken out there for consideration too.   I've been experimenting with a number of breeds, including Dorking-mixes that were supposed to be pure Dorkings, and I keep coming back to my NNs, which are also very easy to breed to other birds, have exceptionally friendly temperaments, supply good meat at reasonably young ages (14-20 weeks), lay lots of eggs, and with 50% fewer feathers are MUCH easier to pluck. I know many people find them ugly at first sight, but after raising them I guarantee you would come to love the breed. I've actually begun crossing all of my other breeds (Barred Rocks, pure Bielefelders, White Rocks, Australorps....) with my NNs and have seen consistent improvements from each cross, and they're incredibly hardy and healthy birds. 

Just a thought...

Where did you get your original NNs?

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Canadian Buckeye, you're from Cadmus? Have they rescued Supergirl's dad yet?
Inquiring minds want to know.
VBG,
Karen

Not exactly but it's the closest cross road with anything on it!
But rumour is, I heard from someone who heard it from someone, maybe even someone's Dad, men in black suits were dragging the mill pond late, late last night for something or other that escaped.........

 

[DesertChic]

Where did you get your original NNs?

From a breeder out east that I literally stumbled across online. I contacted her last year to see if she was still breeding, but she said her kids gave up poultry breeding so she did to.

 

[Beer can]

Quote: I've heard this, figured why not try and if all fails still eat them. I have three, maybe I should try as you suggest beings I've never attempted it, see how it goes and how I feel about it and then think about whether or not to attempt the other two live. Need to cut down on my feed bill, will keep them till full grown if they are capons, otherwise not. Really wanted to try capons this yr, might have to wait till next yrs hatch....and hope for no failure....
I've gutted and skinned all sorts of critters from fish and squirrels to deer, and am proud of my surgical ability to not make a mess, clean inside clean outside for the most part, easy peasy, hope I don't choke next time.

@Beer can ...My dad told me when the guy taught him how to caponize cockerels, he used one of his mom's crochet needles that had been customized on a grinder, a piece of black thread and a soda straw. They opened the birds with a very sharp hawk-billed knife, the point of which had been ground down to a razor edge. Also taught him how to poulardize pullets. That's tricky but actually easier than dealing with the cockerels.

One of the videos I watched used a soda straw and that method.
Hmm, had to look that up, poulard, interesting, guess I'd have to master caponizing before giving that one a thought

, thank you for bringing it up never heard of that before.
I'm more out for improving meat quality, we don't sell eggs, eat plenty of them and want productive hens for that reason only, non productive hens will have no place here, soups good. My giants do lay great, have a few super nice pullets I hatched to add to the flock, definitely picked the right cockerel for breeding, they have his dark brown eyes for SOP (the moms didn't (nor the other original cockerels), but all I had, were huge though and SOP otherwise) and are as big as the cockerels. Not production per say the giants, but I'll keep them anyway, (some of the best chickens I've ever ate!, turkey size drumsticks!) biggest reason capons are so important for myself to get into, anything to cut down on feed and improve meat quality. Though I personally haven't witnessed them being hogs, don't seem to eat anymore than any other chicken, the rooster now doesn't seem to ever eat, sure he does, and doesn't expel much energy, they are far from 'flighty'.
I did do your suggestion about clipping his toe nails and spurs, actually most of them were rounded off already, clipped the ones that weren't, much easier than clipping a dogs toe nails. Hens are getting their back feathers back, not completely sure if it might have been part molt or just his big butt and the pedicure helped, even the soon to be culled silkies have all back feathers now.
I'm more exited now on these NN, cooked two up, awesome! Pullets aren't laying yet, winter hasn't hit, can't completely fall in love with them yet, will be crossing two pens of them (with pure NN also) one white and one red/black with some cornishX (if they live to POL..) for he he's and ha ha's and see what happens in the spring

Blah bla blahh, sometimes I talk too much, off for a b double e double r, u, n.... night all!