BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Maeschak]

I know. It's awful, isn't it?

I've been doing some research today and I'm going to try splinting his toes to at least improve them. I still probably won't breed him, but at least he can live a more normal life while he grows out for butchering.

I have one with a middle toe like yours. He is about 8/9 months now and he limps quite a bit. No clue how I didnt notice it until it was too late, but I didnt and now the poor guy is paying the price. So I say try try try to correct them if you can!

 

[FaerieChicken]

I know. It's awful, isn't it? 

I've been doing some research today and I'm going to try splinting his toes to at least improve them. I still probably won't breed him, but at least he can live a more normal life while he grows out for butchering. 

Is it caused by small shell, or genetic?

 

[FaerieChicken]

They are for eating and for heritage breed preservation....and no doubt I will cross them with my NNs too because I cross EVERYTHING with my NNs at some point. The SGDs were the first breed I fell in love with once I decided to raise chickens, but until now I haven't been able to find any quality ones. In hindsight I'm kinda glad it took this long, because I've learned so much since I started 2 years ago that I now feel competent to actually take on the responsibility of heritage breed. 

I'm a total nerd when it comes to chicken data. I've got measurements on just about everything including hatching egg weight and weight changes, which birds' eggs pip and hatch first and how long it takes, etc. All of my data combined with continual interaction with and handling of my birds has proven invaluable to me.    Have you graphed the growth rates yet? It really is quite helpful to do so. 

I love naked necks too! I too have an urge to cross everything with them... just gotta build more pens for breeding...

I want to pm you and share our info, like a chicken world BFF. Jahaha, does that sound kinda stalker status

 

[DesertChic]

Is it caused by small shell, or genetic?

I was told that incubator conditions could contribute but this was the only chick with the problem so I'm thinking it's probably genetic. The only other birds I've ever hatched with crooked toes came from eggs I purchased on eBay, and several of his other customers commented on the crooked toes as well, so I'm pretty confident it's not my incubator. Poor little guy is an absolute sweetheart.

 

[DesertChic]

I love naked necks too! I too have an urge to cross everything with them... just gotta build more pens for breeding...

I want to pm you and share our info, like a chicken world BFF. Jahaha, does that sound kinda stalker status

LOL, lets stick with forum posts and PM for now. I don't share personal info with many people I meet online.

 

[Beer can]

I'm planning to beg and plead with @Beer can to sell me some WJG hatching eggs this spring to give them a try out here in our hostile desert. Knowing me, I'll be crossing them with my NN, but I'll allow them to remain pure for at least one summer to see how they handle the heat. I know we don't get quite as hot as you do down here in Pima county, but it'll be pretty close. If you don't make the plunge yourself, I'll be sure to give you feedback on my own experiences.

Not desert here or super hot but we get mid 90s for some weeks, not a lot (might get a month sometimes of 90s during the day) and very humid, to 100 on occasion, haven't never noticed them to be bothered by it what so ever, I've never done anything for my birds any breeds through the yrs (as far as misters or ice..) other than made sure they have water, lotsa shade though. I've worked in it, hard manual labor in the hot beating sun, they should be fine. The giants even do very well in our extreme cold also, sub-zero winters with up to 20-30 below windchill (same, weeks, maybe a month sometimes two). Last winter, mild, very mild, two before, bad very bad, sub-zero for months, bad... This winter so far, cold, blizzard and snow power out for 18 hrs....been mild again, 50s to 20s.
And yeaah! If you really want eggs, you got them.

Oooooohhhhh.....you are such an enabler! I'm really favoring the idea of raising Midget Whites.

Midget Whites?
"The Jersey Giant was created by John and Thomas Black; with the intent of replacing the turkey"
Standard male, 13lbs
Standard female, 10lbs
Midget Whites,
male 13lbs
female 8-10lbs

WOW! they are midgets!! Be so cool to see though, I bet they ain't more than knee high and look just like a giant broad breasted turkey! A turkey no bigger than a huge chicken!

that would be something!
I've raised broad breasted whites, in-laws have had both whites and bronze, biggest we have had was 50lbs live weight just spring to fall. Can't fit them in your average turkey roaster pan and no they do not fit in a turkey deep fryer Lol!
I'm favoring not going with hatchery this time, been some yrs with no turkeys, I'd like to get some Holland Whites, been debating 'Porters' and getting a hold of Frank Reese, maybe he would let go of some of his stock, IDK, figure it's worth a try.

 

[DesertChic]

Not desert here or super hot but we get mid 90s for some weeks, not a lot (might get a month sometimes of 90s during the day) and very humid, to 100 on occasion, haven't never noticed them to be bothered by it what so ever, I've never done anything for my birds any breeds through the yrs (as far as misters or ice..) other than made sure they have water, lotsa shade though. I've worked in it, hard manual labor in the hot beating sun, they should be fine. The giants even do very well in our extreme cold also, sub-zero winters with up to 20-30 below windchill (same, weeks, maybe a month sometimes two). Last winter, mild, very mild, two before, bad very bad, sub-zero for months, bad... This winter so far, cold, blizzard and snow power out for 18 hrs....been mild again, 50s to 20s.
And yeaah! If you really want eggs, you got them.

Midget Whites?
"The Jersey Giant was created by John and Thomas Black; with the intent of replacing the turkey"
Standard male, 13lbs
Standard female, 10lbs
Midget Whites,
male 13lbs
female 8-10lbs

WOW! they are midgets!! Be so cool to see though, I bet they ain't more than knee high and look just like a giant broad breasted turkey! A turkey no bigger than a huge chicken!

that would be something!
I've raised broad breasted whites, in-laws have had both whites and bronze, biggest we have had was 50lbs live weight just spring to fall. Can't fit them in your average turkey roaster pan and no they do not fit in a turkey deep fryer Lol!
I'm favoring not going with hatchery this time, been some yrs with no turkeys, I'd like to get some Holland Whites, been debating 'Porters' and getting a hold of Frank Reese, maybe he would let go of some of his stock, IDK, figure it's worth a try.

I could raise the Midget Whites with those White Jersey Giants, butcher one of each for Thanksgiving, and let the guests figure out which is which at dinner time.

I've actually looked at both the Holland Whites and the Black Spanish. The reason why I favor Midget Whites is because I do all of the processing alone, and those huge turkeys are just a bit much for me to handle by myself, and we're really not big turkey eaters. In fact, our good friend (and employee) makes the most incredibly smoked turkey, and that's the only turkey I'll eat. I make the homemade cranberry sauce to go with it. My husband just sits back and enjoys the fact that his wife and best friend cook dinner for him together.

 

[dfr1973]

Chick update: Down to six chicks, as two got smooshed during the nighttime dogpile. Weights are approximate, as the remaining chicks are vigorous and active, especially active, kept jumping out of the plastic strawberry container. (Next week, I'll be sure to have a paper bag I can fold closed.) Three weigh approx 1.9 oz, one weighed 2.2 oz, one weighed 2.4 oz, and the biggest weighed 2.6 oz. One major problem with this group is Pollux the capon-nanny hasn't bonded immediately with them - probably my bad because I didn't take his previous chick from him soon enough for him to feel lonely and adopt the first little balls of fluff he saw. Out of the 8 that hatched, one (the biggest at hatch) is from Tiny x the Pretties, two are from Azar x the Sisters, and five from Bigfoot x Feyd's Daughters (true F2s). I cannot tell which died. Hubby found them both times, and said they seemed tiny, so might have been the smallest two. The broody Feyd Daughter is still on her clutch of eggs ... I probably need to sneak out there after dark (and boy is it dark out right now!) to candle the eggs and take the ones not developing. Not looking forward to that - she has that crazed look in her eyes.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I know. It's awful, isn't it?

I've been doing some research today and I'm going to try splinting his toes to at least improve them. I still probably won't breed him, but at least he can live a more normal life while he grows out for butchering.

It can be genetic, caused by incorrect incubator temperatures, or nutritional (poor nutrition of breeding parents). Curled toes can also be a riboflavin deficiency. Splinting will help.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Chick update: Down to six chicks, as two got smooshed during the nighttime dogpile. Weights are approximate, as the remaining chicks are vigorous and active, especially active, kept jumping out of the plastic strawberry container. (Next week, I'll be sure to have a paper bag I can fold closed.) Three weigh approx 1.9 oz, one weighed 2.2 oz, one weighed 2.4 oz, and the biggest weighed 2.6 oz. One major problem with this group is Pollux the capon-nanny hasn't bonded immediately with them - probably my bad because I didn't take his previous chick from him soon enough for him to feel lonely and adopt the first little balls of fluff he saw. Out of the 8 that hatched, one (the biggest at hatch) is from Tiny x the Pretties, two are from Azar x the Sisters, and five from Bigfoot x Feyd's Daughters (true F2s). I cannot tell which died. Hubby found them both times, and said they seemed tiny, so might have been the smallest two. The broody Feyd Daughter is still on her clutch of eggs ... I probably need to sneak out there after dark (and boy is it dark out right now!) to candle the eggs and take the ones not developing. Not looking forward to that - she has that crazed look in her eyes.

Shame about the chicks

. I am a bit surprised that the two would have got smothered, with only eight chicks?