BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[miss heny]

Has anyone crossed NN with Sulmtalers?

 

[FaerieChicken]

Processed Hugo the huge this evening. Just not the cockerel I aspire to add to my breeding program. At a little over 8 weeks of age, Hugo was at 6 pounds 2.1 oz. live weight - Just Big and sloppy.




Looking at the Carcass quality, generally not superior at 4 pounds 1.2 oz. I believe I made the right decision.

A nice freezer bird, but poor genetics.

What breed was he? He looks mighty tasty though! How do you determine poor genetics to hold back for breeding? Would it be weight gain or lack thereof? Colors, to me color of plumage is not mandatory, as they are going to be processed but I do know that I like looking at Pretty things just like the next person, lol, so it would be an added bonus to have pretty colors! Perhaps the quality of plumage? I can see if there are defects in the comb, feet, and tail for passing on the traits, but how do you know for sure it is a genetic issue and not just something that developed due to lack of nutrients or condition of environment?

 

[FaerieChicken]

Processed Hugo the huge this evening. Just not the cockerel I aspire to add to my breeding program. At a little over 8 weeks of age, Hugo was at 6 pounds 2.1 oz. live weight - Just Big and sloppy.




Looking at the Carcass quality, generally not superior at 4 pounds 1.2 oz. I believe I made the right decision.

A nice freezer bird, but poor genetics.

What breed was he? He looks mighty tasty though! How do you determine poor genetics to hold back for breeding? Would it be weight gain or lack thereof? Colors, to me color of plumage is not mandatory, as they are going to be processed but I do know that I like looking at Pretty things just like the next person, lol, so it would be an added bonus to have pretty colors! Perhaps the quality of plumage? I can see if there are defects in the comb, feet, and tail for passing on the traits, but how do you know for sure it is a genetic issue and not just something that developed due to lack of nutrients or condition of environment?

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Could I get an opinion on this - what am I seeing on the tips of Monkey's comb here? Good grief, this isn't frostbite, is it?!






He has an ENORMOUS comb (I swear, it has to be when they grow up in the really hot weather here), and it's occasionally a little purple on the blade. Today it has these purple tips (not swollen or anything). It was cold for the first real time this year last night/this morning, low of 34F for a couple hours. He lives in a tractor coop with good ventilation but protection from the wind (where I have successfully housed other chickens through the winter including several freezes without incident).

Thoughts?

- Ant Farm

 

[miss heny]

Could I get an opinion on this - what am I seeing on the tips of Monkey's comb here? Good grief, this isn't frostbite, is it?! He has an ENORMOUS comb (I swear, it has to be when they grow up in the really hot weather here), and it's occasionally a little purple on the blade. Today it has these purple tips (not swollen or anything). It was cold for the first real time this year last night/this morning, low of 34F for a couple hours. He lives in a tractor coop with good ventilation but protection from the wind (where I have successfully housed other chickens through the winter including several freezes without incident). Thoughts? - Ant Farm

gonna sound funny but smell it, if it sweet acetone smell it frostbite. Learned that with my rooster sadly :/

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Thanks! He's on the roost - I'll check in the morning. I figure also that it'll start making itself obvious over time if it is frostbite. If anyone would get it, it would be this guy - his comb is SOOOOOOOOO big!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[miss heny]

Thanks! He's on the roost - I'll check in the morning. I figure also that it'll start making itself obvious over time if it is frostbite. If anyone would get it, it would be this guy - his comb is SOOOOOOOOO big!!!! 

- Ant Farm 

yea I have a serama/game mix and his comb is HUGE and lost some points

I worry about my Hona boy too

 

[DesertChic]

Oh my gosh, my DH wants to do this!!! Is it easy, what is the set up, do you route the water to garden? Oh my do you have info so we can study up on it, of course we want to be as inexpensive as possible, but I am sure start up is always the hardest. Is it worth the $$

Truthfully, it's been quite a challenge for us. Our system has only been in place about a year and is gravity fed from the fish tank down into four grow beds, and then uses a sump pump to feed the "cleaned" water back up to the tank. The grow beds are filled only with lava rock, no soil, and also earthworms that live in the water and often surface atop the rock. We plant seeds and seedlings directly into the rock, but have had limited success with growing fruitful produce. I had a tomato plant that was over 20 ft long, produced lots and lots of flowers....and not a single tomato. I'm really good at growing the fish, but terrible at growing the plants.

Our entire setup cost us around $1200 to set up including the gravel (the biggest expense) and 15 fingerling fish. Has it been worth it? Well, after a year we haven't even come close to recouping our expense, so...not yet. I'm not ready to give up on it though. I'm stubborn.

 

[DesertChic]

Could I get an opinion on this - what am I seeing on the tips of Monkey's comb here? Good grief, this isn't frostbite, is it?!






He has an ENORMOUS comb (I swear, it has to be when they grow up in the really hot weather here), and it's occasionally a little purple on the blade. Today it has these purple tips (not swollen or anything). It was cold for the first real time this year last night/this morning, low of 34F for a couple hours. He lives in a tractor coop with good ventilation but protection from the wind (where I have successfully housed other chickens through the winter including several freezes without incident).

Thoughts?

- Ant Farm

I've noticed that all of my roosters get this way from time to time, though it's most prevalent in those with the largest combs, usually when they're...emotional...aroused...that sort of thing. If you check him in the morning and the color is normal then you know it's emotional/hormonal.

To be on the safe side though, in case it's early-stage frostbite, you could always treat it. Couldn't hurt.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Good to know! Seems really weird because it WASN'T that cold, and ventilation is good. (I've also noticed the purpling with big combs on and off during the day for my boys.)

Went out to look with my red headlamp, and since this is an earlier "model" of my tractor coop, the roof is a little lower than in the others, and where he sits onto roost, he very well may have had his comb against cold HW cloth. I may lower their roosts a couple inches.

We'll see tomorrow... So, by treat, you mean vaseline? Everything sort of said to leave it alone, but wasn't sure...

- Ant Farm