BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

I am sure this has been posted before.. but incase anyone is interested, heritage birds comparison of weights and food consumption.. your milage may differ.
from: https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/fnc12-866/
DATA
I have included multiple charts with the following data, but here it is in a simple text format. I have ordered data within the following sections based simply on the order of the shelters on pasture, not from highest-to-lowest or lowest-to-highest. This is for ease of comparison.

Total feed consumption per bird, by breed:
– Dominique – 22.808 lb.
– White Plymouth Rock – 24.385 lb.
– Naked Neck – 24.137 lb.
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 26.487 lb.
– Speckled Sussex – 20.821 lb.
– New Hampshire Red – 24.302 lb.
– Delaware – 23.110 lb.
– AVERAGE – 23.721 lb.

Average live weight per bird at processing (18 weeks 4 days), by breed:
– Dominique – 4.388 lb.
– White Plymouth Rock – 5.010 lb.
– Naked Neck – 4.815 lb.
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 4.686 lb.
– Speckled Sussex – 4.103 lb.
– New Hampshire Red – 5.238 lb.
– Delaware – 4.801 lb.
– AVERAGE – 4.720 lb.

Average dressed weight per bird, by breed:
– Dominique – 2.98 lb.
– White Plymouth Rock – 3.40 lb.
– Naked Neck – 3.38 lb.
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 3.17 lb.
– Speckled Sussex – 2.85 lb.
– New Hampshire Red – 3.29 lb.
– Delaware – 3.03 lb.
– AVERAGE – 3.16 lb.

Dressing percentage rate, by breed:
– Dominique – 67.86%
– White Plymouth Rock – 67.84%
– Naked Neck – 70.27%
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 67.74%
– Speckled Sussex – 69.52%
– New Hampshire Red – 62.87%
– Delaware – 63.02%
– AVERAGE – 67.02%

Feed efficiency rates based on live weight (lb. feed per lb. gain), by breed:
– Dominique – 5.20
– White Plymouth Rock – 4.87
– Naked Neck – 5.01
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 5.64
– Speckled Sussex – 5.08
– New Hampshire Red – 4.64
– Delaware – 4.81
– AVERAGE – 5.02

Feed efficiency rates based on dressed weight (lb. feed per lb. carcass), by breed:
– Dominique – 7.66
– White Plymouth Rock – 7.17
– Naked Neck – 7.13
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – 8.34
– Speckled Sussex – 7.30
– New Hampshire Red – 7.38
– Delaware – 7.64
– AVERAGE – 7.49

Cost of production per lb. dressed weight, by breed*:
– Dominique – $4.08
– White Plymouth Rock – $3.71
– Naked Neck – $3.73
– Silver-Laced Wyandotte – $4.21
– Speckled Sussex – $4.01
– New Hampshire Red – $3.82
– Delaware – $4.05
– AVERAGE – $3.90
* These cost figures are to be used for reference only, and are not intended to be authoritative or even typical. Clearly one’s own enterprise costs will vary largely depending on a number of factors. Farmers should input their own relevant costs, using the breed-specific data above, to best determine their own potential outcomes. My own production costs are based on the following:
– cost per chick of between $1.34 and $1.45 (depending on breed);
– feed cost to butcher date at $0.365/lb. for bagged non-GMO feed;
– processing equipment rental cost of $75.00 for one day;
– bags, clips, and labels at $0.371 per bird;
– mileage to pick up chicks from the hatchery, pick up feed, and pick up and return processing equipment;
– and approximate shelter depreciation cost of $1.00 per bird.
 
I have been breeding my CX together in prep for the hot weather/possible death of my Rooster Spike. The first batch of CX(Spike) x CX(Betty) chicks have hatched today. Betty is a Murray McMurray Roaster Hen hatched 2-6-15 and Spike a 4-H project CX bird approximately hatched in October 2016. Nice chicks, good bone showing. I will be saving back a Rooster to replace Spike when he goes. I have produced 211 chicks this year. I am most excited about these!
CX Spike Betty 20170708_210847.jpg

Weights:
 
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Here is my rant for the morning:
This early summer has been hard on my flocks. The weather has been cooler than normal and the spring rains provided a nice environment for the raccoons and coyotes to produce bumper litters. Until now we have only had a few losses over the last 17 years to a hawk, an owl, one raccoon and a coyote pack attack. We have friends who helped hunt the coyote pack and we caught and eliminated the raccoon.
We lock up birds at night in their coops. It doesn't matter how secure you think your chicken pens are, if a predator wants in, it will find or make a way! And it is always your best birds.
The assaults on the pens began about three weeks ago and so far I've lost 15 adults and 3 juveniles. This includes the birds in the Buckeye pen killed by one coon all in one night. He unlatched and entered the coop thru the nest box lid, killed the four and snacked on one. We have lost several of my Columbian Wyandotte breeders from three different pens and a few juvenile birds. A coon was able to get into the Ft. Knox welded pipe and 2 x 4 cattle panel wire run attached to the barn and got into the layer house, killing three hens.
Setting traps and using the field camera to help identify the predators and their movement we have trapped and eliminated two coons and know we are dealing with at least one coyote. Had one coon actually tear up a live trap and escape, so we think he is still on the loose.
I'll be moving all the CW breeders into the barn today until we remove the current threats. The assault last night was by coyote and coon...both on the side away from the camera so I didn't get photos but identified the tracks. I had sprayed down the ground around the pen so the ground was moist enough to find footprints in the dirt. Something set off one of the snap traps and struggled long enough to get out of it. But the coon apparently found an entry into the chain link pen by tearing a hole thru some chicken wire near the top to keep out hawks. It carried a CW hen out and up over the next hoop house leaving a trail of feathers and scat. BIL is convinced that coon must be as strong as a bear because the hen had to weigh 7.5 pounds.
I am frustrated and angry...but will wage battle until my birds are safe.
 

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