BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Molpet]

This is a great thread with little activity.

It's gonna be tough to go through this thread to find out his breeding. Do you mind sharing a bit about him? Quick of course for us new kids. I hate to make you repeay yourself.

Ha we love to show off our birds and we love seeing others birds. Makes me want to get some NN

 

[aliciaplus3]

here are a couple of my grow outs that are starting to look good.... I still have much to learn about choosing my breeders but I remember someone saying that we get to eat our mistakes. I like that quote even if I can't tell you who I stole it from lol

 

[Molpet]

View attachment 1184863 here are a couple of my grow outs that are starting to look good.... I still have much to learn about choosing my breeders but I remember someone saying that we get to eat our mistakes. I like that quote even if I can't tell you who I stole it from lol

Have to admit I do not know a lot about NN, but is barring common in them? Or did you cross the NN to BR to get those... something for me to think about LOL

 

[aliciaplus3]

Have to admit I do not know a lot about NN, but is barring common in them? Or did you cross the NN to BR to get those... something for me to think about LOL

These actually have a little cuckoo marans in them as well as some EE..... so yes they are mutts lol

 

[Molpet]

These actually have a little cuckoo marans in them as well as some EE..... so yes they are mutts lol

love mutts .. and I like barred birds... I may try this if I can find some NN near me next year

 

[aliciaplus3]

love mutts .. and I like barred birds... I may try this if I can find some NN near me next year

I got my original NN from my local feed store that gets their chicks from privett hatchery. But in the last year I have managed to hatch out 7. I am excited about the group that hatched in Aug because 2 of the NN hatched out of green eggs and have a pea comb. I look forward to them laying this spring

 

[Rye]

His mother (Cocoa Puffs) is from my first generation line of NNs - homozygous; buff barred and caries the blue egg gene.

View attachment 1184622

Dad (Monty) was a bit of a "mutt", fully feathered - 1/2 White Rock (and also carrying the barring gene) and 1/2 something else. I think it was an Ameraucana/game bird mix, but it was a "surprise" chick in some hatching eggs I'd ordered from someone who was supposed to be breeding pure Silver Grey Dorkings. He also carried the blue egg gene.

View attachment 1184624

This is Monty's father, Rocky's grandfather:
View attachment 1184627

Thanks. I like unusual looking chickens.

Nice looking birds you have there.

 

[DesertChic]

Thanks. I like unusual looking chickens.

Nice looking birds you have there.

Thank you! I originally settled on the NNs because of their tolerance to our extreme summer heat. I didn't know I would totally fall in love with the breed. They've given me everything I was looking for, from being great egg layers (of multiple colors of eggs) and outstanding meat birds, to being exceptionally healthy and hardy and having exceptionally good personalities. I've only had one truly aggressive NN rooster out of dozens, and he was delicious. I've got broodies and non-broodies, and have been able to create plenty of "eye candy" by crossing for unique feathering as well as other attributes. And they've been really easy to work with to breed for the traits I favor...one being my meat line and the other my egg laying line. Right now I'm working on cleaning up their NN genes to increase the number of homozygous NNs I have while maintaining body mass and growth rates. It's been a magnificent learning experience.

 

[Rye]

Thank you! I originally settled on the NNs because of their tolerance to our extreme summer heat. I didn't know I would totally fall in love with the breed. They've given me everything I was looking for, from being great egg layers (of multiple colors of eggs) and outstanding meat birds, to being exceptionally healthy and hardy and having exceptionally good personalities. I've only had one truly aggressive NN rooster out of dozens, and he was delicious. I've got broodies and non-broodies, and have been able to create plenty of "eye candy" by crossing for unique feathering as well as other attributes. And they've been really easy to work with to breed for the traits I favor...one being my meat line and the other my egg laying line. Right now I'm working on cleaning up their NN genes to increase the number of homozygous NNs I have while maintaining body mass and growth rates. It's been a magnificent learning experience.

Is there a correlation between the NN genes and loss of mass and growth rates? Or just the normal troubles we all have of moving backwards if not forward?

Sounds like you have a lot of diversity within your flock. That's pretty neat and sounds like a lot of time and work. Glad you've enjoyed it, because I believe that's what it's all about.

 

[DesertChic]

Is there a correlation between the NN genes and loss of mass and growth rates? Or just the normal troubles we all have of moving backwards if not forward?

Sounds like you have a lot of diversity within your flock. That's pretty neat and sounds like a lot of time and work. Glad you've enjoyed it, because I believe that's what it's all about.

I have found that the stronger the NN gene in my birds, meaning the closer they get to homozygous, the smaller they seem to be. I increased the genetic diversity of my flock in the hopes of counteracting that tendency in case it was simply prevalent in the genetics of my starter flock, which is nearly three years old now. So far I've been seeing the greatest improvement in the hens with three Gen 3 hens showing nice, meaty bodies without sacrificing egg laying production, and one having a completely bare neck and pretty clean buff feathering. For whatever reason, the males are lagging behind. Their body shape is very nice, but they're just too darn small. Tasty...but small.

And yes, I REALLY enjoy it. I've always been fascinated with genetics and raising chickens allows me to explore that interest on top of providing me with great food and hours of entertainment.