Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
If you want to come over next week, I will be home. I will give you a trio.

 

[al6517]

For those visiting the remote idea of the suggestion to breed out the bad traits in hatchery stock birds while breeding in the good.............. well now thank you all for giving me my first big hard belly laugh of the year. I think you would have a better chance finding a diamond in a goats A33, yeah that hard. As I am sure Walt will help attest to the fact that there are way too many factors involved for even a seasoned professional to try such a folly. But once again thanks for the laugh and BTW ya'll can pinch yourself and wake up from your dream now.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The Good Shepherd Barred Rock thread, the Frank Reese line, from which these birds come is filled with great pics. No I don't mind.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks, Fred. I'm looking around and am thinking these hatchery BRs are Cuckoo Marans, maybe? Or some variation of the two?

 

[Fred's Hens]

For those visiting the remote idea of the suggestion to breed out the bad traits in hatchery stock birds while breeding in the good.............. well now thank you all for giving me my first big hard belly laugh of the year. I think you would have a better chance finding a diamond in a goats A33, yeah that hard. As I am sure Walt will help attest to the fact that there are way too many factors involved for even a seasoned professional to try such a folly. But once again thanks for the laugh and BTW ya'll can pinch yourself and wake up from your dream now.

Yeeeep.

Here's teaching photo array, just to help educate. Photo number one is an average, perhaps, slightly below average, hatchery grade RIR. Your chances are pretty good, actually, of getting a few cockerels that look just like this.




You could "work" with this stock until you're 95 years old and quit and you're not likely to succeed in doing a whole lot.

Next, I will show my own cockerel, about the same age as the bird above. He's far, far from SOP, but he would not get DQ'd, and there is a possibility that with a few more years of work, we can save this old line. If we can? Great. It not? I'm done. I don't have decades to give to the project.





Finally, here's bird that only requires a faithful keeper. He's got it all working, shakin' and bakin'. I may just go ahead and get some eggs from the owner of this cockerel, because I don't have absolute confidence I can improve my own line. I want to get a start on a "no-miss" RIR line. Hope that makes sense, given my age.





Hopefully, these side by side kind of photos help people better understand what we're talking about. Blessings.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

For those visiting the remote idea of the suggestion to breed out the bad traits in hatchery stock birds while breeding in the good.............. well now thank you all for giving me my first big hard belly laugh of the year. I think you would have a better chance finding a diamond in a goats A33, yeah that hard. As I am sure Walt will help attest to the fact that there are way too many factors involved for even a seasoned professional to try such a folly. But once again thanks for the laugh and BTW ya'll can pinch yourself and wake up from your dream now.

Sooooooo ya' can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear? Or polish a t....rd?

 

[aussie pete]

I get the short breeding season thing with the trio's,my prob is I have to run my two breeds(BA /LS) in separate flocks ,as the dominant rooster of each breed try to fight even thru a fence .would be easier if i could run the 2 flocks together for most of the yr ,any suggestions?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Thanks, Fred. I'm looking around and am thinking these hatchery BRs are Cuckoo Marans, maybe? Or some variation of the two?

Not Marans, they aren't to blame. Large scale, flock breeding, for 30+ years, that's the culprit. Degradation has taken a horrid toll. You cannot just flock breed or colony breed for decades without the result being mediocrity that looks little to nothing like what the bird should look like. Also, the crossing with Dominiques have hurt both hatchery versions. Quality Doms are hard to come by. Dominique is supposed to have a slightly more cuckoo look.

 

[ronott1]

Breeding question...

I notice that most serious breeders offer breeding trios, being two pullets and once cockerel. But, all the "conventional wisdom" says that you need 8 or 10 females to each rooster. Will a young cockerel in this situation demand too much from two pullets? Should there be other females around to garner some of his attention?

I know you have gotten good answers on this!

I think you are wondering if a young Cockerel will hurt the hens if you them at such a small ratio.

He might but it depends on the Rooster. Some use saddles to protect the Hens. You can also keep them apart for most of the day(Fredshens might have said this. If so Sorry!)

Keep an eye on the condition of the hens and then pick one of the two solutions

 

[Beekissed]

I get the short breeding season thing with the trio's,my prob is I have to run my two breeds(BA /LS) in separate flocks ,as the dominant rooster of each breed try to fight even thru a fence .would be easier if i could run the 2 flocks together for most of the yr ,any suggestions?

I always let my roosters fight it out. Of course, if I had some valuable roosters I doubt I'd take the chance...but then again I might. No sissies allowed.



On that note....I'm in love. Catch me I'm falling!! Fred that last RIR cock is stunning...simply stunning. Take that one and the one that Al had of the WR and a person would need no other kind of bird...ever.