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

[Fred's Hens]

Jules, you don't need me to tell you that this bird should never be bred. You already know that.

 

[Pozees]

Good, easy reading. Most of the guidance has been discussed here by all of us. But there was one statement that jumped out at me. "When raising a bunch of cockerels, make note of the one that simply grows faster than the rest". Yup. Unless that top dog, fast growing, cockerel has sober faults you just cannot live with, that is a good piece of advice. That boy has vigor! He's obviously got fast growing genes. Likely, he's got a gut system that processes feed better and turns it into muscle and skeletal growth. Same with the pullets. Make note of the runts. Do not breed them, unless for some reason, you need to pull your birds back down in size for some reason. Vigor and feed conversion can be and should be noted by the flock keeper. Breed for it, especially in your utility flock ventures.

Great advice, thank you!

 

[galanie]

No more than a wild bird could...I'm not of the belief in wild birds "giving" anything to chickens that free range.  Last I checked my flocks didn't sit around rubbing blue birds all over their bodies, so this contact with the wild birds thingy is beyond my powers of comprehension.  This bird will only be contributing feces into your coop environment and, with a proper DL system, this shouldn't be a problem at all.  If your flock's immune system is what it should be, it shouldn't make any difference.  Check it over for mites and general healthy appearances and....

I'd say "Go for it!" 

 

Ok that gave me a big belly laugh! so much common sense in one sentence as well!

 

[capayvalleychick]

Since the tight, dizzying, zebra stripes of the true bred Barred Rocks require a slow process of stop and start feathering, thus giving them that look, there's no way you gonna make a 280+ egg layer out of a true, heritage, Barred Rock. Some things will get compromised.

Which is why I breed healthy, 300 egg type, productive, utility stock on one hand and heritage fowl on the other. I enjoy both. The just aren't the same.

Why? Once you had type, couldn't you start selecting for laying ability?

Next question, with the utility layers, do they continue to lay 300 eggs per year for more than a year or two?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Why? Once you had type, couldn't you start selecting for laying ability?

There is simply no genetics for high laying ability. The laying is related to the feathering and the feathering is what makes these heritage ringlet BRs what they are. If you mess with that, in some mis-guided attempt to get better and better laying, you'll mess up their feathering. This is precisely why a hatchery "Barred Rock" can lay 280+ egg per year, but is typically muddied and cuckoo in barring, crossed with Doms and half the physical size of a heritage Barred Rock. The heritage BR and the hatchery BR simply are not the same bird. Pretty likely that the BR that great, great grandma had did not lay more than 200 eggs per year. With all the Leghorn blood flowing everywhere, a zillion kinds of commercial sexlinks and crosses out there, we've all come to think of all hens as being capable of 300 eggs per year. The old breeds simply were not. They were dual purpose and long living birds. Wonder what great grandma would have thought of the CX birds?


Next question, with the utility layers, do they continue to lay 300 eggs per year for more than a year or two?

Nope, not likely. Laying drops big time the third year out, although, some continue to do around 240 eggs for 4 or 5 years, but those are not the typical results. Those are extraordinary birds with long life genes, and you want to breed them and gather their 4th and 5th year eggs!!! You'd rather hatch from younger hens, but you won't know you've got a long liver until year 4.

 

[Beekissed]

Jules, you don't need me to tell you that this bird should never be bred. You already know that.

Yep, I know that. I've got another that is almost good, very pretty and a layer but I'll be making some decisions on her in the spring as well...the tail is all wrong and I can see a direct correlation between that tail and other pelvic structures that I do not like.

Here's a pic of her...very lovely feathering, great bird...but the vent is just not structured right and has a tendency to have problems. She also has an immune system deficiency, IMO.

 

[unkadan]

dragonlady and Fred, thanks for the detailed replies, much appreciated

As a market farmer now venturing into the "fresh egg" market I do have some BSL's that are machines when it comes to laying abilities. I am however also geared to sustainability here at the farm and want to make some good choices for my future breeding endeavors.

One breed I am investigating is the Chantecler, I am in an extremely cold spot in far NE WI, usually see -30º nights and often see stretches of below zero weather, I have been in contact with some breeders and am leaning towards this variety for a true dual purpose bird that will make my life simpler in the cold. Another bird that can produce 220+ eggs/yr and excellent table fair.

Dan B

 

[just me]

Bee, a quick question about the brooder you've described using hay bales and plywood....do you think this would work in an "run" (my existing flock hardly uses it since they free range)?? Just some of my thoughts:

1.) The area would have some poo from my existing flock, giving them a start with the immunities

2.) The existing flock and the chicks would be able to "see" and "hear" one another from the get-go

3.) After the chicks got a couple of weeks old, I would have to fix a "door" small enough for the chicks to get and not be followed by the existing flock

4.) As it would be ground level, how would I protect them from running water from a downpour? (I'm just thinking about doing this next spring and/or summer).

5) It would be easy to "expand" as the chicks grow (just add more hay bales, and such).

6.) As the existing run is attached to the coop, it may be easier to "train" them to the coop once they're big enough to go in with the existing flock.

Guess my quick question isn't a quick question afterall!! I'm just trying to get my thoughts together as to how I can brood and introduce until I find which birds I feel most comfortable with keeping. Since I'll be using hatchery stock, I'll probably be brooding and culling a LOT of chicks!!


Edited because I ALWAYS find spelling or grammer errors AFTER I hit the submit button!!

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, a quick question about the brooder you've described using hay bales and plywood....do you think this would work in an "run" (my existing flock hardly uses it since they free range)?? Just some of my thoughts:

1.) The area would have some poo from my existing flock, giving them a start with the immunities

2.) The existing flock and the chicks would be able to "see" and "hear" one another from the get-go

3.) After the chicks got a couple of weeks old, I would have to fix a "door" small enough for the chicks to get and not be followed by the existing flock

4.) As it would be ground level, how would I protect them from running water from a downpour? (I'm just thinking about doing this next spring and/or summer). I would say that you could divert any running water away from the brooder with those handy black strips one places around flower beds...we have found they work wonders for diverting runoff from places we would rather it not be.

5) It would be easy to "expand" as the chicks grow (just add more hay bales, and such).

6.) As the existing run is attached to the coop, it may be easier to "train" them to the coop once they're big enough to go in with the existing flock.

Guess my quick question isn't a quick question afterall!! I'm just trying to get my thoughts together as to how I can brood and introduce until I find the which birds I feel most comfortable with keeping. Since I'll be using hatchery stock, I'll probably be brooding and culling a LOT of chicks!!

It sounds like a great plan to me! I'll be doing something similar in the spring. If I don't have a broody available, any chicks I get in the mail will be brooded right in the coop in a hay bale bunker with the plywood topper. The older birds will be able to walk on the lid if they so desire, so won't lose any floor space but they won't be able to get into the chicks.

 

[just me]

Well, now....it just so happens I have some of those plastic things in the basement. I got them really cheap at a yard sale, and they've been just sitting there waiting for me to figure out what I want to do with them!! Thanks for that little tip!!