Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Newyorkrita]

I get the Deer Run Farm e-mail newsletter. They have stopping hatching for the winter and hatches will start up again in Spring. So the good part of the newsletter is that if one orders on November 1st for Spring newsletter said you get 35% off. For that one day of ordering only.

 

[jolenesdad]

Week 7
Toddler, home listing, hawks have gotten the best of me, and I missed a week. I also missed the individual weigh-ins for each bird, and I decided who cares, I'll do that closer to processing.

I weighed and averaged the largest of the boys and girls, because that's all I am going to keep to work with and select from anyway. There are about 1/3 of the Delawares that are pretty small. See overhead pics below for comparison.

Delaware Males - 1 lb 10 ounces
Delaware Females - 1lb 5 ounces

Imperial Male - 3 lb 8 ounces
Imperial Female - 2 lb 10 ounces

Photos:
Delaware Male

Delaware Female

Imperial Male

Imperial Female

--------------

Welp. I keep losing birds. Hawks first. But I was able to keep them in for long enough and create some more spaces for hiding throughout the areas they go that I haven't lost any for 2 weeks. But I lost two imperials that got stuck in something I made for enrichment in their pen. I lost one male Imperial to the very first broiler sudden flip/heart attack I have ever had. I have to cull a male Imperial for slipped tendons tomorrow. I thought maybe it was a deficiency but today don't believe so. I also lost the imperial to shipping stress and have one in a separate pin with younger chicks because of its issues after ship.

Overall, slightly disappointed that I am experiencing so many issues with the broiler from these Specialty broilers that is supposed to be the most heritage of all. Still, I don't really have a large enough of a sample size to draw large conclusions from.

Aside from those issues, the remaining Imperials are pretty awesome birds. For broilers, they're growing at a rate that I like. For sure surpassing the Delawares in every way, but, not growing at quite a break-neck speed like most meat birds. They're very active and range-y. They do often rest sitting down, but, they do not do the typical meat bird plop right in the middle of activity.

At this point with the Royal Reds I had over the summer, I was nervous they would be too large and borderline uncomfortable at 12 weeks. I have no worries the imperials will make it and be thriving at 13 weeks for processing this round.

The Delawares are FABULOUS. I have a hard time imagining they are going to get to much of a respectable weight by 13 weeks, maybe 16 or so? The next few weeks will be interesting. They have personality for days, are incredibly active and full of vigor. I just really, thoroughly enjoy them and my time with them. They may be too underfoot for many, but I really enjoy their curiosity. They're highly food motivated and all I have to do is pickup the feed and keep it up for a half an hour and refill it and they all run back into their coop.

While I didn't weigh and update, I do have multiple photos throughout the last two weeks to show. :0)

First, I'm including the Oregon line cockerel. People say delawares from this line really fill out after 20 weeks and WOW, look at the change in him in the last couple of weeks since I posted him before.

 

[aart]

home listing

You're moving?

 

[jolenesdad]

I felt like I mentioned that but maybe it was elsewhere. Yes, we are moving! Im limited at this property in any type of commercial farming. Looking for more acreage than we have now where I could scale up as needed to a larger operation of raising chickens for meat. This current batch of meat chickens is my last before listing the house. I need to convert part of the horse barn by the house back to a horse barn.

Pesky potential buyers and stuff probably would rather see a wash stall than a grow out coop.

Oh... I remember. I didn't mention it, but was going to. What does anyone think about changing my name on here to our new farm name? Are name changes confusing?

 

[aart]

Oh... I remember. I didn't mention it, but was going to. What does anyone think about changing my name on here to our new farm name? Are name changes confusing?

You know I think you may have mentioned it at one time...or my CRS is remembering things that never were said/written

Changing screen names could be confusing, but you're a premium member so could add 'formerly jolenesdad' in the title field where it now says crowing.

 

[Molpet]

I felt like I mentioned that but maybe it was elsewhere. Yes, we are moving! Im limited at this property in any type of commercial farming. Looking for more acreage than we have now where I could scale up as needed to a larger operation of raising chickens for meat. This current batch of meat chickens is my last before listing the house. I need to convert part of the horse barn by the house back to a horse barn.

Pesky potential buyers and stuff probably would rather see a wash stall than a grow out coop.

Oh... I remember. I didn't mention it, but was going to. What does anyone think about changing my name on here to our new farm name? Are name changes confusing?

Ha I get confused when people change avatars.
Putting the former name works great
Before long we are used to the new

 

[RUNuts]

I felt like I mentioned that but maybe it was elsewhere. Yes, we are moving! Im limited at this property in any type of commercial farming. Looking for more acreage than we have now where I could scale up as needed to a larger operation of raising chickens for meat. This current batch of meat chickens is my last before listing the house. I need to convert part of the horse barn by the house back to a horse barn.

Pesky potential buyers and stuff probably would rather see a wash stall than a grow out coop.

Oh... I remember. I didn't mention it, but was going to. What does anyone think about changing my name on here to our new farm name? Are name changes confusing?

Keep the same picture? Name changes and avatar changes keep people on their toes.

Chickens looking good. Are the Delaware cockerels crowing yet? The single mixed breed cockerel stretched his vocal cords for me this morning. Close to 16 weeks and just hit his growth spurt. If he finds his voice, gumbo time. The pullets from the same rooster are considerably smaller. Got 5 pullet eggs from 12 pullets yesterday. Cute petite brown eggs. They are closer to 20 weeks old.

 

[Morrigan]

The chickens look great!

I'm very impressed with how fast my 4 "speciality" broilers have grown. They 2 1/2 weeks old, and I just moved them out of the brooder and into the coop.

Have you noticed with your Imperials that the males tend to be a bit darker in their feathering? I'm pretty sure I have 2 roos and 2 girls based on comb size, and I noticed the both the roos seem a bit darker. It looks from you first picture that you too seems a bit darker in the feathers as well.

 

[jolenesdad]

You know I think you may have mentioned it at one time...or my CRS is remembering things that never were said/written

Changing screen names could be confusing, but you're a premium member so could add 'formerly jolenesdad' in the title field where it now says crowing.

I’ll keep it and make a signature and change crowing to the farm name.

Keep the same picture? Name changes and avatar changes keep people on their toes.

Chickens looking good. Are the Delaware cockerels crowing yet? The single mixed breed cockerel stretched his vocal cords for me this morning. Close to 16 weeks and just hit his growth spurt. If he finds his voice, gumbo time. The pullets from the same rooster are considerably smaller. Got 5 pullet eggs from 12 pullets yesterday. Cute petite brown eggs. They are closer to 20 weeks old.

The 24 or 26 week old cockerel doesn’t crow. I heard the slightest attempt once a week ago. So. Strange. He mates only the most submissive meat bird and pullet. So interesting, that one. Probably going to freezer camp because I have so many growing out I love, and, he is fairly terrified of me. I’m worried it’s not a good respectful kind of thing but a true terror that probably isn’t safe around kids when he gets more hormones...

The chickens look great!

I'm very impressed with how fast my 4 "speciality" broilers have grown. They 2 1/2 weeks old, and I just moved them out of the brooder and into the coop.

Have you noticed with your Imperials that the males tend to be a bit darker in their feathering? I'm pretty sure I have 2 roos and 2 girls based on comb size, and I noticed the both the roos seem a bit darker. It looks from you first picture that you too seems a bit darker in the feathers as well.

I’m not 100% on the color, but I think it was a range of colors and after the first molt they were super uniform in color. Like I had several chicks I remember from the Royals that were barred but by processing they were solid red. On my royals I had 25 males and 1 female. My imperials I had 20 females and 3 males, so I don’t have much to compare side by side! I would say that combs have always told very clearly within 3-4 weeks and at around the same time, the tails. From the get go the male tails come out longer and pointier than females.

 

[jolenesdad]

Keep the same picture? Name changes and avatar changes keep people on their toes.

Chickens looking good. Are the Delaware cockerels crowing yet? The single mixed breed cockerel stretched his vocal cords for me this morning. Close to 16 weeks and just hit his growth spurt. If he finds his voice, gumbo time. The pullets from the same rooster are considerably smaller. Got 5 pullet eggs from 12 pullets yesterday. Cute petite brown eggs. They are closer to 20 weeks old.

lol I forgot the best update. There’s one particular Delaware that is mounting the imperial broilers. And he has it all the way down, too.

none of them crowing yet. The breeder said most of her Delawares crow around 20-22 weeks.