Cockerel housing

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

On the other end of the spectrum, I will be penning up 2 of my Missouri Dominique cockerels each in his own pen. Then another can still stay with hens.

Interesting! Thanks for telling me about your setup.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

What are your plans for all the cockerels that will be hatched?

Honestly, we plan on learning butchering for future unwanted cockerels. We had Marek’s disease diagnosed a few months ago (dealing with all of that set us back in getting this bachelor coop done), so we don’t plan to give away or sell birds. Although we know that our olive Eggers won’t be ideal meat birds, eating the cockerels seems the best course.

 

[bobbi-j]

Honestly, we plan on learning butchering for future unwanted cockerels. We had Marek’s disease diagnosed a few months ago (dealing with all of that set us back in getting this bachelor coop done), so we don’t plan to give away or sell birds. Although we know that our olive Eggers won’t be ideal meat birds, eating the cockerels seems the best course.

Sounds like a good plan to me. I hope for cockerels just so I have chicken to put in the freezer. Spent hens are either pressure canned or frozen and cooked in the pressure cooker.

 

[aart]

Although we know that our olive Eggers won’t be ideal meat birds, eating the cockerels seems the best course.

Eating OE cockerels by 14-16 weeks is fine and delicious on the grill.
What breeds are you using?
I'm using a Marans cock and Legbar pullets/hens.
Also did some back-crossing on a Wellie x EE OE......those were the biggest boys.

ETA: For individual pens 4x6 would be good...even better if they had a run also.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Eating OE cockerels by 14-16 weeks is fine and delicious on the grill.
What breeds are you using?
I'm using a Marans cock and Legbar pullets/hens.
Also did some back-crossing on a Wellie x EE OE......those were the biggest boys.

ETA: For individual pens 4x6 would be good...even better if they had a run also.

Same, cream legbar x black copper marans roo or they will be copper marans hen x Ameraucana. I think my daughter’s plan after that it to breed the Oliver egger back to copper marans for an attempt at avocado Eggers... I myself am curious whether Ameraucana x legbar would produce a bluer egg... Good to hear that your similar cross cockerels were good eating!

 

[aart]

Same, cream legbar x black copper marans roo or they will be copper marans hen x Ameraucana. I think my daughter’s plan after that it to breed the Oliver egger back to copper marans for an attempt at avocado Eggers... I myself am curious whether Ameraucana x legbar would produce a bluer egg... Good to hear that your similar cross cockerels were good eating!

'Male x female' is the correct nomenclature for a cross,
just to avoid confusion... and reduce typing

Do you have pure Ameraucana?
How strong a blue the eggs are depends on the line of birds.
Am a bit disappointing with my CL's blues, had better blue from an EE I had a couple years back. My Marans cock appears to be carrying good dark brown coating genes tho.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

'Male x female' is the correct nomenclature for a cross,
just to avoid confusion... and reduce typing

Do you have pure Ameraucana?
How strong a blue the eggs are depends on the line of birds.
Am a bit disappointing with my CL's blues, had better blue from an EE I had a couple years back. My Marans cock appears to be carrying good dark brown coating genes tho.

Our CL have only been laying for a few weeks. Their eggs started as a pale green but have become more pale blue. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but since inside of the egg color is robins egg blue and outside is slightly greenish, I think that they lay with a slight bloom coloring the blue. Here’s a pic of CL and BCM eggs (with tinted colored barnyard mix), laying for 2-4 weeks now. BCM egg has lightened a bit as compared to first laying. Yes, we have a pure, black Ameraucana cockerel but no pullets.

 

[aart]

That's pretty nice brown.
Many CL do have errant brown coating genes.

 

[centrarchid]

'Male x female' is the correct nomenclature for a cross,
just to avoid confusion... and reduce typing

Do you have pure Ameraucana?
How strong a blue the eggs are depends on the line of birds.
Am a bit disappointing with my CL's blues, had better blue from an EE I had a couple years back. My Marans cock appears to be carrying good dark brown coating genes tho.

Nomenclature varies depending on who you are publishing through. Most journals I work with have been using female x male unless specified otherwise early in document.

 

[aart]

Nomenclature varies depending on who you are publishing through. Most journals I work with have been using female x male unless specified otherwise early in document.

Well, I am not a publishing author in the science arena and male x female is pretty common here.