Colorado

[wsmith]

I am now rethinking some of my breeder pullet options, now that it looks like Abraham (aka Mr, Pig) may end up being over SoP weight. Unless I can put hiom on a treadmill and a diet....... If he is overweight by March, I will go with a couple of smaller pullets so the offspring is smaller. Of course, those big meaty Dom roosters are SOOOOOO yummy......

I think Abraham is perfect, and who knows he may be what the earlier birds actually were size wise. I would think they wanted them bigger for eating. I am really starting to have a problem with the show standards, if it is anything like the horse showing, the show people are ruining the horse breed by breeding good traits out, and "show" aka non usable traits in. Whew, thanks for letting me vent on that! lol

LOL. We all have to vent occasionally...

One of the problems that has been indentified, is that Dom breeders were ignoring the weight standards, and going just for body type. They were also ignoring rates of lay, eggs size, etc. Back at the beginning of the SoP, the APA increased the standard weight of the Dom Rooster to be 8 1/2 lbs., which brough an outcry from the old time breeders of American Dominiques. They said that the breed never usually got above 8 lbs in the old fashioned birds, so the APA put the wieght back to 7 1/2 lbs for Roosters. That being said, someone who is showing can go 20% over the standard weight without being DQ'd. So Abe could technically get as big as 9 lbs without issue, but I would rather keep his sons a little smaller. The hatchery birds we have are on the small end of the scale, so combining the lines should get us larger pullets and slightly smaller Roosters.....

 

[suncatcher]

Lol just pm'd her about the same thing

Cool! I did a quick yahoo search since I have never heard of this, and seems you can use any kind of chicken breed. I have no idea how to use the multi quote thing yet. Sorry for all the posts!

 

[suncatcher]

LOL. We all have to vent occasionally...

One of the problems that has been indentified, is that Dom breeders were ignoring the weight standards, and going just for body type. They were also ignoring rates of lay, eggs size, etc. Back at the beginning of the SoP, the APA increased the standard weight of the Dom Rooster to be 8 1/2 lbs., which brough an outcry from the old time breeders of American Dominiques. They said that the breed never usually got above 8 lbs in the old fashioned birds, so the APA put the wieght back to 7 1/2 lbs for Roosters. That being said, someone who is showing can go 20% over the standard weight without being DQ'd. So Abe could technically get as big as 9 lbs without issue, but I would rather keep his sons a little smaller. The hatchery birds we have are on the small end of the scale, so combining the lines should get us larger pullets and slightly smaller Roosters.....

Ah, thanks for that info. I think he is perfect. Will be interesting to see how his sons turn out! ;-)

 

[coloradogal]

What are you using in your landrace flock? I had never heard of this.......but sounds intriguing!

Don't worry about many posts. I get excited when I have something to read.

A landrace flock is a flock that is bred among itself for a very long time that is suited for that area. So a landrace flock up here would be suited for the elevation, the hot/dry summers, the bitter cold winters, hardier feet to deal with the crappy no grass fields and hopefully have the desire to breed their babies bred back into them. The reason I want the silkies is to hopefully get that desire back in. I haven't had any of my hens desire to ever go broody. For me, that is important. I also want mine to be somewhat cautious when it comes to hawks. I think most of mine are as I have found when the hawks are out, they tend to duck for cover.

I suspect eventually my eggs will be olive colored as I have chosen mostly marans and ee's/colloncas for breeding stock. I love the production style birds but feel that in a farm situation where there is not much of a chance for commercial food, they would not last long. They have been bred to be egg machines and often burn themselves out at an earlier age. So far, most of mine do very well foraging, which I like although my yard doesn't.

I wish I had a good site to explain landrace but the word isn't that common in the lexicology.

I have some breeds that just don't do as well here as others. I would say my frizzles and silkies need the most care but I suspect Shys silkies would thrive out here as hers were born here. When it comes time to add more silkies to my flock, I'll go to her as her babies were born here.

Personally, the birds I've bought locally have by far been hardier than any of the hatchery ones. I don't know for sure if the Doms I got from Wendell were hatchery or born but I know my marans and EEs have been awesome.

 

[wsmith]

Personally, the birds I've bought locally have by far been hardier than any of the hatchery ones. I don't know for sure if the Doms I got from Wendell were hatchery or born but I know my marans and EEs have been awesome.

The Doms you got from me were from a hatchery. That will be the one and only time I will buy form a hatchery. The only reason we did it this time was to get the lay rate back up.

 

[suncatcher]

Don't worry about many posts. I get excited when I have something to read.

A landrace flock is a flock that is bred among itself for a very long time that is suited for that area. So a landrace flock up here would be suited for the elevation, the hot/dry summers, the bitter cold winters, hardier feet to deal with the crappy no grass fields and hopefully have the desire to breed their babies bred back into them. The reason I want the silkies is to hopefully get that desire back in. I haven't had any of my hens desire to ever go broody. For me, that is important. I also want mine to be somewhat cautious when it comes to hawks. I think most of mine are as I have found when the hawks are out, they tend to duck for cover.

I suspect eventually my eggs will be olive colored as I have chosen mostly marans and ee's/colloncas for breeding stock. I love the production style birds but feel that in a farm situation where there is not much of a chance for commercial food, they would not last long. They have been bred to be egg machines and often burn themselves out at an earlier age. So far, most of mine do very well foraging, which I like although my yard doesn't.

I wish I had a good site to explain landrace but the word isn't that common in the lexicology.

I have some breeds that just don't do as well here as others. I would say my frizzles and silkies need the most care but I suspect Shys silkies would thrive out here as hers were born here. When it comes time to add more silkies to my flock, I'll go to her as her babies were born here.

Personally, the birds I've bought locally have by far been hardier than any of the hatchery ones. I don't know for sure if the Doms I got from Wendell were hatchery or born but I know my marans and EEs have been awesome.

Out of my girls here, my Lakenvelder is the one who goes broody the most, also she is very savy when it come to out running foxes, dogs, etc. She is my sole survivor of my orginal flock, and she knows when to high tail it to the shed! Even looks out for hawks, and runs. I have heard that they don't do well at this altitude, but she is going on three years, and seems ok.

 

[coloradogal]

The Doms you got from me were from a hatchery. That will be the one and only time I will buy form a hatchery. The only reason we did it this time was to get the lay rate back up.

thanks. so far, their lay rate has been consistent. i believe they are the ones laying the pinkish eggs until the bloom comes off when they go brown.

Out of my girls here, my Lakenvelder is the one who goes broody the most, also she is very savy when it come to out running foxes, dogs, etc. She is my sole survivor of my orginal flock, and she knows when to high tail it to the shed! Even looks out for hawks, and runs. I have heard that they don't do well at this altitude, but she is going on three years, and seems ok.

If she is laying well... I'd use her to have babies because then you are breeding for longevity. I'm not to that point yet as my flock isn't that old. I'd rather have a hen lay consistant but maybe every other day but lay for a long time than i would to get an egg a day and burn out after 2 years.

 

[suncatcher]

thanks. so far, their lay rate has been consistent. i believe they are the ones laying the pinkish eggs until the bloom comes off when they go brown.


If she is laying well... I'd use her to have babies because then you are breeding for longevity. I'm not to that point yet as my flock isn't that old. I'd rather have a hen lay consistant but maybe every other day but lay for a long time than i would to get an egg a day and burn out after 2 years.

She is not laying right now, stopped in late October, I hope she picks up again, but she is a hatchery chick so who knows........ She does like to hide her eggs, which is odd, if you find were she is laying, and remove them, she goes sonewhere else to lay her eggs.

 

[AlivianAcres]

Final prep for My first lockdown...temps are at 100...humidity at 83% is that too high?

 

[coloradogal]

Final prep for My first lockdown...temps are at 100...humidity at 83% is that too high?

I would bring it down a little if you can. That seems a little high at the beginning of lockdown. I try to keep it at no higher than maybe 75 during lockdown.