Considerations while breeding barnyard mix?

[K813ZRA]

So I just made another order but this time around I decided that I also wanted an incubator so that I can give hatching my own birds a go! That makes me wonder about a few things. I have seen threads in the past talking about breeding for production and or breeding for standard. Both camps talking about the pros and cons. Well, breeding mutts does not give me much of a choice but to breed for production, or does it? Or what does that really even mean?

I guess what I want to know is this. What should one consider when breeding his own backyard mutts? Would broodiness, friendliness and ability to forage well be good considerations? I suppose I could just pick up any random eggs from my box and hatch those...but idk I just have some birds that I like better than others for a multitude of reasons and normally that has little to nothing to do with the breed itself.

Example, I have a few friendly Orpingtons that are large and are very, very good foragers but most of my Orpingtons are poor foragers. So I could just go ahead and try to breed her to a roo that I like equally well? Now, this is just one example. I have a number of chickens like this but all are different breeds and the roo itself is a different breed. Well, I have two roos atm but one is a bantam. Though I am sure he could get the job done. My mother has a few roosters that I can 'borrow'.

Long story short. I would like some suggestions on how to decide which eggs I should hatch. Rather eggs from which hens!

Oh and really I am not interested in the breeding itself so much as I am simply refreshing my hens without having to order from a hatchery every 2-3 years. But you never know, that interest might pop up along the way.

PS: This is the closest section I could find for this thread. I know it is not breeding to the standard but it is breeding nonetheless. I apologize if the standard breed or some other section would have been more appropriate.

Thanks

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hey!

Production means how many eggs they can lay. But to me this doesn't only mean quantity but also size. A lady who lays 3 jumbo eggs is easily on par with one who lays 4 medium in my books. Heavier gals tend be on the heavier side of the feed bill. So essentially how many eggs verses how much feed, yes you can breed for that by selecting the girls who lay the "most" efficiently. Even among the same breed not all will be equal.

Absolutely select from the bird you like the most. Attitude breeds forward, I can attest. This is a decision you will NOT regret.

Also select for vigor. From birds that are hardy and haven't been ill. Health is key to me. Strong immune systems will fight of disease and parasites better. Better foraging is great, if that's what your able to do. I like the birds that stay out last as far as that quality goes. We also like to have a good growth rate and carcass size for the extra cockerels as they go to freezer camp. That would be a slight plus for the Orps, though they grow a little slower than preferred. I would sell of the poor forages if they still have any laying left in them (and there's still enough ladies to spread the lovin too), and hatch from the others. And unless you have a solid plan for the boys, I don't recommend hatching at all.

Breeding to a bantam will diminish the size of some of the offspring, though I don't know if all. That would be a minus for me, and I would only choose to breed with other bantams. But we all have different goals.

Slight broodiness is OK in my book, extreme is NOT. Once or MAYBE twice per year, I mean then you can get your next gen hatched and raised for you (thought they won't be as friendly). But I have definitely sold ladies that were just too broody for my purpose. I mean wanting to hatch and raise back to back to back chicks after laying for less than two week in the middle. If I let them set and raise chicks, I loose at least 8-12 weeks worth of eggs from that hen. There are trade offs of course... but I can only support so much expansion per year and don't really care for having girls in the broody breaker for a week every single month! So sometimes they have got to go.

I refresh a portion of my hens, EVERY year. Those are usually the ladies that have finished their second molt and began laying again (maybe even for a couple months already, say March/April) and will still give a couple good seasons (this one before they molt again) or more to their next keeper. I sell them for $20 each, age disclosed. The new pullets lay through the winter while the older ladies molt, if you started early enough in the year. No decrease in eggs.

You may find your needs changing from year to year, also. Always a fun adventure!

 

[K813ZRA]

Thanks for the tips. I would likely not sell the birds but put them in the stock/soup pot like I have in the past with extra roosters that came straight run. I have done a few meat bird orders so I am used to that.

Yeah, the one full size rooster I have because I like him and kept him. I had three BO roos but they were very hen aggressive. Not people aggressive but they were just hard on the birds here. I culled them one by one but still did not become fond of any of them. Same with my EE's and my RIR's. However, I have one Black Australorp rooster that we kept that my wife calls 'El Cabllero'. He is going on three years old now and is good with the hens, good at warning of threats and does not try to charge me. I think I like him well enough.

I have done another order of straight run standard fowl plus a few intentional roosters and hens this year too so I will see how that goes. It will take awhile, a long while before they are ready I suppose. Roosters seem to change in personality a few times as they mature. I had one that I thought was friendly turn evil at a little over a year old!

Again, thank you. I will look into egg size and quality as well as how well the birds lay and weigh that with their personalities. If they are friendly and how well they forage, for example.

Would an example of something to avoid be birds that lay misshapen eggs? I read about why these things occur and I assume it is something you do not want to pass on genetically.

 

[lazy gardener]

Producing your "own brand" of back yard mix chickens should be practiced more often. The sky is the limit in terms of what priorities you choose for YOUR flock.

My flock: must have small combs, non feathered feet, produce a colorful egg basket, not human aggressive, and play well with others! In the process of working toward those goals, I have also added birds that will produce sex linked chicks, at least in the first generation. As I breed forward, I remove any birds that have attitude, produce thin shelled eggs, or eggs with other undesirable qualities. I also remove any birds with structural defects. Wry tails, oddly shaped combs.

When it's time to set eggs, I choose the best of the best eggs. Simply choosing the best eggs is an excellent way to breed forward for future generations that are an improvement on past generations. Also, choosing eggs from hens in second season is a good idea: those eggs are bigger, thus bigger chicks. And a second season egg gives you a chance to see if the hen has what it takes to "stay in the egg game" long term, and produce a quality product over time.

An other priority for me is to look forward 2 - 3 years down the road. Where do I want to be in terms of my flock genetics then? My last roo was an EE. (see avatar) He infused blue egg genes into my flock, while producing wonderful green egg laying black sex links. This spring, my replacement roo is a big gorgeous Buck Eye. No blue egg genes from him, but he will produce great black sex links, and red sex links, and more Buck Eyes. The blue egg influence should last a few generations. But, as it starts to wane, I'll most likely be replacing that Buck Eye with an Ameraucana or an other EE.

Finally, what will sell well in your market area? Including eggs, chicks, and adult birds. That's why I focus on producing EE and sex links. I also think that Buck Eye chicks will sell well here.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Ya, an accidental misshaped egg now or then might not be a big deal but definitely not ideal on a regular basis.

Of, you've got some experience... you've totally got this!

Takes a good boy to be welcome that long. Should put out decent table birds and egg production... with good attitude to boot.

I like the growth rate on my Marans a lot. Attitudes are good, but not my version of "friendly". Good flock member too.

That being said about the bantams... I breed Silkies... We still eat out extra cockerels. I just wouldn't breed it into my large fowl.

And yes, I agree and have seen the boys go through MANY maturation phases well past a year old. Makes it really hard to select those who will truly be staying. I do feel a bit of ease by the time they make it there. Just NOT enough to be unaware of it as a possibility, even though I don't "fear" attack, even from the stupid (bleeps) that are on their way to freezer camp.

 

[BantyChooks]

Everyone here already got it all. You sound like you have a great plan.

One other consideration for me was birds with moderately hard and sturdy feathering. I don't need hens that lose all the feathers off their back if a rooster so much as looks at them in a flirty manner. While some of that can definitely be the rooster's fault, I believe that some of that depends on hen feathering. I have some hens now that are favourites but they have no feather loss.

 

[K813ZRA]

Wow, I don't know where to begin other than saying thank you to all of you. That is a lot of information to tackle.

I will start with 'what sells'. I live in a farm area so not a lot sells to many people. Eggs are hard enough to sell but I do still sell around 14 dozen a week in peak season. Cheaply at $2 /dozen. But this leaves me with many eggs for myself too! As for selling the birds themselves, I have never given that much thought. More along the lines of stewing my culls. I like stew...However if I had to say what sells around here it would be a mix but the EE's are what are very popular.

I have some more roos in my current order, like I said, and we shall see how they grow up. I hope well enough. I ordered a few Blue Ameraucanas, 5 female and 2 male. I also got some welsummer and Leghorns to keep with them so the roo does not overwork them, so to speak. Plus I figured that could net me some home breed EE's and OE's. But that was a side though to simply sustaining my flock, well, for eggs and fun I guess...I just like chickens.

Anyway, it is overwhelming. I have no idea which way I am actually going to go but I ordered more birds because I wanted to have options, lol. Every little suggestion helps a lot!

I will say that the suggestion of simply picking the best looking eggs to hatch totally makes sense too. I am sure there is more to it than that but I guess in this case there is some merit to judging the book by its cover!

Okay, okay I am all over the place. Time to regroup and think some more!

 

[BantyChooks]

Anyway, it is overwhelming. I have no idea which way I am actually going to go but I ordered more birds because I wanted to have options, lol. Every little suggestion helps a lot!

Trying out different breed combos is a good idea. I went through 20 breeds (more if you count varieties and different crosses of mutts) before I found the birds I couldn't get enough of.

 

[K813ZRA]

Trying out different breed combos is a good idea. I went through 20 breeds (more if you count varieties and different crosses of mutts) before I found the birds I couldn't get enough of.

That is quite a few! I have six breeds now and four more known breeds on order. I have no idea what I might get as an 'extra'chick. Normally me experience is that you get one of the breeds that you ordered as a packing peanut but not always!

What you say sounds like me and kitchen knives...I have a thing for Japanese kitchen knives and have gone through about 100 of them on my search for the perfect one. Maybe chickens will be the same way. I hope so.

 

[BantyChooks]

That is quite a few! I have six breeds now and four more known breeds on order. I have no idea what I might get as an 'extra'chick. Normally me experience is that you get one of the breeds that you ordered as a packing peanut but not always!

What you say sounds like me and kitchen knives...I have a thing for Japanese kitchen knives and have gone through about 100 of them on my search for the perfect one. Maybe chickens will be the same way. I hope so.

That's quite a pile! Yes, I've had a pretty high bird turnaround (~200 in 4 years) but I think I am finally ready to settle down with two breeds.