Crossbreeding dual purpose breeds for sustainable flock

[HomesteadNowhere]

I'm still not sure what breeds they are so I'm still writing my notes based on what they look like. My breed guess after list. Weights in grams, taken 4/14.

Red/buff? (some red/buff wings, some darker pattern wings)- 158, 172, 172, 222, 227

Black, white spot on head- 66, 84, 96, 100 (barred rock)

Buff?- 67, 68, 71, 80, 87, 89 (buff orp, buff rock, red star)

Chipmunk, white belly- 64, 70, 75, 82, 94 (sussex)

Chipmunk, tan belly- 62 (dk cornish)

Black (differing coloring and wing colors)- 51, 56, 69, 75 (columbian wyandotte, blk star, blk giant)

White- 49, 62, 64, 70, 82, 88 (delaware)

Brahma (fuzzy legs)- 39, 45, 46, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, 55, 58, 58, 58

I was going to weigh the FR today as well but didn't happen. Hope to do them tomorrow.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

It's brooder madness here. The weather decides to be summer, then we get a day of winter, and back to early spring for a week. The meat birds have no heat on them, they are doing fine at room temperature. The mixed birds are feathering well and I have the light way up for them. I'll be turning the light off and checking to see if the smaller ones are becoming cold or not. They seem good though.

FR weights today. Low- 13.1oz. High 1# 2.5oz. Average 15.4oz. They are doing good with the restricted feeding. I'm looking forward to getting them the heck outside and being less restrictive in the feeding. All 26 still here.

Mixed birds, weighed yesterday. Total 45.
White (delaware)- 4.2 to 6.8oz (six birds)
Barred rock- 4.3 to 6.8oz (six birds)
Brahmas- 3.5 to 5.3oz (thirteen birds)
Sussex (and maybe a dark cornish)- 5 to 6.7oz (six birds)
Buff- 5.1 to 6.8oz (five birds)
Black (?)- 4.7oz (one bird)
Blk/white (?)- 3.6 and 6.4oz (two birds)
"big reds" (?)- 13oz to 1#3oz (six birds)

The brahmas were pullets from TSC so those should all be hens. The rest I have no idea if I've ended up with mostly hens or mostly roos with the whole fiasco the weekend they arrived. We shall see.

TSC has chicks 50cents each and RK had a huge order just in so the previous chicks went to dollar sale. I'm dying to get these birds outside. If the darn weather would make up it's mind! I'm going to build a brooder to go on the porch. This inside brooding is a mess.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

The freedom rangers have smaller comb/larger comb and shorter tail/bigger tail. Is the smaller comb/tail birds the hens and the bigger comb/tail the cockerels?

 

[NatJ]

The freedom rangers have smaller comb/larger comb and shorter tail/bigger tail. Is the smaller comb/tail birds the hens and the bigger comb/tail the cockerels?

The combs probably indicate gender, especially if the big ones are more red and the small ones are lighter colored.

I don't remember how old they are, but I would go by the combs, not the tails. Chicks of either gender can grow their tails faster or slower, although of course the males will have bigger tails by the time they are fully mature.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

I need to get pics of them. See if yall can help me start deciding who is male/female. And a few to check breed.

I got them moved outside but temporary shelter. Had some more losses but I think they were just not as hardy and some dummies who wouldn't stay under the shelter.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Some video clips of the flock. Trying to guess breeds so I know, now that they are looking like real chickens lol. And m/f to see if I'm going to need to buy another chest freezer for butchering. (yikes)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3qarZJB9H/

This one I tried to get more close up but they were all jumbling together at the water, but it's the best place to get close ups of them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3uZvfpd-c/

My guesses of breeds:
white- delaware
black mottled neck- columbian wyandotte
dark brown and barred- partridge rock
buff- buff orp/rock?
big reds- new hampshire? RIR seem darker and these blend right in with the FR, then the one pretty mottled one.

To compound my frustrations of the never ending feed bill for them, I'm also still waiting for the lumber to build the actual chickshaw for them to be in. At the least for the pullets and select roos, then I can more efficiently feed them aside from the meaties and roos to be processed. So that's been great. Luckily they seem to be doing well enough with this shelter. I can't move them until I have the chickshaw built to contain them to reset the netting.

 

[NatJ]

I'm seeing some Delawares (mostly white, but a bit of black at the neck and tail: they are Columbian pattern with white barring added, and have single combs and clean legs.)

I'm also seeing some Barred Rocks, and one that's either Light Brahma or Columbian Wyandotte (I cannot see the comb and legs well enough to tell which. Brahma would have pea comb and feathered legs, Wyandotte would have rose comb and clean legs.)

I see a bunch of gold/red ones. Red with black tails could be Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, or maybe Production Reds. Buff is a lighter shade of gold, without black tails. Orpingtons have white legs, Rocks have yellow legs.

The dark brown ones I cannot see well enough to tell much.

Based on combs, I'm seeing some males and some females. I can't tell if any of the males have pointed saddle feathers growing in front of their tails yet, but those are a clear proof of being male if they appear.

For sorting by gender, it might be easiest to just take three pens or boxes or dog crates or something, and start putting chickens in. Put males in one, females in another, and maybes in a third. Sometimes the maybes become clear when you have them separated out from the rest, or else you can post photos of them individually to get some help.

I see why you're having trouble sorting them out, when they all clump up that way!

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

I'm seeing some Delawares (mostly white, but a bit of black at the neck and tail: they are Columbian pattern with white barring added, and have single combs and clean legs.)

I'm also seeing some Barred Rocks, and one that's either Light Brahma or Columbian Wyandotte (I cannot see the comb and legs well enough to tell which. Brahma would have pea comb and feathered legs, Wyandotte would have rose comb and clean legs.)

I see a bunch of gold/red ones. Red with black tails could be Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, or maybe Production Reds. Buff is a lighter shade of gold, without black tails. Orpingtons have white legs, Rocks have yellow legs.

The dark brown ones I cannot see well enough to tell much.

Based on combs, I'm seeing some males and some females. I can't tell if any of the males have pointed saddle feathers growing in front of their tails yet, but those are a clear proof of being male if they appear.

For sorting by gender, it might be easiest to just take three pens or boxes or dog crates or something, and start putting chickens in. Put males in one, females in another, and maybes in a third. Sometimes the maybes become clear when you have them separated out from the rest, or else you can post photos of them individually to get some help.

I see why you're having trouble sorting them out, when they all clump up that way!

Thanks! I'm going to bring over some rabbit cages probably to sort them out. I hadn't thought of that.

 

[Ascholten]

A quick semi related question.
Thinking about the raise to eat thing myself.
Free Ranging them, since we are culling them at what? 8 to 16 weeks depending on breed, if you let them free range does it make the meat significantly more tougher or does it not make that huge a difference because we are killing them at such a young age?

Thanks
Aaron

 

[Ridgerunner]

I only butcher dual purpose chicken, no Rangers or Cornish X.

You are likely to get different opinions on this. In my opinion free ranging doesn't have that much of an effect. With the boys I think the biggest effect comes from their hormones. When puberty hits the flavor and texture change fairly rapidly. Different boys hit puberty at different ages so it's not just purely age though in some ways age-related.

I also butcher pullets, but usually not until they are older, usually around 8 months. Their texture and flavor has not developed much at all, especially when compared to the hormonal boys at 4 to 5 months. That's a big reason I think it is more hormonal related with the boys and less age-related.

I don't have a great way of comparing a difference in free ranging versus keeping them in a pen as far as texture. Mine are on pasture. You'd think if they get more exercise they'd have less fat, but I don't know how much effect that would have on texture.

I think how you age and cook them will have a bigger effect on texture than whether they free range or not. I can't see whether you free range them or pen them having an effect on whether you can fry or grill them versus having to use other methods.