Crossbreeding dual purpose breeds for sustainable flock

[HomesteadNowhere]

Totally forgot to finish about the Bielefelder roo... I'm not certain what to do about him. I don't want mean roos but I also wasn't thinking about being another year behind if I get new Bielefelder cockerels to get the crele to come through.

At the moment I'm keeping him. We'll see with these chicks how many end up barred. I'll evaluate the hens like I said, see who isn't laying to cull out.
I'm hoping to get the pen figured out this week. Hopefully the weather settles down. I also reread over some stuff on food coloring in the vent to identify eggs. I don't know if I have food coloring but may try that too. I have multicolored zip ties that I can use to identify the hens.

This isn't what the plan was, but I'm also glad to see the FR hens doing so well. After seeing how hard it was to keep Cx going to attempt breeding from this was really easy in comparison. And now that they are almost a year old any offspring kept from them, I know these hens weren't health time bombs. Which gives me hope that people can breed from them to have a line of meaty birds that don't drop like flies and can be bred on your own.

Any FR hens found to not be laying will be dinner. Which would then show how fatty they are inside. Which is the only thing I've been kinda worried about with them.

 

[CNJ]

The Bielefelder roo has decided he doesn't like me and has come at me minor-ly a couple times. Last week he really came at me and managed to get me well enough to draw some blood.

I was wondering if you cuddled this roo while he was a chick. I read a post a while back, it pointed out not to handle and cuddle the roosters while they are growing up. I didn't think to much about it, but as I recall the first batch of chicks I raised, I handled them daily and the roosters eventually fought for dominances as they grew up. They even challenged me, apparently they thought I was part of their flock. They all ended up in my freezer.

After reading the post about handling roosters, I didn't try to tame the dominant rooster I have now and he grew up respecting me. He'll stand by me and move to the side when I walk by and he has never challenged me.

 

[McChooky]

I was wondering if you cuddled this roo while he was a chick. I read a post a while back, it pointed out not to handle and cuddle the roosters while they are growing up. I didn't think to much about it, but as I recall the first batch of chicks I raised, I handled them daily and the roosters eventually fought for dominances as they grew up. They even challenged me, apparently they thought I was part of their flock. They all ended up in my freezer.

After reading the post about handling roosters, I didn't try to tame the dominant rooster I have now and he grew up respecting me. He'll stand by me and move to the side when I walk by and he has never challenged me.

Yes in my opinion its better to have a hands off approach when it comes to raising roosters. I do catch mine occasionally and carry him around a bit before placing him on a hard surface .I hold him down like this until he grows tired of squirming and relaxes then I hold him a couple more minutes. I wear gloves in case he tries to peck me. I don't raise pet chickens but if I did I wouldn't keep a rooster.Some will attack you for picking up or handling the hens quicker than anything else (or simply gathering eggs) There are always exceptions to the rule but this works for me.My roosters never flogged me.

 

[CNJ]

I do catch mine occasionally and carry him around a bit before placing him on a hard surface .I hold him down like this until he grows tired of squirming and relaxes then I hold him a couple more minutes. I wear gloves in case he tries to peck me.

It may also have something to do with their inherited blood line. I grew up in a chicken fighting community and those involved with the illegal sport call them man eaters. They cull the man eaters, so their psychopath gene don't get pasted on.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

I have handled them pretty minimally. I did some weighing that I shared here early on. That's it. Most time I spend with them is if I'm looking for something or happen to be working next to the pen.

Four days to lockdown. I've had to keep adjusting the temperature on the incubator. We'll see at hatching if it's averaged too cool or not. I have been moving the eggs around so they aren't always in the same cool/warm spot. It could definitely use another fan to even the temperature out.
I'm not sure when I'll do the next set of eggs. I'm about to head back out to work on pens. I'd like to get things put together and be able to build my incubator and be less work babysitting it. We'll see

 

[McChooky]

It may also have something to do with their inherited blood line. I grew up in a chicken fighting community and those involved with the illegal sport call them man eaters. They cull the man eaters, so their psychopath gene don't get pasted on.

I added a rooster to fertilize the eggs 3 mo ago. Still no mating and no bulls eyes. Huge disappointment when you consider how much trouble they can be.

 

[McChooky]

I added a rooster to fertilize the eggs 3 mo ago. Still no mating and no bulls eyes. Huge disappointment when you consider how much trouble they can be.

He's a big Delaware I was planning on crossing with my hens.

 

[McChooky]

I was wondering if you cuddled this roo while he was a chick. I read a post a while back, it pointed out not to handle and cuddle the roosters while they are growing up. I didn't think to much about it, but as I recall the first batch of chicks I raised, I handled them daily and the roosters eventually fought for dominances as they grew up. They even challenged me, apparently they thought I was part of their flock. They all ended up in my freezer.

After reading the post about handling roosters, I didn't try to tame the dominant rooster I have now and he grew up respecting me. He'll stand by me and move to the side when I walk by and he has never challenged me.

Roosters are very territorial. Did he do this in a run where the space is confined or out in the open?

 

[McChooky]

@HomesteadNowhere I have started an autosexing EE/ameraucana line. I went with a crele EE over white and black ameraucanas. Then crossed the best daughters over the dad. Now I have The best grandson over his aunts/mom and over 2 pure crele sisters. After 2022 the line will be pure autosexing. I'll start having eggs available so others can work on the line with me, so keep me in mind if you want any eggs in spring 2023 Im focusing on size and egg color, trying to keep males close to 8 lbs, this way all the day old males can be sold or grown out as meat birds. After next year I'll focus on the best egg layers too, just working on getting the colour pattern worked out. Best of luck on your cross, it will be a fun adventure

I'm impressed by what you've accomplished in this line! Your birds are beautiful!

 

[CNJ]

Roosters are very territorial. Did he do this in a run where the space is confined or out in the open?

Out in the yard, I let them out to play daily.