Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Compost King]

I just looked at another Naked Neck Cross from the same hatch, different mother but same father. The other Naked Neck is starting to grow in his Single Comb and is likely a male. Huge difference in comb size between the 2. I am guessing the NN/RR is a pullet too. I can't get a decent photo of the other Naked Neck as he is in a giant brooder with about 40 to 50 other chicks. This brooder is so large that I need a fishing net to retrieve chicks from it unless I have a person at all 4 doors.
I wanted the NN/RR to be a pullet so I could breed the 2 of them at the same time to the same rooster and keep a buddy system going. The NN/RR is getting the Cornish X to free range instead of sitting at a feeder. Next time I keep a Cornish X Pullet for breeding I am going to do a buddy system where she has 1 buddy she clings to that pulls her away from the feed.

 

[BlueBaby]

I just looked at another Naked Neck Cross from the same hatch, different mother but same father. The other Naked Neck is starting to grow in his Single Comb and is likely a male. Huge difference in comb size between the 2. I am guessing the NN/RR is a pullet too. I can't get a decent photo of the other Naked Neck as he is in a giant brooder with about 40 to 50 other chicks. This brooder is so large that I need a fishing net to retrieve chicks from it unless I have a person at all 4 doors.
I wanted the NN/RR to be a pullet so I could breed the 2 of them at the same time to the same rooster and keep a buddy system going. The NN/RR is getting the Cornish X to free range instead of sitting at a feeder. Next time I keep a Cornish X Pullet for breeding I am going to do a buddy system where she has 1 buddy she clings to that pulls her away from the feed.

That's why I told you that that one didn't have enough comb and wattle growth at that age to be a cockerel.

 

[Compost King]

Just an update on the weight on the oldest of my Dorking X Red Rangers. Tuesday he turned 19 weeks old and weighed in at 6.7 pounds, only 0.2 pounds heavier than the previous week so if I were to eat him then last week was likely the best time to eat him as he isn't putting on much size anymore. I am keeping him to breed him because his pattern looks so nice. Easter Sunday is when the next batch of Dorking x Red Rangers mature at 18 weeks. I will have males and females to compare. All the females will be bread back to the father I want to make Light Dorking's (columbia Pattern) and some of the offspring will have the Silver Duckwing (silver grey Dorking) I really need to add diversity to their genetics because my pure bred Dorkings are not very hardy, half of them are die before they mature. On Easter I will be processing the males. I believe I have 2 males out of the 5. I have another batch that should mature in may. I might start weighing them at 16 weeks, just see how much weight they put on from week 16 to 18.

 

[ijon]

Where did you get your Dorking stock from.

 

[Molpet]

Just an update on the weight on the oldest of my Dorking X Red Rangers. Tuesday he turned 19 weeks old and weighed in at 6.7 pounds, only 0.2 pounds heavier than the previous week so if I were to eat him then last week was likely the best time to eat him as he isn't putting on much size anymore. I am keeping him to breed him because his pattern looks so nice. Easter Sunday is when the next batch of Dorking x Red Rangers mature at 18 weeks. I will have males and females to compare. All the females will be bread back to the father I want to make Light Dorking's (columbia Pattern) and some of the offspring will have the Silver Duckwing (silver grey Dorking) I really need to add diversity to their genetics because my pure bred Dorkings are not very hardy, half of them are die before they mature. On Easter I will be processing the males. I believe I have 2 males out of the 5. I have another batch that should mature in may. I might start weighing them at 16 weeks, just see how much weight they put on from week 16 to 18.

Are you going to weigh before and after processing?
Thanks for the updates

 

[Compost King]

Where did you get your Dorking stock from.

I got my stock from a local breeder, the birds I received were young chicks 5, 7 and 10 weeks old and thriving, much larger than their offspring turned out to be at those ages. Maybe I received all siblings and thats why they are not turning out as decent as the parents.

Are you going to weigh before and after processing?
Thanks for the updates

I plan to do live weights and dressed weights. the dressed weights will not include the skin though. I hate plucking so I just skin them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I got my stock from a local breeder, the birds I received were young chicks 5, 7 and 10 weeks old and thriving, much larger than their offspring turned out to be at those ages. Maybe I received all siblings and thats why they are not turning out as decent as the parents.

Are you feeding them the same as the others were fed before those ages?

 

[Mosey2003]

I got my stock from a local breeder, the birds I received were young chicks 5, 7 and 10 weeks old and thriving, much larger than their offspring turned out to be at those ages. Maybe I received all siblings and thats why they are not turning out as decent as the parents.

Are you feeding them the same as the others were fed before those ages?

Very good point. I've read that the most impact on size can be made in the first 8 weeks, which is why I've changed up my chick feeding. If that breeder is feeding 24% protein or higher and the OP is feeding 18%, there could be a difference right there.

 

[Compost King]

The only thing I believe the breeder fed them was scratch grains and they were raised by broody mothers on a pasture. I do not recall if them telling me about any other feed but I am deaf and can only absorb so much through lip reading. Mine were incubator/brooder raised with 24% for most of the first month then to 20% that I feed all my chickens. Size was not the only issue, the ones I hatched out lacked vigor and were very lethargic, half of them died in the first 3 months. All the other breeds and crosses I hatched out are thriving and doing fine from that hatch. The Dorking's are the smallest ones from their hatches although the survivors are just now starting to size up and have energy. The Survivors all came from the December hatch putting them at 14 weeks old now.

 

[Mosey2003]

Well dang