Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Compost King]

The Strain of CX I ended up with the females feathered much faster than the males, then yesterday I noticed all the slow feathering CX had a darker comb. I theorized that the female had the rapid feathering because a rapid feathering father will pass this on to their daughters not their sons so if there is a feathering difference its a reasonable guess that Females are the rapid feathers. When the mother has faster feathering than the father then all of the offspring tend to be meet in the middle regardless of gender. This is what I read and what I read and what happens in the Coop/brooder/pasture do not always match. The Darker combs has me convinced my theory was correct. Also the ones I theorized are male seem like they may have slightly larger legs but its still too early to tell. They turn 2 weeks old on Sunday. I just moved them out to their outdoor brooders which were Serama Cages a 2 weeks ago. As soon as they and their buddy birds (3/4 Dorking 1/4 Red Rangers) are big enough to not squeeze through the welded wire fence into the neighbors back yard they go to the compost pen to learn how to forage. The ones I suspect are males will likely just go to the the Juvenile Bird / free range coop or if they get bullied they will move to my broody boxes. I am going to process them very early so they won't outgrow them.

 

[Newyorkrita]

I held back three (maybe four) Robust whites and I also went ahead and held back the single royal red female I have. That one is like the freedom ranger color yield.
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So do you mean the Royal Red is heavier than the held back Robust Whites?

I somehow have the idea that the Color Yields are the fastest growing and heaviest of the Freedom Ranger types.

 

[jolenesdad]

So do you mean the Royal Red is heavier than the held back Robust Whites?

I somehow have the idea that the Color Yields are the fastest growing and heaviest of the Freedom Ranger types.

No, the Royal Red is slightly smaller than the robust white females. At 9 weeks when I did the first batch, in general the Royal Red were larger than the Robust White but not by much. They were all male, and just one female. I only kept two or three males from the Royal Red crew at 8 weeks because they were slightly smaller and not crowing.

The Royal Red were heavier I feel like because they chose to eat more feed. Had the robust white been confined to a tractor or indoors, they’re supposed to be bigger.

 

[Compost King]

The big question is for those who breed meat hens... what is the ideal rooster to put over the meat hens. I suppose everyone will have a different idea as to what would be ideal.
If I did this as a business and had profit margins etc etc etc I would do it in reverse, put the meat Rooster over the heritage breed hen since you have to pay to feed your breeders and you only need one giant appetite bird to produce multiple eggs a day. As far as back yarding it for my own table I do not need to mass produce chicks and I do not have the worries that come with a giant rooster over a smaller hen.

 

[BlueBaby]

The big question is for those who breed meat hens... what is the ideal rooster to put over the meat hens. I suppose everyone will have a different idea as to what would be ideal.
If I did this as a business and had profit margins etc etc etc I would do it in reverse, put the meat Rooster over the heritage breed hen since you have to pay to feed your breeders and you only need one giant appetite bird to produce multiple eggs a day. As far as back yarding it for my own table I do not need to mass produce chicks and I do not have the worries that come with a giant rooster over a smaller hen.

I think that if you were to go for your own table and not have to have as many bird's, I would take the biggest hen's that are laying the best and keep one or two of your biggest best behaving roo's that you could put over them. That's what I would do, anyway's.

 

[jolenesdad]

The big question is for those who breed meat hens... what is the ideal rooster to put over the meat hens. I suppose everyone will have a different idea as to what would be ideal.
If I did this as a business and had profit margins etc etc etc I would do it in reverse, put the meat Rooster over the heritage breed hen since you have to pay to feed your breeders and you only need one giant appetite bird to produce multiple eggs a day. As far as back yarding it for my own table I do not need to mass produce chicks and I do not have the worries that come with a giant rooster over a smaller hen.

Ultimately, is the best rooster maybe one of the meat hens offspring? I hope my Robust make it that long to try the second generation, aren’t you hatching some of those this summer? Or did you put the offspring hybrid of your dorkingXFR back with the dorking? I can’t remember from the hatch a long.

 

[Compost King]

Ultimately, is the best rooster maybe one of the meat hens offspring? I hope my Robust make it that long to try the second generation, aren’t you hatching some of those this summer? Or did you put the offspring hybrid of your dorkingXFR back with the dorking? I can’t remember from the hatch a long.

Good Idea.

 

[aliciaplus3]

So many options and all else fails you can eat your mistakes

 

[Compost King]

Mistakes are delicious

 

[Molpet]

The big question is for those who breed meat hens... what is the ideal rooster to put over the meat hens. I suppose everyone will have a different idea as to what would be ideal.
If I did this as a business and had profit margins etc etc etc I would do it in reverse, put the meat Rooster over the heritage breed hen since you have to pay to feed your breeders and you only need one giant appetite bird to produce multiple eggs a day. As far as back yarding it for my own table I do not need to mass produce chicks and I do not have the worries that come with a giant rooster over a smaller hen.

large breasted males have trouble keeping balance to breed. The largest of my cx mix roos had trouble by 14 months. I seen the hens were looking ratty and started watching chicken porn. For ever 6 times they made connection once. The heritage made it most of the time. The largest started dying at 16 months, one lasted 2 1/2 yrs. Thee were out of a cx hen and were white. I have some descendants that are barred roos I am using this year, the breast is not as large but bigger than heritage.
artificially inseminated would be an option.... if that's your thing