Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[Compost King]

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

Artificial insemination grossed me out when it was first mentioned then I went to youtube and saw how it was done, kinda simple and easy and there are simple tools to use so its not so messy.

 

[jolenesdad]

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

Yes, I’m currently reconciling my historical love of breast meat only with the understanding of how unnatural it is. I honestly had zero idea until I raised Cornish myself and could see it firsthand.

 

[igorsMistress]

@Compost King I candled the RRxDorking eggs tonight, both have very good vein development! One has a stubbornly detached air cell but I can work with that for now.

 

[Morrigan]

We took a 13 week old dorking cockerel we had butchered last year out of the freezer this week. Spatchcocked and grilled it. Not a lot of breast meat, but what was there was truly delicious. Very tender and flavorful. I'm curious as to how the NN is going to compare. I like the heat tolerant and hardiness aspect of NN, but I'm thinking it's going to be tough to beat the flavor of those Dorkings.

 

[BlueBaby]

We took a 13 week old dorking cockerel we had butchered last year out of the freezer this week. Spatchcocked and grilled it. Not a lot of breast meat, but what was there was truly delicious. Very tender and flavorful. I'm curious as to how the NN is going to compare. I like the heat tolerant and hardiness aspect of NN, but I'm thinking it's going to be tough to beat the flavor of those Dorkings.

One of the Arizona member's that hasn't been around lately had mentioned before that she had crossed the Dorking's with the NN's, and the resulting cockerels were big and tasted great!

 

[Morrigan]

Maybe next year I will get some Dorking eggs off of eBay, or order a straight run of Dorkings from MPC. I've looked for a breeder within driving distance of my house, but have come up empty so far.

 

[Compost King]

Maybe next year I will get some Dorking eggs off of eBay, or order a straight run of Dorkings from MPC. I've looked for a breeder within driving distance of my house, but have come up empty so far.

I can only go by what I crossed with my Red Rangers but my Dorking x Red Ranger vs Naked Neck x Red Ranger were pretty close in Quality of meat. I haven't gotten a Male Dorking live long enough to sample his meat outside of the original Dorking I bought and I breed him. I still do not know what they taste like and I have had them for over a year. I plan to keep crossing the Dorking X Red Rangers back to the Dorkings generation after Generation until they completely resemble Dorkings again. I am hoping this will keep the same meat flavor/Quality but improve the hardiness of the young dorkings so more of them survive to adulthood. When this happens I plan to get hatching eggs out. Not looking for a profit but I am looking to get an improved Dorking spread out especially to people who already have them so they can keep breeding them back into Dorkings if they feel they are not close enough to being dorkings and they can improve them if needed. Its one of my favorite breeds despite being so disappointed in the mortality rate of the chicks. They keep dying off slowly until adulthood. Very Hardy after they become adults and handle heat and cold really well.

One of the Arizona member's that hasn't been around lately had mentioned before that she had crossed the Dorking's with the NN's, and the resulting cockerels were big and tasted great!

Thats good news. I will be crossing my "culled" Dorking x Rangers with naked necks, as well as crossing the ones I saved for breeding when I am done with them in the Dorking project. I should have a lot of those running around.

 

[Morrigan]

I will be crossing my "culled" Dorking x Rangers with naked necks

I'm interested in how this turns out -- I could see it being the best of several worlds -- heat tolerant, nice flavor and nice size.

 

[BlueBaby]

I can only go by what I crossed with my Red Rangers but my Dorking x Red Ranger vs Naked Neck x Red Ranger were pretty close in Quality of meat. I haven't gotten a Male Dorking live long enough to sample his meat outside of the original Dorking I bought and I breed him. I still do not know what they taste like and I have had them for over a year. I plan to keep crossing the Dorking X Red Rangers back to the Dorkings generation after Generation until they completely resemble Dorkings again. I am hoping this will keep the same meat flavor/Quality but improve the hardiness of the young dorkings so more of them survive to adulthood. When this happens I plan to get hatching eggs out. Not looking for a profit but I am looking to get an improved Dorking spread out especially to people who already have them so they can keep breeding them back into Dorkings if they feel they are not close enough to being dorkings and they can improve them if needed. Its one of my favorite breeds despite being so disappointed in the mortality rate of the chicks. They keep dying off slowly until adulthood. Very Hardy after they become adults and handle heat and cold really well.


Thats good news. I will be crossing my "culled" Dorking x Rangers with naked necks, as well as crossing the ones I saved for breeding when I am done with them in the Dorking project. I should have a lot of those running around.

And I will be crossing them over here with my NN's if the egg's hatch. It look's like I may have many possibilities with these.

 

[Compost King]

And I will be crossing them over here with my NN's if the egg's hatch. It look's like I may have many possibilities with these.

If they hatch (fingers crossed) they will be 3/4 Dorkings so you have enough to recreate Dorkings. The ones I hatched look like dorkings as far as features go. Same body style, 5 toes (half should carry 4 toe recessive gene) same awkward buzzard like posture. Other than some being quite large they do not resemble the Red Rangers at all. I had some runts too but more large than runts.