Another Death in the meat bird tinkering family, My one last remaining Slow White broiler has passed away, she was about 5 months old and had not started laying yet which is awfully late for a broiler. They are supposed to mature quickly. While she was (at one time) larger than other birds her age she had lost a lot of weight recently and suddenly. She stopped Roosting 2 nights ago and died last night. I was not happy with Slow White broiler, I had 4 of them and 3 died shortly out of the brooder because they were bottom of the pecking order and all the older but smaller birds isolated them in a corner during a flood when they were all trapped in the coop and I believe kept them away from water. They just didn't want to fight to live. Other birds their age which were smaller were able to fight for a drink of water. Never getting Slow white broilers again or I am not getting them from Tractor Supply and where ever they get them from. If I go with something similar I will go with Moyers Robust white.
My last hatch I had 5 Dark Cornish eggs but only one hatched, One died mid pip, just as it started to zipper its way out. One started oozing yellow nasty from its pores during lockdown. Oh well I got one and can cross it with Red Rangers and Naked Necks and Dorking's etc will be worthwhile.
Random Pictures I selected because people like pictures... that way I am not just giving a boring update and rambling on about boring stuff..
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A Splash Jersey Giant. Not my favorite for a meat bird, in fact its my least favorite due to extremely slow growth. Still the smallest bird from its brooder as other breeds are filling out. Although its starting to become the tallest from that crowd. I just feel it may be decent for crossing and its offspring will likely be blue so I can sell the culls as a novelty.
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The nice Naked Neck that was spared the trip to camp freezer, He has the Recessive white trait which should come in handy, and he is half Red Ranger so he is plenty meaty.
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Half Dorking and Half Red Ranger, a yellow columbian according to the Chicken Pattern Calculator. He grew the largest the fastest. Although his final size was not as big as I expected but who cares? Meat birds need to grow fast not super large well beyond processing age. Right now he is in with a Skimpy Delaware and a Light Brahma. Soon i will be hatching eggs from these crossings just to see how they turn out.
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3/4 Dorking in a brooder... Gotta test these guys for the 4 toe recessive trait... that's going to be a pain the behind but I will be giving away free chicks from this because as soon as they hatch I will know if the parents being tested have the 4 toe recessive trait (culls) or two 5 toe traits (keepers). Probably going to cross the with the best laying 4 toes hens and my Production Red Rooster (to make sex links)
