Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[troyer]

the whole duckwing pen raising an asil chick



my silver hens

I like the look of this color.

I think mine tend to be more red across the shoulders and back. Here are some more pictures. These are the parents...




...to these youngsters.

 

[cubalaya]

the one on the right in the first pic and on the left in the second pic. I like the color on that one and the way she looks.

 

[VictorB]

I am searching for a homestead bird. Heavy "dual-purpose" are not what I'm looking for~ not interested in strapping the feedbag on. A bird that can/will survive on home grown feeds and foraging environment and continue to mate and rear offspring naturally if there is some type of disruption in the grid (ie no flock raiser no incubator).

How do these birds flesh out...or rather, what's the distribution of flesh look like; heavy legs? even overall?

How slow is slow growing....how long are extra cockerels grown out?

Are there meatier strains? Broodier strains?

Are there exhibition lines versus utility lines?

Are there any fertility or hatchability issues in general or with a particular strain?

Thanks,
M

I my personal experience Cubalayas are not that great for free ranging. I have had my cubas (over 50 birds) free ranging for over a year. They do no venture more then 100 feet from their coup all day and tend to wait around to be feed, even if they are practically starving to death. As far a predator avoidance, they have none. I had a coyote come right into my yard after my Cubas and they just stood there looking at it. It actually confused the dog because the cubas did not run from it like normal chickens would. Of course I shot it before it could take a birds, but I was surprised by the reaction of the cubas. The cuba hens especially are a prime target for predators and I get taken 5 to 1 compared to my other breeds.

 

[cubalaya]

victor where did your cubas come from? hatchery? you are not describing my cubalayas at all

 

[troyer]

Neither are you describing mine. My Cubalayas range out 100 -150 yards easily and are very hawk savvy. I haven't lost more than 10 in the 5 years I've had them. They will free range even when there's plenty of feed in the feeders. The hens are excellent mothers to the chicks and very hawk smart on free range. I do have a line that has been pen raised for the last 10 years before I got them and they don't seem to be as sharp with predators as the others are. I will free range them like the rest and just keep the ones that survive, to produce survivors.
I did have several hatchery Cubalaya 6 years ago, they were not predator wary at all, with the exception of 1 cockerel and consequently he got to pass on his genes. I still have some of his bloodline on my chicken yard and they are very alert and predator wary. I did notice a difference in the hatchery chicks and my farm chicks, that while in the brooder the hatchery Cubalaya chicks just trusted every unusual sound and movement to be perfectly normal, while on the other hand my farm raised, incubator hatched Cubalaya would scatter and flatten themselves to the very same noises/sounds that the hatchery ones treated as normal. I'm talking about 2 - 4 day old chicks in exactly the same conditions, so I believe that predator wariness is at least partly inherited. On average I have 3 -4 hens with chicks free ranging every day. I rotate my pens to free range. I just simply have almost no trouble with hawks getting any of them. It's not that the hawks don't try because they do, it's because of the wariness of the chickens. I do have a good amount of cover for them to dash into, so I'm sure that helps a lot. My hens will not venture far from cover when they have a brood of chicks with them, which to me means that they are aware of the hawk danger and do what they can to prevent any casualties.

 

[VictorB]

My birds are from breeder lines and have no hatchery blood. They are pure bbreds from primarily Zook blood.

Now I did hatch them in an incubator and pen raise them till about 4 months old and that may have something to do with it, but I also raised some Games the same way and they are now great free rangers.

But my cubas just refuse forage for food. They just wait for me to come feed them and mug me before I reach the feed area. My neighbor has a field of wheat that borders my land and is less then 200 feet from my coop. I have yet to see a single cuba make it to that field to eat on that delicious fresh wheat even though I have practically starved them to death to try to get them to start foraging. I put about 100 birds out to free range last October. I bet I have less then cubas 30 left, mostly males. I have less then 10 hens that survived the winter free ranging. I would post picture, but my cubas look so poor you can't tell what they are. My free range games on the other hand look better then my penned birds.

 

[southernmomma]

Thanks both for your individual perspectives. I appreciate all of the input.

Troyer, interesting that you figure the heightened wariness is partly genetic....I have nothing to base an opinion on so had just assumed that it was a learned behavior, magnified in hen raised chicks.

M

 

[VictorB]

Your are welcome, but please understand that my statements are based on my limited one year experience with birds from a single line. Troyer has many years of experience and his comments should carry more weight then mine.

 

[cubalaya]

i have had these birds for a few years myself, in fact i started this thread. go back to page 4 and read post #36 by gallorojo. his description of cubalayas is exactly what they are and should be. they are predator wary but at times they can be too brave. mine will leave feed to go forage and will stay out until almost dark before coming to roost. my advice would be to get some and try them out for yourself.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Can someone tell me if their birds are notorious egg eaters? And are they screamers when in the nest box? My pullet, is a very ...private, girl when laying an egg and will fiercely scream and peck if she feels you are too close!