Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[Mini Meat]

I am so excited, I have 75 BB red Cubalayas coming on thursday or friday. They are hatchery birds (Strombergs), so I hope I get at least a few decent ones out of 75. If not then I'll cull them all and get breeder birds privately next year. I am also getting 25 dark cornish.

Has anyone tried crossing these breeds?

I'm thinking you might improve meat qualities while still maintaining the temperament and vigor of the Cubas. I'm thinking a 3/4 cuba 1/4 cornish might make a very nice free ranged or pastured meatie. Not a huge bird but a stable, sufficient bird that yields a bit more at culling.

Any thoughts?

 

[troyer]

I am so excited, I have 75 BB red Cubalayas coming on thursday or friday. They are hatchery birds (Strombergs), so I hope I get at least a few decent ones out of 75. If not then I'll cull them all and get breeder birds privately next year. I am also getting 25 dark cornish.

Has anyone tried crossing these breeds?

I'm thinking you might improve meat qualities while still maintaining the temperament and vigor of the Cubas. I'm thinking a 3/4 cuba 1/4 cornish might make a very nice free ranged or pastured meatie. Not a huge bird but a stable, sufficient bird that yields a bit more at culling.

Any thoughts?

I think they would certainly be more meaty. If you are after birds that remain that way you will obviously have to select them accordingly. I have bred them like you've mentioned. They tend to have high tails, so if you want the Cubalaya look it will take a lot of serious culling, which should be no problem for you. Mine were excellent free rangers and broody. These 2 hens are 1/2 Cubalaya and 1/2 cornish.

 

[Mini Meat]

I think they would certainly be more meaty. If you are after birds that remain that way you will obviously have to select them accordingly. I have bred them like you've mentioned. They tend to have high tails, so if you want the Cubalaya look it will take a lot of serious culling, which should be no problem for you. Mine were excellent free rangers and broody. These 2 hens are 1/2 Cubalaya and 1/2 cornish.

Those are very good looking hens. Bright intelligent eyes. I like the Cubalaya look but, the intelligence and calm nature is more what is am hoping to gain from the breed. I've had to many "common" breeds that could not think their way out of a paper bag.

The coloring on those hens would provide great camouflage. Broodiness and foraging skills are be important to me. I don't expect something for nothing, but I want a hard working, reasonably productive bird that takes just enough out of the feeder to fuel them selves for a day of foraging. I do not want to raise bags of protoplasm that sit by the feeder all day. I'll take a smaller bird that has had an active, quality life over that any day. A longer grow out time is not a problem for me.

Thank you for your input, I'm feeling pretty good about the project.

Beautiful hens.

 

[Mini Meat]

So my chicks arrived and are doing well. Three of the Cubs have died but out of 75 that is not bad.

They are smaller than the DCs but far friendlier and much more curios. They will already scratch to the floor for spilled feed. They quarrel and play and get into places they should not be already too. They come to check me out when I sit in the broody room (the DC's just ignore me) It's a hoot.

These are BB reds and out of the 72 remaining about 6-10 have black dots on their heads and one has a dot on his head and dots all the way down his back. Most are showing black in their tiny wing feathers and a about a dozen are just white. Their down ranges from white tinged with yellow to yellow but all have some form of yellow to them. All have yellow (white) legs.

Question 1: Is any of this coloring info meaningful at this point? and if so what does it tell you?

Question 2: When I cross in the cornish how many generations after that are they still considered grade? Is it forever or maybe when they get back to 31/32. I can't imagine it is less than15/16 but, what do I know.

Thanks

 

[Steve234]

some chicks hatched the other day

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

nice

 

[troyer]

some chicks hatched the other day

Are they all Cubalaya chicks?

 

[Steve234]

Not all Cubalaya Jonathan. Most of the Cubalaya are yellow or white with a few black dots. There are a few Asil cross and bantam Asil. This is the first hatch out of the Red Pyle I got from you.

 

[troyer]

Not all Cubalaya Jonathan. Most of the Cubalaya are yellow or white with a few black dots. There are a few Asil cross and bantam Asil. This is the first hatch out of the Red Pyle I got from you.

Great! Thanks for the photo, I appreciate it.

 

[Steve234]

Great! Thanks for the photo, I appreciate it.

Sure. I'll try to post pics as they grow to.