Dixie Chicks

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
When I get started raising the breeds that I want.... I will be doing it with broodies. therefore hatch rates are 50/50. I dont want to get rid of extra roos right away. So Into a bachelor pen they would go till they mature and I could see if any outstanding individuals showed up after a year... Or at least till they get their adult plumages... May take two years. Then I will keep at least three of the best for breeding stock. And rotate them in with thier hens.

that was my original plan any way... When I was going to have Wellsummers, Amauracanas, and Sumatras. But My plans changed some IF I were to have a breed just for eggs they would be Creme Legbars.... Love them blue eggs. and Sumatras for broodies.

I still will do the cockrel pen. in any case because I often times will adopt a family pet that happens to be a roo. I am an old softie so the family roo will live out its days here possibly keeping the cockrels in line. But eventually there will be a freezer camp for the cockrels that dont fit into a breeding program.

Oh **** I am being summoned .... got to go....

deb

 

[Ravynscroft]

what are the benefits of it to you?

I know you didn't ask me Jem, but I'll give you my views too, lol...
1: I have dual purpose birds, cockerels don't reach good weight for eating until after their hormones surge, so can keep them long enough to be worth putting in freezer camp.
2: Most who have success with bachelor pens say that having them separated from the pullets and hens lessens their reaction to hormone surges and fighting is minimal, but there's usually an exception to that but not as prolific in a mixed sex pen.
3: For breeding you really need to grow out several boys to show all their traits cuz a lot doesn't show til after they mature. You want to keep the best and not end up culling to early.
Those are my benefits, others may be different tho...

 

[NotAFarm]

NAF, that's the same principals that are being applied to the preservation of the Finnish landraces. I think there are 9 different strains in total, but they're all pretty similar. The eggs aren't too big, but they seem to be pretty good at making them. And our last remaining Alho is proving to be an excellent broody. Ideally I would like to just have the Alho's, but on the other hand, I do enjoy a colorful egg basket. So while I might never become a preserver of the breed, the birds have loads of good traits in them.

That is one reason I have "dabbled" with other breeds. I have an Icelandic cock and hens but have an Araucana hen and two German New Hampshire hens. White or tinted, blue and brown eggs. All white/tinted eggs belong to the Icelandics and can be hatched. All brown or blue eggs are for eating only. My GNHs and Araucana don't "hide" nests, they are content to lay in the next boxes. I have to watch the Icelandics, they want to try and get into the other end of the barn and find an out-of-way place to make a nest.

ok can you explain exactly what landrace means in regards to chickens?

Jem, landrace chickens (or pigs or other production animals) are basically sort of like breeds that have developed in a specific area, but without much human influence. They have been kept by humans, but their development hasn't been pushed in a certain direction. Instead they have been left to their own devices, and the ones suited best for the climate have flourished. That's why they're usually pretty hardy breeds that are good at reproducing, but they might not have maximized output when it comes to milk, meat, egg size or quantity. Instead they are often a lot healthier than more developed breeds.

Felix did a great job on explaining landrace!

Jem, and some landraces might have more unified colors, but for instance Finnish Alho:s tend to get very different colors. These three are all siblings, hatched at the same time from the same flock.

Beautiful hens, Felix!!

Icelandics can also be any color and have single, rose or whatever combs. The chicks with their mother in the picture below are all her biological offspring. Because the gene pool has not been bred to a specific pattern, the possibilities are endless.
With momma, Elska:


Riding in a bucket to the outside coop.



The yellow chick above is the white cockerel below left...the other two (a pullet center and cockerel right) are the white ones full siblings.



The are like Forrest's box of chocolates.....you never know what you are going to get!

 

[Amberjem]

I know you didn't ask me Jem, but I'll give you my views too, lol...
1: I have dual purpose birds, cockerels don't reach good weight for eating until after their hormones surge, so can keep them long enough to be worth putting in freezer camp.
2: Most who have success with bachelor pens say that having them separated from the pullets and hens lessens their reaction to hormone surges and fighting is minimal, but there's usually an exception to that but not as prolific in a mixed sex pen.
3: For breeding you really need to grow out several boys to show all their traits cuz a lot doesn't show til after they mature. You want to keep the best and not end up culling to early.
Those are my benefits, others may be different tho...

I am fairly unclear to what age seems to be a good age to grow them out? before starting to cull ect.....mind you I am refering to mixed dual purpose birds not meat ones...? I mean keep in mind.. while I would want to grow out some for breeding purpose my main objective is meat size..... eyeballing my two boys atm I would say Butler is at a decent processing size at right about 20 weeks now....... matty is 5 6 weeks younger....and I had had plans on having him for a lovely roasted chicken dinner but then he started developing lacings which I totally love... so least he has a reprieve for a few more weeks......also some of the qualities I like about matty is he is darn near the size of Butler right now just needs a wee bit more filling out in the breast to my liking...they are both friendly... matty I can touch and handle...but he was brooder raised with a broody hen starting his first 4 weeks off......butler was barn raised with a buncha other chicks......so he isnt a cuddily chicken but he is very mellow dude......I really like his mellow temperament......and he has java/faverollie in him which I like...I had leaned torward getting more faverollies but have done bit more research and egg production can be issue with them I have seen some ppl complain of...well whatever the case right now the two cockerels are cohabitating well..... noone is haressing the girls.. I dont think anyone is breeding anyone or trying yet..only just started getting some crowin from matty........ both of them are fairly terrified of violet the 8 month old who runs the roost... though I have noticed Butler is less "skittish" around her......but he has a healthy respect lol

 

[Amberjem]

That is one reason I have "dabbled" with other breeds. I have an Icelandic cock and hens but have an Araucana hen and two German New Hampshire hens. White or tinted, blue and brown eggs. All white/tinted eggs belong to the Icelandics and can be hatched. All brown or blue eggs are for eating only. My GNHs and Araucana don't "hide" nests, they are content to lay in the next boxes. I have to watch the Icelandics, they want to try and get into the other end of the barn and find an out-of-way place to make a nest.

Felix did a great job on explaining landrace!

Beautiful hens, Felix!!

Icelandics can also be any color and have single, rose or whatever combs. The chicks with their mother in the picture below are all her biological offspring. Because the gene pool has not been bred to a specific pattern, the possibilities are endless.
With momma, Elska:


Riding in a bucket to the outside coop.



The yellow chick above is the white cockerel below left...the other two (a pullet center and cockerel right) are the white ones full siblings.



The are like Forrest's box of chocolates.....you never know what you are going to get!

haha I really like that...the variety aviable and everything... I had thought tht would be nice to have a cock and a hen that were purebred and laid a different egg from the others..so I could distinguish the purebred eggs over the mixed flock eggs.....I guess the more experience that I get with the chickens and different breeds the more I can figure out what will ultimately work best for me

 

[Ravynscroft]

I am fairly unclear  to what age seems to be a good age to grow them out? before starting to cull ect.....mind you I am refering to mixed  dual purpose birds not meat ones...? I mean keep in mind.. while I would want to grow out some for breeding purpose my main objective is meat size..... eyeballing my two boys atm I would say Butler is at a decent processing size at right about 20 weeks now....... matty is 5 6 weeks younger....and I had had plans on having him for  a lovely roasted chicken dinner but then he started developing lacings  which I totally love... so least he has a reprieve for a few more weeks......also some of the qualities I like about matty is he is darn near the size of Butler right now just needs a wee bit more filling out in the breast to my liking...they are both friendly... matty I can touch and handle...but he was brooder raised with a broody hen starting his first 4 weeks off......butler was barn raised with a buncha other chicks......so he isnt a cuddily chicken but he is very mellow dude......I really like his mellow temperament......and he has java/faverollie in him which I like...I had leaned torward getting more faverollies but have done bit more research and egg production can be issue with them I have seen some ppl complain of...well whatever the case right now the two cockerels are  cohabitating well..... noone is haressing the girls.. I dont think anyone is breeding anyone or trying yet..only just started getting some crowin from matty........ both of them are fairly terrified of violet the 8 month old who runs the roost... though I have noticed Butler is less "skittish" around her......but he has a  healthy respect lol

Pretty much you just feel their weight and decide when you feel it is big enough... My biggest prob is my CCL cockerels, they get randy very early yet they are much slower to gain any substantial weight... and Ameraucanas are same about weight gain... Sulmtalers are quicker and those are gonna be my main meat birds, so it evens out... I just have a Jim who eats a lot of meat, so they gotta be worth his effort, lol...

 

[Amberjem]

ohh and I love all the chicken pictures too btw!!!!

 

[Ravynscroft]

@NotAFarm Oooh! So pretty!! I want Icelandics sooo bad, lol... Been resisting, but it's getting harder and harder...

 

[Ravynscroft]

I just gave away 3 CCL cockerels because they were harassing the pullets too much and fighting was getting more serious.... they weren't really that big either....

 

[Amberjem]

Pretty much you just feel their weight and decide when you feel it is big enough... My biggest prob is my CCL cockerels, they get randy very early yet they are much slower to gain any substantial weight... and Ameraucanas are same about weight gain... Sulmtalers are quicker and those are gonna be my main meat birds, so it evens out... I just have a Jim who eats a lot of meat, so they gotta be worth his effort, lol...

I dont think I know anything about sulmtalers.. matty is a amercana/wyandotte cross... i have been fairly impressed with the body type and size of the wyandotte....... one of the things that impressed me with matty is he sized out really fast.. and he was feathered almost completely at 5 weeks.....as I said he is just as big as Butler but 5 6 weeks younger.........right now his breast is filling out... he has nice legs though lol