Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Beekissed]

My chosen F1 breeders came to POL this past week, just a few days before their 6 mo. of age. I'm pretty psyched about that as my last standard bred pullets didn't come into POL until 8 mo. of age. This is one of the traits for which I'm breeding, so I'm tickled pink.

Even one of the pullets out of the hen that had that late maturity was seen being bred by the male today and I could have sworn she wasn't quite ready, so any day now she'll be on that nest if not already. She's the only one I didn't get to check vents on last night as she's pretty flighty and made the great escape out of the coop...she's an F1 also but I hadn't planned on breeding her just yet. I think I'm going to see what she does her first laying year before adding her to the pens as her mother has performed pretty badly her first laying year and has poor feathering. The mother will be used as a broody this year as she went broody twice last year and I'm hoping she does so again, as that's the only reason she's still in the flock matrix..she only has 3 finger capacity and 2 finger width.

My two chosen both have 5 finger capacity and 3 finger width between their pelvic bones...and I have wide fingers, so that's a good strong measurement. The male has 2 finger capacity and 1 finger width.

Hope to record some real data next week of weights at time of POL, measurements of accurate pelvic bone thickness and prepotency testing of the skulls of these breeding females, as well as the male. I'd really like to use Hogan's charts to get some idea of what to expect from them and then see if his method pans out for their first year of lay, and their fertility and ability to pass along these traits as well.

Need to order bands this week also and get started on the breeding pens next week. Have already penned up the male and will start feeding him chicken meal supplement along with his regular ration.

 

[Fentress]

My chosen F1 breeders came to POL this past week, just a few days before their 6 mo. of age. I'm pretty psyched about that as my last standard bred pullets didn't come into POL until 8 mo. of age. This is one of the traits for which I'm breeding, so I'm tickled pink.

Even one of the pullets out of the hen that had that late maturity was seen being bred by the male today and I could have sworn she wasn't quite ready, so any day now she'll be on that nest if not already. She's the only one I didn't get to check vents on last night as she's pretty flighty and made the great escape out of the coop...she's an F1 also but I hadn't planned on breeding her just yet. I think I'm going to see what she does her first laying year before adding her to the pens as her mother has performed pretty badly her first laying year and has poor feathering. The mother will be used as a broody this year as she went broody twice last year and I'm hoping she does so again, as that's the only reason she's still in the flock matrix..she only has 3 finger capacity and 2 finger width.

My two chosen both have 5 finger capacity and 3 finger width between their pelvic bones...and I have wide fingers, so that's a good strong measurement. The male has 2 finger capacity and 1 finger width.

Hope to record some real data next week of weights at time of POL, measurements of accurate pelvic bone thickness and prepotency testing of the skulls of these breeding females, as well as the male. I'd really like to use Hogan's charts to get some idea of what to expect from them and then see if his method pans out for their first year of lay, and their fertility and ability to pass along these traits as well.

Need to order bands this week also and get started on the breeding pens next week. Have already penned up the male and will start feeding him chicken meal supplement along with his regular ration.

Please share with us your observations regarding use of the Hogan Method. Some of the simplest things, that you may take for granted could be of value to others. Such as best way to hold the bird during an exam, observations about getting a "feel" (pardon the pun) for the process. I want to make sure that I make consistent observations/measurements from bird to bird. It's basically an ordinal rank that you put the birds in as part of the selection process. I know those pic's in my down load of the book could be better. this would make a good you tube video, but I don't think it is out there.

 

[finnfur]

Please share with us your observations regarding use of the Hogan Method. Some of the simplest things, that you may take for granted could be of value to others. Such as best way to hold the bird during an exam, observations about getting a "feel" (pardon the pun) for the process. I want to make sure that I make consistent observations/measurements from bird to bird. It's basically an ordinal rank that you put the birds in as part of the selection process. I know those pic's in my down load of the book could be better. this would make a good you tube video, but I don't think it is out there.

Yes Bee - Please do a instruction video for us .

 

[Beekissed]

The pics in the book aren't much better than the online visual of the pics. I've found I can't really contain my big WR hens under my short arm and lift their legs to the right angle in the method he displays...he's a guy and he's using leghorns, so there's a disconnect there. I just use a flat surface and lift the legs like he does enough to expose the abdomen and be able to measure it with my other hand.

The pelvic bone thickness is another thing I'm struggling with so I'm hoping to get a measuring tool that's more accurate them my fingers and eyeballs...something like they use to measure body fat or something similar.

I've yet to measure for prepotency, but I'm betting it will be a treat with these big girls and he recommends using a feed sack the first time until one gets more able to containing them with the knees, so I'll be trying that. Fortunately, these WR pullets out of this line are not too hard to work with....pretty calm once you've got your hands on them.

I definitely want to do these measurements and see how they all pan out in the coop and breeding pens. It surely ought to be interesting!

 

[Beekissed]

Yes Bee - Please do a instruction video for us .

I'm a little camera shy...I'm none too good to look at. But I may be able to manage a "hands only" angle that I can live with!

I'll have to do it at the end of breeding so that I can get my hands on them in the daylight, as right now I usually only handle them at night.

 

[finnfur]

I'm a little camera shy...I'm none too good to look at. But I may be able to manage a "hands only" angle that I can live with!

I'll have to do it at the end of breeding so that I can get my hands on them in the daylight, as right now I usually only handle them at night.

Bee - I think the world of ya but you got to be the last person I would call shy - LOL

looking forward to the lessons teacher.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee - I think the world of ya but you got to be the last person I would call shy - LOL

looking forward to the lessons teacher.

Everyone's better online. No, I'm not exactly shy but I don't like to be photoed or on video much....I'm a fat woman, so we don't often like to see ourselves on display.

I'll do my best!

 

[Fentress]

The pics in the book aren't much better than the online visual of the pics. I've found I can't really contain my big WR hens under my short arm and lift their legs to the right angle in the method he displays...he's a guy and he's using leghorns, so there's a disconnect there. I just use a flat surface and lift the legs like he does enough to expose the abdomen and be able to measure it with my other hand.

The pelvic bone thickness is another thing I'm struggling with so I'm hoping to get a measuring tool that's more accurate them my fingers and eyeballs...something like they use to measure body fat or something similar.

I've yet to measure for prepotency, but I'm betting it will be a treat with these big girls and he recommends using a feed sack the first time until one gets more able to containing them with the knees, so I'll be trying that. Fortunately, these WR pullets out of this line are not too hard to work with....pretty calm once you've got your hands on them.

I definitely want to do these measurements and see how they all pan out in the coop and breeding pens. It surely ought to be interesting!

It will be an adventure. I hatch out with broodies within the flock. So when the hen leaves the chicks, the chicks stay together, but bed down in this corner or that corner or under something, in places that are not easily accessible by me. I am pretty sure I can keep track of who is who and their ages and when an evaluation is due, but an extra pair of hands would be helpful. Please let me know if you find a measuring tool for the pelvic bone. I had planned on just making observations, taking notes and then doing it again until I felt confident that I had the birds in correct order, from thinnest to thickest. Maintaining an actual measurement would help, especially for a year over year analysis.

 

[Beekissed]

That's what I would like to do...just test his methods and see if it all pans out. I like to try a little experiment this year also involving broodiness. These two pullets come from a broody line, so after I collect what I need for the bator, I'd like to leave them in the breeding pen and let the eggs build up in their nest and see if that will stimulate them to go broody. If they did, I'd be in high cotton, as I'd let them each raise their own chicks and I'd also try to slip some of the older chicks of theirs that I have hatched underneath them when they hatch their own clutch. Barring that, I'm going to let some eggs build up in the coop nests and see if a couple of my older broody hens will take the bait, so I can slip eggs or chicks under them.

I'd like to see if I can get these hens to start breeding, laying and hatching in a normal, natural cycle of production such as one would find in a more natural setting. In the spring of the year is when all the other birds are hatching their own and I'd like to see my own birds start developing the same cycle. That would be my ideal flock system wherein I could have better hatch rates, healthier offspring, and no work on my part to incubate.

 

[Fentress]

I have visited this issue more than once and it is where the old knowledge would come in handy instead of us using trial and error. To have a reliable broody subflock, that you knew would go broody within a specific time frame in the spring would be invaluable to me, heavy large fowl preferred. I have heard of some breeds that more or less go off as a group, one goes broody and then the rest seem to follow. For now, I am resigned to having a long drawn out hatch that lasts into the summer. Combined with how long it takes my BR to grow out, I have a less than efficient process for selecting and culling my birds. Oh well! I'm not giving up free range or my broodies.