Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[capayvalleychick]

A Delaware that we butchered here on the ranch:



There is a processor in Sacramento, which we use when we have lots of birds to do at once.

Kim

 

[call ducks]

I recently got a small breeding flock of light sussex. All Canadian line (a few are related to the "Mother Flock" directly). These flew across country and started laying on thursday, senice thursday i have got 9 eggs from the 4 hens. Not bad not great but these have been flowen across the country and are in a moult! so i would say they are laying good for the circumstances. These sussex have the nice deep keel (ok three of the four hens) nice big body, wide breast. The cock must weigh 10-11 pounds so that would work out to a 7.5 pound roaster not bad. The breeder i got these from only breeds LS (and her own sex link involving sussex).She hatches 400+ chicks to select the best every year. These have no Aussie blood. Infact i have been told she sent a few dozen eggs down your way because 90% of the sussex have aussie blood in them. Not saying the aussie birds are bad... just not the right fit for a sussex. You can not save genetics with hatching only less than 50 chicks a year you simpley can not! Every bird you hatch out well be different, they well have hidden genetics you did not know about one or more generations ago! The more you hatch the better your birds well get in a short time! She took her eggs up several grams (more then just two or three grams) Thinking more like 5-9 in one generation!! that is a huge improvent.

 

[hcammack]

Great thread. I am hoping to start breeding my faverolles size and meat qualities up. They need to mature quickly. I haven't personally eaten one. But I am hoping to process one or two extra cockerels this fall. Next spring I will be hatching more and should have birds to process this summer. The hens are good layers and lay well during the winter. I am just getting started back up with breeding as I am in college but hopefully I can start up breeding this spring and will pick the meatiest males that meet the standard.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Great thread. I am hoping to start breeding my faverolles size and meat qualities up. They need to mature quickly. I haven't personally eaten one. But I am hoping to process one or two extra cockerels this fall. Next spring I will be hatching more and should have birds to process this summer. The hens are good layers and lay well during the winter. I am just getting started back up with breeding as I am in college but hopefully I can start up breeding this spring and will pick the meatiest males that meet the standard.

I know I was thumbing through this thread just this evening looking for a subject and was enthused so much, I'm going to make a point of going back to the beginning an start reading it from front to back. There's some very informative stuff in here.

Jeff

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Just found this thread. Too tired to read it, but will catch up as soon as I can

Yellow House, my son is wanting to add a heritage breed. He likes the Buckeye, but we have talked about the white Dorking. Would you Pm me info for some eggs etc Jahdan is 11 and very excited about his goat 4H project. He wanted a "hatchery" for Christmas. He has stolen all my poultry magazines. My SOP is on his bed now. I would like for him to add both Buckeye and white Dorkings.

 

[ashandvine]

What are the thoughts in here on crossing heritage chicken breeds for meat/sex linking? I am having a hard time sorting through my needs and ideals which aren't always neatly fitting together. Or ducks or geese or turkeys? I want to homestead but SO wants to make money. Is there an intermediate ground?

BTW I really love seeing the pics of real chickens processed. Its helpful for me to gauge my birds given that all I have ever seen before was commercial. Processing isn't fun but it can be done with respect. That's the only way I manage it.

 

[Robert Blosl]

You're very right about "Parroting" on these threads. I find time and again that these internet forums perpetuate stereotypes and blanket statements without accounting for the vast differences between individual lines or strains within a breed.

That is very unfortunate. People need to have a better understanding of how different birds within the same breed can be, and learn which questions to ask in order to find out about the specific line they are looking to purchase.

Furthermore, those keeping the birds have a responsibility to know what they have if they choose to offer it for sale. They should be able to answer questions on weights, growth rates, egg laying, fertility, hardiness, etc. Being able to relay whether or not your birds are correctly laced or have the correct leg and ear lobe color is easy, the truly important stuff takes a little more effort!

I saw this post today as a Friend told me or reminded me of this thread. I got a email today from a lady asking if she should get some eggs off ebay for this heritage breed. Person on the ebay account made it sound like these where the old fashion real McCoys. So much is out there for the general public and so many get hood winked into what they have or will get. Some dont care as they could care what they look like as long as they can call them xyz breed and they kind of look like that breed. Thats fine with me but they dont do anything to preserve the old breeds that are on the out and out for a good gene pool.

We will continue to help folks find the breeds they desire. We found some nice Black Jersey Giants and Light Sussex for some people in the last month. More to come. Merry Christmas

These are the light Brahmas she is thinking of ordering off eBay.

 

[Arielle]

I am seeing a number of familiar faces!!!! Hello! How I missed this thread is a wonder!! Yellow House your first post has me on pg 3 already>

ANd after a year of learning how to keep mostly hatchery chickens and hatch them and I am at this point in my selection process, your quote:

"It will be interesting to see where you head as you consider your breed. From someone who started with the dregs, fear not, it will get better wherever you head."



Back to page 3 . . . .

 

[Yellow House Farm]

There's a lot of fun info in here. It's neat how the Internet allows us all to work out the questions and grow as poulterers.

 

[Arielle]

Feeding these birds has been a challenge that has been burdening my brain these last months. Has there been discussion here about feeding and how to improve the land as a food source? I have mostly wooded land, open woods, and only small areas have been reclaimed with some grasses growing.

PM me if needed.