Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[BCMaraniac]

I would think that, ideally, one would be breeding and culling for both distinctions on this breed so as to not lose either original quality of the bird...that is, if one were interested in preserving the breed to its original traits. I believe it was first noticed for its meat flavor and development and then later caught interest for the color of the eggs, so a return to that original dual trait would be the goal, I imagine, if one were trying to uphold good breeding standards.

I agree, and to each his own. If I were showing, which I might add, will never happen, then I would concern myself with that. If I get a bigger bird at the expense of egg color, then I am happy to do so. After all, doesn't eating a bird involve culling?

 

[Beekissed]

Yes..it does!

That would be one of the good side effects of breeding to SOP...all of the extra meat on the table! I'm a little more basic in my culling, never having bred to SOP standards at all as I've always just had hatchery mutts for breeding. If the world and I were in a different time, I'd definitely be trying to develop a flock of White Rocks, RIRs and BAs to my own SOP from heritage stock breeding.

I'm not much into breeds with specific egg colors though I do tend to lean more towards a brown egg layer because my favorite breeds just happen to lay that color. But you can't taste the color of the egg when you are eating it and the color doesn't insure more eggs.... and in the end of the end and at the bottom of the bottom, chickens and their eggs are purely for food and for feather pillows.

 

[beverly evans]

The reason he has no comb is because he is a capon and has no testosterone coursing through his veins since the testicles were removed. He has a small, very pale comb and he doesn't crow. I think he would dress out more than that myself. I am not going to butcher to find out. I always thought that dressed weight is 65 to 70 percent of live weight. I am gonna let him keep growing at least another 3-4 months. Since he has been castrated, his flesh will remain moist and tender as he grows, like a steer would be compared to a bull. I am anxious to see how dressed weight compares to live weight. Some breeds of capons.....a Jersey Giant, I think.....have weighed in upwards of 20 pounds live.

Finding the testicle is actually easy, making an incision between the lower two ribs. You just have to be careful because there are major blood vessels nearby. They are located near the backbone below the kidneys.

THX for your answer. I won't be removing any testis. Without testosterone do they act like hens> I mean there is no protection for the hens like a normal rooster would do? Just wondered. : )

 

[beverly evans]

I am in northeast TN. Yes, every Marans or Marans cross I have had has been black with a yellow underbelly. They will grow fast. What kind of rooster do you have?

I have a huge Copper Maran and one big ol' honker of a hen. They are both huge compared to all my 4 pd. little girls. So I have what appears to be two pure Marans and one Dominique-Maran cross. I am sure of this linage.

 

[Triple Willow]

On PBS Martha Stewart is cooking up some big ol' Ancona duck steaks. I suppose it is breast meat. Holy moly that looks so good!!! Looks just like a big ribeye. One of these days I'm gonna get some of those ducks.

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a huge Copper Maran and one big ol' honker of a hen. They are both huge compared to all my 4 pd. little girls.  So I have what appears to be two  pure Marans and one Dominique-Maran cross.  I am sure of this linage.  

Hey there Beverly. You might have a Cuckoo Maran. I believe some of my Australorps were part Cuckoo Maran.

 

[Triple Willow]

BCMaraniac, I bet your Marans capons are really nice! We need more pic please! lol

 

[Beekissed]

You see this guy right here? Says he's a Golden Cuckoo Maran....and BUD had a lot of the same coloring in the same places and now I'm thinking maybe ol' BUD was not a mix mutt of NH and BR, but could possibly been of this breed.




There at the end he was getting more red on his hackles and along his back and his saddle feathers...was starting to look a lot like the Golden Maran in the pic but without the darkness of the barring or the developed comb and wattles yet. What do y'all think?

 

[Triple Willow]

So Bee, your breeds of choice if you were going into breeding heritage flocks would be WR, RIR and BA huh? I was just thinking about that this morning. I don't know but I believe I would like to do Rose Comb Ancona (chickens) and I'm not sure about the other - Delaware, BA, Buckeye...? I really like the White Leghorns too. Some say that an Ancona is pretty much just a colored White Leghorn.

My 8 month old pullets seem to be laying better than ever and recently the egg size has gotten bigger. I didn't figure that would happen this time of year.

 

[Triple Willow]

Sure does look like a possibility.