Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

You mentioned part Cuckoo Marans.  I have mentioned several times my mixed flock capons, and that they were all black, but I forgot about the ones that ended up barred.  I have a total of 4 barred chicks out of 33 that hatched.  I have a Barred Rock hen, but I don't hatch her eggs because they are so small....she was really small when she started laying.  All of the barred birds are roos, and none of them have feathered legs like my Marans.  I have no clue how the barring happened.  I hatched out some chicks for a lady in my area, who just wanted chickens that would lay eggs, after feral cats killed hers.  I think a couple of them are barred as well.  I wish I knew how that happened, because they are big birds, and appear to be making great capons.  If I knew, then I would purposely try to replicate the genetics since it is some type of hybrid.  Puzzling to me.......

My Aussies were supposed to be full blooded but a roo that had a little Maran in it wasn't off of all the hens long enough so I ended up with a barred cockrel and barred pullet. The pullet (I think) was the first of mine to lay and the cockrel was about the best in the bunch. And I do believe she is the one laying the dark egg practically every day. So she is the one whose eggs I let this pullet hatch out.

 

[BCMaraniac]

My Aussies were supposed to be full blooded but a roo that had a little Maran in it wasn't off of all the hens long enough so I ended up with a barred cockrel and barred pullet. The pullet (I think) was the first of mine to lay and the cockrel was about the best in the bunch. And I do believe she is the one laying the dark egg practically every day. So she is the one whose eggs I let this pullet hatch out.

You know, you have got me thinking. I bought 4 black copper marans from a woman locally, two hens and two pullets. The hens had just gone through a horrible molt, but I bought them anyway, and the pullets hadn't start laying. So none of them were laying when I got them home, but eventually we started getting eggs from the older ones, and then the 3rd one started laying. BUT when the 4th one started laying, her egg wasn't dark like the others......and her legs never did feather....hmmmm. I believe she also raised Cuckoos and Welsummers, so I wonder if there might have been a rogue visit her breeding pen and I ended up with a bird that wasn't a full blooded Marans......If this occurred, it was strictly accidental, because I tried to get her to sell me a another copper marans hen that she was getting ready to cull, and she wouldn't let me buy it because it wasn't of sufficient quality, and she didn't want to get the reputation for selling bad stuff.....I only wanted eggs.....but she wouldn't sell her to me.

I may have to control a few days of breeding with her next spring to see what happens......

 

[Triple Willow]

You know, you have got me thinking.  I bought 4 black copper marans from a woman locally, two hens and two pullets.  The hens had just gone through a horrible molt, but I bought them anyway, and the pullets hadn't start laying.  So none of them were laying when I got them home, but eventually we started getting eggs from the older ones, and then the 3rd one started laying.  BUT when the 4th one started laying, her egg wasn't dark like the others......and her legs never did feather....hmmmm.  I believe she also raised Cuckoos and Welsummers, so I wonder if there might have been a rogue visit her breeding pen and I ended up with a bird that wasn't a full blooded Marans......If this occurred, it was strictly accidental, because I tried to get her to sell me a another copper marans hen that she was getting ready to cull, and she wouldn't let me buy it because it wasn't of sufficient quality, and she didn't want to get the reputation for selling bad stuff.....I only wanted eggs.....but she wouldn't sell her to me.

I may have to control a few days of breeding with her next spring to see what happens......

Yeah, my pullets that are laying now (and the broody) are from eggs I got from a friend. We thought we had but we didn't wait to have the one roo off long enough to prevent a couple of the eggs belonging to him. It is amazing how long a roo's sperm can fertilize eggs after the breeding.

 

[Triple Willow]

The roo...

The roo and pullet...

Both have gray legs like a Coockoo Maran.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Yeah, my pullets that are laying now (and the broody) are from eggs I got from a friend. We thought we had but we didn't wait to have the one roo off long enough to prevent a couple of the eggs belonging to him. It is amazing how long a roo's sperm can fertilize eggs after the breeding.

They would have to be pretty potent to service as many hens as they are willing.....and able to.....

 

[Triple Willow]

I just saw something about this on the news, nasty! Y'all gotta see it. Blaaaah!

 

[AletaG]

Well, culled second chicken ever. Didn't want to, but she'd injured her hip joint pretty badly. Isolated her, babied her, performed therapy on her for about 2 wks. Just barely big enough to try processing, so we did it. One immature bantam Choc Orpington in the fridge. Dressed/skinned, minus legs and wings at first joint was 1lb 1/4oz. One full meal for my pup, or decent chicken soup.
I'll feel better about it when all the parts are gone, I think. Dog ate the inside bits he could have in about .5 seconds.
-AG

 

[waltandlori]

I just saw something about this on the news, nasty! Y'all gotta see it. Blaaaah!

Coulda went all day without seeing that!

Walt

 

[Triple Willow]

Well, culled second chicken ever. Didn't want to, but she'd injured her hip joint pretty badly. Isolated her, babied her, performed therapy on her for about 2 wks. Just barely big enough to try processing, so we did it. One immature bantam Choc Orpington in the fridge. Dressed/skinned, minus legs and wings at first joint was 1lb 1/4oz. One full meal for my pup, or decent chicken soup.
I'll feel better about it when all the parts are gone, I think. Dog ate the inside bits he could have in about .5 seconds.
-AG

Sorry to hear that Aleta. It's hard to cull one you really don't want to. At least she didn't go to waste- but that does not make you feel any better at the time.

 

[Triple Willow]

Coulda went all day without seeing that!

Walt

So true! On my local new channel they were doing the report but I guess hadn't seen the film clip and got grossed out badly- pretty funny.