Foraging And Feed Effeciency Comparing Breeds

[gjensen]

Quote:
I have grown out three generations. Just long enough to get a feel for what I have. A poultry judge in Pa helped me acquire my start.

 

[maranfarmer563]

Are they buff color,I just looked them up,because I never heard of them. Look like a great breed

 

[gjensen]

Quote:
Yes. You are right. There is a lot of variables to consider. There is a lot of variation between strains, breeds, locals, and keepers. Even within a given flock. I like that about this hobby. I like marrying a breed with climate. I live in the southeast myself. I do not prefer excessively feathered breeds. I do not feel they are well suited for our hot summers even that some do well with them. I like the games and game mixes. There is a lot to be said for them. Games are usually mild mannered with their keepers. Especially the large Oriental breeds. Usually they are easier to handle than many that we keep. I was surprised by that. Of course there are exceptions. The Leghorns are a wonderful breed. No breed has had as much influence and they started as a land raced breed, developed and refined in this country. Some of the exhibition strains are amazingly refined and still hardy and productive. The Leghorn breeders have done as well with their breed as any. I do not like birds that are needy either.

 

[gjensen]

Quote:
Traditionally no they are not buff. The males would be more of a red buff and the females more of a wheaton color. Our Standard does describe a black tailed buff bird, and I am heading that way with mine. If you find some pictures of birds from Spain, you will see their color there. They are colored similarly to our Nankin.

 

[Arielle]

One of her chicks is the only grey cockerel raised this year. He is a special guy and gets a pinch of grain while I'm feeding the goats

I know I would consider keeping him too. lol

what breeds were the roosters you butchered, arielle?

the andulusian cross is the only hen I know for shore was laying and molting at the same time. I separated her and fed her a special ration with extra protein and also a little catfood. last year she only molted a little and never finshed. this year she stoped laying a short time after I got her health back up and now she is molting slowly. the other hen always had a slowness about her and always seemed thin to me. it may have had to do with how they were raised. I kept them in a large hoop house instead of in chicken tractors with part time free ranging like I do now.

THey were crosses, a blue Am ( suppsed to be from GFF) over my mixed barred hens of various things like black sex links, marans and maybe barred rock. THe barred rock hen was in that pen for a while so possibly her eggs were in the mix. IT is a pen I keep for making olive eggers. lol

A thin hen is better than a fat hen!! I know which girls are not laying by the glossy feathers and the heft of them. Of course at 3 1/2 years old maybe it is time to stew them . . . IDK. I do wonder if I should keep them for breeding but as they are hatchery stuff maybe the stew pot is best . . . . but then I think about how broody they get . . . . .still thinking it over.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Decisions, decisions

I have thought of Australorps repeatedly.....and Buckeyes too......and Cornish and Marans, lol. I finally have some mutts for eggs but am still mulling over the meat bird ideas~ had a few Cornish Cross that we purchased, and while not bad to raise, not a sustainable breed (as you know!). There's a show I want to attend in about a week so I'm hoping to see some breeds that interest me "in the flesh"

Cheers, M
THe line of marans I have I would not consider as meat birds; the AMs are not either. Neither are even close tot he buckeyes that I have. THe 2 bresse are hefty and I have high hopes for those two ( obviously need more birds if I continue with bresse); one cornish cross ( half marans) is HUGE and needs a pen of his own girls as he live with the buckeyes right now. I have a few konzas-- one is huge. I"m mulling over getting a trio. As you said cornish cross are not sustaina ble but I"m think perhaps having the best of both. WHy not have a few cornish cross to put in the freezer as well as the others? I like the fast growth, and the heavy weights in short time. Fortunately my family is willing to eat a lot of poultry.

Hope you have a great time at the show!!! I love looking at the birds. One thing I will throw out to you is be aware that these are not raised as meat birds but as show birds. ANd while the show birds will be ahead of the hatchery stuff, you will need to be prepared to ask specific questions about growth and weights and useage. Mr Reese has a line of NH that are not show birds but are raised as meat birds. His listing confirmed by thoughts that meat production traits can get lost with the pressure to have a good SOp bird. I suspect a few good breeders can still produce a good meat bird and a good show bird all in one, just keep searching to find what you are willing to work with IMO.

One of the reasons I went with buckeyes is that they were reestablished as a meat bird in recent years so all the work was done for me. As a beginner with birds I didnt feel I could tackle improving a breed. IF you are that gutsy, go for it!! lol

 

[Arielle]

Hi George! Interesting that you mention the nankin. I almost fell for that breed if only for its history. I kept to my plan though of only large fowl. Maybe . . .someday. . . . . I'll change my mind.

DOn Shrider raises leghorns, and though I have not heard much about his brown leghorns I would bet they are something. Again I am supposing based on the success he had with the buckeyes. I was a little slow to realize that , again, I am guessing, that he has buckeyes for meat, and leghorns for eggs.

As for my buckeyes I am curious to see how they over winter. THey are from AL and that is much warmer than here. THe temps have reached into the low 30's a few nights this fall, but I suspect that the cold weaher is here to stay. I got home from work late today so wasnot able to see if the buckeyes were out and about in the cold wind today that followed 2 days of cold rain.

I have a local strain of buff orpingtons. THey are definitely a very docile breed and get picked on by the other roosters. I do love their coloring though. THey have been good foragers, but not as hardy as I wanted. THe pullets seem to die too easily. THese will be phased out.

All the Amercauna males seem to be tough as nails. THey defend their space actively. I have one boy who tried to protect his small flock from all other boys and that was a difficult task as the girls scattered and 10 other roosters were ready to help themselves. I eventually moved him and his girls to another location so he could have some peace. I'm not sure how protecting his flock from other roosters translates into protecting the girls and chicks from predators.

Back to my buckeyes. I see a lot of mating going on but the pullets have small pale combs. If they are laying, I dont know where the eggs are. THey tend to like to roost on the ground. ANd free range during the day. Perhaps I will stumble up a mass of eggs now that the leaves are off the bushes.

 

[gjensen]

Arielle, I think your Buckeyes will do well. The climate differences will only be a problem when there is drastic immediate change. I also believe they were a good choice. I think they will pro to be an excellent dual purpose bird.

I like having it all in one breed. I do not see a need in one for eggs and one for meat. But, I prefer to emphasize the eggs and enjoy the meat as a bonus. I believe rearing poultry on a small stead is more efficient that way. I have to rear my replacement flock, and the extra cockerels should be useful. I am feeding more pullets/hens through out the year, so they need to earn their keep. When they can't, I want them to be a meal. My meat comes from my dual purpose laying flock.

I like the Nankins myself. I have also considered them. They are delightful little birds.

A friend of mine breeds Blue Wheaton Ams, and hers actually behave like chickens. The males help raise the young etc. They are reasonable layers of colorful eggs, and they have enough meat on them to make a meal. They are good looking birds even that I had to get used to the beard etc.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I started out with hatchery or mutt birds so it will take me some time to breed them back to the standards I desire.
I like the size and production of my blacksexlinks, but I don't like the fact that their a ''dead end'' bird that I have to buy new parent stock to each year.

the amiracounas are a more slow growing breed, but they have a uniqueness about them which I like, and the roosters grow out to be a descent size.

Its very important to me to have many bloodlines in my flock to insure genetic diversity. so far I have at least three in my amiracounas. next year I will probably get a second roo so that I can keep two flocks and insure more diversity.

I have a friend who has buckeyes she got from a breeder in NC. unfortunately they are very old and the rooster has issues with his feet. they are big birds. actually I took care of said rooster for a while, and one of my bantams got in with him for a few weeks. I hatched one of her eggs so now I have bantam/buckeye cross. ( I thought she was bred to another rooster ). unfortunately he takes after his mom. small and sneaky

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[southernmomma]

Arielle, thanks for the advice. I'm terribly excited to go to an APA show. My little mutts are enjoyable and fun but I'm anxious to see the difference between hatchery and breeder quality now that I might more fully appreciate the difference. Although it doesn't really meet my needs, I find the lighter, sleeker egg laying breeds more attractive than the heavier dual purpose birds....

I am determined to not collect various breeds/strains/colors but I can see how it happens, lol.

For what it's worth, and in keeping with the thread, I have seen an enormous variance of industriousness with the few hens and pullets I have.

M