Foraging And Feed Effeciency Comparing Breeds

[Arielle]

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.

If I could have it all, the buckeyes would lay blue eggs. lol

We eat a lot of eggs but I'm ok with the lower production of the BUckeyes. THe fewer the eggs, the less feed needed to produce said eggs. I had 3 turkey eggs for dinner, so I eat eggs for any meal, and do eat a fair number of them. I need to find my Feeds book. I have never read the section on chicken and poultry since the exams for those sections so would like to refresh that information. Having said that, I do remember that egg production required an increase in protein and calcium especially for each egg produced. So in theory, the buckeyes should eat less feed with less egg production.

Out of the 26 birds, DH said he counted 7 hens. THat means a LOT of males for the eating, once I sort them out and decide the keepers. LIttle nervous to tackle that yet.

 

[Arielle]

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

.

I still have my old sexlink girls.

IN my buckeyes I have 4 lines, and I have access to another line or two ( Paige and Rhodes). Don Shrider recommended rotational crossing to keep up the vigor. All the more reason to run only one breed. I'll get there.

Older birds , like those in NC, would be forgiven small issues. My AM lost his back toe but still gets the job done. If you like those BUckeyes maybe you can get some of the full size birds to keep you "small and sneaky" ones company. lol

 

[Arielle]

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

I find it remarkable that there really are variations with in a group. Gives you the opportunity to select which direction you need to go.

I really do think small sleek birds are the most self sufficient--- my buckeyes scatter far and wide during the day, but I am still " hmmmm"ing aboutthe need for 30% feed for the first 6 weeks. THat feed was costly.

 

[gjensen]

If I could have it all, the buckeyes would lay blue eggs. lol

We eat a lot of eggs but I'm ok with the lower production of the BUckeyes. THe fewer the eggs, the less feed needed to produce said eggs. I had 3 turkey eggs for dinner, so I eat eggs for any meal, and do eat a fair number of them. I need to find my Feeds book. I have never read the section on chicken and poultry since the exams for those sections so would like to refresh that information. Having said that, I do remember that egg production required an increase in protein and calcium especially for each egg produced. So in theory, the buckeyes should eat less feed with less egg production.

Out of the 26 birds, DH said he counted 7 hens. THat means a LOT of males for the eating, once I sort them out and decide the keepers. LIttle nervous to tackle that yet.

I think that you will find that how much they lay will have a minor impact on how much they eat. The two largest contributors to the volume of feed consumed is body size, and rate of growth growing. They eat to meet their energy requirements more than any other factor. They are only going to eat so much, and it is up to us to insure that the ration they have includes all that they need to reach their genetic potential.

I wonder and would be interested to know how many eggs your Buckeyes laid and what size eggs they were. I would guess that they would be average layers at least. I would also guess that confined and free fed that they would eat in the neighborhood of 5 oz. per day. This hypothetical would include some waste.

My experience has been that the large (Standard bred) ate in the 5oz range, and the lighter breeds in the 4oz range. The highest being 5 1/2 oz (these were also especially messy eaters), and the lowest being 4oz. My Catalanas are eating 31/2 oz. but they are allowed to range at least 1/2 the day. In complete confinement I guess they would eat 4 or a little more.

This is what is behind the commercial concept of the lighter than Standard leghorns. More eggs from less feed.

 

[southernmomma]

George, I wonder how your Cats are doing? They really do sound like such a clever bird.

I'll say that at times I have thought I'd rather toss two lighter breed cockerels in the pot than feed the heavier ones to a higher weight. We did a small run of Cornish Cross and even with ranging every day they ate SO. MUCH. So I look at my 3 older hens that are ranging all day, barely eating any feed and think....huh. I am perhaps willing to make the trade of feed/size/etc. I'm essentially confirming my original suspicions that I'd rather eat a largish cockerel of a laying strain than feed a bunch of lazy butts and hope they can squeeze out an egg 3 times a week.

Arielle, I'll be interested in your continued opinion of the Buckeye....that particular strain is one I have looked into as they are broody and that breeder is close(ish) to me. It's funny you wish it laid blue eggs as my EE pullet is probably the most impressive forager of my small crew and is a good size. Ultimately I think just about any strain might be eventually bred up to eating proportions, lol.

It would be great if there was a thread that showed dressed birds and had breed,age, husbandry (ie; penned/ranged/feed info) info included.

M

 

[gjensen]

I like my Cats. This generation has allowed me to acquire all of the pieces and parts that I feel that I need. I can start trying to put them together in this next generation. The next few generations will begin to tell on me. Whether or not I have the ability necessary to take on a project like this. I think that I do. It is not what we know that gets us in trouble, but what we do not know. I am sure that some unexpected challenges will come, and it will test my perseverance.

I have all of the pieces and parts, but I wish things would have lined up a little differently.

Concerning economy, I have come to prefer the lighter breeds. They, too often, are overlooked. A Standard leghorn cockerel matures fast enough to process very early and before too much has been invested into the bird. No they are not providing big roaster type carcasses, but harvested young and tender the flesh itself is as good or better. I like chicken, but I am reluctant to pay steak like prices for it. Outside of being able to grow their food, our paradigm is like going back in time. A time when cockerels were a by product of egg production. Spent hens were a meal, and roasters were a seasonal luxury.

Don't get me wrong. I like the American Class. For home production I like the New Hampshire and the Delaware, and to harvest them young. I think they fit a semi intensive model, and especially if we could supplement with bulk grain. I never came to appreciate waiting 20 wks + for big eaters. It does not make any practical sense to me, but when we admire a particular breed, it is worth it. I do harvest a few that I decide against every year, but I do not want to grow them all out to 24wks. That gets expensive.
I also think the Buckeyes are an excellent consideration.

I will not keep a 3 per week layer. That same layer will take breaks, and not lay well through the winter. There are many breeds where this is acceptable, but they are not production farm breeds. There are a lot of reasons to keep poultry, but I enjoy the farm breeds that "work for a living".

 

[Arielle]

Georgem if my girls are laying, I cant find the eggs. SO I"m sorry I dont have an answer for you yet. THe combs are a dull pink right now so I would be surprised if any are laying. MIght have been the timing going into the fall as they were hatched about April2nd.

Each of the areas of maintenence, gorwth and egg laying take energy and protein. Combine all three and the bird needs a fair amount of energy and a lot of protein. As my land is still a poor producer, I still depend on feeding from the bag but certainly the birds as a whole ( hatchery and breeder bred) eat far more from the bag than in the warmer months. I know when the flock has stopped lying by the slowed feed consumption.

While cracking 4 eggs for breakfast ( 3 for me and one for the cat, lol ) I noticed the yolks are pale again despite the good amount of green grass available. ANd the shell are a bit thin as they have been for several months. THese eggs are from the free ranging hatchery hens that have layer in the shed if they want it.

WInter is setting in here and this is when I resent working suring daylight hours away from the farm. I see brsh that I want to clear to replant with better options for the foraging birds. WHen the buckeyes leave the shed for the day ( water and 22% pellets inside) they scatter all over, mostly headed to thefeeders closer to the house. THey definitely dominate the scene over all other chicken breeds ( AMs and mix breeds). They are evenly scattered thru the woods about 10-15 feed apart rustling in the fallen leaves. I do ocassionally toss out several pounds of whole corn and whole oats to reward their efforts and to encourage searching.

I admire your work George-- you are far far ahead of me. MOstly, I have too much to learn, but keep plugging away at it.

 

[Arielle]

Long ago I learned a bit about commercial egg factories and naturally accepted that this was the manner in which food is put on the AMerican table.

However in recent years as I look for a more sustainable method of production, I have started to look more carefully at the many methods of home production.

Based on the information provided by CHris McCathy, the 27% or higher feed for the first 8 weeks for a buckeye is tought o create other than from a commercial mix. Having said this, I included any mix, including home mixed, if it is from commercially grown/shipped grain; rather than harvested from one's own farm. My ideal is to produce al feed from my own farm land, but it maybe just a pipedream.

Part of the process of renovating this old farm land, is to reduce the number of trees. ANd that in itself creates other issues. THe stump spouts hit 4-7 feet the first year and what was open understory becomes a thicket of bushes instead.

DH plans to make more fencing to cut the land into sections using the felled trees to set as posts and then tie up the lengths of logs with baling twine ( a good use for poly twine), and the sheep can clear out a section at a time. BUt dang everything takes so much time. NO wonder we all like to go to the feed store instead. lol

 

[southernmomma]

And you are several steps ahead of me

We have cleared areas but are starting to clear out brush as well....hard work!

I have become less and less married to the wish for chickens. Poultry yes, but perhaps ducks or turkeys or some combination might be a more practical way to feed my family on a continuous basis. I'm considering how to always have something laying, hatching and growing....while not coming out of pocket too too much. If something ate nothing but brambles, laid eggs all winter, brooded a clutch and stayed tender I would be happy to pay any price for stock, lol.

Hold tight to your "pipedream", we are travelling the same road.

M

 

[maranfarmer563]

Some milk goats and game chickens would love a brushy bramble patch