Future plans for 2025! Breeding for large meaties, barring, lacing and EE

[DemeterAD9]

OE chicks looking good. First is from the bantam broody, second is the legbar X broody. And of course the 2 I hatched. Oddly the younger one looks very similar to the dark Brahma’s chick.

BJG chick, clearly a boy.

Some of the legbar X chicks, both the white EE’s chicks are kinda looking like boys. Also I’m certain one of the blue chicks has a crest, top right.

All the older chicks are sounding more like adults and growing their big bird feathers now. Pullets are showing a bit of color on their faces with Chunky looking the most developed in the comb and waddles.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Starting to write things down for flock management purposes. Only ones I haven’t wrote down are the 14 chicks the broodies hatched. I’ll do that once I am certain of gender.

To help me keep track, some photos of the more questionable ones. 3 blues that I have a hard time keeping straight and 2 blacks.

Blue brahma chick-modified pea comb and super feathered legs on the right. Grey OE (probably) on the left with single comb and moderately feathered leg, has a dark feather on her back.

Grey OE daughter (probably)

Large fowl mix daughter (probably). Single comb and clean legs. Has a couple solid dark feathers on her back.

Other LF daughter, black with feathered legs. Used to have white spots on her breast feathers that seem to of mostly molted out. White skin between toes.

Brahma chick, black with moderately feathered legs. Modified pea comb. Thought this one was a cockerel for a while. Yellow skin between toes.

And a couple bresse daughters. I will likely only keep one.

BBS Wyandotte

The keeper from the barred/laced hen showing off her reddening face and comb. She loves to pick at my shoes.

Chunky staying safe from the boys inside the pen but of course the bantam boy insists on being with her. He’s too small to cause her much stress unlike the other cockerels. Cut my knee and bashed my shin trying to chase them away from her before I decided to just lock her up for the day…

 

[DemeterAD9]

Down to 62 birds. Butchered 6 of the cockerels today at 14 weeks old (the RIR was closer to 13 weeks). I skinned half and plucked the biggest 3. Will be canning the skinned ones but I think I'll give away 2 of the plucked ones. One thing to note, all the cockerels that were being bad (2 whites, light barred and RIR) had sizable testes but the others were mini jelly bean sized. Probably could of let the better behaved ones grow another couple weeks but figured I may as well do them all at once.

Weights before and after processing (necks included)

Left to right
RIR- 4lb 6oz---> 2lb 12oz
Light grey barred- 4lb 4oz--->2lb 10oz
White from LF hen- 5lb 5oz---> 3lb 9oz
Big barred- 5lb 5oz--->3lb 9oz
Feather legged barred- 4lb 7oz--->2lb 13oz
White from bresse hen- 5ln 5oz--->3lb 7oz

Chunky started squatting 3 days ago at 13 weeks old. I let the 3 remaining cockerels mingle with everyone and I saw the SLW's son attempt to breed Chunky, he was clumsy. At least he attempted to flirt with her first.

Legbar X is no longer broody and has resumed laying eggs, her chicks took the weaning a lot better than the bantam's kids.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Bantam is broody again, she will not get to hatch any more till spring unless Chunky pops out some eggs in a timely manner.

I've made up my mind on the three remaining cockerels and will be culling the barred and EE boys when I get around to it. EE cockerel is looking to be taking after the BJG roo which is not ideal. The barred boy has good shape but I'd prefer non barred roos over the barred hens so I can create sex linked chicks. Plus he's acting like he's tough stuff and I don't like that. The SLW son seems the best tempered and looks to have decent shape.

Looks like I was mistaken with the legbar X's brood of mostly sex linked chicks. One appears to be a cockerel. Also could of sworn I saw a black chick with a head tuft but they run around so much it's hard to tell. I need to do a head count on all the chicks and see who is what.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Current head count is now 61 as I sold the bresse hen to a family friend who wanted a buddy for her single hen. Will be down to 59 very soon as the barred cockerel is asking for it, he's pulling out clumps of feathers on pullets and going after the bantam cockerel. I've had enough!

I left the SLW son with the main flock last night and that seems to have been enough to convince him to roost there a second night. I feel confident he is well on his way to becoming a subdominant rooster. We shall see if I end up liking one of the broody-raised cockerels more.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Down to 59. The 2 cockerels were smarter than the last ones and I had to bring out the pellet gun.

EE X BJG- 4lbs 5oz—> 2lb 7oz
Green band barred- 4lbs 3oz—> 2lb 5oz

I got out the frozen BJG rooster and hen to can them with the 2 cockerels. Some comparison photos, first is the BJG rooster alongside his assumed son from the brown EE hen. Just looking at the roo I think it was a good idea to can him…

Parted out left to right, BJG roo, BJG hen, then the 2 cockerels.

I’ll likely cull some hens next once my pullets start laying steady.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Added some fresh straw and new nest box liners. Took a few photos of the whoever was within range. My own chicks are 15 weeks today while the hatchery chicks are about 14 weeks old.

The OE sisters. Silver looks a bit ratty as her feathers grow out.

White EE daughter and BBS red laced W.

Dark brahma daughter, showing some copper on her neck now.

Crooked toe barred/laced pullet, she’s a cull.

Bresse X blue copper maran, so pretty.

SLW’s son who is infatuated with Chunky.

 

[DemeterAD9]

16 weeks for the chicks I hatched. Just saw the blue EE pullet hanging out in a nest box. Here she is with her mom

Buckeye

Diamond duchess, nice red comb

Crested cream legbar, she is smaller than expected

Golden cuckoo maran

Meyer freebie EE

Bantam cockerel who has been getting bullied by the SLW son

 

[DemeterAD9]

A pullet has laid her first egg, not 100% on who but I would guess it was Chunky as I saw her being suspicious and the bantam cockerel was showing her a nice corner under the lean-to. Found it in the run near the water trough. Size and color comparison and yes I dropped the blue egg.

Also got a jumbo egg from the grey OE, thought it would be a double yolk but nope just one extra large yolk.

The black large fowl mix daughter has come down with something. When she stands and tries to walk she walks backwards with her beak dragging on the ground, seeming to trip on her own feet. I'm guessing it's a deficiency of some sort so I've isolated her in the old cockerel pen and have been giving her a mixture of vit E, b12, raw egg and tuna with moistened starter mash. Also have vitamins and minerals in her water. She behaves normal otherwise, eating, drinking, pooping and making soft hen sounds. She doesn't seem disoriented like with wry neck. Just seems to be in her legs. Now she mostly sits like a hen on a nest, sometimes she sits on her hocks. I've seen some improvement where she will take a few steps forward before stumbling. I'm giving her till Monday or so and if there isn't much improvement I'll cull her.

I think I will be butchering the SLW's son as he has been a jerk. Chasing the bantam cockerel, pulling feathers on whichever pullet is nearby, even grabbing my turkey poults while they are out free ranging. I was hoping the blue copper maran would be more protective of everyone but he only chases him off if he sees the cockerel mounting someone. He is also jumping into his old pen to molest the sickly pullet and I've about had enough of that.

 

[DemeterAD9]

New egg again! Guessing the tiny blue/green one is from the blue EE X BJG with muffs as I’ve seen her in the nest box a few times now, 17 weeks today. Thought it was a fairy egg but upon candling it looks to have a yolk in there. 2 small tinted ones, assuming from Chunky, compared to the large fowl X egg.

Hopefully I can catch the new girls in the act and keep tract of who is laying what. Then I can start banding some of the girls I plan to sell.

Couple girls who came over to see what I was doing. 90+ heat has them miserable.
Brahma cross

LF mix or grey OE daughter

Same guess as above, nice development in the comb and waddles.

I really should have banded the chicks from the broodies. The blue ones look too similar. I think this is the bantam’s daughter.

Legbar X son, possible keeper.

Chunky with her now floppy comb trying to stay cool with a brahma daughter.