Hatching my first KONZA!!!

[Arielle]

Well you truly gave the hatchery stock a good try to determine that hatchery breeds are not at all meatie except for the few meat types. Glad you hooked up with better sources.

I have generally figured that given the number of chicks hatched, at least half are boys, so those need to be worthyof roasting. And for the high quality birds that need to be bred for production and SOP, well a lot of the girls will be cullled to and therefore should be roaster worthy too.

ENdless challenges . . .

 

[Shellz]

I can relate! Malines have no SOP here, so my mentor has coached me on what to look for & he has imported a new line. I have 7 week olds of both old & new line birds now. The problem now is, I've got a fox that took out some of my best new birds. Now they're yarded & my dog just chased off a mink this morning!

 

[Arielle]

Good doggie!!!

Predators are all part of having livestock. A dog is a good first defense!! WE are contructing a couple types of fencing but none are fool proof.

As the trees are coming down, the branches are piled in a line and at 4-5 feet high the coyotewill try to find another way in; the trunks are more like poles so those are tied up to fence posts to slow downt he rotting process and act as more fencing.

We still have visitors.

 

[tommysgirl]

I replaced all my hatchery stock as well, over a year ago. I've since found good breeder stock which is fantastic!

I'm considering the buckeye next year for a meat project with my current stock. A breeder is close by that just got buckeye hatching eggs from Ohio this spring.

I love my black sex link hen for winter laying without supplemental lighting. However, she is 3 years old now & slowing down. I keep her because she's an excellent broody & mom.

I'm hoping between buckeyes next year & my Malines, we should have enough eggs to see us thru winter 2015/2016. In the past, I've built up a cache of eggs during the fall & put in our spare fridge. I figure, 2 different breeds moulting at different times (hopefully), will help keep the eggs coming.

Hatchery stock is great for egg layers, not so much for meat birds unless you buy their birds that are specifically bred for meat. Even then, I have no experience with those birds. I've raised about 15 different 'heritage' breed hatchery birds for meat over 2 seasons & was greatly disappointed. What a waste of time.

It took joining a local poultry forum to see that I had other, much better options.

Cute birds, tommysgirl.

Its great if you can process yourself &/or with family/friends. I like being self reliant & besides, would cost way too much $$$ to drive over an hour to the closest poultry processor.

Thanks!

Sex Links are great! I love having my NH roo, though he is hatchery he is a sweet heart, because I can put him over anything barred or cuckoo or silver and he makes them. I have a clutch cooking right now with Chocolate barred rock eggs in it. Not sure what those will look like but I am counting down the days till I find out.

I don't know how my home grown SLs will perform egg wise vs hatchery girls. I have one RSL but she was just hatched on Mother's Day so we have a couple of months or so before she starts laying.

Good Luck getting eggs through the winter. Have you tried Chantecler?

Well you truly gave the hatchery stock a good try to determine that hatchery breeds are not at all meatie except for the few meat types. Glad you hooked up with better sources.

I have generally figured that given the number of chicks hatched, at least half are boys, so those need to be worthyof roasting. And for the high quality birds that need to be bred for production and SOP, well a lot of the girls will be cullled to and therefore should be roaster worthy too.

ENdless challenges . . .

If you are me then you can figure that roughly 3/4 chicks that hatch will be cockerels

I made the decision to start processing when I realized I was giving away to others what should have been landing on my table and then buying inferior inhumanely raised and processed chicken to feed my family.

I can relate! Malines have no SOP here, so my mentor has coached me on what to look for & he has imported a new line.

I have 7 week olds of both old & new line birds now. The problem now is, I've got a fox that took out some of my best new birds. Now they're yarded & my dog just chased off a mink this morning!

Do you guys both breed to SOP? that's too much for me right now. I prefer breeder birds b/c I know they didn't go through the hatching and sexing process at a hatchery and b/c they are prettier. I would like to work on it at some point but am pretty sure that will be a post retirement thing.

I have never heard of Malines so I am off to google.

Have a great day!

 

[Shellz]

We were predator free last year until a mink got by the dogs & got 2 cockerels. Could've been worse. I was late getting to the coop to close the pop door. The fox just figured out this year how to get around my dogs. Smart buggers!

Natural fencing - good idea. Cheaper than renting a post hole digger & buying cedar posts.

With our property (15 acres woods, 3 cleared) it's teeming with all kinds of wildlife. I would prefer to deter the preds, I just wish we could afford electric fencing or a larger, more intimidating dog to do the job. We have no fencing, save for the chicken yard. The cleared areas are bordered by forest which my bigger dog patrols. Spent a lot of time training both dogs to stay on property & off the road.

 

[Shellz]

Oh yeah! Make your own sex links! I've considered that too, but in reality I need to keep my numbers down. You should start a thread, tommysgirl for that project. I'd be interested to see how that works out. Ah yes, chanties! I have considered them...may have to look into them again. Just a couple of pullets would be good. I thought of RIR pullets too. I could put a Malines roo over those & get sex links too, no? That is my best Malines rooster in my avatar, btw.

I got in over my head with hatching some Bielefelders & Olive Eggers (of course the fox didn't want those birds! Grrr!) this spring. I have 52 birds in all right now & trying to sell off the non-Malines. I'm trying to breed to the European SOP right now, so I'm going to divide my flock next spring into 2 smaller flocks. One for SOP & one as a strictly meat line. I will sell what few extras I may have to some locals I know who may want them.

Yes, breeder birds are generally bigger birds too.

I am fortunate to be retired, but starting to realize what numbers I can feasibly handle here at one time. It's been complicated with bad early spring hatches with only a few hatching & then having a better than expected hatch & now overrun. The different ages along with the fearless preds has made it extra challenging this year.

So, how are those Konzas doing?

 

[tommysgirl]

Oh yeah! Make your own sex links!

I've considered that too, but in reality I need to keep my numbers down. You should start a thread, tommysgirl for that project. I'd be interested to see how that works out.

Ah yes, chanties! I have considered them...may have to look into them again. Just a couple of pullets would be good. I thought of RIR pullets too. I could put a Malines roo over those & get sex links too, no? That is my best Malines rooster in my avatar, btw.

I got in over my head with hatching some Bielefelders & Olive Eggers (of course the fox didn't want those birds! Grrr!) this spring. I have 52 birds in all right now & trying to sell off the non-Malines. I'm trying to breed to the European SOP right now, so I'm going to divide my flock next spring into 2 smaller flocks. One for SOP & one as a strictly meat line. I will sell what few extras I may have to some locals I know who may want them.

Yes, breeder birds are generally bigger birds too.

I am fortunate to be retired, but starting to realize what numbers I can feasibly handle here at one time. It's been complicated with bad early spring hatches with only a few hatching & then having a better than expected hatch & now overrun. The different ages along with the fearless preds has made it extra challenging this year.

So, how are those Konzas doing?

Ron tried to look in them w/o picking them up yesterday...day 5 but the shells are a bit dark to see through clearly w/o his Ova Scope and the results were non-conclusive but he said they have the look that eggs get right before veining. He plans to get a better look once he feels comfortable taking them out of the bator so that he can use the OS

I googled Malines and they are beautiful. The hens WOULD produce a SL if the were under a Red Buff or Brown roo...Buckeye??? But according to my understanding the males would not produce a SL. Barring/Cuckoo is passed only by the hen and only to her male offspring so the boys would look like the mom A barred hen with a red/brown or buff or blue roo would create a SL but not the other way around...don't ask me why genetics make my head spin.

 

[Arielle]

Sexlinks for color is a good place to start learning a bit about genetics. I have a pen of barred hens with a blue am rooster. Blue is black with a modifier. Last year I sold these eggs as sexlinked. I have added a few other hens so it is now just a green egger pen.

Shellz I too live on 15A mostly wooded AND it abutts the state wildlife reserve. THe predators pass by on a regular basis, we try to keep them moving!! lol No need to stop here for a snack, go a little further and plenty to eat in the woods.

 

[Arielle]

I liked theMalines-- I looked at themover the winter. Great opportunity to make ameat bird sexlink-- Buckeye x Malines is a super idea.

Can't get Malines here. in US was my understanding.

 

[Shellz]

Ok, that's what I thought. I wasn't absolutely sure, so that's good to know. I'm genetics impaired too. Kudos to those who understand them well. I would like to give buckeyes a shot, but I'm limited to one coop. I need to separate my standard line & meat line, so it'll be difficult to create a 3rd room in the coop. I will have to ponder on this project some more.

You have pics of that mix? The barred hens & blue am roo progeny? Were they good looking birds?

Yes, keep those preds moving! I suppose our lack of preds last year, was due to a boom in the rabbit & grouse populations. No rabbits this year & fewer grouse. There's probably a connection there.

Yes, I thought that very thing, Arielle! A sex-linked meat bird. I just haven't done enough research into it lately...a lot going on here. Yes, you can get Malines via Greenfire Farms. I know, a costly endeavour.