Hatching my first KONZA!!!

[Arielle]

I'm not buying GFF anything. lol

ANd sexlink layers is more effective than meaties. THe male layers are immediately culled so no expense to raise; but the meaties are all edible. Could be beneficial to separate the sexes for maximum feed intack and growth. SOmetimes smaller birds cannot get to the feeders as easeily. I noticed this with the cornish X . . .

 

[Shellz]

I'm not buying GFF anything. lol 

ANd sexlink layers is more effective than meaties. THe male layers are immediately culled so no expense to raise; but the meaties are all edible.  Could be beneficial to separate the sexes for maximum feed intack and growth. SOmetimes smaller birds cannot get to the feeders as easeily. I noticed this with the cornish X . . .

I seem to hatch out more roos here. One of my earlier hatches in Feb. had 13 roos & 2 pullets. Now that may not always be the case...so maybe I'll ditch the sex link meat project for now. You're probably right that sex links are more efficient with egg laying than putting on meat. So many ideas, so limited space & resources! I've got a friend down south who's going to try some projects we've discussed anyway. I can live vicariously thru him.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I think it might be worth persuing if the point is to seaparte the genders early on for management purposes. If nothing else, it is fun to play with the possibilities.

IT is normal to hatch more males than females-- nature has a plan: boys get killed off faster than girls, in all species.

 

[southernmomma]

Quote:

That's what I was referring to~ the feed you purchase. I was thinking out loud that if a lower protein is more affordable long term that is what you should feed in order to see how they do on it. I imagine most breeds get bigger faster with higher protein but one that converts a lower protein% to flesh is the one you'd want to keep/breed.

Just musings.

How are the lil boogers doing?

M

 

[Arielle]

That's what I was referring to~ the feed you purchase. I was thinking out loud that if a lower protein is more affordable long term that is what you should feed in order to see how they do on it. I imagine most breeds get bigger faster with higher protein but one that converts a lower protein% to flesh is the one you'd want to keep/breed.

Just musings.

How are the lil boogers doing?

M

It would take feed trials to test which breeds neeed which amt of protein. I do know that some breeds can be fed very high protein and the growth rate is not improved because the genetics are not there to untilize all the protein. Many breeds have develeoped on lower protein. BUt it gets complicated. Birds that forage generally use more energy to get around and get the food. So a low or very low protien food can be useful but they eat many more pounds of it.

DOes this make sense?? NOt sure I wrote the idea clearly.

I do have the option of buying 3 tons of custom mixed feed too. That cost is about 25% less than the current pricing.

THanks for the input-- I am struggling between what is cost effective and what is self sufficient; as I dont see them as the same.

 

[southernmomma]

I get it

Did you happen to notice the sulmtalers for sale in the BST section? I know you're interested in them.

M

 

[holm25]

Pictures

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tommysgirl]

@Arielle how are your Konzas? Mine are doing really great so far. One I am sure is a cockerel because he hatched with a head spot he is developing barring that is brown and silver and black and super cool looking. The other is larger and so I assume it is also a cockerel...that and with shipped eggs it seems in my experience that female embryos are more fragile.. But that one has the coloring like the son of Moby who was standing in the pop door opening. Beautiful silverr with black. Total black tail, just gorgeous. I so hope he is a pullet but I really don't think so. I will try to snap pics tomorrow to share. I have been thinking about yours and hoping that you will ship me some eggs when you start to get them. I don't have an incubator which is why Ron hatched these two for me but I will be up to my eyeballs in broodies next spring for sure.

 

[tommysgirl]

Hey All here are my two boys.They hatched on 7/2 Poor Pic quality but the first two pics are of the cockerel I am calling Reese. He is chocolate and gold cuckoo. He definitely has the camo thing going and arial predators would have a tough time finding other birds marked like him. He hatched with a headspot so though he has a flat comb and is showing no signs of crowing he was sexable at hatch





This is Magnus. I am assuming he is a cockerel because he is HUGE. Reese is no tiny little thing and you can see in the last pic that Magnus is significantly bigger

They are foraging fools. That is Ike my year old New Hampshire roo behind them. He is enormous too. On the left is my little Pita Pinta pullet who is their hatchmate. I can't keep both of the Konzas. Leaning toward Magnus b/c he has been such a fast grower. Anyway just thought I would share.

@Arielle did you get chicks that look like these two?

 

[Arielle]

Great pics!! Glad to see your babies are doing well!!!!

My 2 that I can ID as Konzas are not at all like yours. One is black with white and black swirling over the wings. And the second one is all black. There is a third one but it is in another pen and I am hoping it will grow larger than the others so I will know which one it is.

As far as growth, I'm not seeing a big difference with my other birds. Perhaps like the buckeyes these need close to a 30 percent protein level. THe two first mentioned above hang with a sulmtaler pullet which is a little older and a little bigger. So as the sulm is a hen, it will be interesting to compare to the other two as they get older.

I never did get another shipment of eggs-- that is a story unto itself. So I am hoping others will have eggs to share in the months to come!