Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Beekissed]

Again, it seems as though there is a misunderstanding in the word "productive."

The hatchery birds will lay more eggs more frequently earlier in their lives, but overall, the heritage birds will lay more eggs for a longer period of time, making them far superior in the egg-laying capacity.

As for the meat processing, they may take a smidge longer, but again, the carcass size will be far larger than a bird bred for production.

Unless, we speak of course of the Cornish X. Personally, I love having a few of those available as dinner. I might have to get back into those for a 6 week dinner.

My two best layers right now are 6 yrs old and are DP birds that have been laying 5 days out of 7 all year except for molt and broody recovery. They lay right through the winter without the aid of lighting. They and their former flock mates have been keeping this level of production for all these years now, with just this past year seeing some of the birds this age needing to be culled for nonlaying. I'm doubting these WRs were bred specifically for production, nor the BAs or NHs I've had either. I think they are referred to as DP, though after seeing carcasses on these three breeds I only consider the WR worthy of true meat qualities.

I agree there is a misunderstanding about the word "production" where some are imagining one is referring to a leghorn, RIR, sex link variety of hatchery bird, which I am not. I am discussing dual purpose birds with excellent laying and good body weights. I agree with you on those production breeds, which is why I never get them any longer. They aren't worth the feed past their first season for any reason as they fall short on anything I find desirable.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm sorry but what is "DP"?

 

[Beekissed]

Dual purpose.

 

[BGMatt]

Again, it seems as though there is a misunderstanding in the word "productive."

The hatchery birds will lay more eggs more frequently earlier in their lives, but overall, the heritage birds will lay more eggs for a longer period of time, making them far superior in the egg-laying capacity.

As for the meat processing, they may take a smidge longer, but again, the carcass size will be far larger than a bird bred for production.

Unless, we speak of course of the Cornish X. Personally, I love having a few of those available as dinner. I might have to get back into those for a 6 week dinner.

For me it's a question of can they pay for themselves? This is another reason I select for faster growth, I feed non-gmo, non-soy, custom milled feed, not the cheapest but I get very very good results with it. It costs me roughly $1 a week per bird to raise and maintain, so by the time a bird is 6 months old, it has a $24 deficit to pay off, the longer they take to mature (which I define as either laying or table ready) the higher that deficit becomes. Let's say the bird averages 4 eggs a week which is 200 a year, which is a good solid number for a dual purpose bird, so a dozen eggs costs $3 to produce. If I can get $5 a dozen for eating eggs that means it takes each bird 36 weeks (If I can only get $4 a dozen? 72 weeks, almost a year and a half!!!) to pay off it's $24 debt. Obviously if I can sell hatching eggs the number goes down, but that can be a fairly limited market, especially if like me you're raising the breeds you love rather than any other factor (like marketability). Now imagine if you're waiting for 10 months for that bird to lay?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Herein lies another issue.

If your bird starts laying at 6 or 7 months, in the Langshan breed, the eggs are simply not as large as a 10 month old birds' is. So you're either A. wasting that birds genetic potential by reducing the number of viable eggs. or B. raising the bird for production values only.

For me, I want eggs that I can start hatching from immediately. I have a Leghorn that started laying at 7 months (I tried to make her hold off, but that was as late as I could get her to lay) that has eggs much smaller, that I would never use as a hatching egg. My 10 month old birds which are in breeding pens have the correct size of egg that I would use to hatch from.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Ha! You have a sense of humor. That's a good thing.

As for selling birds....In the last few days, my 'junior' partner has been angling/wheedling for me to sell a major component of our flock and I have acquiesced.

He will be in charge of all aspects of flock management ....including my forced labor and naturally, I will continue to pay the bills...

One must have a sense of humor with birds. Otherwise we all would have gone insane long ago!

"Junior" partner? Ah...luckily I don't need to worry myself with that at the moment...I'm afraid that due to my husband's more "data collection" side of things, the poultry will be my own and hopefully at least one child's of mine, but even I'm doubtful they will inherit the poultry gene.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! A person has lost 3-4 months on egg production and feed repayment by that time. I usually cull a bird that hasn't laid by month 7 and that's what I consider "slow" maturing, with 4-5 mo. being fast and 6 right on average. Anything older than that is an old maid and it's been my experience that the birds that mature that slow don't ever make the best of layers, seemingly having less ova than others of her breed and age. That's why I finally decided on a cut off point for that trait as waiting longer didn't produce a better layer in my flocks.

I seem to have better and longer lay from the birds that mature in the 6 mo. range.

 

[Apdeb]

I think bee should try the buckeyes my pullet was hatched june and laid her first egg at boston show nov 1. They are great to eat at 7 months!!! They have been steady layers foragers in my yoyo connecticut weather

 

[Beekissed]

I've heard a lot of good things about Buckeyes, not the least of which is their extreme density of meat, which I like in a bird. I've also heard about their hardiness and cold weather laying. I think they are a beautiful bird and they've been on my list of birds to try in life.

 

[hellbender]

One must have a sense of humor with birds. Otherwise we all would have gone insane long ago!

"Junior" partner? Ah...luckily I don't need to worry myself with that at the moment...I'm afraid that due to my husband's more "data collection" side of things, the poultry will be my own and hopefully at least one child's of mine, but even I'm doubtful they will inherit the poultry gene.

Yep...my son. He is selling the entire flock of Australorps (6 months to 4+ years) to a family in PA. It will be fun watching/helping him do his thing with the NN's. He seems to have a 'master-plan'.

I always knew (hoped) I'd have to roll-over one day.