Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[warbirds]

I have a very hard time eating chicken from a restaurant/grocery store anymore. The texture of mush, the amount of water that cooks out of it, the lack of a flavor. I just can't handle it much anymore. I spoiled myself. I got back into birds in May 2013, since then I decided I'm just going to have to hatch enough to freeze a lot of culls.

Also, I've posted this elsewhere. And as we are on the topic it may be a good idea to ask.

Do any of you keep parts such as feet/shanks, combs, wattles, whole heads? A lot of places around the world reserve these parts for soups and stocks. Some include the parts in dishes. I'm all about eating, and I'll eat just about anything. So I really want other peoples input on what to make with extra parts. I plan to make a lot of stock this year by way of cooking down feet/shanks.

You might find this page informational:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/chicken-feet-stock/

Doc

 

[call ducks]

Quote: IMO that is an impractical way to select for laying - just one reasons of many (in my view) is you are feeding many birds longer than you need to...

You can select for egg laying traits that will increase size,yield, and length of time they can lay for. You can select for production traits that increase egg size and and productivity with out a hen ever laying... Now it might not be something you see but if you know what to look for you can certainly feel it.

I am more or less a farmer - Grow a large market garden, while going to school. As a farmer breeding for production traits is the utmost of importance - I would not be able to make improvements on production as fast as I would want (really need) to if I had to retain pullets until they have been laying for a year or two. To me the speed of molting is just as important as production traits.

Again JMO

 

[Apdeb]

For those of us just starting out this year we will Have to use p's and k's. Whats the strategy for us??! My buckeyes have been laying since the fall my Barnevelders just started a few weeks ago? I am taking them to congress and then hope to start trying some small batch hatching!

 

[hellbender]

IMO that is an impractical way to select for laying - just one reasons of many (in my view) is you are feeding many birds longer than you need to...

You can select for egg laying traits that will increase size,yield, and length of time they can lay for. You can select for production traits that increase egg size and and productivity with out a hen ever laying... Now it might not be something you see but if you know what to look for you can certainly feel it.

I am more or less a farmer - Grow a large market garden, while going to school. As a farmer breeding for production traits is the utmost of importance - I would not be able to make improvements on production as fast as I would want (really need) to if I had to retain pullets until they have been laying for a year or two. To me the speed of molting is just as important as production traits.

Again JMO

 

[3riverschick]

Karen do you have a keipper or something you could put one in for day?? I use an old collapsible dog playpen with a tarp clipped around the bottom!!! Its in my basement for qurantine/new birds!!!

No I don't. A partition is a good idea tho. It would take several days to figure out which one. hum... I could make a wire cage to set in the corner.
thanks,
Karen

 

[call ducks]

Quote:
Really a picture? You can select for egg laying ability and productivity when a pullet is ~20 weeks old and know how it is roughly going to preform - you don't need to keep them for years to use in a breeding program.

 

[3riverschick]

You can select for egg laying traits that will increase size,yield, and length of time they can lay for. You can select
for production traits that increase egg size and and productivity with out a hen ever laying... Now it might not be
something you see but if you know what to look for you can certainly feel it.
To me the speed of molting is just as important as production traits.

Again JMO

Hi Callducks,
Can you elaborate on how you select for these traits and at what age you do it? That would be a big help!
Esp. to those of us who need to breed from cockerels and pullets.
What are the hallmarks of a trait which suggest an increase in:
1. Size of eggs:
2. Yield of eggs:
3. Length of time they will lay:
4: What length of time is involved in a properly speedy molt?:
A. Can this be determined part way thru the molt or does one have to wait until the molt is finished?:

Thanks,
Karen

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Not falling on deaf ears. There have been many posts with similar reasoning on this thread - hatch from hens with proven egg production and proven maintenance of type over time and several molts - and the vast majority of us agree with that concept. Those of us who do hatch from pullets generally do so because we have no choice. You should give us a little more credit. We are not stupid.

 

[BGMatt]

Really a picture? You can select for egg laying ability and productivity when a pullet is ~20 weeks old and know how it is roughly going to preform - you don't need to keep them for years to use in a breeding program.

You are right, you can select for future production at that age...for that year. You cannot guarantee performance for many years going forward. You can tell if they have that potential, but not all potential realizes itself. This is very similar to how a bird bred to the standard has the body to potentially produce well, but if not selected for those traits may not perform to it's full potential. Kind of like a Camaro with a v6 instead of a v8. So you select birds that will produce well that coming year. Then monitor them and re-examine as they enter their second year, see which ones will still be productive, keep them, and repeat every year.

 

[call ducks]

Quote: So I guess people like guidelines now? Not that it's a bad thing.

Let's start with the easiest first - A fast molt a hen (or pullet) that 'drops' their feathers at one time and has them grown back in at the same time will lay sooner than one that has a molt that seems to drag on and on. If you wanted to see you could always do a force molt to observe hens and your flock as a hole.

Use the the finger rule the more fingers you can fit between a hens pelvic bones the better ( I always do this with my fingers going vertical). Look for a hen with a nice broad back this will give ample room for egg development. Length of time if not forced through molts should be about as long as it needs to be. I have found that chickens will lay their ideal time frame and unless we are breeding for commerical stock we should not be pushing this only maintaining this.

Another thing from my experience and others the lighter weight hens will be your most prolific egg layers and they will lay for the longest.

I have found breeding towards production only has really relaxed me - It has taught me that standards are something that we should not always adhere to.

Karen,
Did you ever get the name of the LS breeder in ON you were looking for? Emily says he is still alive (but ill and from my understanding not doing great).