Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[3riverschick]

Ok, speaking of breeding closely. My foundation trio were 1/2 siblings thru a common sire. Last season I bred them to each other. Got a bunch of female chicks with cushions which their parents did not have. Most of the male chicks were a stunning copies of their sire. So this season, I took a stunning male from that generation and bred him back to his foundation trio mother who had no cushion.
Out of 20 chicks, 17 had too much black causing the black to bleed thru on the top of their backs and the females also had cushions. Even so the hackles were properly colored and no superhackles. The other three were females and had no bleeding of the black on the top of the back and no cushions, no superhackles. I kept those three. Next season, I will breed them back to their sire and his brother and see once again what happens.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Karen, when you started pairing up your birds, you started working on your own strain. Nothing has changed, except that your safety net has been removed. It sounds like that is motivating you. Maybe it is a good thing, even if you have to expand a little in the spring.

Good luck.

Thanks George. Yup, losing my safety net is disconcerting. I
sat back and thought about everyone's advice last night. Then
went out and looked at the birds again. I rehomed all the egg
flock (5) except the foundation trio hen, "March". I will breed
her back to her 2 nephews in the Spring and see what happens.
Maybe I can get another 3 out of 20 without cushions.
Best,
Karen

 

[Wisher1000]

Slow and steady wins the race.

 

[gjensen]

I have never seen slow win a race, except in a fable.

Poultry breeding is no race, and it can be slow. It certainly requires patience.

 

[gjensen]

Thanks George. Yup, losing my safety net is disconcerting. I
sat back and thought about everyone's advice last night. Then
went out and looked at the birds again. I rehomed all the egg
flock (5) except the foundation trio hen, "March". I will breed
her back to her 2 nephews in the Spring and see what happens.
Maybe I can get another 3 out of 20 without cushions.
Best,
Karen

You are working on an interesting color.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Does anyone have an opinion on Kalmbach 20% flock starter/grower vs. Purina start and grow( 18%)? I fed the purina feed( medicated ) this year to all of my Brahmas and they seemed to of done well on it. Yesterday I went to our local feed mill and just bought the chick starter there and he had the Kalmbach. Does anyone have a preference one way or the other?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I don't know anything about the brand in question. Just wanted to state that my preference in that situation is to use an unmedicated feed. I don't feel that throwing medications at your flock, just in case, is the way to do things.

Yogurt, plain and unsweetened, is a fantastic preventive if you use it often... and its better for them.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I don't know anything about the brand in question.  Just wanted to state that my preference in that situation is to use an unmedicated feed.  I don't feel that throwing medications at your flock, just in case, is the way to do things.

Yogurt, plain and unsweetened, is a fantastic preventive if you use it often... and its better for them.

How do you feel about fermenting poultry feed or grains instead of feeding yogurt? What about yeast supplements, which some feeds include? And, for chicks raised by hand in brooders, introducing them to bedding/soil from the adult flock?

 

[gjensen]

Does anyone have an opinion on Kalmbach 20% flock starter/grower vs. Purina start and grow( 18%)? I fed the purina feed( medicated ) this year to all of my Brahmas and they seemed to of done well on it. Yesterday I went to our local feed mill and just bought the chick starter there and he had the Kalmbach. Does anyone have a preference one way or the other?

My opinion is that I do not have one.

One point that I would consider is what is moving off the shelves, and what is there reliably. I hate having to switch, and I do not want feed bags collecting dust in an unconditioned space in the summer. I have had to compromise on feed in order to reliably get it "fresh", and just get it reliably. This may not be the case for either of your options.

 

[gjensen]

I think medicated vs. non medicated are management options where neither is wrong.

I have been fortunate to not have to use medicated feed and still do not get cocci. The only feed available to me (practically) that I like is not medicated. I do not supplement for it, but I put a lot of effort into preventing it. If I ever have a bad year for it, I will likely start ordering in medicated feed.

I believe that cocci has the ability to change our minds.