Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[neopolitancrazy]

Maybe increase their protein content?

All the chicks are getting 30% protein until I can tell which are pullets. The pullets are getting 20%, cockerels 30%. The disparities are showing up in the "too young to separate" pens, so I don't think feed is the issue. They are not cannibalizing each other, either.

Some color patterns like barring require slow feathering to get the sharp contrast between colors. Not sure about lacing.

Not sure about whether lacing needs slow feather growth either, which is why I posted here.

I did notice that you wrote very slow feathering in SOME chicks.

I cannot think of any reason that slow feathering would be an advantage in this variety.

Exactly! Some of the naked chicks are female, some male, all 3 colors and scattered amongst different weeks' hatches. A few of the chicks are fully feathered with decent tails by 4 weeks of age. Most are decently feathered by 6-7 weeks of age. Last week I culled a 6 week old chick that only had wing feathers, but it wasn't growing frame or muscle either. I called it "failure to thrive." I do not have brooder space for keeping chicks under heat until they are 8-10 weeks old. I also don't want the little boogers to sunburn, which is a bigger problem most of the year here. I'll try to be patient and not cull the half-nude birds until they give me a second reason to put them in the freezer.
Best wishes,
Angela

 

[hellbender]

All the chicks are getting 30% protein until I can tell which are pullets. The pullets are getting 20%, cockerels 30%. The disparities are showing up in the "too young to separate" pens, so I don't think feed is the issue. They are not cannibalizing each other, either.

Not sure about whether lacing needs slow feather growth either, which is why I posted here.
Exactly! Some of the naked chicks are female, some male, all 3 colors and scattered amongst different weeks' hatches. A few of the chicks are fully feathered with decent tails by 4 weeks of age. Most are decently feathered by 6-7 weeks of age. Last week I culled a 6 week old chick that only had wing feathers, but it wasn't growing frame or muscle either. I called it "failure to thrive." I do not have brooder space for keeping chicks under heat until they are 8-10 weeks old. I also don't want the little boogers to sunburn, which is a bigger problem most of the year here. I'll try to be patient and not cull the half-nude birds until they give me a second reason to put them in the freezer.
Best wishes,
Angela

Keep in mind...many strains of NNs have as much as 40 to 60 % fewer feathers than almost any other domestic breeds...exceptions being the pugnacious Orientals. What you are seeing just may well be true to form because this is what I've experienced for decades. (Provided there's not some other underlying issue that I'm not aware of).

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Keep in mind...many strains of NNs have as much as 40 to 60 % fewer feathers than almost any other domestic breeds...exceptions being the pugnacious Orientals. What you are seeing just may well be true to form because this is what I've experienced for decades. (Provided there's not some other underlying issue that I'm not aware of).

yeah, but my nekkid chicks are Wyandottes, not Turkens, lol.
Angela

 

[hellbender]

yeah, but my nekkid chicks are Wyandottes, not Turkens, lol.
Angela

 

[MamaKitty913]

Hi, just wanted to add my 2 cents worth I've noticed with my Wyandottes that females tend to feather a bit slower and than the males. But my 2 cents worth is free lol And as a breed they do mature much slower than say a White Rock but they sure do lay and Baby definitly has back too

 

[DesertChic]

My Dorking project isn't going quite as expected. I ordered hatching eggs from two separate breeders...one from here on the BYC and one from eBay...who said they were selling Silver Gray Dorking eggs. I had an awesome 90% hatch from the eBay breeder, but half of the birds appear to have White or Colored Dorking mixed in, as their feathers are very white with splashes of gray and they have rose combs. Most have five toes, but a few have only four. The BYC breeder did a HORRIBLE job packaging the eggs she shipped and many were broken or complete adhered to the tape she wrapped them in. Only one egg has made it through day 10 of incubation and all but four of the others didn't even show signs of fertility. Very disappointing.

My first hatch of Dorkings is 3 weeks old now, and they're beautiful but very flighty birds. I think I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

 

[kimberly35042]

You should report both breeders. That is really awful! Perhaps you can file a complaint with paypal?

 

[desertmarcy]

My Dorking project isn't going quite as expected. I ordered hatching eggs from two separate breeders...one from here on the BYC and one from eBay...who said they were selling Silver Gray Dorking eggs. I had an awesome 90% hatch from the eBay breeder, but half of the birds appear to have White or Colored Dorking mixed in, as their feathers are very white with splashes of gray and they have rose combs. Most have five toes, but a few have only four. The BYC breeder did a HORRIBLE job packaging the eggs she shipped and many were broken or complete adhered to the tape she wrapped them in. Only one egg has made it through day 10 of incubation and all but four of the others didn't even show signs of fertility. Very disappointing.

My first hatch of Dorkings is 3 weeks old now, and they're beautiful but very flighty birds. I think I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

Buying hatching eggs is a crap shoot. If you are wanting to start with good stock, buy chicks or started birds from a reputable breeder, preferably someone who shows. The time and money spent raising and trying to breed up sub par fowl is just not worth it as you can spend years and still not reach your goal. Dick Horstman breeds Silver Grey Dorkings http://horstmanspoultry.com/largefowlhome/silvergreydorking.html
May be too late to get from him this year. Many breeders have a waiting list and don't keep their breeding stock together all year long.
I know nothing about this breed and wouldn't begin to guess if there is potential in these or not, but you might as well cut the heads off the ones with only 4 toes now.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Just a note: your bands look like they need to be changed.

Also, regarding the lack of fertility, that should be something the "breeder" should guarantee. I realize shipping them changes everything but there should be some signs of life at some point to verify fertility.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

[quote name="desertmarcy" url="/t/849075/heritage-large-fowl-phase-ii/7110#post_you might as well cut the heads off the ones with only 4 toes now.
[/quote]

I agree with all the other posters' previous comments except this sentence fragment. "Fixing" the additional toe in your birds is an easy thing to do. Do not cull an otherwise good Dorking for the lack of a 5th toe. I sympathize with your disappointment in these chicks. The difficulty in finding good Dorkings is why I moved on to Wyandottes. Check out the fb group, someone there was offering eggs.
Best wishes,
Angela

Eta: also be patient and give those colors some time, I had SGDs from 2different sources, and some of the chicks started out weirdly light, but were appropriately colored by 4-6 months of age.