Home Bred Broiler Update (IMAGE INTENSE)

[chcknrs]

hmmmm, well, I know with WA laws you can't SELL the cider, but can you do tastings and lessons? Or are you licensed for that too?

 

[greyfields]

I need a winery permit and then I could sell my cider at the farm market. I just don't have the facilities (yet) in place. Your winery pretty much has to meat the requirements of commercial kitchens, which I don't have on our farm (yet). Someday, someday.... I'd probably do a dairy first as our goat cheese is pretty good and cider is something more seasonal. I made 60 gallons this year. I think I have only about 40 left to drink. That's if I'm stingey and don't trade it for things.

Average this batch was just above 13% alcohol. I make it bone-dry, just like 'home' in Herefordshire. I've planted probably 30 cider apple trees in the last two years. Now, just 3 more years until I can harvest some of them. For the time being, I'm just driving to Yakima and buying 2,000 lbs or so of whatever #2's I can get hold of.

 

[silkiechicken]

The little guys look tasty already!

 

[greyfields]

I have not had a single bite of chicken since November.

 

[professor-yellow]

Greyfields, thank you for sharing this pioneering experiment with us. You jave inspired me, and I have already selected the largest White Rock pullets. I have 2 that is actually keeping up with the smaller Black Broiler pullets. I have another shipment of White Rock pullets arriving in 2 weeks along with some Cornish standard cockerels.

I am considering crossing the Cornish with the white rock pullets, and also cross some white rock hens with a large Austrolrp or Rhode island red Roo and see what happens.

Hopefully i can have my own hybrid meat chickens and ducks by next spring.

 

[digitS']

Long Live the "Home Bred"

!!

Breeding F1 hybrids is as simple as adding 1 chicken to your flock - a rooster. Back in the days when I had roosters, they were never of the same breed as the hens.

All chicken breeds were originally derived from genetically mixed birds. Starting with these "patented" industry hybrids and selecting for the traits YOU value should result in changes that can be standardized after several generations. It may take 5 or 10 years but in the scheme of things . . . the effort could be monumentally rewarding.

This is especially true since it seems that so many folks are dissatisfied with the industry's hybrids.

Steve