- Mar 2, 2008
- 30
- 0
- 22
Hello All,
I wanted to get some input and see what y'all might suggest regarding my flock. I have been buying cornish-rock crosses, and decided to try raising our own.
I got some white laced red cornish roos and some white plymouth rock hens. This morning, one of the white rock hens crowed...so I have at least one white rock roo as well. (They are 8 weeks old tomorrow).
At first, I figured I'd just butcher the white rock roo when he gets bigger, but then I got to thinking....if I keep a cornish roo and a rock roo, my future chicks will either be the cornish rock cross or they'll be white rocks. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that when the hens get bigger, they'll be broody and raise their own,but if not, I can incubate. Anyway, we could eat all the crosses and any white rock roos that come along, and use white rock hens to add youth to the flock. We can cull older white rock hens, can the meat so it's tender, and we won't end up with too many birds/too big of an expense for feed.
We could also separate birds beforehand (I think about a month ahead, yes?) if we wanted something specific.
What would you do in this situation? I don't have to decide anything right away - the white rocks are still pretty small, but I'd like to hear what others think would make the most sense.
If it matters, I keep a relatively small flock, on pasture supplemented with commercial feed.
Thanks!
I wanted to get some input and see what y'all might suggest regarding my flock. I have been buying cornish-rock crosses, and decided to try raising our own.
I got some white laced red cornish roos and some white plymouth rock hens. This morning, one of the white rock hens crowed...so I have at least one white rock roo as well. (They are 8 weeks old tomorrow).
At first, I figured I'd just butcher the white rock roo when he gets bigger, but then I got to thinking....if I keep a cornish roo and a rock roo, my future chicks will either be the cornish rock cross or they'll be white rocks. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that when the hens get bigger, they'll be broody and raise their own,but if not, I can incubate. Anyway, we could eat all the crosses and any white rock roos that come along, and use white rock hens to add youth to the flock. We can cull older white rock hens, can the meat so it's tender, and we won't end up with too many birds/too big of an expense for feed.
We could also separate birds beforehand (I think about a month ahead, yes?) if we wanted something specific.
What would you do in this situation? I don't have to decide anything right away - the white rocks are still pretty small, but I'd like to hear what others think would make the most sense.
If it matters, I keep a relatively small flock, on pasture supplemented with commercial feed.
Thanks!
