Ideas on a self-sustainable flock?

[Ridgerunner]

It's the tufts that are the lethal gene, not the rumpless gene. The tufts gene is a dominant gene. One copy of that gene is not lethal and will show tufts but if the two genes at that gene pair are both tufts it will kill the chick before it hatches.

http://www.cashsblueeggs.com/araucanahistory.htm

So any bird that has tufts has one copy of the tufts gene and one copy that is not-tuft. If you breed two tufted chickens you get about 25% with two copies of the tuft gene that die before hatch, about 25% that have no tuft gene and are clean-faced, and about 50% that have one gene of each and have tufts.

Since it is a dominant gene if you breed a tufted bird to a clan-faced bird you get about 50% that have one copy of the tuft gene and have tufts. You get about 50% that are clean-faced. The gene does not pair up so it does not kill any in the shell.

Either way you get about 50% tufted birds. Since it is a dominant gene and will always show up if it is present it should be easy to manage.

 

[Minky]

I think how many birds you can keep will depend on all those factors, and only you can answer that question for yourself. I know that my family of 5 can make do with a chicken a week. (my 3 kids are all small) We wont go "whole hog" this year, as Id like to start slow, so probably 40 meat birds, but I bet if this year goes well, we may increase that number. Or maybe hatch out two smaller batches of 20-25. I'm not interested in showing my birds, but I would love to keep my fun egg colors, and I'd like at least 1-2 chocolate egg layers (i lost my copper maran to a cold in Nov). So I will have to buy some fertilized eggs or day old chicks.
I think 50 birds would be way too much work for me, if they were all for laying.(and i don't really have any interest in selling eggs) But if 40 if them are for meat, I only have to look after them for 3 months, and we have a lot of land and space and dont have day jobs, so this is fun for us. Its also a learning experience for my children. Teach them where their food comes from, to appreciate meat as it comes from a living thing, to not waste, to eat less meat, more veggies and fruit from the orchard and garden etc.
I am so excited about this whole process, I cant wait til spring!!

EDITED. Holy Chickens. I jsut realised I missed a couple of pages of posts! We went to dogs, goats, ducks and back to chickens! Cool! Sorry, Im the OP and i think I got us sidetracked when I posted pics of my birds asking about their breeds. I am the queen of sidetracking. That's why I married my husband who is the king of not getting sidetracked! LOL

 

[Mrs. K]

I think your idea of two smaller bunches is best. Takes less room in the freezer, and fresher product. And it will give you some experience. Gives you a chance to adjust your set up.

my 2 cents
Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think your idea of two smaller bunches is best. Takes less room in the freezer, and fresher product. And it will give you some experience. Gives you a chance to adjust your set up.

my 2 cents
Mrs K

X2

 

[Minky]

Right on! That solidifies it- learn from (and eat) my mistakes, right!!

 

[Minky]

Speaking of sidetracking....

Holy Cluck! Just got a giant egg!! (Brown egg in the middle is from the store- Extra large free run brown egg). Ive never seen an egg this large....!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's a double yolker.

 

[black_dove2]

I think how many birds you can keep will depend on all those factors, and only you can answer that question for yourself. I know that my family of 5 can make do with a chicken a week. (my 3 kids are all small) We wont go "whole hog" this year, as Id like to start slow, so probably 40 meat birds, but I bet if this year goes well, we may increase that number. Or maybe hatch out two smaller batches of 20-25. I'm not interested in showing my birds, but I would love to keep my fun egg colors, and I'd like at least 1-2 chocolate egg layers (i lost my copper maran to a cold in Nov). So I will have to buy some fertilized eggs or day old chicks.
I think 50 birds would be way too much work for me, if they were all for laying.(and i don't really have any interest in selling eggs) But if 40 if them are for meat, I only have to look after them for 3 months, and we have a lot of land and space and dont have day jobs, so this is fun for us. Its also a learning experience for my children. Teach them where their food comes from, to appreciate meat as it comes from a living thing, to not waste, to eat less meat, more veggies and fruit from the orchard and garden etc.
I am so excited about this whole process, I cant wait til spring!!

EDITED. Holy Chickens. I jsut realised I missed a couple of pages of posts! We went to dogs, goats, ducks and back to chickens! Cool! Sorry, Im the OP and i think I got us sidetracked when I posted pics of my birds asking about their breeds. I am the queen of sidetracking. That's why I married my husband who is the king of not getting sidetracked! LOL

I like going sideways otherwise one would have to start a thread about every twist and turn. I believe in the end we would learn less and not enjoy sharing experience lessons learned etc.

If I had space I would consider raising small number of dual purpose myself. But real world I live in 4 egg layers max for me.

I come from a family where raising chickens ducks geese squab rabbits and gardens. Throw in hunting fishing and occasional purchase of on the hoof kids and lambs. My children were all exposed to such as well. Because if a traumatic experience when I was a toddler I never grew accustomed to watching slaughter but I could skin and dress an animal without a problem.

I so respect and applaud anyone that has the ways and means of self sustainability.

Since this thread began I've wondered at what point is the flock so large it becomes almost indistinguishable from a smaller commercial egg / meat production? It's such a fine line. I don't use antibiotics but I understand where one may need to in a larger flock. Anyway now I digress......

 

[lazy gardener]

I thought it was the tufts?
IIRC crossing tufted with tufted gives 50% chance of death in shell.

Thanks Aart and RR for correcting me. I knew that if I got it wrong, some one would jump in to fix it!

After all is done and said, I choose to stay away breeds with lethal genes, or deformities that are bred into the SOP.

 

[Whittni]

Wow I had no idea it was so different among different animals but it makes sense. But the even among the same species thing surprised me.

That's sad so if you keep them separate so they aren't pecked are they okay?

And you know, I actually just saw an apple head Chihuahua puppy on Craigslist yesterday and was wondering what it was. I remembered hearing it was bad, along with teacup, but couldn't remember why

Well, even separated they might peck each other. You could probably make some sort of helmet, but idk how well a bird would take to it. I'd just say let the bird live a normal life and if it gets pecked, that's just survival of the fittest. If you already have one of these birds you might also just put a hair tie on so they can at least see threats a bit better. You really can't do much for them.