Finally sitting down the last week to start going through this entire and I’m just on page 25 of the thread. WOW how lucky we are to have this thread with all of this information. I can’t wait to continue and learn. I’m keeping a list of questions in a book and marking them off as they get answered in the thread, but I have some planning questions
I’m making my plans for the fall when I want to finish setting up the beginning of my pens. I’ve got these three BCMs that lay 7 and 8 eggs. If my first goal is egg color and then standards, should I keep these hens in consideration, regardless of their type? I can take some updated photos of the hens at 28 weeks.
Is mixing BBS in not advisable for egg color?
if I brought in someone else’s dark egg line, I’ll go backwards in egg color and who knows what else? I should stick with the same line? Just wondering if I should take as much time to find a new line to mix with these hens or stick with what I’ve got....
What is the preferred age for evaluating cockerels? Pullets can be evaluated once they lay to include egg color in the analysis?
first of all .you can t build you line base on some body else line .especially if the line is not perfect and has too many flows .
you line come from a breeder who breed only for dark eggs . not conformation .maybe they don t know the SOP .
bringing different rooster to your 3 pullets will help a lot especially if he is from dark egg layer flock .
you have a dark egg genes in there so keep you mind open for the rooster if he come from less dark egg as long as he has a correct conformation and correct /complete body pattern .
your pullets are a good starting base ,I know they have flows but they lay dark egg . great trait to have in the start of building any marans line .
good age to select cockerels is 6 months . late maturing 9 months or more .
final selection for excellent breeding practice is 18 months after they first adult molt .
chooks man