Well I've given up on eggs from my molting flock of Production reds and one Barred Rock. I think I got 2 this week. Put them on game bird feed so they will grow feathers. Going to have to block off the nesting box tonight, my nakedest picked the nest box over the deep straw in the floor of the coop. And then there are the 5 americauna chicks I bought in october. Penguin is still alive and eating, not quite as large as her siblings. But someone in that greenhouse is a rooster. I heard my first crow this morning. What will I get if I keep an americauna roo and let him breed to my older reds and BR? Gypsi
Well its still going to be awhile to breeding age. You'll end up with some mutt birds, but they should be good layers!
Quote:A happy rooster. I'm not sure what kind of answer you are looking for. Color? Pattern? Sex-links? Egg laying ability? Vfem's right. They should be decent layers and they will not be purebreeds if you hatch the eggs. I don't know where you got your Ameraucana rooster. If he is from a hatchery, he is not an Ameraucana but is an EE. That means it is even harder to predict what the chicks will look like as far as color and pattern. If he is truly an Ameraucana, the pullets from those crosses will lay green eggs. If he is an EE, they might lay green or brown eggs.
you'll get chickens! Now that I've made myself laugh today . . . it just means you'll have mutt chickens. I'm going to try mixing breeds this year myself, so since I'm a newbie, I really couldn't tell you which attributes from each parent will be likely to pass to the offspring, but I have heard people talk about hybrid vigor and how crosses are sometimes more robust that the breeds they are made up of. You may not be able to sell them for much, but if you are just looking to expand your layers or have a few for the freezer, or if you keep them like pets you really don't need purebreed chickens. Good luck and when you have some, post pics. BTW, mine will be Brahman/plymoth rock roos crossed with Barred rock or EE (which are mutts themselves so who knows what they will end up like?)
hahaha, that's right, they will be chickens! Love the replies. Seriously, I gather the production reds have the time limit on egg-laying, and I'd like a longer lived productive bird that I wasn't tempted to cook after less than 2 years. So my hope would be maybe an egg every other day during the busy season, and not too worried about the nonstop eggs in winter. (but last winter those reds still laid an egg a day, almost every day, and I didn't do lighting or anything - they just popped them out.) I got the americaunas from my feed store. I also buy my eggs there, so probably a local farmer brought them in. It didn't matter what kind they were, I had a bad attack of chicken math and an almost finished green house and there is no motivation quite like stinky chicks in the kitchen. But I wasn't planning on roos. The big white one might be my crower. The little white cross-beak will fly up on my shoulder she is so friendly. The brown ones, I had eating tomato from my hand today. But the big white one (and not pure white) didn't trust me enough to take the food from my hand. If I only have one rooster he will indeed be happy! Thank you, Gypsi
Less then 2 years?! I have non-production birds still laying at 5 years and counting!? They do slow, but won't stop. However if its a question of profit from the eggs and cost the 'industry' gets rid of them around 2. But if that's not an issue... don't worry, you'll still get eggs, it will just slow. But yes, if you want to breed your own to save money... then mutts are good production layers (long as they're not from ornamental or bantams... which I feed 12 gorgeous birds, who never laid well for me. So is life! LOL)
This has got to be the longest moult ever. Been going on since it got hot in July and August, now I have a naked red, and a br with a naked behind. Hence the cooking temptation. I bought them as chicks just starting to feather out on March 2, 2010. Less than 2 years. Got to give the BR credit though. She's never laid more than 2 eggs a week, and she is still laying one egg a week anyhow. But the red, their shells are thinner than paper, except for the one who still looks good (or looks good again). She lays me one good egg a week.
You'll get a PulletSurprise! (Sorry - couldn't help myself). If youre' not fussy about purebred chickens, you'll have the chance at some fun mixes. And you may get some funky colored eggs. I had a brown-egg breed rooster once, and some EE's. Their offspring layed everything from blue to green to peach colored eggs. Have fun with it! My Production Red that I got April 2010 isn't laying, either. She did go through a moult this fall, but is fully feathered now.
Quote:Sounds like they could really benefit from some oyster shells and probably a protein boost! When mine started molting I gave them nutri-drench. That seemed to do wonders. They need a lot of protein to regrow those feathers, so maybe try some scrambled eggs with their feed or suppliment some mealworms or something. You'll probably see a turn around sooner. Definitely check for mights... a molt going on that long with that much feather loss is not natural. Mites can drain them of so much they lose feathers, lose nutrients and stop laying. Mites can be dangerous! I wish you luck...
