Good luck @Compost King! Love that cage in the bator. Hoping for a great hatch for you from those that are the first timers for you.
I’m still not 100%
I’d like to work on rainbow egg barnyard mixes or various individual breeds in my laying flock eventually. The heavy blooms, olives etc.
As far as breeding, id like to get involved working on a breed or breeds to the standard but in a utility way. I’m not interested in showing, but I’m really interested in “preserving things” right now at this time in my life with a toddler, so I’d love to work with a heritage breed that all our grandparents has.
But breed wise, I am narrowing down to:
Delaware - theyve has such a crappy history and get so overlooked because they’re not a broiler and have no commercial use. But something speaks to me to help be one of the folks working on the Delaware to bring it to where it could be as a DP/meat bird.
Marans - I haven’t decided if i want to work with BBS (mostly splash) or Wheaten.
Other Choices that interest me: Orpington, Langshan and Plymouth Rock.
I’m really loving raising my own meat, but the more and more I get into it, I’m becoming really aware of things. I try so hard to slow down these broilers so they’re healthier in my eyes, and can’t act more like a chicken when I should really be working with a heritage breed to a more utility goal. I’m so interested In what @Compost King is doing.
I mean, I like all this breast meat on the broilers too, but I also think, man, if it’s just for my family, it doesn’t have to be this hyper-chicken that lasts for several meals. The reason I want to eat my own is because I LOVE my laying hens. They have made me realize chickens deserve more than we give them in the meat industry. I want a bird that fulfills my families needs but gets to live a really full life.
I’m still not 100%
I’d like to work on rainbow egg barnyard mixes or various individual breeds in my laying flock eventually. The heavy blooms, olives etc.
As far as breeding, id like to get involved working on a breed or breeds to the standard but in a utility way. I’m not interested in showing, but I’m really interested in “preserving things” right now at this time in my life with a toddler, so I’d love to work with a heritage breed that all our grandparents has.
But breed wise, I am narrowing down to:
Delaware - theyve has such a crappy history and get so overlooked because they’re not a broiler and have no commercial use. But something speaks to me to help be one of the folks working on the Delaware to bring it to where it could be as a DP/meat bird.
Marans - I haven’t decided if i want to work with BBS (mostly splash) or Wheaten.
Other Choices that interest me: Orpington, Langshan and Plymouth Rock.
I’m really loving raising my own meat, but the more and more I get into it, I’m becoming really aware of things. I try so hard to slow down these broilers so they’re healthier in my eyes, and can’t act more like a chicken when I should really be working with a heritage breed to a more utility goal. I’m so interested In what @Compost King is doing.
I mean, I like all this breast meat on the broilers too, but I also think, man, if it’s just for my family, it doesn’t have to be this hyper-chicken that lasts for several meals. The reason I want to eat my own is because I LOVE my laying hens. They have made me realize chickens deserve more than we give them in the meat industry. I want a bird that fulfills my families needs but gets to live a really full life.
I'm sure our fall hatches will go much better! The sweltering heat this summer has proven to be enough to incubate eggs without a broody hen so I'm sure you're right. It probably wouldn't even take very long to damage the embryo, say if they waited in a hot truck before heading your way. The turkey eggs my friend left in her car and felt they were ok because she said the truck didn't get too hot where it was, not even one started to develop. Pretty sure they were baked but I just told her they were infertile so she didn't feel bad...
