Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[RoostersAreAwesome]

one more. Geneticists, chime in. i happen to like this, but I suspect it would be many many many generations before it bred true.

View attachment 2838836

What do you like? The comb/pattern?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

the comb don't redcaps have combs like this? or buttercups? my brain isnt working today

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

the comb don't redcaps have combs like this? or buttercups? my brain isnt working today

You want the bumpy rose comb? If you haven’t got one like that yet it’s probably because that wyandotte hasn’t passed on the gene to her offspring. It’s just a variation of the rose comb.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes. Actually, this is one of the offspring, not one of my original birds.

And the double bumpy rose is pretty unique, would give the birds some novelty factor. Sure, its not as well suited to heat as a nice upright single, but its definitely better than a pea or a tight rose.

/edit found mama. She does have the bumpy double rose, just much less pronounced. If she hadn't been standing still devastating a watermelon, I'd not have seen it.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Just caught back up. Looks like some nice progress. Makes me even more excited for my own project!
With your hatching a dozen at a time seems like it works well for you. I'm considering doing that, just with more than a dozen, but being north I don't know how well it will work here. Brooder design bouncing around in my head to make it work.
And with batch after batch you end up with a cycle of days until more pullets start laying also.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Just caught back up. Looks like some nice progress. Makes me even more excited for my own project!
With your hatching a dozen at a time seems like it works well for you. I'm considering doing that, just with more than a dozen, but being north I don't know how well it will work here. Brooder design bouncing around in my head to make it work.
And with batch after batch you end up with a cycle of days until more pullets start laying also.

Its that cycle of constant hatching and culling I'm counting on. Hatching the batch of ducks in early Spring really hurt the progress this summer - I had a long gap with no birds aging into start of lay, couldn't cull the handful of adults, and early sales had left me without most of my potential layers from later Winter (the neighbor is pleased with them, however).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Semiannual NPIP testing this AM. Passed (of course). Just the AI throat swabs, no blood testing this time. That (and more swabs) in the Spring. I'm now at a flock size where they don't test all the birds - but 30 adults was almost the whole of those laying or potentially laying.

So, the journey continues...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

FInal candling tonight, then lock down - Incubator says three days to go - I expect some early hatchings, because i ALWAYS have early hatchings, so will be very careful with the candling.

Six in the brooder box, about to join their flockmates in the grow out pen. They've been in the portable the last week during the days, enjoying the outside. Will try and get pictures, weights, on them tomorrow. I expect to be sore, and not working hard on the property.

That means I'll be moving a bunch of 9 week olds out of the grow out pen - again, pictures and weights.

and if I'm feeling really rambunctious, there's a 15 week and maybe an 18 week cockerel, both leaky white, in need of culling, and I have freezer space.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Couple photos - hee are the six from last hatch at the opposite corner of the portable pen / chick tractor:

(Some) of the Group Photo. That Brahma in front is "Chuck" (actually a 17 month old hen) just finishing first adult molt.

Close up of Chuck - underweight to be a great Brahma, but pretty for a hatchery bird.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

So here are the six birds of the September 5 hatching, P2-04 I believe.

Sunshine

Overcast

Foggy Morn (I really can't seem to photograph this one)

That truly was the best photo of multiple attempts!