MARYLAND THREAD!

[SunHwaKwon]

Well, if I could get enough meat on them by 12-16 weeks I would definitely butcher them earlier! Unfortunately, mine don't reach a good size until later, but I am working on that. I have been trying to wait until my bird is about 5 lb live weight before butchering and mine dont seem to start putting on any weight until at least 15 weeks or so (and then the weight gain is incrementally small but is pretty good around 18-20 weeks). That also gives me a little more time to decide who is a good grower with better traits, to see if I want him to be my new keeper roo for improving my flock. I am using Delawares and trying to breed for a better butcher weight at a younger age (for the males at least)... which is also why I end up with so many extra cockerels - because I keep hatching chicks looking for better stock!


I have about 2 dozen chicks in a large hoop coop brooder/grow out pen right now that are 4 weeks old - I can already tell I have waaaaay too many cockerels that I won't want to breed and maybe even too many for a grow out pen. Which is why I am very interested in learning how to caponize - so I could caponize the cockerels that I know very early on that I dont want for breeding and they can be put with my main flock without causing undue trouble to the hens and other roosters. Then my grow out pen could be used just for cockerels that I was evaluating for breeding purposes.

Good luck with your cockerels! It is tough to figure out when they are big enough to butcher vs when they are causing too much trouble  in the coop. Do you sell any eggs? I have found that selling extra eggs really helps with the feed bill, so feeding my extra cockerels until being a good butcher weight isnt really that much of an issue for me - at least that takes one variable off of the table!

I sell guinea eggs and keets during their laying and breeding season, which covers the majority of my flocks and other supplies during those months. I don't bother with selling eggs but I don't have a lot of layers right now anyway. I don't think there's a good market for selling eggs where I am since I'm out in the country and a lot of people have chickens. About 2/3 of my flock, and all the extra cockerels, are Bantams, so even if I wait they won't get meatier, just tougher. I think I will put them in a pot and freeze the meat that comes off and the stock that it makes. Initially I felt they would be a waste of time to butcher but I just cleaned some teal my husband shot this past weekend same they are even smaller.

Have you looked into bielefelders? They are large and fast growing, docile, and the hens lay huge eggs. My three month old male is very large already. I'll weight him when I get home.

 

[Maeschak]

Bielefelder looks like a very interesting bird! If the Dels don't work out perhaps I might give them a shot if I can find good birds around here. Personally, I chose the Delaware because of their conservation status, possibilities of a good dual purpose bird, and so that I could keep an extra production RIR roo around to make my own sex-links as layers. I too live in the country, but live close enough to DC that I can off-load a lot of eggs at a good price when I have them. Fingers crossed this will eventually work, but no matter what, it is fun!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Bielefelder looks like a very interesting bird! If the Dels don't work out perhaps I might give them a shot if I can find good birds around here. Personally, I chose the Delaware because of their conservation status, possibilities of a good dual purpose bird, and so that I could keep an extra production RIR roo around to make my own sex-links as layers. I too live in the country, but live close enough to DC that I can off-load a lot of eggs at a good price when I have them. Fingers crossed this will eventually work, but no matter what, it is fun!

They can be an expensive bird to start out with but I got my pair from a woman Nokesville, which is near DC, for a very good price. I still have her contact info so feel free to get it from me in the future if you decide to try them. ETA I forgot to mention but perhaps you know already, they are autosexing.

 

[Kdunn222]

The only hen I have found to be broody is a silky. Mine hatched 11 eggs and not all hers. Taught them everything.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Hello everyone! I have a 32 week old Black Australorp cockerel for sale. He is extremely friendly and has great potential. Please PM me if you're interested.

 

[nyrunner]

still looking for chickens or ducks near annapolis about a hour or so drive is preferable

 

[Wyatt0224]

Are you interested in a rooster?

 

[Kdunn222]

You are looking for chickens and ducks? For pets and eggs?

 

[nyrunner]

What type of rooster? And yes I'm using them for eggs

 

[Wyatt0224]

Black Australorp. He's in my avatar