Meat Bird Project - Delaware, White Rock, Dark Cornish

[Ulladh]

Im going to try the boiled eggs, ive have way too many quail eggs at the moment and everyone but me eat my hens eggs!

Ill get a wee plae and set it out in the mornings, see how they take to it! My big worry now is the cold, the days are still pretty ok here but in another month the days will be getting shorter and it will be getting a lot cooler!

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

I've read a lot of things about hot oatmeal on cold days, helps keep them warm and it's got a lot of nutrients for them. I would think oatmeal made with water would be best, not sure if milk would be natural for them to digest, but not at all sure about it.

When do you plan to take them outside? We don't have "cold" where I live, we'll be lucky to have a few days dip into the 30's F this winter - but I'm hoping for a few nights of frost to help kill the mosquitoes. If they're going outside around the time it starts getting cold, you may want to get them used to the cooler temps as early as a few weeks old so they start to feather out quicker.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Been reading a little bit of this project but haven't quite finished reading all the posts yet. How is the project coming along? Have you chosen birds yet? How old are the chicks now again? Hope to be caught up soon

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

No worries at all, I know there's a lot in here that goes off subject a bit. I have 32 chicks that I got from Welp Hatchery. I ordered 5 Dark Cornish males, 5 males and 5 females each of White Rocks and Delawares, total of 25 was my goal. Well, they missed the 5 WR females, which they resent with some extras to make sure they survived the trip - that batch is a week younger. I ended with 34 chicks total, 2 died in the first couple weeks. Now I have 5 DC cockerels, 4 DEL cockerels, 8 pullets, 8 WR cockerels, 7 pullets. I successfully TRIPLED my overall chicken count with this project, but by the time it's over I will likely only have 8 extras.

The goal is to eventually keep just the biggest/best cockerel from each breed, as well as the 2-3 best pullets from each of the WRs and DELs. Then breed the WRs together, the DELs together, and the DC roo with the WR and DEL hens to make a Dark Cornish Cross that should get to weight by 16-20 weeks.

I'm really digging the WRs so far, they have good weights and personalities. The DELs are growing on me personality-wise, hopefully they get better on weights as well. The DC are solid little beasts, very happy with them overall.

I'm currently weighing them every Friday, though this Friday I won't be home to do it. Going out of town on a business trip, should be back on Sunday and will get them weighed that evening.

 

[Ulladh]

Look forward to it lad. I think it was the white rocks, after some research last night, that went into the likes of ross and cobbs, the two well known broiler hens over here in the UK. Are they the same then as the US in the industrial scale?

 

[ShrekDawg]

No worries at all, I know there's a lot in here that goes off subject a bit. I have 32 chicks that I got from Welp Hatchery. I ordered 5 Dark Cornish males, 5 males and 5 females each of White Rocks and Delawares, total of 25 was my goal. Well, they missed the 5 WR females, which they resent with some extras to make sure they survived the trip - that batch is a week younger. I ended with 34 chicks total, 2 died in the first couple weeks. Now I have 5 DC cockerels, 4 DEL cockerels, 8 pullets, 8 WR cockerels, 7 pullets. I successfully TRIPLED my overall chicken count with this project, but by the time it's over I will likely only have 8 extras.

The goal is to eventually keep just the biggest/best cockerel from each breed, as well as the 2-3 best pullets from each of the WRs and DELs. Then breed the WRs together, the DELs together, and the DC roo with the WR and DEL hens to make a Dark Cornish Cross that should get to weight by 16-20 weeks.

I'm really digging the WRs so far, they have good weights and personalities. The DELs are growing on me personality-wise, hopefully they get better on weights as well. The DC are solid little beasts, very happy with them overall.

I'm currently weighing them every Friday, though this Friday I won't be home to do it. Going out of town on a business trip, should be back on Sunday and will get them weighed that evening. 

Thanks for the reply! Seems the project is going pretty well then and I'm glad the Dels personalities have been getting better for you

 

[Dlmillion]

Congrats on the great grades, and again on the job! It's a secure feeling to know that you've got a lot of good things going for you. LOL at the "cheesy love songs and poetry", as long as it brings a smile then you're doing a good job! I've written my share for my wife as well, but I think she just says they're good to save my feelings!!

Very interesting numbers! I thought the NHRs would stay the leaders of the pack for a while. BTW, love the names!! My first set was all named after presidents, the second set country singers and rappers, 3rd set Disney princesses, and the keepers from my current chicks will all be named after Marvel characters. Gotta get creative so you remember them easier.

18% protein is certainly fine, it's a good all-around chick starter/grower and will make sure they maintain a healthy weight. That is my concern as well for my keepers - I may pull separate them in the next few days and slowly bring them down to 18 or 20% to make sure they aren't too thick. I've never used Purina, let me know how you like it. I may use their Flock Raiser since it's 20% and about a buck cheaper than the Dumor I've used in the past.

What kind of coop are you thinking about building? New or recycled materials? Mine main coop is mostly made with recycled material, mainly because my wife wouldn't allow me to spend too much money. I've spent enough time on it to make sure it's secure, my wife now realizes this is a serious hobby for me, so she's letting me spend a bit more money when it's needed. There are a lot of plans online, but it's a lot more satisfying (in my experience) to come up with the plans and build it yourself from scratch. Post some pics as the project progresses, I'm curious to see what you come up with!

So far I'm liking the purina quite a bit. They have been doing really well at eating it rather than scattering it all around and pooping on it. I have also been fermenting some and giving that to them every three days or so just to keep them from stinking and it REALLY makes a difference! The feed is only 18% but I have also been giving them plenty of weeds and cull veggies from the garden and am hoping on getting a meal worm bin up and running for a nice year-round supply of those guys.

I am going to Home Depot to pick up materials today and I'm thinking the coop will be mostly new materials with perhaps some scrap electrical and plumbing stuff i have laying around. I'm a bit hesitant to spend as much as I'm going to on it but i know that it'll last for at least 10 years and it's going to be extensively secure and easy to maintain. I am drawing the plans out entirely myself as I'm building the coop over top of a big rock in the middle of our garden and them attaching a 4' wide run along the border of our garden so as to have chicken sentries on bug control duty.

I'll make some prettier looking drawings and post pictures of them possibly tonight and I can definitely get some progress pictures! My main goals for the coop are:
1) Coop elevated 2' so as to clear the rocks
2) screen/wire floor to allow dropping to fall through
3) Coop and run can be divided in half so i can more easily manage chickens and have multiple flocks
4) nipple watering system with two fairly large water tanks.
5) electrical wired for light in the winter to keep egg production up and keep water from freezing
6) big enough for up to 50 chickens/roosters
7) easily accessible (in any weather) nesting boxes

I THINK that i have got it figured out to fulfill all the goals... I'm heading into town in an hour for the materials and we'll see how well i thought it out haha.

 

[Kiki]

Good job guys!

 

[Dlmillion]

@KoopOnTruckin I started a new thread for the ongoing progress of my coop! i figured that would be better so that this thread can stay more or less devoted to the meat bird breeding project

Feel free to chime in and make suggestions, criticize, admire, whatever you feel you'd like to say haha

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1130236/coop-and-run-build-for-50-chickens

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

Very interested in seeing the photos, I'm going to follow your coop build thread, I know yours will likely be a masterpiece!