My Attempt at a Dual Purpose Heritage Flock

[MysteryChicken]

age?

These are old pictures.

First bird#1, & 2.

8½ - 9 months.

3rd, picture 2nd bird 6 months. These were taken on different months.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I still have one hen from the group, she's as large, & heavy as a Brahma.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Bird #1 at 6 months.

a few of the pullets are in the picture too.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Very interesting thread. I'll be following. I started this spring and have a bunch of cockerels to put in the freezer still
Really good to see some of the NH from Henry noll line. I'm very tempted to get some next spring.

 

[ehatch]

sounds like a great plan! I'll be happy to sustain at least 1 flock. I'dlike to do eventually the same...but maybe collaborate with another flock owner to make the sexlinks as I am limited on room/acreage.

 

[Charlie D]

I think I kind of had the same idea. I ordered 8 NH and 9 Delawares from Art's Hatchery (Henry Noll line NH's) from Freedom Rangers on 7/14/21. Out of the 8 New Hampshires 7 were roos and out of the Delawares 5 were roos. So tonight they are 9 weeks and 2 days old. I decided to weigh a couple of them. The biggest New Hampshire was 6.8lbs and the two smallest were 5.4 and 5.6lbs. I only weighed what I thought was the biggest Delaware and he weighed 3lbs even. My original thought was to just create sex links and keep the roos and sell the hens. Either way if someone is looking for a Heritage Breed that will dress out decent in 12 weeks these should work. I'm butchering all the roos except the biggest healthiest one when they hit 12 weeks so I'll try and weigh them again if anyone is interested in knowing.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I think I kind of had the same idea. I ordered 8 NH and 9 Delawares from Art's Hatchery (Henry Noll line NH's) from Freedom Rangers on 7/14/21. Out of the 8 New Hampshires 7 were roos and out of the Delawares 5 were roos. So tonight they are 9 weeks and 2 days old. I decided to weigh a couple of them. The biggest New Hampshire was 6.8lbs and the two smallest were 5.4 and 5.6lbs. I only weighed what I thought was the biggest Delaware and he weighed 3lbs even. My original thought was to just create sex links and keep the roos and sell the hens. Either way if someone is looking for a Heritage Breed that will dress out decent in 12 weeks these should work. I'm butchering all the roos except the biggest healthiest one when they hit 12 weeks so I'll try and weigh them again if anyone is interested in knowing.

That is awesome we came up with the same plan. I really meant to keep a better record in thsi thread but I have been so so busy and just havent had the time. I appreciate you lending the information you have and certainly welcome more! Pics too please if you have any!

I will do my best to get some pics and weights this week and add them here.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@Charlie D @Tre3hugger I appreciate you both, and whatever records you share. BYC knows I've been lax on my own record keeping. Can't even tell what age some of my flock is at this point. But some are under four months and visibly bigger than my Brahma hens from last April - (though that's more a reflection of the poor quality of Hoover's DB line) - its still an improvement over what I had.

 

[Charlie D]

That is awesome we came up with the same plan. I really meant to keep a better record in thsi thread but I have been so so busy and just havent had the time. I appreciate you lending the information you have and certainly welcome more! Pics too please if you have any!

I will do my best to get some pics and weights this week and add

That is awesome we came up with the same plan. I really meant to keep a better record in thsi thread but I have been so so busy and just havent had the time. I appreciate you lending the information you have and certainly welcome more! Pics too please if you have any!

I will do my best to get some pics and weights this week and add them here.

I was rushed for time this morning but here are some pics I got. So today both the Delaware’s and New Hampshire’s are 9 weeks and 4 days. The one picture with my daughter holding them is a rooster and the other one the only hen we have.

 

[Tre3hugger]

@Charlie D those are some hefty cockerels. nice! I am going to get some pics tomorrow or the next day. Hopefully weigh the largest ones too.