My Attempt at a Dual Purpose Heritage Flock

[SheaLoner]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-nh-and-rir-autosexing.1512491/post-25710009
I posted my freedom ranger NHs here. Some had wingspots, some had headspots, some both and some neither. WallyG74 chimed in about similar experience with RIRs. He found those with wingspots were male and headspots were definately female. Should be able to breed it back in to the line easily enough.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Chicks are about 5 weeks old. Growing nicely and officially off heat. I was able to sell my 5 sex link girls as soon as the heat went off for 50 bucks. Aweosme! I have another 22 eggs in the bator due in a week. At that point these sex link boys (white) will be moved to the meat grow out tractor and the NHs will begin a see but no touch integration into the flock. Looks like I got 3 NH pullets and 1 cockerel. Perfect! I will keep this new cockerel. The larger of my 2 current breeder boys is bottom of the pecking order and starting to look real delicious. As always I am utterly failing with record keeping but my plan is to get some weights at the 6 week mark.
And without further ado.

The NH cockerel in the center's sex has been obvious for weeks. Super thick legs and very quick comb/wattle development

This looks like a hip hop album cover. Lil peep and the Fowl Gang

Boys are startin to beef up

 

[Tre3hugger]

 

[peepdaddy]

Great looking chicks! Very stocky/heavily built. They look very mature for their age.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Great looking chicks! Very stocky/heavily built. They look very mature for their age.

Thanks! A mix of brooding outside, and selecting the quickest growing, I am really happy where they are at for 5 weeks.

 

[Molpet]

Thanks! A mix of brooding outside, and selecting the quickest growing, I am really happy where they are at for 5 weeks.

They are looking good

 

[Tre3hugger]

Thank you @Molpet !

 

[B and K Homestead]

Chicks are about 5 weeks old. Growing nicely and officially off heat. I was able to sell my 5 sex link girls as soon as the heat went off for 50 bucks. Aweosme! I have another 22 eggs in the bator due in a week. At that point these sex link boys (white) will be moved to the meat grow out tractor and the NHs will begin a see but no touch integration into the flock. Looks like I got 3 NH pullets and 1 cockerel. Perfect! I will keep this new cockerel. The larger of my 2 current breeder boys is bottom of the pecking order and starting to look real delicious. As always I am utterly failing with record keeping but my plan is to get some weights at the 6 week mark.
And without further ado.

The NH cockerel in the center's sex has been obvious for weeks. Super thick legs and very quick comb/wattle development
View attachment 3109976
This looks like a hip hop album cover. Lil peep and the Fowl Gang
View attachment 3109988
Boys are startin to beef up
View attachment 3109989

You

You are doing the exact same thing that I am currently doing, except my Delawares are the enhanced broiler Delawares from MM hatchery & my NHs are from freedom ranger hatchery. I am excited to see how these are working out for you! It would also be interesting to grow side-by-side the Delaware enhanced broilers from MM along with the freedom ranger Delawares and see the differences.

 

[B and K Homestead]

You

You are doing the exact same thing that I am currently doing, except my Delawares are the enhanced broiler Delawares from MM hatchery & my NHs are from freedom ranger hatchery. I am excited to see how these are working out for you! It would also be interesting to grow side-by-side the Delaware enhanced broilers from MM along with the freedom ranger Delawares and see the differences.

Right now my NHs are 8 weeks old and Delawares are 7 weeks old, the NHs growth is seriously impressive and I am guessing is equivalent to red broilers like Red Rangers, Freedom Rangers, etc.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Got some pics of the 6 week olds in their pasture. They are geting sooo beefy I am really happy. Plan to get some weights tomorrow once it cools off. These are the sex link males and some New Hampshires. This week I will be separating the NHs into a see but no touch situation with the rest of the heritage flock. The sex links will be tractored for another 4-6 weeks until ready for processing.

Also had a pretty decent hatch last week. 12/16 fertile eggs hatched, giving me 4 more NHs and 8 delawares. I will keep the best females for the heritage flock and eat the rest!