My Attempt at a Dual Purpose Heritage Flock

[urbanhomesteader_shiona]

Going great! Many details right here in thsi thread

My bad, I thought it ended last year. The new pays aren’t showing Up but they are now!

 

[B and K Homestead]

If I have time this weekend I will grab some weights and pics of my oldest NH hens, they are 2 this year. Big girls, will give you a better idea om why rationing is so very important with them.

How are they laying at 2 years old?

 

[SheaLoner]

How are they laying at 2 years old?

Occasionally. I have 3 2yr olds and a 1 yr old. Will get 7-8 NH eggs a week.

 

[SheaLoner]

Occasionally. I have 3 2yr olds and a 1 yr old. Will get 7-8 NH eggs a week.

This is peak season though. They will drop production with the heat and cold.

 

[Tre3hugger]

The new generation of heritage chicks is 2 weeks old today. They are all growing well with zero failure to thrive. It is CRAZY the difference in size between the Delawares and the NHs. The NHs seem twice as large at the same age. I am going to have to start keeping only the largest Delawares now that I have swelled my numbers a bit. Heading to work now but will get some pics in the next day or so

 

[SheaLoner]

Well apparently I only have 3 adult NHs. The 2 2 yr olds were 10 and 12lbs, one of them has not molted since reaching adulthood.


And the 1yr old weighed 11lbs. But carries it well, no obvious fat deposits. They were not happy birds.

 

[B and K Homestead]

I will be free ranging the NHs once they are 12 weeks old & I remove them from the chicken tractor. I hope this helps keep their weight down some. I have a good friend with a Cornish Cross Rooster that is a year or two old and is a MONSTER in size but is free ranged and runs/breeds ok. I think if a Cornish cross can manage then these NHs should be alright, but we'll see.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Got some pics of the 3 generations today.
Lets start with the newest chicks, around 2.5 weeks old. Not the clearest pics, but really just wanted to display the size difference between the NHs and Delawares. Obviously, the NHs are MUCH bigger. Look at the difference in leg thickness!

Next we have the newly integrated NHs. They are about 7-8 weeks old. Cockerel on the left.

And lastly some breeders from this season. Approaching a year old

I think I am going to hatch one more batch of NHs/sex in a week or two and then be done with hatching for a little bit. Am hoping to have about 10 really nice pullets and a gorgeous cockerel of each breed by the end of the season.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Here I've been struggling to "clean up" the birds in by project, and your pictures above make clear how much my (currently) best roos look like a run of the mill NH... Very useful photos - the first look like I remember my Rainbows looking, next to a Cx at about 10 days... That size difference is incredible.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Here I've been struggling to "clean up" the birds in by project, and your pictures above make clear how much my (currently) best roos look like a run of the mill NH... Very useful photos - the first look like I remember my Rainbows looking, next to a Cx at about 10 days... That size difference is incredible.

Glad the pics can help someone. Yeah the size difference is cray. Looks like the next goal will be selecting for larger Delawares! I am also thinking about doing a toad project like @duluthralphie , but I would put one of the sex link males (NH/DEL cross) over some NH females. Eat them all! That should make for some real fatties. Perhaps I will have time to do that once before the snow falls.