My own meat project.

[5 Acre Rooster]

Yeah I cheated and put birds on scale 1 at a time and then took picture of whole scale, bird and weight included.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

This was last night. Sorry they are so dark it was about 130AM and garage isn't well lit. Will try to get some pictures with a White background with better light. It looks like the white birds (Other than the 1st, that's 3/4 BA 1/4 WLH.) seem to weigh more. 4 of them are the top weighs. I don't have exact order hatch order but I know a black was 2nd out of shell. The final white is really rather a smoke colored bird. Gray more than white. If I can get some free quiet time (Toddlers are occupied.) I will try to get some better pictures.
As long as I can get them used to me weighing and they will stay calm I will continue weighing them. If not I may try to find something to contain them in and weigh that way. My scale goes up to 72 lbs. and I can zero it I believe. Just after 2lbs. it goes to 1 oz. increments. Under 2 it does 2/10th oz.
Some of these eggs may not be X CX, I know 2 are not, at least. Next hatch should be all A-W X CX. Unless there is some sperm that was saved from prior to penning. Waiting just 1 week because I am impatient and had pure eggs from new girls to set along with BSL. Will continue to collect and set, and possibly swap out rooster to a BSL. To see if there is improved weighs. I have a few immature males I am also raising and may use 1 of them for crossing. Down the road I may cross back males from this hatch to F1 to see if they do well.

 

[Arielle]

Breeding back 1 generation is a typical cross to keep up the vigor in a limited gene pool.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Yes I am thinking about doing this if I get an nice bird size/growth rate wise to keep growth up but still have the BA/WLH blood for ruggedness and ability to range. Its a trial, and as long as nothing gets terminal I can always process birds (Since that's the end intent anyway) and have them for food. It's a work in progress and will see how things go. The generational bred back I need to do in my WLH and RIR since I have fertile eggs but only pullets no roosters.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Update.

Not being mindful I didn't mark the birds when I weighed them the 1st time. Tonight I wing banded them and recorded current weights. I lost 1 bird the 3/4 BA and tagged the FF cross that I know isn't CX offspring because he was in the mix. I had 191-200 and didn't use 192. The following are the weighs in oz.


191-2.6
193-1.8
194-2.4
195-3
196-2.2 (FF)
197-2
198-2
199-3
200-2.4

I will be able to track better since they are now tagged. I will use the 192 if 1 loses its tag. Somehow 1 always gets it off. I have a batch due on the 30th that will be solely CX X's and were with A-W for sire, maybe have some BSL sperm swimming yet. I just set 15 more tonight that will be only possible sired from the A-W. I will tag all these chicks at 1st weighing so as to better follow their progress.

As a side note the CX pullets are more forgiving than the other birds (BPR, WLH, RIR) as all were free range prior to pen mating. Eggs from other pens are progressively falling off in numbers. Except the CX. Averaging over 2 eggs per day from the pen this week. BSL only layed 12 eggs and have 6 pullets in there (Was 7 but 1 got out n middle of week.) where as CX only has 4 pullets. Yesterday I let out RIR and WLH as I only got 3 RIR eggs and 1 WLH egg this week.
I did get a double yolk WLH egg today layed out of the pen (Currently housing CX chicks.) but since they have been out 24+ hours with 4 roosters in area I did not save this. Since they do well in confinement, better than other pullets at least I may switch out the rooster with 1 of my 1/2 breeds that are 2 DP breeds. 1 of my BSL is most likely candidate because the other 2 I am not sure of parents. Where as BSL I know what crossed. Only issue is that chicks will be predominately black, or a good chance. Which happened with 1/2 the 1st batch anyway. In a few months my replacement roosters will be mature, I have 2 that are out pacing the others in growth rate, 1 almost large scale. He was buff colored when I got him but turning more red now. Not as dark as the RIR though. If he turns out to be BO, he's already planned to be breed to my current BO hens. If not I may try him in the breeding pen.

Will update within a week with weighs.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Its hasn't been a full week but I took some time and got weights today.


191-5.2
193-2.6
194-4.0
195-5.6
196-3.6 (FF)
197-3.4
198-3.2
199-5.6
200-4.4

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

I don't track my other birds on weights so I have little to compare to But a good portion have almost doubled weight in less than 6 days. They are in a larger brooder with younger chicks. They younger DP breeds are much more active, chasing a laser around when these normally show little interest. A few have shown a little interest in the light but not nearly as active chasing it. Some of the whites are getting black wing feathers growing in. Since sire is unknown I do not know if this is grandparent leakage. Will be better able to track feather coloring in next MP chicks. In the young chicks with them there are a few MP's. Most are BYM or BA. There is a clear size difference with the same age chicks. They are plumper than the DP chicks.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Ok hasn't been as long as I thought since last weighing but here is tonight's numbers (In oz.)

191-6.6 +1.4
193-3.8 +1.2
194-5 +1.0
195-7.2 +1.6
196-4.4 +0.8 (non-meat project)
197-4.2 +0.8
198-4.4 +1.2
199-7.2 +1.6
200-5.8 +1.4

I am going to look for some regular CX weights, if I can find some online and compare. Until last week my CX didn't really take off themselves. But since they were added to grow out pen they are just bounding in size. I make them move some. Daytime I feed out in the run. At night I feed inside coop. Same with water. I have no lazy birds in the bunch. Making sure of that. Next MP hatch is due the 30th and will tag viable birds at D1 or D2 post hatch so I can track from hatch or close to that. Will be interesting to see if largest gains are male/female or non gender specific. Decided to add weighs gained (+ X.x) since last weighing. So I wouldn't have to keep scrolling up to compare.

May also tag and compare weights and gain from BSL,RIR as these are in the same hatch as the MP eggs.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Did not get to weigh birds tonight. Did grab a couple quick and they are the larger white birds 199-10 oz and 195 (I think) is 9.6+

have 3 more MP in hatcher now and a lot more pipped as I type. Will compare side by side with RIR, BSL and WLH. This weekend will be long since I plan on tagging all viable birds. A few are going to a broody that is having unsuccessful attempt at hatching so will let her brood some if she will take them. SO those won't be tagged so no chance of hen trying to peck the tags off.

 

[MuttFlock]

Did you continue with your MP 's, i am trying something similar.