Yes, it is HOT here. The turken pullets are all doing great though, not too surprising. The other hens are not at all happy about the temperatures, but they are still laying really well. I think the worst is over now though.
Naked Neck/Turken Thread
- Thread starter josh44
- Start date
Sierra987
In the Brooder
- Mar 11, 2015
- 86
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Thank you. I picked them up at the local Murdochs so not sure. They get in chicks from 3 hatcheries - McMurray, Welp and one other I can't remember. Sorry. The pullets do have yellow legs but also have crooked toes.
They aren't as meaty as my Whiting "Label Rouge" hens but much more than a typical layer - even the larger layers like the hatchery Buff Orpingtons don't have any meat on their breasts. I think the cross with one of my LR roosters would make a real reasonable meat chicken. Not super efficient or fast growing but reasonably so and easier to raise. If I get a broody hen I will be tempted to hatch some out later this summer and see.
The problem is I can think of so many chicken projects I'd like to do and I just don't have time for any of them. I have some really nice production green egg layers from Whiting Farms (single comb, yellow legs, very good production) that I think would be fun to cross with a Welsummer rooster for speckled olive eggs. And the NN meat chickens. And I'd like a flock of silkied, banty easter eggers. Etc........
Dang Heat Wave,
Hen @ Hatching.... 2 Yrs ago ?
" Rebba " Laid like clockwork... Made enough Noise Soo we all Knew.
Discovered her on Floor of Run when we went to put em up tonight,
one of my Fav NN
That has been my constant problem for a couple decades lol... so many ideas, can't do them all. Been fun and learned a lot though.
I have a similar project going on with Freedom Ranger bred with naked neck and scaleless. The FR roosters ended up being too massive to breed the large fowl hens.. they could only breed some of the larger FR hens naturally. I ended up making the initial cross by NN/scaleless carrier roosters over the FR hens. Currently have a cross cockerel with the FR hens, hope to get some chicks ASAP because it's clear the FR don't have much heat tolerance.. and it is going to hit 110+ next month...
Are your LR cockerels turning out massive(the FR roos were not that much different from a buff colored cornish x)? Might need to do AI to get fertile eggs out of the standard/LF hens. Maybe combine genetics into the same line? Naked neck LR type birds laying colored and speckled eggs? Cross LR onto the NN and production green eggers, then cross them together?
Love to see pictures of the production green eggers. I have single comb colored egger NN descended from an egg trade many years ago. Hopefully one cockerel used in crosses with the FR was a carrier for this trait.. keeping some of his daughters to POL...
Dang Heat Wave,
Hen @ Hatching.... 2 Yrs ago ?
" Rebba " Laid like clockwork... Made enough Noise Soo we all Knew.
Discovered her on Floor of Run when we went to put em up tonight,
one of my Fav NN
Oh no, sorry on loss of a good bird!
Sierra987
In the Brooder
- Mar 11, 2015
- 86
- 25
- 42
You are a lot of help - NOT! LOL! The green egg layers are so small that I can't see trying to work them into a LR type bird. And they're efficient - very good layers but not huge eaters.
Before I forget; I may slip up and call the LR birds M&Ms which is short for Molly's Meaties which is a nickname they picked up when I posted video on FB of my pit cross (named Molly) watching them under the heat lamp and licking her lips. I told her they weren't done yet and she had to wait. LOL!
Here is a link you might like Kev. It is a newsletter from Whiting Farms about how and why their lines of chickens were developed. I have blue and green egg layers, a "Rhode Island Red" and the "Label Rouge" chickens from there. I've really been happy with all of them. - http://www.whitingfarms.com/newsletters/WFI NEWSLETTER Q04 2013 WEB.pdf
And here is a pic of my two green egg layers. They were excellent layers thru their first winter laying 5 - 6 eggs/week each.
Sorry for the loss.Dang Heat Wave,
Sierra987
In the Brooder
- Mar 11, 2015
- 86
- 25
- 42
And yes, the roosters are getting huge and may end up too large. I thought perhaps I could get some fertile eggs from the NN pullets later this summer before the roosters became too large. Or else pick up more LR chicks next spring and since the NN hens would already be mature, I could maybe get fertile eggs earlier when the roosters were still younger and smaller. They become active with the hens quite early but not sure how soon they would actually be getting the job done.
The LR chicks were hatched around the first of March. The pullets are just starting to lay in the last week. This first pic shows one of the roosters next to a partridge rock hen who is the largest of my LF hens (heavier than the buff orpingtons).
And a pic of the other rooster taken about a month ago.
The LR chicks were hatched around the first of March. The pullets are just starting to lay in the last week. This first pic shows one of the roosters next to a partridge rock hen who is the largest of my LF hens (heavier than the buff orpingtons).
And a pic of the other rooster taken about a month ago.
I will always be happy to answer genetics questions... just trying to help.... hehe!
Much appreciate that link and pictures! Awesome to know some of the birds came via Caveny- he made many lines many years ago that are practically the same as recent imports that sold for thousands of dollars.... autosexing, high production colored egg layers, etc.
I can see leghorn influence in the green eggers. Caveny seemed to work with leghorns and leghorn based projects a lot.
Molly looked a little too hungry in that pic lol
And yes, the roosters are getting huge and may end up too large. I thought perhaps I could get some fertile eggs from the NN pullets later this summer before the roosters became too large. Or else pick up more LR chicks next spring and since the NN hens would already be mature, I could maybe get fertile eggs earlier when the roosters were still younger and smaller. They become active with the hens quite early but not sure how soon they would actually be getting the job done.
The LR chicks were hatched around the first of March. The pullets are just starting to lay in the last week. This first pic shows one of the roosters next to a partridge rock hen who is the largest of my LF hens (heavier than the buff orpingtons).
And a pic of the other rooster taken about a month ago.
I'd say there might be hope.. those are nice sized however in those pictures they have very reasonable proportions.. if it were me, I would go about setting the eggs asap just in case.
I would think this cross would give a fantastic meatier NN with good proportions and looks.
The freedom ranger cockerels were far bulkier and wider.. don't have pictures when they were young and all cockerels have been long culled however I do have one freedom crossed with black ranger cockerel right now, will try to take a picture of him.
Very intrigued by the coloration of the first cockerel!
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