Red Laced Cornish X and project talk (pics p. 8)

[SteveH]

Quote:
I'm sure open to suggestions from experienced people like you who have gone before me. Before I resort to A.I., however, I really want to get them on grass and with fewer hens to choose from. Both of my DC cockerals are still under a year; it may just be that they need time to hone their skills [and one is learning to get along on toe tips that were froze off]. I'm going to a small hatch every week for awhile.................................... I want to only incubate eggs from a few select hens, and will be watching for halos in those covered by the DC before setting some more.

Aside from being pretty large, I see no reason my Ameraucana/CX cockerals might have trouble breeding natural later this year.

There was one DC/WLRC egg hatched by somone I sold them to, and another person reported he hatched a white from my eggs that came from a hen that had been under my DC and CX guys............................. has to be the CX's I think. There's still hope.

ETA: I also have a BIG meaty looking cockeral from Katy to work with, and also supposed to go pick up a white or light blond crop out from some Fredom Rangers, a pullet I think, soon

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I would like to hear what al advises as well . . . let us learn from you
I want to see another pic of your boy steve . . . do you reallythink you're going to use him? I will be so proud! How is that ee??

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
No pics today, its raining, [lightening is breaking my wireless connection also

]

The red hatched from your eggs is huge, but very active, and has had to be taught not to draw blood when I reach in his hutch.

He's as big as some of my layers already. We'll see if his size causes heart issues.

The white pullet would pass for a large, breeder souced, Plymouth White Rock; it could also blend into Al's pen of white crossbreds other than it's younger and still smaller.

The EE looks pretty typical of one that age, though its beard and muffs are more scant than any of my other EEs [excluding my big, white, Ameraucana/CXs, technically EEs, that have scant beards and a couple none at all]. I'm keeping her for now to see if she lays green eggs. They'll all three go to the pens soon.

 

[SteveH]

By the way, these chickens are the pen from where my Sussex chicks came from. I decided to use Coronation Sussex instead of Plymouth White Rocks because not only is this strain as large, but would for sure carry the S gene for pure, clean, white feathers that don't get yellow, as well as lav to dilute both red and black bleed on my whites. Plus I just luv their color.

They'd make good meat birds as pure breds IMO.

[Not my picture or chickens. This young pair are owned and bred by Kathyinmo]

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

wow

 

[al6517]

A few more pic's of my project meaties, these are ready for the parenting duties to begin. They are the foundation of what I have been working on for 3 years, lotta work but they are there now.

AL

A couple of nice hen's, already big but get around like Russian Gymnast. They have been laying egg's the size of small country's for 6 mo now

A good pic showing the broad backs and wide bodies.

The best of the best from this last years hatching, took me 9 generations to get them to where they are. I got carried away throwing DE in their nest boxes LOL.

Now for Steve................... I wanted to share these pic's of what the true silver looks like in chicks just hatched. They are pure white Standard Cornish from the Hulk. See how they are very dark in their down then their feathering is super pure white.

The wide junk in the trunk look of good Cornish at 3 wks old, note the leg's on this kid and the stance is very wide indeed.

more of the wide leg, the light greenish tint on the front of the leg is desirable early on and shows the leg will have good yellow as it ages.

And of course a few of the HULK for good measure, he is back in good breeding health, but still requiring the Ole AI action. here he is in full crow posture.

My Darks as teens and they aren't lookin too bad up to this point.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Very very nice Al, thank you for sharing... I am taking notes!

 

[wingsofglory]

Thank you Al, beautiful birds. I'm learning so much. And your detailed pics and comments are so much help for training my eyes.

 

[SteveH]

Al; Thanks for sharing the pics and info, they look great. My recessive white Ameraucanas are hatched anywhere from the color of the down on that white Cornish chick, to blue, but feather white......................... they may or may not carry silver. The Coronation Sussex are definately silver, and they hatched or fluffed out from white to yellowish white and are feathering white. I've had an EE hatch a very solid blue but feathered in silver patterned.

I cracked three eggs last night from the pen where the two DCs and one CX are holding court, and two were haloed. [The fertiles were from a WLRC and an EE, the third was from an ISA Brown. I'm not wanting the Browns fertile, at least by those boys, but they're penned there due to lack of pen space.] This on again, off again fertility is very frustrating. I've cracked as many as 12 fertiles in a row over a two day period, then gone three weeks without seeing another; and got absolutely none to develope out of two large sets at home. I simply cannot understand how they can fertilize several hens, but those same hens are are then laying infertile eggs within 24 to 48 hours. It leads me to think that longevity or count on my two DC's seeds may be challenged...................................... this is why I get the gut feeling those guys need out of the pen where they have nothing green growing, and on to grass. In fact, I started tossing them fruit and vegetables a few weeks ago; this is when the fertile eggs started showing up.

 

[al6517]

Steve : Let me offer some things that helped me out considerably when trying to get these Cornish fertile.

1. Cornish Roosters aren't always fertile, they prefer the warm hot sun on their backs to help produce vit D. They are more productive in the summer months.

2. I use 1tbs per gallon of red cell mixed in their water, it's blood supplement that really helps them get frisky and it does that and then some.

3. Mix some raw unhulled red wheat in their feed or top dressed. the wheat germ in the red wheat is the highest quality, it changes thei samples from clear to milk white whithin a week.

4. Get a sack of calf manna pellets at the feed store, it is a feed supplement with a ton of Vitamins and minerals not found in any other feed and is used on a wide variety of farm animals. buy the 25lb sack cause it's tad pricey, but you only need to feed 1tsp per bird per day and it goes a long way. this I find helps provide the needed nutrients that help in egg cell development and viability.

use these and I will guarantee some very good results for not only Cornish but and breed in need of an added fertility boost, rooster Viagra so to speak LOL. As you know I have had fertility problems last year and have been using this formula and as you know I am now running over with healthy chicks.

that didn't sound right LOL but you get the idea.

The whole AI thing I have been doing works great for selective breeding and you don't have to house your birds in breeder groups if space is an issue. I will explain that later.

AL