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

[big medicine]

Al, depending which direction these projects take. I do find myself favoring the tighter feathered birds, they just look more "cornishy". As far as a sustainable meat type bird, I suspect a little looser feather would be an asset in a colder climate. At this stage in the project there is still substantial variation in the feathering. So to answer your question, I will probably breed for tighter feather.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
And I figured you would, I agree on the loose feather for a meat project it makes more sense. I do however as you..... prefer the tighter feather as you say more Cornishy look to it, it helps you get a better look at the developing body type. They are looking good and you have been busy.

 

[big medicine]

Thanks, some of these young cockerels are chunks. To tell you the truth I would like to put the one big white project cockerel( if he develops like he ought to) over some good white Cornish females and see if we could up the fertility on these guys, just enough outcross blood to maybe help.

 

[al6517]

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I wonder what the differences are between a Brian Decker Rooster and a Gary Agiganian rooster is in white of course. I have one and you have the other.

 

[big medicine]

I don't know Decker's birds backround, Agaginian's birds are supossed to be Strait bloodlines. I suspect a good percentage of the good whites are.

 

[al6517]

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You can bet on that, I think Brian said there was more K Herring blood in his, but with a slightly longer shank. Ken & Lewis also traded often, Ken's wife told me of some very nice stories of those two and their little secret endeavors LOL, those two were the Kings at the time for so many years. We could only dream to live in half their shoes. Your Dad however should be in the thick of those goings on as well am I right.

 

[SteveH]

Gary, thanks for the pictures. IMO, some of your white cropouts currently look as good or better than the purebreds as Cornish. I bought a couple of white Aseel hens thinking them necessary to cross for a harder feather in the chicks you blessed me with. However, the one white cockeral I have from your eggs looks to be of as hard of feathering at this point as my purebreds, and the ones I see pictured here. I also have a double black laced pullet from you that has good hard feathering, and only the more pointed shape of her laces [though she's bigger than most, older I think] distinguishes her from the oldest DC pullets.

Al, I don't think any of the project chicks are what I call loose feathered, but several are softer feathered than Cornish. I would have described the larger DC cockeral I used to have as hard feathered but loose feathered................... they didn't hug his body tight enough, but were hard enough to be brittle and no fluff under them. I'm glad I have some that are softer feathered, they will work well in my meat bird project. Seeing Big Medicine's purebred and project chicks side-by-side makes me think you might have over-estimated the age of my new DCs. I recall you guessing them in their late teens, and I don't think any of them have yet reached their teens; they were from several very late hatches. The youngest [yet to be pictured] was under two weeks old when I brought it home, the oldest still had whisps of yellow down on their heads, and many inbetween those ages. [You can see the whisps of down on the one head shot, and that's what the oldest looked like the day I brought them home.] I'm pretty sure the oldest were hatched in July and I know the last chick was hatched past the middle of August.

 

[big medicine]

Steve, the good thing about the looser feathered birds, if you choose not to use them as breeders, is that those feathers are only attached at one end, and dress out just fine. I have friends who have a hard time figuring what to do with their extra cockerels(smaller batams). I would trade them feed bills, but no problem finding a use for these guys.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
I've noticed they all get loose feathered after a dip in a scalding pot.

 

[kfacres]

bm... look great... would make a nice addition to a newly started flock with your birds as a base..

Steve, don't you get all crazy on butchering them...