self sustaining meatie flock?

[TimG]

Quote:
I sincerely wish you good luck. Please let us know how things turn out.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I suppose I am the Idaho chick . . .

I think Steve's project is coming along great and that single 9 day old chick signifies a lot of success towards what he is trying to accomplish. Actually sometimes I feel like he is have more sucess than me. But as we are all aiming for something slightly diffferent the projects really can't be compared except for proximity to goal. In that case steve one ups me

I am aiming for a LARGE but sustainable meat bird, I care far more about fertility than egg production. Large to me is 6 lbs by 15 weeks. sustainable is able to freerange and live to two years with out health problems or extra human intervention. So far I am reaching t he weight and carcass goals, exceding the free range goals, just meeting the fertility goals but still not doing so well at the longevity - which is important to me because if you can't keep over you minimum amount of breeders your not really sustainable, also still working on consistancy - I thought I was close to goal here but looks like I have another year or two . . .

In answer to the OP's actual question; of course it is! but let's take it one step further and find out what you would refer to as sucessful and then maybe some of us can direct you to an already partially paved road.

 

[Jared77]

The thing is size shouldn't diminish if you select and breed for it. By selecting out your biggest/meatiest stock to breed off of, your going to work towards a bigger next generation. Same thing with rate of maturity so you get good fleshing. If you have a cut off date that you want to process by say 16 weeks, then use that as when you'd evaluate your biggest/meatiest birds and then cull the rest from the breeding program. Then pair them off and collect eggs, hatch them, monitor your chicks for size and meatiness, then re-evaluate at 16 weeks, breed, and the process continues. So long as you maintain high standards you'll get this off the ground.

You shouldn't have to keep reintroducing the CX back into your lines if you keep separate lines and select for the biggest/fastest growing birds. That's not very sustainable because your still having to bring birds in, and keep raising CX to fuel your lines.

The ALBC has an outline on their site for selecting for a meat bird. It says how to gauge your stock, and what to look for. The one thing Id be most worried about is the hens ability to lay a consistent and reliable quality and quantity eggs. Id be crossing to large egg dual purpose heritage breeds to ensure you don't lose any quality as far as your eggs go, otherwise your going to have to keep a number of hens back to ensure you get enough eggs to hatch for the following season. Something like a Barred Rock, Australorp, Delaware or even an Orpington.The goal is to think longer term and the CX will give you immediate size but not something Id want to have to keep working back into my lines every other year. At that point you might as well just have the CX and a layer flock.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Tim I have the same thing going too as Steve and that Idaho Chick...

My F1 crosses actually just started laying eggs this week so I'm a little ahead of Steves one chick but not as far as Katy yet... Either way all three of us have accomplished the impossible... which is raising a terminal breed to breeding potential. Basically the three of us are trying to capture the genetic potential of the CX's which has worked in all cases. I can tell by Steves one chick that the offspring is already going to be an extremely good start.

I will keep updates on my progress but I used really nice strains of Buckeyes over some CX pullets. My offspring are awesome... great foraging... muscling... growth weight.... ect. Going to find out on the longevity and the egg production.

I'm curious to the freedom rangers because they would be a good choice to cross in some fresh blood to an already well established DP line.

I'm so pumped because this time of year I actually have time to work on the new lines. With 600 more broilers to go... I'm well tuned into my efforts as I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/post.php?action=post&tid=301996

 

[RAREROO]

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Wow, they look great and those sizes and colors are exactly the same as what I got using a RIR roo. I'm looking forward to starting this project back up myself again in the spring. I am thinking this time I will use Sussex for the roosters. May try some big exhibition strain RIR and Wyandotte roos too.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

lol, I know! that one chick of steves is a really good looking chick isn't it?
and jeff you are so much farther than I think I will ever be, I aspire to have a set up like yours and wish I had used my drive and ambition when I was young (and still had it) to do what you've done. Your web page is one of the best I have seen and I encourage newbies to check it out all the time, I love your explainations as opposed to others hype.

 

[TimG]

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Sorry, forgot about your Buckeye/Cornish Cross cross.

 

[al6517]

I have 1 or 2 little things going on along the same idea's as many of you have, hehehehe

AL

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

hehehe? lol! good morning al

 

[al6517]

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Mornin sweat pea !!!!

AL