Surviving Minnesota!

[BantyChooks]

If I've gathered correctly from context, Toads are mixed breed mutt, right?

Toads are noble birds that have had a closed studbook since yesterday. A true heritage breed.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I feel like tongue may be planted firmly in cheek here, but I'll bite. What is the lineage behind toads?

It seems our good friend has gone to sleep so I snooped on his toad thread for answers. Here's what he said


The Toad is a 4 step process,

The first Generation is Cx crossed to CX,, That is known as a frog

Next Generation is a Frog to a Dixie Rainbow, This becomes a lizard
Then the lizard is crossed back to the CX.

That gives you a toad, it is 7/8thCX and 1/8 Dixie rainbow. Thatlittle Rainbow gives a bigger birdthat does not eat itself to death.
They are huge with more dark meat to white meat ratio. They are not lazy slobs.

The hard part was keeping CX's alive long enough to breed them. The Toads are not problem. They seem to live longer than the CX's.

 

[duluthralphie]

See, you didn't need me to spoon feed you the answer!!

I wanted a bird that was not as full of health issues as the CX were. Even with that information the full lineage is unknown because I have no idea which kind of CX I had either time. There are several lines of CX and all lines are closely guarded secrets as to what makes them

I wanted a sustainable meat bird. I wanted a larger bird also, the breast could be smaller as we prefer the dark meat. As it turned out I gave up breast size at 6-9 weeks by week 10 the breast is huge again.


I did not want a bird that had fluid in the chest cavity or under the skin. That was a problem with the CX's. Also I wanted a chicken that tastes like the chickens my Grandma use to raise in the 50s. I felt the short time from hatching to processing was giving us the softer, blander meat we get from chickens.

A toad rooster is ready to process around week 13-15, but I like to go longer. I have not seen the meat become tough or stringy with age. I have processed them at 6-7 months and they have been tender, juicy and tasty. I think the older they are the more they taste like chicken should.

Roasted whole is the way I like them, or smoked. But they are good fried or oven fried. The legs are the size of the smoked turkey legs you can buy.

Their drawback is their personalities. They are meek and mild and all other birds seem to know it. Everyone pushes a toad around. Except OJ who is in prison for being too aggressive with the girls. I am tempted to put him back in the pasture to wander and see if he has mellowed. He is so good looking. He was from the second batch of toads I kept this spring and might be the largest rooster I have had yet. People that see OJ or the others are always amazed at their size.

I have people tell me there is no way I can have a chicken dress out at over 15 pounds. I tell them to see for themselves but they never take me up on it.

Tomorrow will be a big day in their lives, they will be back on pasture for a while. I had to lock them up because of the predator problems. I think the electric fence has the predators beaten..I HOPE!

 

[BantyChooks]

Ralph, what are you doing up at this hour? You're usually asleep.

 

[duluthralphie]

Darn cough, I can't lay down or I cough my lungs out.

And we have been binge watching TV last couple nights.

 

[BantyChooks]

Darn cough, I can't lay down or I cough my lungs out.

And we have been binge watching TV last couple nights.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . It is nice to sleep in a real bed . I have been in that camper sleeping on the kitchen table for nearly 5 weeks . Soft water showers a plus .

 

[jerryse]

Ok I got to ramble on to some one . Think I saw cub bear tracks around the sawmill during the monsoon before I left . My Niwot / sweet repeat fall bearing black raspberry was blooming when I left . Baby cakes blackberry is blooming here . A thornless fall bearing rated to zone 4 . Hmm might be worth a try in zone 3 . Feeling rough today . Mowing aches I guess . Did not mow it all . I need to take lessons from BC on chick cuddling . They rode all the way home in 2 totes with no lids . Not a chick was loose in the bed of the truck . Under my care those chicks would have been wild and on the loose in the truck . Come on peoples post . I need to rest not work . So entertainingin me please . I seep making spelling errors . Something aint right .

 

[BantyChooks]

Morning . It is nice to sleep in a real bed . I have been in that camper sleeping on the kitchen table for nearly 5 weeks . Soft water showers a plus .

Morning . It is nice to sleep in a real bed . I have been in that camper sleeping on the kitchen table for nearly 5 weeks . Soft water showers a plus .

As opposed to hard water?

Now I'm imagining ice coming out of the shower head.

 

[I Love Layers]

Lol.......maybe.

But at this time I don't have a good way to integrate any others. I've only got space for 4 more.

Found out DW wants BIG chicken eggs. May need to add another breed of hen.

Red Sex Links lay huge eggs!! They are nice birds too.

Darn cough, I can't lay down or I cough my lungs out.

And we have been binge watching TV last couple nights.

Sounds like my dad since beginning of July. He thinks its walking pnemonia, trying to have a conversation with him was awful!

I have decided to not show birds at Hutch. Still no fertile eggs from the cochins and I want to hatch some by October so they are at least decently mature, so I have to trim. I think I will still be coming, probably on Saturday after birds are judged, and leave sometime midday Sunday. I am goinf to try and get some birds from people there, a few cochins as it is the district meet.
I am hoping to go look at the neighbors grainery today. I have been so busy I haven't been able to. It will be especially nice during the school year.
School starts this Wednesday, I am nit excited at all. I have Algebra 2 this year and Algebra makes zero sense to me. I like the rest of my classes, and I am pretty excited for biology.