The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
Thanks, not rude at all. I will need to work out something for winter, better to start planning now. I can only image what would happen if I tried to keep 7 roosters in 1 coop in January when it gets below 0 for more than a week at a time. I've been working on plans for a new better coop but we have not started work yet. That is planned for the late fall when the weather cools down.

 

[redrstr29]

Chris herzog, Cracked corn has worked for me Also, and Ive heard good things good things about marigold, haven't used it myself, Im not an old timer per say im 29 but have had chickens since I was 10, soooooo 18 yrs experience but not an "OT" lol

Aldo

 

[HawaiianRoo]

Quick question...

Why do breeders of heritage birds typically shut down this time of year. Can't you continue breeding out at least until they stop laying with the onset of winter? I probably should know the answer to this question, but don't.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I can only tell you what we do.

We spend the summers growing out chicks and adolescents. By fall, it is time for us to think about which of the birds we are going to carry through the winter and why. We must decide which pullets will be put under their sire or an uncle male. Which of the cockerels is coming along to be used over his mother and/or aunts perhaps.

By January, we've penned them by breeding assignments. We'll continue to adjust any breeding combinations, perhaps, through April. So, for us, breeding season is roughly January through April. By May they've been at it long enough and summer heat and humidity is coming on.

This cycle best matches the bird's growth and maturity patterns. We have four distinct weather seasons here and our daylight swings from winter to summer. So, this is just what we do.

 

[Fred's Hens]

For someone in Hawaii, it may be easy to forget just how tough upper midwest winters can be. It is best not to have wee chicks hatched in fall. Since daylight hours are constant in Hawaii, it may also be easier to forget the maturing pullets need sunlight. We really want our laying pullets to be hatched in late February through March. These pullets stand the best chance of coming into laying form before the deep darkness of the following winter. A summer hatched pullet has no chance of maturing until the following spring. That's a lot of feed and a long wait for eggs. Many of us have an agricultural or homestead aspect to all this.

Collecting fertile eggs and keeping them cool in the heat of summer is almost impossible. Shipping fertile eggs to customers in the heat of summer is risky business in hot Post Office trucks.

Finally, many breeders use rather small match systems. This isn't the old "one rooster to 10 hens" ratio you hear so much about here on BYC. With small number matings, the hens can be over mated and that's tough on the female. She needs a break. The cock birds also need time off.

So, if you put all this together a picture forms as to why most folks break up their breeding pens in May. Hope all my meandering thoughts helps.

 

[RedRidge]

For someone in Hawaii, it may be easy to forget just how tough upper midwest winters can be. It is best not to have wee chicks hatched in fall. Since daylight hours are constant in Hawaii, it may also be easier to forget the maturing pullets need sunlight. We really want our laying pullets to be hatched in late February through March. These pullets stand the best chance of coming into laying form before the deep darkness of the following winter. A summer hatched pullet has no chance of maturing until the following spring. That's a lot of feed and a long wait for eggs. Many of us have an agricultural or homestead aspect to all this.

Collecting fertile eggs and keeping them cool in the heat of summer is almost impossible. Shipping fertile eggs to customers in the heat of summer is risky business in hot Post Office trucks.

Finally, many breeders use rather small match systems. This isn't the old "one rooster to 10 hens" ratio you hear so much about here on BYC. With small number matings, the hens can be over mated and that's tough on the female. She needs a break. The cock birds also need time off.

Fred has some good points here.
I frequently keep a rooster with my production layers all the time... but never fewer than 10-15 (preferably more) hens because they just get worn out. And even then, the roos always have their favorites who always looked shabby... but those were also my best layers. Being a sustainable farm, when I am down to only 1 production roo (like right now) I like to keep one with the hens in case something unexpectedly happens and I find myself without a roo - at least I have fertile eggs and don't need to bring in new blood. But... this is just for my production layers... a self-perpetuating practical aspect for emergencies. Not to mention they can be handy at discouraging "minor" predation.
For heritage or rare breeds I just don't want to wear the hens out. Longevity is a higher priority than flash in the pan heavy and fast laying, easily replaceable hens.
I have raised Cornish x's several times and have found that fall is actually my favorite time of year to do that... scheduling them to arrive about Labor Day. The nights are beginning to cool down a bit, but I still have forage through Oct or Nov, but it's not so hot to prevent good growth. Unlike spring, things are pretty quiet here (as in lambing and calving are over), so fall is a quiet time of year with more time. Also, processing 50-100 meat birds in November is nice when the weather is cool.

As with all the males here though... you must play well with others when it's not breeding season or you can't stay. Bulls must get along, rams must cohabitate nicely after breeding season, etc. I do not provide individual bedrooms for bulls, rams, and roos. Play well with others or the slaughter knife is always handy.
My husband is glad he is the only human male on the farm.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I live in the deep south. If I hatch large fowl late in the year the heat and humidity causes the birds to be at least a pound less than the same chicks hatched say in March. However, in bantams it helps keep the chicks smaller than the chicks hatched in say Jan or Feb.

After four months in the breeding pen the birds are pretty much tired out.

Up North you may have trouble getting birds to lay and hatch in the early months because of the cold weather. Yet many of the shows you need to plan at least six months for the females and say seven to eight of the males to be in full bloom or feather.

When I lived in Washington State the weather was wet but not super cold. Turn the lights on in or around Thanksgiving and maybe by New Years eggs could hatch and be ready for the August Sept shows. .

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Here is a picture of my largest roo from Ron's line. He is almost 10 wks old. Please ignore the messy yard.


More pictures at:


http://s841.photobucket.com/user/Sallys_Red_Meadow/library/Chicken Pictures/HRIR Pictures June 2013


As for Winter weather, it gets quite cold here in January and sometimes Feb. My hatchery RIRs would not leave the coop some days last January.

 

[redrstr29]

Here is a picture of my largest roo from Ron's line. He is almost 10 wks old. Please ignore the messy yard.


More pictures at:


http://s841.photobucket.com/user/Sallys_Red_Meadow/library/Chicken Pictures/HRIR Pictures June 2013


As for Winter weather, it gets quite cold here in January and sometimes Feb. My hatchery RIRs would not leave the coop some days last January.

Wow he looks big.....Hes the darkest Cockerel of the bunch too ...nice dark horn colored beak also!!

Aldo

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Wow he looks big.....Hes the darkest Cockerel of the bunch too ...nice dark horn colored beak also!!

Aldo

Thanks,
He is not aggressive towards me either. I have fry pan roos that are a few days older and they are already pecking at my DH's arms and flying up on his back to peck at his neck if he leans over while in their run. But we have called them nuggets and chicken dinners since they were arrived, I can see why they would not like us.