The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Appalachickens]

I sold a pair of turkeys and the boy asked me "how do you get your turkey hens so big?" The only thing I could think to tell him was because we feed them good quality feed. I would say better than 90% of the people in my area (I am being generous with my estimate) feed straight scratch or corn. Nothing nutritious about that. Muscle is protein, and you can't build protein without protein. A bird can get fat, yes, on a grain diet, but it will not develop a good body composition with adequate muscle without adequate dietary sources of protein from day 1. Not to mention poor egg production. Unless a bird is 100% free-ranged, you sould not feed straight scratch or corn. If a bird is free-ranged, it will supplement what you feed with natural protein sources in the warm months. But should still be given a good quality feed in the winter.

Sorry for ranting.

I feed mine a chick starter that is 20% protein. Any snacks are fruit, veggies, some seeds, and BSF larva. I’ve watched them catch frogs and voles when they are free-ranging so they also know how to get more protein in their diet.

 

[Appalachickens]

We got up to 68 today! Other than Thursday, which will be 48, the highs are going to be in the 50’s and 60’s for the next 10 days.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Also another drawback to free-feeding is you are basically feeding the rats after dark, and your rodent population will EXPLODE.

I remember at my last property we had to remove ALL feeders EVERY night.

 

[The Moonshiner]

@The Moonshiner

Any thoughts?


https://meyerhatchery.com/products/blue-bbs-partridge-leghorn-day-old-chicks

I posted awhile back about these.
I assume regardless of what they're called they're the same pattern as what I call blue gold duckwing.
Something I've been working with for a while. As far as I know Privett had theirs first. Hoovers bought out Privett and took over that variety. I'm gonna assume Meyer's has birds from the same stock.
I made mine using blue birds crossed with gold duckwing. Privett said they did the same thing. The blues were basically black birds with a blue gene. Black can carry genes that one doesn't expect that are used to maintain a solid bird.
When I got to blue gold duckwing some didn't have the cleanest pattern. It took a couple years to clean that up.
I've followed the hatchery birds because it's a favorite pattern of mine and well because someone else now had them besides me. For a while they had a lot of white shanked birds but seems at least they worked on that. I still see sloppy patterns but I suspect they just jumped the gun a bit to get them available.
Definitely think they are a workable variety. I think someone can get some and breed and sell as is. The hatcheries are. One could also get several and select breeders to improve each generation.
They're a pretty variety for sure.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hope everything comes out ok!

Thank you! I did give her an Epsom salts bath and lubricated her tissues with oil and the egg did come out just fine. She tried to prolapse but I think we got her under control.

 

[Kung_pao]

I’m glad she laid the egg and didn’t prolapse. Was it a huge egg or just because she was a new layer?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I’m glad she laid the egg and didn’t prolapse. Was it a huge egg or just because she was a new layer?

New layer, but def bigger than your typical pullet egg. And an absolutely gorgeous shade of blue!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Had given her two calcium citrate +D3 tablets by the time we finished.

 

[Kung_pao]

Of course she probably lays the prettiest eggs out of all of your birds. My first batch of Marans should start laying in the next month, let’s hope if any become egg bound that they lay a light egg lol.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I love the dark brown eggs of Marans but the nesting material sure tends to stick to it!