Why meat birds?

[Parront]

so, if I have a good rooster who is nearing 5 years old and have 3 cockerels that he sired, should I keep the best of the cockerels and butcher the roo or let him stay? Assuming my cockerels are as good or better than him. They're only now reaching where I can guess if they are male or not. I'm wanting more chicks, but this older roo doesn't seem to have a high fertility rate (judging from eggs in the pan). (My hens don't go broody often, either, but I'm hoping)

Sometimes you can keep the best young rooster, the old one will keep him in line for a while when he is young. Use them both, the competition might help your fertility.

 

[archeryrob]

How many hens to the rooster? most are 8:1 and most aggressive 10:1. We have 15:1 and not all eggs are fertile because of it. What breed are you using?

@mandelyn I just ordered dark Cornish and hoping for the best. I liked your comment on the ten weeks and will wait and see. Most of these first ones will be saved for breeders.

Then speaking of turkeys. Try this turkey sausage. OMG was this good.

 

[Parront]

How many hens to the rooster? most are 8:1 and most aggressive 10:1. We have 15:1 and not all eggs are fertile because of it. What breed are you using?

@mandelyn I just ordered dark Cornish and hoping for the best. I liked your comment on the ten weeks and will wait and see. Most of these first ones will be saved for breeders.

Then speaking of turkeys. Try this turkey sausage. OMG was this good.

Lots say 10:1. Some breeds are very Roosterish, if you get my drift. I had a little tiny Sultan that bred every hen around, could not lock him out, he would fly in, wiggle in . . . like the Houdini of Roosters! Had to cage the little devil.

 

[Mosey2003]

so, if I have a good rooster who is nearing 5 years old and have 3 cockerels that he sired, should I keep the best of the cockerels and butcher the roo or let him stay? Assuming my cockerels are as good or better than him. They're only now reaching where I can guess if they are male or not. I'm wanting more chicks, but this older roo doesn't seem to have a high fertility rate (judging from eggs in the pan). (My hens don't go broody often, either, but I'm hoping)

That depends. Do you like the old man's type very well? Do you have some of his daughters running around you like? If you have the room to easily do so, I'd absolutely keep the old one and choose one young one. Put the young one over his mother and aunts, and the older one over his daughters, and see what you hatch. You'll be concentrating the genetics and should see what's really in there.

For the fertility, I'd make pens of two or three hens and rotate the old man through, giving him three days or so in each pen. That should keep his interest up to keep him breeding who you want. I know an older gentleman that also recommends giving your breeding male a sardine every day, starting a week before you want to breed.

 

[trudyg]

I only have the old roo, 8 hens and these 3 chicks. I keep hoping someone will go broody, but that hasn't happened until this time that got me the 3 chicks. Was really hoping it would catch on! So, for fertility, only 7 hens until #8 gets over the chicks (any time now, they are 5 weeks tomorrow).

 

[LilyD]

I only have the old roo, 8 hens and these 3 chicks. I keep hoping someone will go broody, but that hasn't happened until this time that got me the 3 chicks. Was really hoping it would catch on! So, for fertility, only 7 hens until #8 gets over the chicks (any time now, they are 5 weeks tomorrow).

I find that chickens like to be a little inconsiderate about when to go broody. My past chickens went broody when it was the least convenient for me lol. Usually right before winter which up here gets to -40 below zero sometimes with snow that they hate. Or in the middle of winter when it's so cold you can't keep the eggs warm or just when summer is ending and you really don't want any more fuzz butts hehe.

 

[Compost King]

When my Hens go broody in late fall I throw in meat bird eggs for them to hatch, I had a Broody Japanese Bantam last fall and it was funny watching her raise chicks that were twice her size a few weeks. They were fully feathered early and the 2 Meat birds would cover mama and the chicks adding more heat as winter started to set in.

 

[Morrigan]

My broody hens have been good, spring broodies this year. Broody #1 is now raising 1 Red Ranger -- I had hoped to give her more meat birds, but the shipping on the eggs was rough, and got only one viable chick out of 10 eggs. She seems a little irked by how much this one wants to eat. She's calling it out to forage and it is lingering over the food bowl, lol.

Broody #2 is raising 3 naked necks and 2 barnyard mutts. The hatchery was out of CX and RR eggs when she went broody, so I thought I'd try the NNs.

I've never had one go broody in winter before, but I usually I get a couple broody in Aug which is an inconvenient time for me. It's roasting hot, too early for meat birds, and to late to raise layers for winter egg-laying.

I'm still pondering over what I want to use as the base stock for my home-raised meat program. I really liked the dorkings last year, but good dorking stock is hard to find. My marans were pretty good and easier to find. I'm going to see how the NN grow out, and try to make a decision.

 

[LilyD]

My broody hens have been good, spring broodies this year. Broody #1 is now raising 1 Red Ranger -- I had hoped to give her more meat birds, but the shipping on the eggs was rough, and got only one viable chick out of 10 eggs. She seems a little irked by how much this one wants to eat. She's calling it out to forage and it is lingering over the food bowl, lol.

Broody #2 is raising 3 naked necks and 2 barnyard mutts. The hatchery was out of CX and RR eggs when she went broody, so I thought I'd try the NNs.

I've never had one go broody in winter before, but I usually I get a couple broody in Aug which is an inconvenient time for me. It's roasting hot, too early for meat birds, and to late to raise layers for winter egg-laying.

I'm still pondering over what I want to use as the base stock for my home-raised meat program. I really liked the dorkings last year, but good dorking stock is hard to find. My marans were pretty good and easier to find. I'm going to see how the NN grow out, and try to make a decision.

I did Dorkings for a year but was very disappointed by their laying ability. If they laid at all it was tiny eggs and most did not hatch out well because the chicks were too big for the eggs. Babies weren't too hardy either. What I did get to hatch had maybe a 60% chance of making it to processing age. Loved the Orpingtons. Not much for breast meat but they grew fast to processing weight and were friendly and nice birds to have around to boot. These are the parent stock to the babies I have now fingers crossed they grow up to look just like their Mamas and Daddy.

 

[Mosey2003]

And here I am breaking broodies left and right, hahaha.