Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[Lauravonsmurf]

Thank you. I figured your Brahman mixes would be your heaviest. I have been weighting my chicks every Thursday… I need to weight the big hens. Though just looking at them and picking them up I know which 5 weight the most, and out of them I suspect the Maran and one of my Olive Eggers are my heaviest. I should weight them too.

What I am thinking assuming I get a standard sized rooster either from the straight run order in April, or hatching eggs I am mulling over in my head. Or an incorrectly sexed chick (could happen). Or I take in an unwanted rooster. All options… but I am waiting to see how all the already purchased or live ordered birds mature up. I do see some pretty abandoned roosters in the village. So tempting to stalk one of them, catch, quarantine, treat for parasites and test them for disease (there is a lab)… so tempting…

Here are just a few I got photos of recently… seen some exotic breeds over the years too… but here are some photos I took this last week. I keep meaning to get more snap shots. I’ve seen so many different breeds over the years here.

This guy was pretty large…

His less dominant buddies, I am guessing Olive or EE blue egg gene carriers, nice size and a decent red to get started with… combs funky but not a reason for me to not take them home.

Probably another EE type bird, he was good looking and good sized. Snapped this last year at the Library… along with these guys also nice looking Roosters…

These are just a few of the Village’s chickens… over the years I have seen amazing roosters. There are hens too, but roosters out number hens because people leave them here. Then the village cares for them. They live a free range life.



Our only official we know for sure Cockerel is Peepers the D’Uccle This last week’s weight. He is an inquisitive little guy.

 

[3KillerBs]

Most wouldn't hold still

My perennial problem with getting decent shots for POW and contests. My chickens are active and have no interest in posing for photos.

On the cull list, UW off on right side.

I'm presuming he's smaller since he seems to have some of the patterning you're after? But not to compare to Ugly White.

Another of the Culls

Likewise?

Another Red - more black on the bottom

and this is Crimson

Some patterning? Or, at least, leakage?

The dusty, indistinctly-patterned one in the top right looks like she's approaching your "fade-into-the-dirt" goal.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Ugly White weighs 6.06# - the Brahma Genetics fooled me again.
Four of the reds? 5.4, 5.3, 5.4, 5.2 - including one of the black (and red) bottom reds (5.4), not the all black bottom red.

Couldn't get ahold of best hen pattern #1 - flighty bird, that's a good thing.

Bottom hen (w/ Brahma) and bottom hen (w/o Brahma) both weigh 4# and an ounce or two.

None of the males I weighed have more than rounded nubs for spurs, so they aren't into their full growth yet, though many are at 6 mo age, plus. That's going to take longer to fix in my culling project than some of the more visible signs of color, comb, and pattern.

I see you want the boys to mature a bit quicker. They are fluffy the Brahmans.

I suspect the Saipan and Jersey Giants I ordered will take at least over 18 months to mature fully maybe even a full 2 years. But really curious to see if they truly are large birds.

The Egyptians I ordered are suppose to be fast but they are a small sized breed.

Then the Buckeye are older dual purpose so I understand they take time to start laying but once they do, supposedly it’s worth the wait…. So I will be very interested to see how they fill out.

The RIWs I ordered are probably selected for egg laying more than the dual purpose I want… but we will see… going to compare to the two RIR I am raising now also probably production lines. I want to eventually get them improved. Rosecombs is one goal for them, along with proper SOP feathering. I know I am stuck right now with what I found so far.

I now have 2 different hatchery Naked Neck sample lines, so will be comparing Meyers versus Belt. Also it will be interesting to see how the new chicks colour out. I am wondering if one is a blue copper possibly. But I want to tinker with cross breeding these birds in particular to improve size and egg size.

 

[3KillerBs]

I see you want the boys to mature a bit quicker. They are fluffy the Brahmans.

I suspect the Saipan and Jersey Giants I ordered will take at least over 18 months to mature fully maybe even a full 2 years. But really curious to see if they truly are large birds.

The Egyptians I ordered are suppose to be fast but they are a small sized breed.

I'll be interested to see Green/Ramses's mature size. He's the one who had amazing hackles and saddles at not-quite-12-weeks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/not-even-quite-12-weeks-on-the-14th-but.1504118/

He was dancing for an unimpressed pullet at 18 weeks -- so rapid maturity like crazy. But I don't know how big he'll eventually get.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, the two culls are both smaller

My perennial problem with getting decent shots for POW and contests. My chickens are active and have no interest in posing for photos.



I'm presuming he's smaller since he seems to have some of the patterning you're after? But not to compare to Ugly White.



Likewise?





Some patterning? Or, at least, leakage?



The dusty, indistinctly-patterned one in the top right looks like she's approaching your "fade-into-the-dirt" goal.

than UW and have more black. I'll select from the reds based on size, leakage.

I can't wait to get a few more girls like her, and for my property to Spring up again

I see you want the boys to mature a bit quicker. They are fluffy the Brahmans.

I suspect the Saipan and Jersey Giants I ordered will take at least over 18 months to mature fully maybe even a full 2 years. But really curious to see if they truly are large birds.

The Egyptians I ordered are suppose to be fast but they are a small sized breed.

Then the Buckeye are older dual purpose so I understand they take time to start laying but once they do, supposedly it’s worth the wait…. So I will be very interested to see how they fill out.

The RIWs I ordered are probably selected for egg laying more than the dual purpose I want… but we will see… going to compare to the two RIR I am raising now also probably production lines. I want to eventually get them improved. Rosecombs is one goal for them, along with proper SOP feathering. I know I am stuck right now with what I found so far.

I now have 2 different hatchery Naked Neck sample lines, so will be comparing Meyers versus Belt. Also it will be interesting to see how the new chicks colour out. I am wondering if one is a blue copper possibly. But I want to tinker with cross breeding these birds in particular to improve size and egg size.

Since I eat so many of my male birds, I would like to eventually reach 5.5 to 6.5 pounds live weight by 16 weeks. I think that is a reasonable, achievable, goal period early maturity also benefits me in my hands, so I'm only feeding them for five months or so before they begin to lay, not six or seven months

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I'll be interested to see Green/Ramses's mature size. He's the one who had amazing hackles and saddles at not-quite-12-weeks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/not-even-quite-12-weeks-on-the-14th-but.1504118/

View attachment 2999777

He was dancing for an unimpressed pullet at 18 weeks -- so rapid maturity like crazy. But I don't know how big he'll eventually get.

I like him…

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Yes, the two culls are both smaller

than UW and have more black. I'll select from the reds based on size, leakage.

I can't wait to get a few more girls like her, and for my property to Spring up again

Since I eat so many of my male birds, I would like to eventually reach 5.5 to 6.5 pounds live weight by 16 weeks. I think that is a reasonable, achievable, goal period early maturity also benefits me in my hands, so I'm only feeding them for five months or so before they begin to lay, not six or seven months

Yes I will have to figure that out down the road with the general ideas on breeding I have some specific ideas I am leaning toward but I really need to see what I have to work with. Eggs are super important for us. Meat is for friends.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Brief Update - chatted with my main egg buyer from last year again, this AM. He currently has more eggs than he needs, and expects to meet demand thru at least late April/May, so I will not be using the 18% non GMO feed this year, and will stick to my 24% then 20% mix formulation for my birds.

Second, given both a lack of regular quantity buyers, and what I'm seeing in feed prices, plus the reality of needing a job to keep paying the bills and building the house (construction materials look they are going up again, too!), I am NOT going to grow the flock up to the huge numbers of last year. For the moment, I'm going to keep culling down, likely incubate the first time in April, then May, June, so I have fresh layers for this coming winter.

Depending on AI this Fall, there may be yet more cullings.

Plans will remain fluid, as circumstances seem to dictate in the moment.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Brief Update - chatted with my main egg buyer from last year again, this AM. He currently has more eggs than he needs, and expects to meet demand thru at least late April/May, so I will not be using the 18% non GMO feed this year, and will stick to my 24% then 20% mix formulation for my birds.

Second, given both a lack of regular quantity buyers, and what I'm seeing in feed prices, plus the reality of needing a job to keep paying the bills and building the house (construction materials look they are going up again, too!), I am NOT going to grow the flock up to the huge numbers of last year. For the moment, I'm going to keep culling down, likely incubate the first time in April, then May, June, so I have fresh layers for this coming winter.

Depending on AI this Fall, there may be yet more cullings.

Plans will remain fluid, as circumstances seem to dictate in the moment.

Well yes it is all in flux, isn’t it. I noticed the chicks are not selling out like they did last year. That was insane. I did hear from Cackle direct they are having an issue with supplying their various Production RIR chicks, but getting their show quality easier… but I would have to cancel my order, reorder to add a few birds. I sort of decided to see what pops up locally or Order hatching eggs… especially since I am hunting for Rosecomb RIR and RIW. Freaking like looking for Bigfoot.

I don’t need 25 chicks from Sandhill just to get a couple RIR with Rosecomb. It is massively annoying only RIW the big hatcheries carry is non SOP single combs… that would be like them offering Wyandotte with single combs only. I found a company that has RIW hatching eggs… but further out you go for eggs low to no hatches is my experience.

So waiting to see what I can find…

 

[Tervuren]

Well yes it is all in flux, isn’t it. I noticed the chicks are not selling out like they did last year. That was insane. I did hear from Cackle direct they are having an issue with supplying their various Production RIR chicks, but getting their show quality easier… but I would have to cancel my order, reorder to add a few birds. I sort of decided to see what pops up locally or Order hatching eggs… especially since I am hunting for Rosecomb RIR and RIW. Freaking like looking for Bigfoot.

I don’t need 25 chicks from Sandhill just to get a couple RIR with Rosecomb. It is massively annoying only RIW the big hatcheries carry is non SOP single combs… that would be like them offering Wyandotte with single combs only. I found a company that has RIW hatching eggs… but further out you go for eggs low to no hatches is my experience.

Literally just came across this the other day, but Rare Feather Farms has rose comb Rhode Island Reds, and they sell hatching eggs! https://www.rarefeathersfarm.com/apps/webstore/products/show/5713449