Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[3riverschick]

You are so on the mark with needing to build up your own Stock!

Try not being discouraged. At least some are hatching and you will get over this slow spot eventually and all will be smoother again.

Yeah,
It's just harder this year because I have 3 different matings which need to be kept separate.
Since I only have 2 Brinsea Mini Advances, it means staggered hatching. I went to the PA
thread and asked for a custom incubation service. Fortunately, without my asking, a lady in my area
loaned me another BMA. That was so sweet of her! I am so grateful. So as soon as the sporadic hen
lays several more eggs, I can finally start the last Brinsea. A different lady is coming to pick up her 6 birds in July
and I want to get them on the ground so I have time to cull them at least once before she comes.
I have still another lady coming for 2 pullets, Then I will keep hatching the other 4 matings until I run out of season.
Tux ex May ; Knight and Day over the three females( Sweetie , May , pullet 10). I think I need a
wholesale source for colored leg bands, smile. No one cares about the pullet 10 breeding but me.
It's a test breeding, so am saving it for later.
Best,
Karen

 

[keesmom]

I was just reading he last 20 posts. I didn't know anyone else felt the way I do. That's encouraging.
Maybe it is just me. I am having the most discouraging hatching season. The one hen I need to
lay has decided to be sporadic. After this season, I am so done with providing other people stock
until I build up my flock. I'm frustrated and upset. But there is nothing untoward going on. These
are all agreements made in good faith on both sides. The birds just aren't cooperating. I am
worried I will be hatching in Sept.

Oh well,
Karen

I am a relative newbie to heritage breeds, having bred Faverolles for just 5 years. I have also had an abysmal hatching season. The hens began laying semi-regularly 6 weeks later than usual and fertility is far lower than normal. Generally I start hatching in mid Feb and end before Memorial Day. This year I didn't start until late April and I also fear I may have to hatch into the fall. I am not offering eggs/chicks/juveniles now and for the forseeable future while I concentrate on rebuilding my breeder flock. I am beyond frustrated with this year's hatching season yet I can't think of anything I can do to make it better.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

I am a relative newbie to heritage breeds, having bred Faverolles for just 5 years. I have also had an abysmal hatching season. The hens began laying semi-regularly 6 weeks later than usual and fertility is far lower than normal. Generally I start hatching in mid Feb and end before Memorial Day. This year I didn't start until late April and I also fear I may have to hatch into the fall. I am not offering eggs/chicks/juveniles now and for the forseeable future while I concentrate on rebuilding my breeder flock. I am beyond frustrated with this year's hatching season yet I can't think of anything I can do to make it better.

I have been hatching SG Dorkings for a local breeder this year and they have had similar problems. It is frustrating to toss out 15 of 30 eggs as clears. The Delawares are doing great though.

I really hope we can hatch enough for next years breeding season.

 

[ronott1]

Can you all please look at these two Chantcler's and tell me if bird-1 is a cockerel? I will post 3 pics and two are the #1 bird that I think is a cockerel and the #2 and the others look like this bird.

This is the first pic of the #1 bird (closest to the left)

This is the second pic of the #1 bird that shows the comb closer

this is the #2 bird. Don't mind the bag, I just fed them the last of that bag. lol edited to add which bird in the top pic.
Thank you

I am not familiar with this breed but I think the top one is a Cockerel and the bottom is a pullet.

 

[3riverschick]

I am a relative newbie to heritage breeds, having bred Faverolles for just 5 years. I have also had an abysmal hatching season. The hens began laying semi-regularly 6 weeks later than usual and fertility is far lower than normal. Generally I start hatching in mid Feb and end before Memorial Day. This year I didn't start until late April and I also fear I may have to hatch into the fall. I am not offering eggs/chicks/juveniles now and for the forseeable future while I concentrate on rebuilding my breeder flock. I am beyond frustrated with this year's hatching season yet I can't think of anything I can do to make it better.

Hi Keesmom ,
You got my whole hearted empathy.

This bitter winter was so hard on the birds. I had to wait until the cocks combs healed and then the birds
just generally were worn out from surviving the winter. Only 4 days ago did the rest of the egg flock hens
start to lay. Fortunately the breeding birds started laying several weeks ago. My biggest problem is the
staggered hatches which means I will have only 7-14 birds to choose from each mating this season.

Have no show cock left as Knight and Day lost the points on his comb.

A shame to, because he is a lovely
bird otherwise. After this season, I won't be offering anything either. Once commitments are taken care of,
I'm just concentrating on building the 2 strains : pure Boese and Boese/outcross.

What frustration,
karen

 

[Lacy Blues]

Seems like we're all in the same boat here. I didn't want to hatch in December because I did that last year and then all those pullets which just came into lay went and molted on me... the big molt. So I waited. Got a fairly early start with the bantams but I had to cull several of them for various reasons. Of those that I have hatched, there are currently 9 that I've kept so far. On the other hand, I had a hen hatch out 11 of them and they all popped like popcorn... very cute to see. I had another hen hatch out 5 and they're all doing well. I have another hen setting 4 eggs and they're due in probably a week or so. Then another hen went broody on me and she's currently sitting on duds. I started several eggs for her in my incubator. I will be transferring those eggs to her in the next day or so... they will be her own chicks. The chicks from another hen in the same pen she will also get after they hatch so I can mark them as being different. So the bantam project is underway.

The large fowl is another matter altogether. I have 2 chicks that are a couple weeks old. Today, so far, I have 7 out of 18 due tonight that have hatched. I have lots more in the incubator and several waiting in egg trays.

In my yard bird flock, my buckeye pullet went broody in the last couple days and I'm very glad for it as I just put about 13 eggs in the incubator. I'll give her a week to settle in while she sets on some duds and then I'll give her the eggs from the incubator that are fertile and developing. I already have 4 yard bird chicks on the ground.

So my large fowl andalusians are behind the 8-ball and I fear I will be playing catch up with them for a while still!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh, its nice to see some action on this thread again. I hope everyone hangs around. I've missed our little community too.

 

[MagicChicken]

Today I culled my largest, widest cockerel. His weight and width were fantastic but his proportions were all weird. He had an extremely wide breast and a short back. His tail was wider than my other birds' tails, but he looked like a triangle from above. His back sloped steeply and he always held his wings pointed down. I wrestled with the idea of complementary pairing him next year with a narrow-breasted, long-backed hen. Finally decided to cull him in favor of a smaller but better-proportioned bird whose wings are more level. Kept hearing Bob Blosi saying "go slow, and go down the middle of the road."

Kicking the can. Trying to stay in the middle.

Several of this spring's cockerels are knock-kneed. Very glad I wing-tagged everybody, because it was my most promising pair that threw most of the knock-kneed birds. Another scenic detour in the journey...

Culled the most obvious knock-kneed cockerels today. Watching the developing birds carefully. Hoping the knock-knee issue doesn't pull me off to the sidelines.

Sarah

 

[chickadoodles]

I am not familiar with this breed but I think the top one is a Cockerel and the bottom is a pullet.

Thanks Ron! I hope you and I are right.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

I have also felt despondent over this, my first hatching season. I am grateful to those of you who make me feel as though perhaps, it is "just one of those things" and next season will probably be quite different.
Best wishes,
Angela