Raising the Galaxies

[Hedgeland Farms]

Decided I wanna continue this thread for my own documentation (my only document really)


The Galaxies are coming up on 19wks old and have started free ranging!!! Gosh, once I bit the bullet it has been such a joy watching them in their natural state.

Perseus is showing he is a good rooster, herding and watching. There's a lot of pullets for him so I am set on hatching out another male for the coop.

The Comets are growing well. Hoping to set up a "meatbird manor" so I can start separating the obvious pullets (small bodied, late to mature and mooted coloring) I do not wish to hatch from and the Comets who I believe are mixed.

Hoping to have a hatch going by August, but time will tell as I am only getting at most 5 SMALL eggs a day from the Galaxies.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Egg count has gone up to 8-9
Leg bands coming tonight.
I'll be banding the mooted barred pullets, slow to mature pullets and the the nuggets tonight. They will be my first cull from this group.

The pullets I am gonna try to sell, as I have buyers for 16 of my laying hens from my other coop.

Perseus is such a big boy!!! And he's not even grown yet!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

They are getting awfully comfortable with this free ranging thing!!!

I didn't get to band the birds last night...hopefully tonight after they roost.

Once they are banded I will take pictures and explain my reasoning for picking each icndividual bird.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

3 of my Galaxies have sold...
They are going along with 5 birds from my older flock.

Slow to mature
And bad markings...
Are why I am culling off these Galaxies.

Last pic is the girl who just didn't get the blessing of defined bars ...
The other 2 are slower than my others to mature.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I have a broody Cinnamon Queen!!! (what!?!?!)
She has 6 of the Galaxies eggs!!

4 went under less than 48hrs ago, and I added 2 more today...
That'll be all she gets!!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

So the broody didn't work out. I took the 3 viable eggs to my friend to put in her incubator since I had 30 eggs coming for my 30 egg incubator.

I lost 2 of those eggs in shipping so I put 2 of my fresh Galaxy eggs in to fill it up. And I have 3 chicks growing from 2 eggs. I don't even expect the twins to make it...they are on day 9 and swimming around...but ...alas...

I have sold off ALL of my cull Galaxies.

The Comets are growing quickly with a harvest date of August 21st.

I have 27 birds in the Chalet (Galaxy group) 3 of them being the Comets. Which leaves me at 24 and I am getting abt 22 eggs a day. Safe to say all the Galaxies are laying!!

Perseus has been a wonderful rooster. He respects me enough to stay out of my way. I can mess with his pullets and he has nothing to say abt it. He is protective and seeks out treats and bugs for his girls...seriously couldn't ask for a better cockerel ...especially since he is a hormonal teen!!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

The man, and some ladies!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

The Comets were harvested yesterday averaging 3lbs at abt 17-18 wks.

I am ok with the size so is hubby...but next time I think I'll raise a bit longer....

Idk yet..still feeling it out...

I'd like to do another hatch outta the galaxy coop for meat...but its getting pretty late in the season....

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Turned out delicious!!!! Moist, juicy, tasty...all the things!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Decided to go ahead and set a hatch from the Galaxies. Hopefully I'll get 1 or 2 good looking males from the hatch...but looking to add more birds to my freezer. Decided they will go to freezer camp a little later then the Comets did...so looking at an early March harvest. I'll be starting this batch on meatbird feed to see if they will grow a little larger due to the extra protein. (These were some of the original meatbirds prior to the CX as far as i know)
My goal is to keep my freezer birds separate from my laying birds to continue to feed them higher protein. My layers free range an acre+ everyday....as did the Comets...

I'd like to allow the freezer bound birds to free range but not as often...

This will require some work on the old pig pen...to convert it to the Meat bird Manor...but I think that's what I am gonna be working on over the next three weeks...hopefully lol...

If it doesn't happen...I'll raise them with the Galaxies like i did the comets....

Look at those gorgeous eggs though