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Author Topic: Breeding for Meat or Eggs  (Read 216620 times)

Hevxxx99

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #480 on: January 13, 2017, 12:42:51 pm »
I used a Hubbard cockerel as a cross on some hens several years ago and unsurprisingly found the results variable as Hubbards are hybrids. Or maybe they just inherited their (layer) mothers' characteristics.

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #481 on: January 13, 2017, 01:39:49 pm »
I will tell you after this breeding season as it's a cross I'm thinking of trying  :thumbsup:

I suppose it depends on what cockerels you have available!
Both should produce sex linked chicks, cockerels being barred and pullets black.

I have Slow growth Sasso cockerels and IG but it will be the Sasso I will try on my Cuckoo hens first as I will be keeping any pullets back as brown egg layers and my Sasso hens are laying machines.

What cockerels do you have available?

Robyn

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #482 on: January 13, 2017, 04:26:15 pm »
What cockerels do you have available?

I'm starting again from scratch, having invested a lot of money in birds sold to me with a reputation of well bred utility bloodlines behind them, only to have extremely disappointing results. Therefore the only poultry I have at this moment in time are the trio of Cuckoo Marans, purchased directly from a renowned breeder of dark egg lines in Hereford.

I'm thinking of investing in a Dark Indian Game cockerel, if I can contact this Utility Line breeder. But on reading about your experiments and more so your results, I'm thinking about the possibility of buying day old Hubbard slow grow chicks and keeping the desirable birds for my meat cross. Using a hybrid sire on purebred females works with sheep, so why won't it work with poultry?.

Dans

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Spalding
    • Six Oaks
    • Facebook
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #483 on: January 15, 2017, 04:29:07 pm »
What colour was the egg? Leghorns lay pure white eggs. Rhode island red have the same light brown as the supermarket ones and maran as lay very dark brown!



If you click on the cockerel and put in Red, click on the hen and put in Black Copper, it shows the off spring cockerels as Red and Pullets as Black patterned Red !

So not white, sorry.


She came from one of the 4 brownish eggs on the right, but shes's laying darker eggs than she came from, the brown on the left. Guess she is a Heinz 57!

Dans
9 sheep, 24 chickens, 3 cats, a toddler and a baby on the way

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snowyriver

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Montgomeryshire
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #484 on: January 15, 2017, 05:13:49 pm »
I used a Hubbard cockerel as a cross on some hens several years ago and unsurprisingly found the results variable as Hubbards are hybrids. Or maybe they just inherited their (layer) mothers' characteristics.
Using a hybrid sire on purebred females works with sheep, so why won't it work with poultry?.
I understand the logic behind both of these points, that's why experiments are interesting and as a wise breeder once said, 'you can eat your mistakes'.

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #485 on: January 15, 2017, 07:46:19 pm »
Coming to this thread quite late but it is a matter very close to my heart, having made the decision many years ago to give up eating commercial chicken and try and breed a decently sized table bird. Like a few folk on here I have had disappointing results despite trying many breeds - Utility Light Sussex (which I think are my favourite but I can no longer source any eggs), other Sussex types, Welsh Blacks, Jersey Giants, La Bresse, Sasso (my second favourite but again I can't source any eggs), Hubbards (good but hybrids, so further breeding producing variable results), Indian Game (the worst in my opinion as the cocks proved infertile) and then of course Ross Cobbs.

I can honestly say the last batch of RC eggs which I bought from a poultry farmer in Glos produced the most unhealthiest birds I have ever reared. Out of 18 eggs only 2 could walk normally like a chicken, the rest shuffled and limped a few paces, then sat down unable to take the weight of their bodies - this was at a few days old! We had to cull a number of them after about  a week as they seemed very distressed. I have reared RCs before not from the same place and had better results, but its doubtful I'll ever try again.

I would be very interested to source a good Utility Light or Speckled Sussex and buy some hatching eggs this spring if anyone knows of any?

Sadly I don't think there are many decent 'Utility' strains left as some folk seem to think that 'Utility' stands for a good egg layer, which is doesn't and 
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #486 on: January 15, 2017, 08:41:37 pm »
Hi Polyanya and welcome to the thread,
Your not late joining, we're just getting started  :thumbsup:

Your right about Utility strains, unfortunately most are disappointing on the table, especially the amount of breast meat.

Sorry to hear about your Indian Game experience, the show type tend to be shorter in the leg and more bulldog looking, like the dogs they have health and fertility problems.
I go for the leggier types which have more success in the old love dance  :sunshine:
Have a look back on this thread at some of the IG I'm breeding.

I also dislike the RC fast growing broilers, but am hopeful that my slower growth Sasso's pure and crossed with medium growth Sasso's or IG should produce something with a bit of meat on them.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2017, 08:46:21 pm by Dave C »

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #487 on: January 16, 2017, 09:40:46 am »
Hi and thanks Dave for the welcome, your birds do look very impressive - I think it makes a huge difference if one can see and feel the parent stock but sadly I'm not in that position. Living on Shetland I only know of one other person (who lives on one of the smaller islands which involves a ferry journey) who rears old style utility Ixworths, most folk here buy the hybrids for laying. Looking back through the 'Market' thread there were only two or three folk on here selling hatching eggs in 2016 and they were not a Utility strain. So whats the alternative - ebay - well I've been doing that for years, hence my disappointment.

My last post had a bit missed off the sentence and what I meant was - listings on ebay as a utility strain when in actual fact its just an egg laying strain and therefore much lighter.

But if you are thinking of selling any surplus eggs, I would be very interested.
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

Bramham Wiltshire Horns

  • Joined Oct 2014
  • leeds
  • Bramham flock Wiltshire Horns
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #488 on: January 16, 2017, 10:14:28 am »
my rule of thumb dont buy off ebay and research and seek out a reputable breeder
if the breeder is decent they will always be there with advice
follow on FB@BramhamWiltshireHorns

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #489 on: January 16, 2017, 01:37:32 pm »
Polyanya, I don't sell eggs through the post and it's not something I want to get into large scale.

But if I can help you out in the spring I will.

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #490 on: January 17, 2017, 11:02:36 am »
Princess - believe me I wouldn't if I didn't have to - not much option really.
Dave - I understand entirely and I thank you for the offer, I have found that if the eggs are wrapped in tissue and then into polystyrene they don't rattle and stand a much better chance, also there are some fantastic foam egg containers around for posting - have you seen them?
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

Bramham Wiltshire Horns

  • Joined Oct 2014
  • leeds
  • Bramham flock Wiltshire Horns
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #491 on: January 17, 2017, 11:09:01 am »
Princess - believe me I wouldn't if I didn't have to - not much option really.
Dave - I understand entirely and I thank you for the offer, I have found that if the eggs are wrapped in tissue and then into polystyrene they don't rattle and stand a much better chance, also there are some fantastic foam egg containers around for posting - have you seen them?

aye just read that your in shetland apoloogies
follow on FB@BramhamWiltshireHorns

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #492 on: January 18, 2017, 10:30:08 am »
 :thumbsup: Princess - no worries
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #493 on: January 22, 2017, 12:06:34 pm »
My hybrids which I hatched last year have decided to start there moult  :thinking:

I'm pleased it's mild weather at the moment.

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #494 on: January 22, 2017, 07:26:11 pm »
From our kitchen window it looks like a miniature circus is in town with the Tarp over my Indian Game growers outside pen.

But as soon as you go anywhere near, they all want to be out   :huff:

« Last Edit: January 22, 2017, 07:36:17 pm by Dave C »

 

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