The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: docsal on June 20, 2018, 11:47:06 am

Title: Breeding for meat - which cockerel?
Post by: docsal on June 20, 2018, 11:47:06 am

Hello
I hatched some Sussex large fowl eggs and have 1 cockerel and 4 hens from the batch. I was intending breeding for meat but then realised they may all be brothers and sisters (all eggs from single ebay purchase). Should I source a cockerel from another supplier for breeding?
Regards
Sally

Title: Re: Breeding for meat - which cockerel?
Post by: Maysie on June 20, 2018, 01:57:33 pm

I would not breed with them personally for the reasons that you mention. 

Title: Re: Breeding for meat - which cockerel?
Post by: roddycm on June 20, 2018, 03:03:44 pm

I would try to get a utility rooster from these folk! Their meat lines look really great http://castlefarmeggs.co.uk (http://castlefarmeggs.co.uk)

I would be buying if I were still in the UK!

Title: Re: Breeding for meat - which cockerel?
Post by: docsal on June 22, 2018, 10:43:55 am

Thanks.
I have tried contacting them several times with no luck - then re-checked today and their email address on the website has a comma instead of a full stop - hence why my 'cut and paste' efforts were returned as 'undeliverable.

I have 2 exceptionally large and handsome IG females in with my egg birds, so think I'll put the LS cock in with them for a while. I intentionally have a very mixed batch of layers - white, blue, dark brown and light brown eggs, so that I know who is laying and who isn't. This would mean I can select out the hopefully fertile LS/IG cross eggs for incubation...... exciting!