[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

not sure to be honest i got them from a school project a few months ago for the brother in law but he didnt want cocks
i am not expecting alot of meat from them, they are 16 weeks old now

what chicks are 2 weeks old are they a different type of breed to your sasso gaelic

[Dave C]

Are they free range or penned, if free range will be worth penning them and giving either a finishing pellets or keep them on growers and give extra mash potatoes and wet bread as a treat, I also feed mine a lot of corn the last 2 weeks. Everyone has there own methods.

My chicks are Sasso Farm Rangers, Guinea Fowl and a couple of Indian game, the FR should make 3.2kg in 14 weeks.
The plan is to keep FR hens for my Gallic Cockerels 

Then I will be self sufficient in meat birds.

[Dave C]

This was a Farm Rangers hen I kept back last year, sadly lost to a fox.
She was 21 weeks here and been laying like the clappers for 4 weeks.

She was very fit for a bird designed only to live for 12-14 weeks.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

she looks a little like a warren doesn't she?  but more meatier.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

They are penned mate seem to be growing well but expect another 6 weeks or so

[macgro7]

The Sasso Gallic growers were 10 weeks yesterday.
The weight range is 2.24kg - 2.41kg that's from the 4 random birds I just cought.
With them being free range they are getting wiser each weigh in.

There faster than they look, ha.

Beautiful birds! My sasso and Ross chicks are 1 week old today. They grow like stupid though!

[Dave C]

Thanks mate, what type of Sasso's have you got ?
I've also got som Sasso X431a Farm Rangers at 2 weeks, yes they look bigger every time I look in the brooder

[macgro7]

I've been told (by piggotts hatchery) that they are red sasso S44. Couldn't see them on th3 sasso website so I'm not actually sure...
Most of them are r3d like yours but with black feathers on their wings. Obviously they are not fully fledged yet so not sure how they will look like once fully grown. I just r3ceived eggs of the pure indian game. I want to hatch some dorking as well.
Next year I will hopefully do my own crosses.
I was considering crossing sasso hens to indian game or dorking cock as well as some pure breed ones.
I never actually bred my own chickens (couldn't keep a cock), only muscovy ducks, normal ducks, geese and quail.
My two doe rabbits both gave birth on Thursday, so in two three months we are having loooool of meat coming. My muscovies should be ready for eating by then (about 6 weeks old now).

[Dave C]

Sounds a good plan mate 

They probably the same as my Sasso Farm Rangers the cockerels have black on there wings, most hatcheries keep the exact strain they sell a secret or give them there own name, like mine call them Farm Rangers, if you look on the Sasso website there's no Farm Rangers.
Will be good to see some pics of them when there out side and if you could let us know some weights as you go it would be really interesting for this thread. 

I'm also looking to put Indian game over mine next year so sound like your plan is similar to mine   

I did rabbits a few years ago, did New Zeland Whites crossed with a blue Lion Head, sold the young for £20 each & what didn't sell got fattened for the table, problem was they always sold to pet homes  couldn't keep up with demand.

[macgro7]

I did rabbits a few years ago, did New Zeland Whites crossed with a blue Lion Head, sold the young for £20 each & what didn't sell got fattened for the table, problem was they always sold to pet homes  couldn't keep up with demand.

Really???
Where we are (Leicester) no on3 wants to buy rabbits. People give rabbits for free! I used to buy bunnies at the Melton Mowbray livestock market for £1-2! I have chinchilla, beveren and blue silver fox. No need zealand at the moment, but looking for does if anyone has some near us lol

As for the chickens I was also thinking of keeping red sasso cock for breeding. I'm not sure which breed to choose yet tbh. I'll decide once they grow bigger.

[Dave C]

Yes the first lot of rabbis we did were an accident  put them up for £5, had a bloke on the phone asking if they were vaccinated and neutered, I said "what for £5" 
Anyway loads wanted them so we started selling on pets4homes they looked like giant Lionheads & people wanted them for house rabbits 

[Dave C]

I'm keeping 2 Gallic cockerels and 4 hens for breeding but I think I will only keep hens from the Farm Rangers as last year the Cockerels were too large by 14 weeks, they dressed out at 4.5kg - 5kg and had that Frankenstein walk about them so don't think they would be able to breed naturally.
So when I separate my 2 Gallic Cockerels they will be on a diet, ha.

So next year I will be looking at 4 batches.
Gallic X Gallic
Gallic X Farm Ranger
IG X Gallic
IG X Farm Ranger

I can then compare all breeds for size & finishing and best of all taste test 

[Dave C]

This is the Big fella that will be supplying the Indian Game side of the crosses.

[macgro7]

I got some Ross white footballs as well. They grow like idiots! I don't think there's any point of trying to keep those effort breeding. Have you ever tried it?

[Dave C]

There not my type of thing to be honest, I don't like the idea of them, but I can see why other do, nothing can convert food into meat quite like them.

Twice I had a few in my batch from the hatchery by accident.
Both times they got to about 8 weeks and went off there legs and it's not s pretty site.
What age are you processing them ?

I've heard of people starving the hens to get them to laying age then they will produce a good cross but seems excessive to me.
My Gallic and Farm Rangers that I keep back will go onto layers at about 12 weeks then maybe fed once in the morning and once at night free ranging the rest of the time to keep them breeding fit, but I think that's natural, starving them seems brutal to me.

But don't let me put you off