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Author Topic: Breeding for Meat or Eggs  (Read 333164 times)

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #135 on: July 13, 2016, 11:03:00 pm »
Good luck.  :thumbsup:
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Bramham Wiltshire Horns

  • Joined Oct 2014
    • leeds
  • Bramham flock Wiltshire Horns
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #136 on: July 13, 2016, 11:12:19 pm »
Thanks it will be a tough show
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #137 on: July 14, 2016, 08:49:25 am »
I bet it will  :fc:

We were hoping to go this year but ran out of time with work  :yuck:
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #138 on: July 14, 2016, 08:51:00 am »
WOW we are on Page 10  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
    • Leicester
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #139 on: July 14, 2016, 08:52:57 am »
Quote from: Dave C on July 13, 2016, 05:32:54 pm
What finish time & weight did Piggotts recommend for the Sasso mate ?
I don't think they recommended anything on their website. They said "slow growing".
Sasso recommend slow growing to take 12-14 weeks. In contrast to fast growing and medium growing.
My ones are two weeks old now and the white ones are significantly larger and already look like footballs. Red one have grown a lot as well but they look more like chickens.
I stopped using the lamp, instead I have the  eco glow chick brooder thing:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/eco-glow-20-hd501-chick-brooder/1972f
It uses much less electricity and I think is safer to use.
It's supposed to be hot from this weekend so I might take my chicks outside for at least couple of hours. From three weeks old they should be able to go outside permanently, now compare it to chicks of "normal" chickens which take 6 weeks...
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Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #140 on: July 14, 2016, 09:05:12 am »
They are probably the same as my Slow growth Gallic, which are 11 weeks now and about 2.5kg
My Farm Rangers in the brooder are classed as medium growth.

I always use a heat lamp but like the look of them chick brooders, do you add extra light as well ?
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macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
    • Leicester
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #141 on: July 14, 2016, 09:28:49 am »
I only bought it two weeks ago. It uses 20 watts comparing to 60 watt light bulb. I don't use any light now, but they are inside the house so they have day light. And no, we don't live in th3 same house as the stinky chickens. It's being renovated so we are staying somewhere else temporarily.
I'm gonna take some pics of the chicks when I'm back home. I want you to see their colour
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Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
    • Leicester
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #142 on: July 15, 2016, 09:25:39 am »

Broiler chicks outside for the first time
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Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #143 on: July 15, 2016, 12:37:28 pm »
The electric hens are very good. I have a few of the black ones in 50 size (the biggest) and 1 small Brinsea 20. I would recommend Brinsea to be honest as they run on 12v so probably safer. The black ones I have are 240v into the machine. Still cheap to run and had no issues but I think I will swap them for the big Brinsea ones next season. Fire risk being the main concern for me.

They work especially well for very young chicks if you get the height right as they can't stack up and smother each other like under a lamp if it's not quite warm enough. I have to say after maybe 50 hatches, I have lost only 1 or 2 chicks under these and they may have died anyway.
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #144 on: July 16, 2016, 06:22:50 pm »
Yes I think there possibly the way forward for me as well, I only use a heat lamp because I keep the chicks in a dimly lit hay barn so it works for heat & light but as you said there is the fire risk.
I suppose I could set up an electric hen in a chicken ark with an extension lead, they may feather quicker with being able to go out into the run.
 :thinking:
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #145 on: July 16, 2016, 06:27:03 pm »
Been busy finishing my Pheasant pens today so the chicks will be going outside tomorrow, weather looks good as well but it will be an operation as the ark there going into has my Buff Rocks in and before I more them I need to finish a repair job on a large house for them and the Gallic keepers and so on, ha.
They say it's good to be busy but I'm starting to wonder  :roflanim:
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #146 on: July 17, 2016, 07:49:56 pm »
Had a busy day today, choose the Gallic keepers 4 hens , 2 cockerels and moved them into another large pen after fitting a new window and low perches, they will free range when the others are processed.
The Buff rocks went in with them, there Ark was cleaned dusted and the Guinea fowl came out the brooder and went in there.
The Farm Ranger chicks went into another Ark also cleaned & dusted.

And all this with man flu  ::)
« Last Edit: July 18, 2016, 07:59:04 am by Dave C »
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Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
    • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #147 on: July 17, 2016, 07:56:43 pm »
Quote from: macgro7 on July 15, 2016, 09:25:39 am

Broiler chicks outside for the first time


Hard to tell from the pic but they look lighter in colour than mine.
Looking forward to seeing there progress and comparing them.
What you thinking of crossing them with again ?
Or are you keeping hens and Cockerels back ?
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macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
    • Leicester
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #148 on: July 17, 2016, 08:12:28 pm »
Quote from: Dave C on July 17, 2016, 07:56:43 pm
Quote from: macgro7 on July 15, 2016, 09:25:39 am

Broiler chicks outside for the first time


Hard to tell from the pic but they look lighter in colour than mine.
Looking forward to seeing there progress and comparing them.
What you thinking of crossing them with again ?
Or are you keeping hens and Cockerels back ?
I have indian game and dorking eggs in the incubator so depending on what hatches I'm planning to keep a trio of dorking and maybe indian game as well.
First I was gonna keep only the sasso but I might just keep couple of hens and cross them with dorking cock.
Not sure yet to be honest. Will see how once they are a bit bigger
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Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
    • Leicester
Re: Breeding for Meat or Eggs
« Reply #149 on: July 17, 2016, 08:19:38 pm »
Broiler chicks update. Two weeks old:
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Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.
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