[Dave C]

I'm also starting a second project crossing my Galic x Cuckoo Marans.
The Marans are from a good utility stock so should produce black Pullets of good laying brown eggs and Barred cockerels of a good meaty weight.
If they are successful I will keep a barred cockerel back to breed back over the black hens producing double genes of meat bird and dark layers.
Well that's the plan ha.
All The offspring will all be barred, so also uniforming colour.

Hi Dave.
This is a project which I'll be keeping a close eye on as it's something I'm seriously thinking of doing next year, but I'm undecided which french meat hybrid would best suit the project. I've a trio of very nice cuckoo marans from renowned breeder Kevin Bowkett and 7 quality cuckoo marans growers from Heber Hargreaves, both from dark egg strains and producing eggs in reasonable numbers, but cuckoo marans are not winter layers, hence my question, 'which of the 2 french hybrid meat birds did you find to be the best winter layer and why have you chosen the gallic in preference to the farm ranger for this project?' Another option for me could be the 'Greybro' from Piggots Poultry which looks good on paper, it's hardy, a good ranger and could produce a 3kg carcase in 13 weeks.
Are you using cuckoo marans cockerels or hens in your cross?
Regards,

Hi SR, they were both good winter layers the Farm Rangers producing more double yokers and ate more so as layers I prefer the Gallic.

I will be using the Gallic cockerel for the cross, I didn't keep any Farm Ranger cockerels as there movement wasn't good enough for a long term project.
He will be going over the Marans hens to produce the sex linked chicks.

I also have the option of IG x Marans but my plans include good egg production as well as meat so I'm going with the Galic cross first.
I'm hoping the Galic x FR will be an ideal Duel Purpose bird for me.

The Greybro look about the same ratios as the Farm Rangers so cockerels might be a challenge to keep long term.
But you could just process the cockerels and keep the Pullets to see how they go, then use a Cuckoo Marans cockerel over them next year.

[Charlie1234]

sounds like you have it all planned out Dave 
Im starting my Indian game x Barnevelder project from scratch I have barnie + a few indian game eggs in incy now
Then I also want to breed a few I.G. for around the paddock as I grew up with them and a few cockerels im sure will make it to the oven.

Look forward to putting a few of your I.G. and your Gallic x Farm Rangers through my incy too mate 

I processed my 8 week old cobbs x2 today and what whoppers they were.

picture is of the 1st one,8 weeks old ans weighing just shy of 4kg.

Nicely dressed birds mate 
and good weights.

Did you get barnie eggs or Pullets?

Yes I will sort you some Galic x Farm Rangers out, I'm going to call them Bishop Rangers and my eggs are going in the incy tonight 

Also got my first IG egg today 

Cheers Dave 
Had to hand pluck them as my homemade plucker wouldnt work on for some reason or it saw the size of the cobbs and didnt want anything to do with it.
They plucked very easily but the 1 did tear a bit.

I got some Barnie eggs off an old mate back in Gloucester,the parents were big birds.
He has processed a few cockerels and reckons they were 3Kg + but obviously not as quick growing as the cobbs or your Gallic or Rangers but I am patient  but with all of the other stuff im hatching I should be alright for chicken for a while.

Glad your I.G. have started laying,must be all the 

[snowyriver]

Hi SR, they were both good winter layers the Farm Rangers producing more double yokers and ate more so as layers I prefer the Gallic.

I will be using the Gallic cockerel for the cross, I didn't keep any Farm Ranger cockerels as there movement wasn't good enough for a long term project.
He will be going over the Marans hens to produce the sex linked chicks.

I also have the option of IG x Marans but my plans include good egg production as well as meat so I'm going with the Galic cross first.
I'm hoping the Galic x FR will be an ideal Duel Purpose bird for me.

The Greybro look about the same ratios as the Farm Rangers so cockerels might be a challenge to keep long term.
But you could just process the cockerels and keep the Pullets to see how they go, then use a Cuckoo Marans cockerel over them next year.

Thank you Dave.
My intention was to use my cuckoo marans hens as the female line and a meat hybrid sire. Taking on board the mobility problems with the farm ranger males, the double yolk eggs of the females and knowing that they consume more feed, they are not ideal genetics to breed into a proposed dual purpose farmyard bird. That realistically leaves the Gallic as the preferred choice of cock bird for the cross.

[Dave C]

That was my thinking pal.
But there is no hard and fast rules with breeding from hybrids so will be interesting when my eggs hatch.
Even my Galic x Galic won't breed exact Galic.

If you like the sound of the Greybro I would give them a go as a meat batch, then at about 12 weeks if any look a little lighter with better movement keep them back, give them as much free range as possible and don't overfeed, just see how they go and worst case scenario you can always eat them 

I think Piggotts do a slower growth bird as well.
You could keep a slower growth cockerel to put over the Greybro Pullets, similar to my project.

But I think Crosslings any hybrid to a pure breed should reduce the  exaggerations and make for healthier birds, the trick will be not to reduce them too much.

[snowyriver]

Totally in agreement with you.

Lambing takes priority now for a while, so I might not be on here as often as I'd like.

[Dave C]

Well hopefully I will have some results for you to think about soon enough 

Good luck with your lambing.

[Dave C]

sounds like you have it all planned out Dave 
Im starting my Indian game x Barnevelder project from scratch I have barnie + a few indian game eggs in incy now
Then I also want to breed a few I.G. for around the paddock as I grew up with them and a few cockerels im sure will make it to the oven.

Look forward to putting a few of your I.G. and your Gallic x Farm Rangers through my incy too mate 

I processed my 8 week old cobbs x2 today and what whoppers they were.

picture is of the 1st one,8 weeks old ans weighing just shy of 4kg.

Nicely dressed birds mate 
and good weights.

Did you get barnie eggs or Pullets?

Yes I will sort you some Galic x Farm Rangers out, I'm going to call them Bishop Rangers and my eggs are going in the incy tonight 

Also got my first IG egg today 

Cheers Dave 
Had to hand pluck them as my homemade plucker wouldnt work on for some reason or it saw the size of the cobbs and didnt want anything to do with it.
They plucked very easily but the 1 did tear a bit.

I got some Barnie eggs off an old mate back in Gloucester,the parents were big birds.
He has processed a few cockerels and reckons they were 3Kg + but obviously not as quick growing as the cobbs or your Gallic or Rangers but I am patient  but with all of the other stuff im hatching I should be alright for chicken for a while.

Glad your I.G. have started laying,must be all the 

When's the Barnie eggs due to hatch mate ?

[Charlie1234]

They are due on 25th mate + the I.G. eggs i got.
Just hoping i get a better result than the posted eggs i got from ebay.

Will get pictures on if its a decent hatch 

[Dave C]

Mine are just over a week after yours, so exciting times ahead buddy 

[Charlie1234]

The second incy is full of bresse eggs and should hatch near the end of the month so between us we are gona have our hands + freezers full 

[Dave C]

Fingers crossed mate.

Are they IG x La Bresse?

Robin on here 2 years ago did that cross and was very happy with them 

[Charlie1234]

These are just bresse mate not cross bred.
Had quite a bit of interest from local people looking to buy chicks so could be a quick earner if not a freezer filler 

[Dave C]

Yes I've seen chicks being sold for silly money, un sexed.

[Charlie1234]

I think the locals to me just like the look of them,they didnt know anything of the breed and I dont think they want them for eating as they seem a bit squeemish..If they let me down they`ll fill the freezer so win win for me.

[Dave C]