[Charlie1234]

Nice one mate  broodies make it so much easier.
Yeah these chicks are growing rapidly + getting outside a bit more now.
Had to cull 1 of the bresse cock chicks earlier,they kept fighting and I have nowhere else i could of put him. so he is sunday lunch.

Got my barnie + cuckoo maran eggs due to hatch sunday. 2 cuckoos have pipped so far

[Dave C]

Pity you didn't get a chance to grow your La Bresse a bit longer mate

But every cloud   

Looking forward to seeing the Barnie & Marans, hope they do well for you, will give you some whole new projects to think about 

I've got some more Sasso x Marans eggs due to hatch Monday and a broody sat on IG due next Saturday, hoping she will also take the Marans x under her wing, but have some spare Broodies if she doesn't.

Broodies, Chicks and growers everywhere 

[Charlie1234]

The La Bresse isnt a bad size already mate + the 1 I kept is bigger.

4 cuckoos + ` barnie so far..defo another breeding project on the cards  :innocent

Got in late yesterday evening + mrs spotted a fox prretty near to our place so will be keeping an eye out for him.
 lamp is fully charged + scopes have just been zeroed,just in case. Also my 2 dogs are left out over night from now.

Not taking any chances this year.

I think we will be eating a lot of home grown chicken this winter 

Candled my muscovy eggs lastnight and 10/12 showing development so hope they work out.

[Dave C]

Yes sounds like your freezer will be full mate.

I've been making some room this weekend, culled out my spare Sasso cockerel which wasn't needed.
He dressed out at 2.6kg was full of flavour after a nice slow cook.

Sold the excess IG that won't be needed next year, another 20 chicks and 24 hatching eggs.
That reduces the food bill a bit and puts a few quid back in the kitty.

So not a bad weekend.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Sorry it's been a while started weighing coucou de Rennes

53 days (7.5weeks)
Top cockerel 1.170kg avg1.056
Top pullet 0.996kg avg 0.903

 Can't seem to find my old records of IG x LS to cross reference data

[Charlie1234]

Yes sounds like your freezer will be full mate.

I've been making some room this weekend, culled out my spare Sasso cockerel which wasn't needed.
He dressed out at 2.6kg was full of flavour after a nice slow cook.

Sold the excess IG that won't be needed next year, another 20 chicks and 24 hatching eggs.
That reduces the food bill a bit and puts a few quid back in the kitty.

So not a bad weekend.

Sounds like an excellent weekend mate 

Visited my mate earlier today and the 17 sasso chicks are doing great,I didnt get any pictures but they will be coming to me when they are off heat now so will give me plenty of time to clear out the stable ready for them.
Mostly looking like buff coloured birds but as you said there may be a few suprise birds in the mix.

Now have the 2 IG hens I aquired recently in with my Big IG cockerel,the other little cockerel had to go so a bloke in the next village has him now to run with some light sussex hens.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Sorry it's been a while started weighing coucou de Rennes

53 days (7.5weeks)
Top cockerel 1.170kg avg1.056
Top pullet 0.996kg avg 0.903

 Can't seem to find my old records of IG x LS to cross reference data

Just gone back through and the Coucou de Rennes are averaging around 200g heavier at the same age

[Dave C]

Nice weights pal 

What age are you planning on culling them?

Or are they all breeders?

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Probably around 20 weeks this time not much over
I left the IG x and LS too long my ladt time keep pullets for breeding and do away with the cockerels

[Charlie1234]

Total chicks that hatched recently was 5/12  ( 4 cuckoo maran + 1 barnie chick),,not the best result but after being told my mate dropped the eggs on the way to me I suppose I was lucky to get any.

Muscovy eggs are growing nicely in the incy so hoping they do well.

The Sasso chicks are staying at my mates until off heat now as he has more room,so gives me time to move all the young stock around.

Will get some pics on in the week.

[Dave C]

Ahhh pity on the hatch mate was looking forward to comparing the barny's to your other breeds.

Where did you get the Marans from?
Are they utility bred for size also or just dark eggs?

I've had some more IG hatch under a broody and hoping she will also adopt some Sasso x Marans I hatched last week.

Moved my Sasso's to there large finishing pen, they also will free range every other day for about the next 3 weeks, I'll then move the Pullets and any chosen cockerels into my main pen and the others are off to freezer camp, keep us in roast dinners for a while 

[Charlie1234]

Hi Dave
Eggs were off a mate,he gave me them as a birthday present last month. his marans dont lay overly dark eggs after they have been laying for a while but they are good sized birds.

He got his birds as eggs after a trip to france 3 years ago and reckons the males are making 3kg + hens 2 kg - 2.5kg Dressed.

The barnie iam hoping is a nice pullet and if she is decent i will keep her on to run with 1 of my IG boys.

plenty of room needed in the freezer now,got 3 sheep off to abbatoir next monday + plenty of birds later on 

[snowyriver]

Charlie1234. How did you get on with the indian game x bresse gauloise? I can't seem to find any reference to them for some time now.

[Charlie1234]

Hi Wynn
I did dabble but things went wrong with my incubators and in the end I had the bresse for sunday lunch.

Mainly indian game here now,few r.i.r. pullets,speckledy pullets..4 cuckoo maran chicks + 1 barnevelder chick..also got 9 muscovy eggs in the incy.

oh and 9 sasso chicks being reared at a mates place 

[Dave C]

The Marans you've got sound a good type mate 
cockerels can make 3.5kg but it takes a while.
I love there dark eggs and bred them and Welsummers about 10 years ago.
The Marans Hens i have now are off a mate I gave eggs to years ago and got some back off him after the fox took all mine.

Most just breed for egg colour and forget the DP utility qualities of the Marans, they used to be quick maturing but I think that was along time ago.
I'm going to make a start next year keeping an eye on egg colour but mainly looking for big, quick maturing birds, hopefully a few generations and I might see a difference.

Do you know the sex of yours yet mate? If the cockerel used on yours was bred for a lighter colour the male chicks will have a larger white spot on there heads.
I suppose in our case it doesn't matter as we will raise them anyway for the table.

PS, I thought you had 18 Sasso chicks?