Post by blaithin on Feb 12, 2015 16:18:37 GMT -5
I'm starting to organize my yearly chicken plans and it has me excited! Each year I've gradually got more and more organized with my flock and this year I'm going to attempt to take the next step to raising my own meat birds. I'm in no way a breeder or bother selling chicks or eggs and I'm nearly 100% sure I have MG in my flock so wouldn't even if I was interested. To me it's just about having healthy egg laying birds that can give me yummy babies.
My base rooster is a lovely old Cochin who's illicit relations with various other breeds - Barnevelder, Ameraucana, Light Brahma, etc. - has produced very solid birds. While not the fastest growing I'm looking at growing out more than a couple this year to see how they really weigh up.
This weekend I'm also hopefully going to get my hands on a Partridge Chantie roo that I've been wanting for years to get but they all seem to be just out of range of a nice day drive. I'm looking at sticking him in with the offspring of Mr. Cochin as well as a couple of the Cochin hens and see what that comes up with. I'll probably grow them all out for 20 weeks over the summer as they'll take longer but hopefully both these groups will give me a nice, meaty bird.
I also may order a group of some Dark or RWL Cornish chicks to grow out along side and see how they weigh up. This would also be a nice source of a couple hens to add to the flock for meaty offspring. Those chicks would most likely be available at Easter although they wouldn't likely be day olds at that point. Still... to hatch and grow out at roughly the same ages I did my math last night for an Easter hatch. That gives me ~51 days so if I want this accomplished I'm looking at having everyone separated into their groups no later than Feb 17th. I really want to just go out there and separate them all right now but there's not really a point until I get Mr Chant home. I'm also contemplating having a third group with the crossed rooster I have from Mr Cochin and most likely the Barnevelder but that would involve them living in the summer coop. As nice as the weather is now it could easily plunge again and I'd feel bad about them being out there so I may separate them only to move them back in with the Cochin roo group if it gets too cold or just not separate at all. That's to be decided but either way I'm excited for fuzzy buts!
My base rooster is a lovely old Cochin who's illicit relations with various other breeds - Barnevelder, Ameraucana, Light Brahma, etc. - has produced very solid birds. While not the fastest growing I'm looking at growing out more than a couple this year to see how they really weigh up.
This weekend I'm also hopefully going to get my hands on a Partridge Chantie roo that I've been wanting for years to get but they all seem to be just out of range of a nice day drive. I'm looking at sticking him in with the offspring of Mr. Cochin as well as a couple of the Cochin hens and see what that comes up with. I'll probably grow them all out for 20 weeks over the summer as they'll take longer but hopefully both these groups will give me a nice, meaty bird.
I also may order a group of some Dark or RWL Cornish chicks to grow out along side and see how they weigh up. This would also be a nice source of a couple hens to add to the flock for meaty offspring. Those chicks would most likely be available at Easter although they wouldn't likely be day olds at that point. Still... to hatch and grow out at roughly the same ages I did my math last night for an Easter hatch. That gives me ~51 days so if I want this accomplished I'm looking at having everyone separated into their groups no later than Feb 17th. I really want to just go out there and separate them all right now but there's not really a point until I get Mr Chant home. I'm also contemplating having a third group with the crossed rooster I have from Mr Cochin and most likely the Barnevelder but that would involve them living in the summer coop. As nice as the weather is now it could easily plunge again and I'd feel bad about them being out there so I may separate them only to move them back in with the Cochin roo group if it gets too cold or just not separate at all. That's to be decided but either way I'm excited for fuzzy buts!