Question Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Many breeders jump around from one exiting breed to the next, trying to find the best breeds for their liking. You can find lots of information on the pluses of all the new and old breeds but little on why they were a disappointment.
I'm looking for feedback on breeds that were a big disappointment and your thoughts on if it was the breed in general or just the line you had.
Disappointments may come for many reasons so name all of them such as poor layers, slow maturing, way too flighty, poor vitality or whatever.
or or
I think this is a topic that has not been covered.
Thanks for your response.
I'm looking for feedback on breeds that were a big disappointment and your thoughts on if it was the breed in general or just the line you had.
Disappointments may come for many reasons so name all of them such as poor layers, slow maturing, way too flighty, poor vitality or whatever.
or or
I think this is a topic that has not been covered.
Thanks for your response.
3
- Killerbunny
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
OK I will start this one although I'm not really far enough in to judge.
Salmon Faverolles. I got some chicks to be company for a lonely poult. I had seen them before. They are beautiful and the little pullets are sweet and friendly. I noticed the turkey they grew up with was flying out of the paddock which was unusual for her. One of the cockerels started being aggressive in manner and challenging me. He attacked a turkey and pressed the attack on the poor fleeing bird. I removed him and tried putting him back but no change. One of the other 2 cockerels then chased down one of the pullets and tore at her scalp feathers to try to make her crouch. The only polite boy of the 3 is a little split tailed chap who the girls happily wander off with. I really wonder if it is the lines that are the problem. One of the roosters will be dinner tonight and I'll let you know how that is, they were both smaller than I expected with less breast but fine for the 2 of us. BTW I hope to NEVER have to process another. The amount of feathers is crazy so I caped them. I am sure I wouldn't be welcome at a processors with these, the feathers would be a nightmare in the plucker.
I will be in touch with @Giffen Farms in the spring to see if he has any eggs or chicks from his (Terry Gerows) lines! See if that makes the difference.
Salmon Faverolles. I got some chicks to be company for a lonely poult. I had seen them before. They are beautiful and the little pullets are sweet and friendly. I noticed the turkey they grew up with was flying out of the paddock which was unusual for her. One of the cockerels started being aggressive in manner and challenging me. He attacked a turkey and pressed the attack on the poor fleeing bird. I removed him and tried putting him back but no change. One of the other 2 cockerels then chased down one of the pullets and tore at her scalp feathers to try to make her crouch. The only polite boy of the 3 is a little split tailed chap who the girls happily wander off with. I really wonder if it is the lines that are the problem. One of the roosters will be dinner tonight and I'll let you know how that is, they were both smaller than I expected with less breast but fine for the 2 of us. BTW I hope to NEVER have to process another. The amount of feathers is crazy so I caped them. I am sure I wouldn't be welcome at a processors with these, the feathers would be a nightmare in the plucker.
I will be in touch with @Giffen Farms in the spring to see if he has any eggs or chicks from his (Terry Gerows) lines! See if that makes the difference.
3
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
- TomK
- Stringy Old Chicken
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Decent question and I am sure that a little favouritism will come through. That said, I have a few breeds on the go here. I started out with Plymouth Barred Rocks from Bonnie's Hatchery years back. Just production birds basically designed to lay. And they do lay. Strong birds, good foragers and decent size if you wanted to eat them. And I liked their disposition. Very much. Anyone getting chickens wouldn't go wrong with this breed. I now have some from Frey's as well as Performance Poultry so a decent mix of blood.
I ventured into Black Copper Marans a while back more to see how it would go more than anything as well as the appeal of the dark brown eggs. Hearty, calm hens, feisty roosters who do their job well. I like these birds and will continue to have them and increase the flock.
I have a few Welsummer hens which i like a lot. I wanted to increase the qty but have trouble finding the breed thia end of the province. The search continues.
A few years ago as some of the PTO members will recall, we hatched out some Brabanter chicks and shared the hatch. I ended up.with a proper trio and when they matured I hatched out some progeny. I had some issues but in general the birds were healthy. But before i go on with these I need new bloodline. I think the inbreeding has hit it's limit. The birds are healthy but flighty, very poor layers altho the medium white eggs are delightful. And this breed is so slight I would think pointless as a meat bird. Lovely to look at though.
Finally, I have a small group of Gold Laced Wyandottes. Really nice large calm breed. Good layers. If you want a really good looking hearty egg layer that you could have for dinner, these are a pretty good choice.
But for real fun, nothing beats the mutts.
I ventured into Black Copper Marans a while back more to see how it would go more than anything as well as the appeal of the dark brown eggs. Hearty, calm hens, feisty roosters who do their job well. I like these birds and will continue to have them and increase the flock.
I have a few Welsummer hens which i like a lot. I wanted to increase the qty but have trouble finding the breed thia end of the province. The search continues.
A few years ago as some of the PTO members will recall, we hatched out some Brabanter chicks and shared the hatch. I ended up.with a proper trio and when they matured I hatched out some progeny. I had some issues but in general the birds were healthy. But before i go on with these I need new bloodline. I think the inbreeding has hit it's limit. The birds are healthy but flighty, very poor layers altho the medium white eggs are delightful. And this breed is so slight I would think pointless as a meat bird. Lovely to look at though.
Finally, I have a small group of Gold Laced Wyandottes. Really nice large calm breed. Good layers. If you want a really good looking hearty egg layer that you could have for dinner, these are a pretty good choice.
But for real fun, nothing beats the mutts.
4
If you don't plant the tree, you will never have the fruit...
- Killerbunny
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Reporting back - excellent dinner LOL!
Oh and I loved my GLWs.
Oh and I loved my GLWs.
1
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Marans were a big disappointment, I wanted them for dark eggs except for the beginning of their lay cycle their eggs were not that dark, as the year developed the eggs got lighter and lighter. I had a few different colour variations and Wheaton Marans turned out to lay the nicest eggs but my Welsommers were darker all year long except for the first week when they just started to lay. Also they were Losey layers, 3 - 5 eggs a week from June to September.
But my biggest disappointment was the blood in the eggs, all across the different colours gave blood spots but the black copper Marans looked like a massacre occurred in the egg. Who wants that. So to summarize I bought them for dark eggs, which weren't that dark and they didn't give many of them, plus the blood in the egg was a real turn off.
But my biggest disappointment was the blood in the eggs, all across the different colours gave blood spots but the black copper Marans looked like a massacre occurred in the egg. Who wants that. So to summarize I bought them for dark eggs, which weren't that dark and they didn't give many of them, plus the blood in the egg was a real turn off.
3
- Killerbunny
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
My little Barnevelder (production line) was a sweetheart that regularly laid lovely dark eggs, very sad when I lost her.
0
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
Sermas, I found then not hardy enough. They had to live in my house over the winter.
I've had terrible luck with barred rocks, never found a nice one.
I've had terrible luck with barred rocks, never found a nice one.
1
- Ontario Chick
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
White Wyandottes, although there is a disclaimer, they were hatchery birds, so no real reflection on the Wyandotte breed as such, we had Silver laced, Columbian and Blue Wyandottes and they were all lovely birds.
The White were aggressive unpleasant and delicious.
The White were aggressive unpleasant and delicious.
7
- Epona
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
I’ve Cooper Marans For a long time and never had the blood spots, I do find the hens pretty calm and good producers. The 2 roosters that I’ve tried ended up in the pot, way too aggressive. Seems odd given the hens’ personalities. I also have Ameraucanas, not Easter Eggers, but the pure ones. I will definitely keep a flock of these. The rooster is awesome and the hens are hardy and productive. I have a soft spot in my heart for heritage Rhode Island Reds. Those hens drop the largest eggs with great regularity till they croak in old age. They are a bugger on the gardens....and tend to be a very bossy bird to all the others.
1
- baronrenfrew
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Re: Breeds you were disappointed in and why.
I've been in and out of a lot of breeds. Given our winters, I wanted a rose or pea comb bird. I had dark cornish, great birds, and given their size and muscle they could go feral and fly pretty good. good mothers, and reasonable layers - but the feed bill was unreal. My last foray was legbars - and I was impressed enough that when I get chickens in the future (i have a new dog that needs to settle down) it will be legbars (even if they have a bigger comb).
I agree with KB - bloodlines are everything. True North Hatchery (i forget the lady's name) has written about this with her blog on light sussex birds.
I agree with KB - bloodlines are everything. True North Hatchery (i forget the lady's name) has written about this with her blog on light sussex birds.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.
The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen
The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen