Self sufficiency flock - Hatching eggs

[Bettacreek]

I have a nice mixed flock, designed for self-sufficiency. Leghorn and Ameraucana roos over 9 cornish cross, 2 leghorns, 1 Ameraucana, 1 cochin cross and 3 light brahmas. Most eggs are a jumbo+ size. The cornish cross hens are hefty birds, weighing from 11lbs-15lbs. They free-range and they do it well, outranging all of the layer hens. The crosses will produce a bird with more of a "freedom ranger" growth rate, not as big as fast as the factory cornish crosses do. They lay VERY well, laying about as well as the leghorn hens do. Leghorns are the egg laying machines of the world, about 3-4lbs full grown and laying a jumbo+ sized egg, and consumption is very low. They don't free-range as far as the cornish cross, but they tend not to need to since they don't eat as much.

I currently have 25 eggs. I can add in extras if I ship tomorrow, but amount of eggs per shipment depends on the girls and when you want your shipment.

I can also add in some eggs from an Ameraucana/silkie hen under a calico silkie roo. These are more for if someone wants some broodies. Some will be silkie feathered, some will be smooth.

For 25 eggs, I'm asking $25 shipped.

 

[Wannabefree]

Just a question on the Cornish crosses...did you withold feed on them? I'm curious because I'm thinking of saving back a few of my hens....maybe. Are they healthy?

 

[Bettacreek]

I sure did! They were on a diet, though they don't seem to have gotten the memo, as they range from 11lbs to 15lbs for the hens. I allowed free-range literally from about day three (they were shipped in and then I purchased them at auction). They didn't go far as babies (they were brooded in the room they lived in, a huge room opening to the outside), but quickly learned to run the yard and fields. They are very food motivated, so they actually make very good free-rangers, they'll travel further to get the feed they need than the layers who can stick around. Now, I'm going through about 400lbs of feed every 5 weeks, IF I stuff everyone to the gills every single night. I've been backing down on their feed lately, because they have been finding a lot during ranging (mostly grasses). I also do fermented feed, which really does make a difference. It cuts out about two scoopfuls of feed (2cup scoop, OVERFLOWING) each day. I usually do 7 scoops if it's unfermented, 5 if it's fermented, though I've just switched EVERYBODY to the fermented feed, so I'm back up to 7 scoops. That's with the addition of 6 marans chicks, 11 silkies (one adult, nine started birds and a chick), five turkey poults, five quail and a super blue chick. The chicks seem to eat more though, especially because you do want to start them off with free-feeding for at least the first two weeks, then I start to let the feeders run dry. They do lay big eggs though, starting right around jumbo for a pullet egg. They are my favorites here. Not in any way the stupid, disgusting, messy, lazy creatures you read about. My girls are clean, docile, let you pet them and pick them up, get more exercise than I do in a week (*I'm* the lazy one here) and while they do have massive turds, it's not the yucky stuff people talk about. You WILL have an abundance of fertilizer though, because they have actually had me blaming the kids for pooping in the driveway before...