Welsummer X Indian Game

At 11+ weeks old the cockerels from the Gold Duckwing Welsummer X Light Laced Indian Game hatch are beginning to grow away from the pullets of the same hatch. They are showing promise for good table birds, with strong legs and broad breast.

In a couple of weeks time I'll separate the cockerels from the pullets giving both sexes a chance to reach their full potential.

Of the 17 birds to hatch there are 9 pullets and 8 cockerels. The variety of colour still amazes me and there are some very pretty pullets amongst them.

( Photo:The 3 birds in the foreground / centre of the photo show the variety in colouring of the pullets)

Although birds are often sold as POL at 18 weeks old I think 23+ weeks is probably more realistic for the more traditional breeds of which these are. If so the young pullets should come into lay around Easter time.

Next years plan - Table birds

It has been a busy weekend of bird moving, processing and decision making.

I have decided to scrap all plans of keeping a separate 'Table bird' flock. So far the results have been fairly disappointing and unless I go down the quick to fatten hybrid route I feel I don't have the space or can justify the expense.

I had planned to run a flock of Barnevelders, the pullets for layers and the cockerels for fattening. The pullets are wonderful but the cockerels have been a problem. In previous years I have run young Indian Game or Indian Game cross cockerels together without incident, maybe the odd challenge lasting a couple of minutes but nothing more. The Barnevelders on the other hand don't get on well together, there has been no fighting as such, just much intimidating and bullying causing nervousness amongst the flock.

As the 'spare' Welsummer cockerels reach a reasonable weight with a fair meat to bone carcass and are so easy going with both humans and their own kind I think they will be our future.

Poultry catch up

Photo: (click on image to enlarge) Young Gold Duckwing Welsummer cockerel - next year's second line.
( his legs are yellow !! )

The last couple of weeks have seen quite a few changes amongst the poultry.

Despite trying various different tactics the Indian Game cockerel remained infertile or at least disinterested. He was young and fit and would chase the girls around the paddock for as long as they would run but as soon as they stopped he walked away. So he is no longer with us.

Next year in his place as head of the table bird flock we will have a Barnevelder cockerel. I have the pick of 5 from this year's hatch but have already marked out the one I think the best.

I am also going to replace the mix of heavy breed layers but am keeping the Marans, Speckled Sussex and Indian Game as they have been star broodies this year. The other layers have already been sold and have gone to a very good home. I will make the numbers up with half a dozen Barnevelder pullets.

All of this year's Exchequer Leghorn pullets have sold and I am still getting enquires for them. Today I set another clutch of eggs under a broody Speckled Sussex. This will probably be my last hatch of the year.

The Gold Duckwing Welsummers have been amazing, they have been laying daily and the egg size and colour is very good. In the past week or so two have gone broody but it is not a breed I would use to sit, especially as this year I have been overwhelmed with broody hens.

The cockerel I kept back from last year is looking good and I have two nice looking pullets amongst the Partridge Welsummer eggs I hatched, so hopefully the makings of a quality second line.


All the rest of the chicks are thriving and as each batch grow and more hatch they are moved along the line of different size runs.

The turkey eggs hatched last Friday 12 out of 13 being shared amongst two hens ..but more about that later along with photos.

The old gander, thankfully, has settled down and seems reasonably happy pottering about with the sheep and hens. He is in full moult and looks a little dishevelled but otherwise none the worse for his ordeal.

Re testing the fertility of the Indian Game cockerel

As I now have a broody ( several in fact) I thought I would take the opportunity to re test the fertility of the Indn Game cockerel. It has been a couple of weeks since he was penned with just four birds. (Actually they have been free ranging again since the weekend as I needed to prepare the stable for the imminent arrival of lambs.)


I chose the Light Laced Indian Game broody as she successfully reared a couple of broods last year.

Yesterday I placed her in the A frame ark in the garden away from the layers.

Last night I gave her a dozen eggs - a mix of Australorp, Speckled Sussex and Ixworth. Each one I gave her she quickly tucked under her, but this morning I realised 12 were just too many for her, so removed three. She is a small bird and the eggs are large, she sits much more comfortably on just 9.

In 10 days time I will candle the eggs and hopefully this time they will be fertile.

Indian / Cornish Game breeding pen

When candling the eggs set as a test hatch last week I was very surprised to discover all the eggs from the Indian Game flock were clear.

The cockerel is still very young, last year was his first year of breeding and fertility was close to 100%.

He has spent the winter free ranging a large area and is very fit and active. The reasons for his lack of fertility could be one or more of many. It is still very early in the season and he is running with quite a large number of hens.

To rule out the more obvious factors I have now housed him in the stable with just four hens - 2 Speckled Sussex, an Australorp and an Ixworth. The whole flock has also been wormed, as a precaution.

He's not very impressed with the arrangements, I have to say. The stable is plenty large enough to house 5 birds, it has a thick covering of straw on the floor for them to scratch about in. There are greens hanging for them to peck at, a large, old apple branch for them to climb on and investigate, a dust bath and ad lib food and of course water but it is not freedom.

It is only a temporary arrangement, in the next couple of weeks I'll set a few more eggs which will hopefully show more promise.

First incubator setting of 2011

This morning I filled the incubator with eggs - 41 - a mix of my own Gold DuckwingWelsummer eggs, Speckled Sussex /Indian Game and a few Exchequer Leghorns. I also added a dozen Barnevelders which I received in the post from a friend. This hatch is mainly to test fertility, so I could end up with just a few....or rather a lot of chicks. My mind is working overtime on where they will all go. I think I have it sorted, in theory at least. In ten days time when I candle the eggs I will know the maximum number of chicks likely to hatch and can work from there. The poultry shed used for brooding whilst they need heat has plenty of space. Once outside I may need another house to be built, I'll mention that to my husband at a later date.

Breeding pens and reducing cockerel numbers

Yesterday the sun was shining for the first time in what seems like weeks. We spent the day almost entirely with the poultry.

We reduced the table cockerel numbers by four. Their weights, we thought were a little disappointing. Both of the Australorp cross IGs were 6 1/2 lbs and the Ixworth crosses were 6 1/4lbs. There seemed to be no fat on the birds at all.
Next time we will, maybe, give them less freedom, especially in their last few weeks.

We also culled the two spare Exchequer Leghorn cockerels. This has left a lovely looking breeding group.

After cleaning, scrubbing and disinfecting all the poultry houses the birds were moved after they had gone to roost.into their correct breeding groups.This morning they all seemed perfectly happy with their new arrangements.

I have, so far for this year - a breeding group of
An Exchequer Leghorn cockerel running with 5 hens
A Gold Duckwing Welsummer cockerel running with 6 hens
An Indian Game cockerel running with 4 hens.
The Indian Game cockerel will also be penned at various times with a mix of heavy breed hens for traditional table bird crosses.

The hens are all coming into lay and the cockerels are treading well, so soon I will be able to set a couple of test hatches.

Cockerels -Table birds

Photo: Cockerels - Indian Game cross Australorp and Indian Game cross Ixworth. 2010 hatch.

It really is time for the cockerels to go. The meat birds should have gone before Christmas and now I have made my decision on which of the Exchequer Leghorn cockerels to keep the two spare also need to be dispatched before any fighting breaks out. The Indian Game cockerel and the 'Improved' Indian Game I will keep a little longer, giving them more time to mature before I decide on their fate.

Once the meat cockerels have gone I will be able to replace the fencing in their run, scrub and stain the house and allow the ground to rest before using it again. The fencing is in desperate need of revival, it was originally put in place when my husband's grandfather was still alive - 40+ years ago.

Photos: Indian Game/ Australorp cross cockerels 2010 hatch.


Indian Game/ Ixworth cross 2010 hatch

Autumn sort out

We spent the weekend sorting out the poultry.

The cockerels from this years hatch are beginning to mature so we have started to reduce the numbers. On Friday we dispatched four of the oldest - 3 Welsummer and 1 Indian Game Ixworth cross. We weren't expecting much from the Welsummer birds but we were disappointed with the final dressed weight of the IG/IX.
With hindsight they were given far too much space to roam and also ran with the young POL birds. I am reluctant however to house them as it is moving away from my idea of raising birds with as much freedom as possible.
The remaining younger cockerels are now running separately from the pullets and have the run of only one pen, possibly still larger than recommended but a compromise.
Although not as large as we had hoped, the conformation of the IG/IX was good with more breast meat and larger thighs then the Welsummer, who are in reality a laying strain.
Amongst the next batch of cockerels are 2 Indian Game cross Australorp birds who already are much larger and heavier than the other breeds. Definitely the way to go.

Most of this years pullets are now running together in a fresh pen. They have settled in well and look close to lay. I am keeping 6 of the Welsummers to breed from, the rest of the birds will join the laying flock for the time being.

The Exchequer Leghorns have also been moved to a new pen and other than making a decision on which of the cockerels to keep will now remain together as a breeding group. Yesterday, at 22 weeks old one of the pullets laid her first egg. A good size for a first egg from a small bird. They are showing promise.

The older hens are still at various stages of moult. The few that have completed their moult are looking very smart and their fine appearance exaggerates the sorry state of the rest. One poor Light Sussex lost most of her feathers in one go and now they have started to grow back resembles a young prickly hedgehog.

With just the layers and the Indian Game left to sort and move we are now almost organised for the coming months.

Poultry round up

A quick update on the poultry.

The latest hatch are now a week old and with the glorious weather at the weekend they ventured outside. Full of excitement they spent the day racing around exploring their new world, ignoring the hen's desperate effort to bring them to order by calling them to food..


The youngest Exchequer Leghorn chicks are 14 weeks old and are enjoying their extra space. They are constantly on the go foraging for food and are confident in the presence of the older birds.

Photo: 1. Exchequer Leghorn 14 weeks.



2. Exchequer Leghorn 29 weeks ( sadly a poor example who will be kept for laying purposes only)



3. Exchequer Leghorns enjoying the sun dust bathing



At 21 weeks the pullets of the first batch of table birds are getting close to lay. They are exceptionally friendly birds and I am tempted to keep them as extra layers, for now at least, as the demand for eggs is greater than I can supply.

All's well

Just over a week since being injured by a fellow hatch mate, the Indian Game /Australorp grower has regained her confidence and tonight is roosting with the others in the main house.

For the past week she has been roaming with them during the day but has chosen to join the younger Exchequer Leghorn chicks at night.

Tonight when I went to shut them in, instead of waiting for me by the door of the chick's run she was safely snuggled up with the rest of the growers.

Crowing

Barely 10 weeks old and one of the Australorp/Indian game growers is attempting to crow. For now it is quite comical. The surprise on it's face was similar to that of a baby when it first shouts and looks around as if to see where the noise came from.

As the growers are 'at home' I am hoping it doesn't become too adept at crowing for a while. We still need to prepare their house and pen at the yard.

On the mend

This morning I let the injured grower into the run with her 'hatch mates'. She has stayed close to the perimeter fence and also to the Leghorn chicks all morning, but is happily scratching around in the long grass and old apple branches in search of bugs. The others have completely ignored her, which is far better than attacking her. I will decide this evening if to return her to the safety of the chicks pen for the night or to the main house

Over cautious

The second hatch of Indian Game cross birds are 10 weeks old. Normally by now they would have been free ranging for a couple of weeks but the Sparrowhawk attack made me over cautious and I kept them in an enclosed pen a little too long. The pen is large and they had plenty of room but Indian Game birds like space, plenty of space and the lack of it creates fighting amongst the birds, especially the young cockerels.

On Friday within a couple of hours of all being well amongst the flock I returned to find an Australorp cross bird with a nasty wound to the side of it's head. We immediately isolated her, cleaned the wound, sprayed the area with Septiclean and left her to recover in a pen in the poultry shed. In herself she appeared fine although her eye was closed and I was unable to see how badly damaged it was.


She remained in the pen all Saturday, the wound had dried up remarkably well although her eye was still closed, we sprayed the area again and left her in peace. On Sunday I put her into the main run with the other growers, who were now enjoying their freedom. I was aware that if I isolated her too long from the rest I would have problems with her being accepted again. I'm also a great believer that fresh air, sunshine and company works wonders but with her eye still closed she was vulnerable. I took the decision to put her in with the Exchequer Leghorn chicks. That way she could be seen by the other growers but was safe from any attack. The chicks accepted her immediately and yesterday afternoon her eye opened.

Photos: 1.The injured grower in with the Exchequer Leghorn chicks 2. but still in contact with the rest of her group. 3. showing the injury to her face.



In the next few days I will try to introduce her to the growers again, with plenty of space to escape she should be fine.

A lesson learnt.

Indian Game cross chicks 7- 8 weeks photos

The second hatch of 'table birds' are 7 - 8 weeks old. They have been separated from the hen for a few days and are coping fine. They are still in an enclosed run, which is moved daily, for their own protection. I am feeding them a corn mix. Cod liver oil is added approximately three times a week to give them extra vitamins etc. Cider vinegar is added to their drinking water daily. Grit is always available. They also enjoy the occasional lettuce and greens from the vegetable patch.

A Dark Laced Indian Game cockerel was put to an Ixworth, an Australorp, a Welsh Black and a Dark and Light Laced Indian Game hen.

At this stage the Ixworth cross is looking the most promising, confident, strong chicks, quick to feather and solid. The Australorp crosses follow a close second, they have just been a little slower to feather up.
Time will tell. There is still a long way to go. How quick they are to mature, final dressed weights and meat to bone ratio will all be taken into account when deciding which cross I feel is best suited to our needs.

The pure Indian game, if pullets we will keep.

Photo: Foreground: Australorp cross. Centre back: Welsh Black cross - so far the smallest.



Photo: Comparing the Australorp and Ixworth Cross



Photo: Ixworth Crosses



Photo: Foreground: Pure Indian game. Far back: Welsh Black cross. Left: Australorp cross