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Post by cannakid on Sept 13, 2014 11:39:20 GMT 8
more likely it was for cattle it was mentioned at the day I attended , best I can do it rotational graze as the paddocks are too big to it holistically they use 4000 sheep in 10 ha for 2 days then move them on to the next and don't bring them back for at least 6 months
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Breeding
Sept 13, 2014 22:26:15 GMT 8
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Post by chooky on Sept 13, 2014 22:26:15 GMT 8
To make it easier, leave them on 30 hactares for a week. Less work and just as effective. So far the grass is recovering fairly quickly, needing regrazing within 2 months. 6 momths is too long. The grass wouldn't last 6 months. The summer heat will kill it.
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Breeding
Sept 13, 2014 22:29:53 GMT 8
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Post by chooky on Sept 13, 2014 22:29:53 GMT 8
To make it easier, leave them on 30 hactares for a week. Less work and just as effective. So far the grass is recovering fairly quickly, needing regrazing within 2 months. 6 momths is too long. The grass wouldn't last 6 months. The summer heat will kill it.
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Post by chooky on Sept 19, 2014 11:22:34 GMT 8
Candled the eggs last night. The light sussex eggs are developing nicely. The IG eggs are all clear for some reason. Slow developers? David the breeder has kindly offered to replace the eggs. Very much appreciated. A sign of a good breeder.
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Post by featherfoot on Sept 19, 2014 11:49:05 GMT 8
I also candled eggs last night, only 3 infertile out of 23 a lot better result than last time I hope there is a few pullets in this lot. They are due to hatch on the 26th and my power will be of on the 25th for 6 hours I hope to have a portable gen set running.
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Post by chooky on Sept 19, 2014 14:38:22 GMT 8
That is very a good fertility rate. With the number of cockerels I have been getting, you should get a few extra pullets. A gen set will be great help with a power outage. Fingers crossed the outage will not affect the hatch.
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Post by featherfoot on Sept 19, 2014 15:39:20 GMT 8
The fertility rate is good considering the eggs were collected over 14 days and only turned once a day and it wasn't the oldest eggs that weren't any good. My first hatch for the year 5 hatched out of 12 eggs and all 5 are cockerels. It is a new breed for me and I started with 2 cockerels and 2 pullets from eggs from the eastern states last year. Originally there were 11 chicks that have turned into 4 adult birds through one thing or another, so I want to hatch a good number this year to give me something to work with next year. The gen set should be handy I brought it several years ago for just such an occasion it has not been used yet it's still in the box I hope the instructions are still there.
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Post by chooky on Sept 19, 2014 16:27:51 GMT 8
What breed are you hatching? I am only trying to produce a good table bird, the reason for the IG and the LS.
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Post by featherfoot on Sept 19, 2014 17:15:42 GMT 8
Standard Langshan, I also keep Belgian d'Uccle's but they will have to wait until I have finished with the Langshan. The Langshan will be a small table bird but it is a great layer of good sized eggs, and is good for showing.
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Post by featherfoot on Sept 19, 2014 19:58:39 GMT 8
Have you considered getting some day old meat bird chicks from Steggles and raising them the way you want them raised (not on high protein Feed) so they take longer to mature and hopefully with better taste.
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Post by chooky on Sept 19, 2014 22:31:06 GMT 8
I didn't know Steggles sell chicks. Where are they located? I don't mind giving them a try.
Are you breeding Australian or Croad Langshan? Is it true that the Croad Langshan lays a plum coloured egg?
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Post by featherfoot on Sept 20, 2014 9:03:00 GMT 8
I am sure if you rang Steggles they would sell you a few chicks, I don't know where they are you would have to check the phone book.
Australian Langshan. The Croad are hard to source unless you know someone, there are some good breeders in QLD. The eggs are plum coloured overseas not sure of the colour here as there is a very small gene pool, there were birds in the failed ARPIS importation don't know if we will see them again. I believe they are gentle giants I talked to a breeder that had a rooster that was 1 metre tall and would follow him around when he was doing his feeding.
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Post by chooky on Sept 20, 2014 11:37:56 GMT 8
At 1 metre tall, he would pack quite a punch if he decides to kick. I have seen ads for Croad Langshan in the Serpentine area a few years ago.
Alfred's Poultry in Boddington sells Ingham meat chickens. I might give them a ring later in the year. Apparently they deliver to Perth too.
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Post by cannakid on Sept 20, 2014 20:07:11 GMT 8
They do sell meat chicks , but still grow fast and have lots of leg issues from what I am told . I still like Orpington and RIR for farm raised meat take a bit longer tho.. I put in some Andalusian eggs and a few others still too early to candle yet.
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Breeding
Sept 21, 2014 9:22:13 GMT 8
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Post by chooky on Sept 21, 2014 9:22:13 GMT 8
Ck, I just wanted to try them out to compare with our own bred birds. My IG cross chicks are doing well. Though being grass fed they are a bit slow putting on size.
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