AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

The Biggest Poultry Forum in the world
It is Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:48 am

All times are UTC + 10 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: showing my Leghorns
PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:50 am 
Offline
 
 

Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:50 pm
Posts: 27
Do you find the large require more protein?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: showing my Leghorns
PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:04 am 
Offline
 
 
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:50 am
Posts: 43313
Location: Brisbane
My comments relate to show birds not layers. If you are tyring to get eggs, keep up the feed. But for show birds:

Like all large fowls they need extra protein to obtain the required size. However Leghorns and Mediterian breeds in general have the added issue with their combs. The comb, wattles and ear lobes being such an important features, protein can make they larger than preferred. This is also impacted by the pullet and cockerel lines and their specific traits. I have also seen the impacts on protein on Rhode Islands as well.

As with all things, it starts once the chick hatch. In terms of growing the chicks I feed a chick mash (not crumbles) until about 8 weeks. During this time around 3 weeks start to introduce greens, either lucern chaff or grass. They all then go out ouf the brooder into pens where they can access to grass and dirt. They are fed a pullet grower mash, I also start to introduce some scratch grain including corn (mainly Rhode Islands, good for their leg and skin colour). Limit the corn for your whites, the grass should be enough to maintain the leg colour.

At about 4 months I seperate pullets and cockerels (also do a cull), they birds will have their first adult flights coming through. The purpose of this is that they have different requirments in relation to feed. The boys also start to dominate the feed dish. At this stage The boys need the extra protein to get the size in their frames and legs. The girls are slightly different in that, if you maintain the same ration they will grow quickly, mature and be laying at 5-6 months, this also means many are smaller, some do eventually catch-up but no good for showing. If they are cullers kept for laying this is good, but not for the show bench. I feed the girls a mix of about 3:1 mash to mixed grain. The slightly les protein , does slowdown their growth. They will not mature until about 7-9 months. This means that they are on the money when the show are on (May-July). I find they develop to a nice large size, their combs do tend to be slightly smaller (protein again). Once you start to pen train the better pullets add a few treats of meat, bread and you will find their combs will develop nicley, not over done. Once the pullets start to lay move them around from pen to pen, this sill slightly up set them and stop the laying or reduce the number of eggs you get each week.
In our yellow legged breed the leg colour is first to go in the pullets that are laying. Tip you can always tell the layers in a pen of pullets that have just started laying, look at leg colour.
In your cockerels, the pullet breeders will have a tendency to have large combs with thumbmarks, this all good for the line, as these are not often shown this is not issue. But you do want to have large cockerel to maintain the size in your line. In your Cockerel lines you need to obtain the size but not over do the combs. Once the birds start to fill out reduce the protien to keep the comb size down as above. Remember you cockerel line females will have a tendency to have smaller combs, so a little extra protien can add the to the combs.
There was a bit of trial and error in me getting this down to understanding how my birds reacted to the differences in the feed. Try a sample group to test with your line.
Rhode Red


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: showing my Leghorns
PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:59 pm 
Offline
 
 

Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:50 pm
Posts: 27
Very good Rhode Red I couldn't have put it better myself, well done.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC + 10 hours


Who is on the Forum

Users browsing this forum: 10Geese, 70%cocoa, ABC Poultry, Adam Smith, Adeiela, Akeet, Alex Cooper, alexanderpeafowl, AlligatorCrkHeritageBreed, Alpine Poultry, Amature Chookz, andrewschooks, Appleton Australorps, arvoducks, Ash Maree, auctioneer, Avi Rare Breeds, Ayam Cemani, Backyard Chicken Chat, Backyard fowl, BaliDuckz, Bantam Rhode Island Red, Bantamenance, Barnywood, beakybird, bearfred, BeatenEgg, Beaudesert Mandarins, bemba, Ben Newton, benalla park, Bendigo Poultry, BigDucksOz, BigQuackers, birds101, Birds4u, birdsrock, Birdz4u, blackdotte, blackleghorn, BlackSwan, Blackswan1, Blue Australorps, bluefirelady, Bob Brookes, BokBok2, Boolaroo, Booths Bantams, Boxwood, Brad M, brerrabbit, Brian Jack, BriansPeas, broken bird, BROOKES POULTRY, BT Homestead, Buff Pekins, Buggsy, BushPig, ButtercupBreedGroup, BYC, byhookorchook, Cackles, caladenia, Caladenia Cottage, Calum H, Cammo Qld, CamsBantams, Carawatha Chickens, Cashmere, castaway chicken, cc's poultry, Charmhaven Chooks, Cheesman Chooks, Chicken Unity, chicken-boy, Chicken07, chickenlittle, Chickens Mad, Chickhorn, Chook Lady, chookasaurus, chookgirl, chookiebum, ChookieG, ChookMamma, ChookMum, Chooks Galore, Chooks R Us, chookslife, chookyinoz, Christine Shaw, Chukar, Cliff Wyandotte Bantams, CluckyDeb, coastalchookies, Colac Sussex, ColacWaterfowl, Collector Peafowl, Connor Peafowl, cookie, Cordelia, Country Bird, CountryChookz, Cowhide, CrackerChook, Crash, Daggy Guineas, Daniel Lawton, Danny, Danny Brown, darrssy, daviburn, Deb Thomas, debbilee, Denis, Desborough Birds, Dianne Carter, DillDale, Dodds Birds, DragonsDen, Dreaming Guineas, duckyfromoz, Duckz44, Eason Chooks, Eat Chooks, Ecovald, eggnog, EggSellent, eggy, eugenia, Fancychooklady, Farmer Benji, Feathers01, Flash, FlockPheasants, fluff fur & feathers, FluffyBum Silkies, FowlMan, Fraggle, Frances Brahmas, Fraser Island, FrogLeap, Furze Chooks, Gaggle of Geese, Gamebreeder, GavinGoose, geckodan, Ginny, girlfriday, Glen Fowler, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Golden Pond, Goodwin Ducks, Goran, Goulburn Heritage Poultry, grabby, GreenWest, Greg Davies, GUINEA FOWL, guinea fowl galore, Guinea owner, guineafowl, GuineaHomer, Haggis, hairycanary, HAPPYHENS, Hardfeather, Hawkes, heggie, Heidi F, Heijo, Helenchooks, Henny Penny, HillbillyGirlWA, Ian B, infoaddict, Isa Brown, Isachooks, Island Fowl, Ivan J, J Hicks, jaffa, Jane Stewart, Janelle Marshall, Jane's Chooks, jap jumbo quails, jarryd, Jeff Duncan, Jen71, Jersey Giant, Jimboomba Poultry, John Cole, John Pike, johnstoneparksussex, JonksGuineas, jose, Josh Welsummers, jr, JRA, Judith King, Judy Appleton, Julie Hart, Kalimna Heritage Poultry, kardella poultry, Karlisa, Katy, KAZZA64, KellyP, KEMPSEY NAKED NECKS, Ken Johnstone, kezabel, Khaki_Ducks, Kin Kin Silkies, Kingscote Chickens, klw, konopiste, KoopKing, kowie, KT, kyall3, LadyAmherst21, lanceview, Lawnton Poultry, Lesley Thomson, Leslie Cooper, Lilly, Linda P, Linz, Lozzy, LozzyR, LueT, luvmychook, madrex, MamasPyjamas, Mannie, Marek, Marengo Heritage Poultry, Margret Young, MaryJ, MaryJanet, Matt Knight, MattsGuineas, Mcginniss Fowl, meander, Melanie Y, MemoryLane, Milo, MinistryofDucks, Minorca&AndalusianStud, MinorcaCoop, mitchell07, MitchesMarans, Monique, Monto Poultry, MrPeabody, Mrpeewee, Ms Frankie, mummaroo, mycoola, Myflockoblues, mysticviews, NanangoGuineaBoy, NellyG, NEP, NepeanBirds, New England Watefowl, NightMare, Noel Cox, NSW King Quails, NZ Pekin Queen, Oaklands, Oldmanrooster, Olivia N, ONE TREE HILL, Ozchook, ozflock, ozguineafowl, ozibirds, O'Connor Sumatras, P_Edwards, Pam, Paul Clark, Peafowland, peamad, pearcey, PeepGuineafowl, Perth Pigeons, perthchooks, Peter Mead, Pheasant Man, Phil Thomas, PHILL, Pitts_Poultry, pj hatchery, Podgie, PossumCorner, Poulsen, Poultry, Poultry Hoarder, Poultry Matters, Poultry mum, Poultry Rare Breeds, poultrynut, PrestigePeafowl, Pretty boy, Priens Fowl, prorooster, Prouten, QuailFarmer, QuailQueenGC, QuailTales, Quailz, Quamby Chickens, Rainbow Chickens, Rawlinson, realimagery, redeyekeet, redjohanna, Reeves Family, Rhiannan H, Rhode Red, Rick Bobby, Ricky Bobby, RJJ Fowl, Rob Smith, Rod Taylor, Roger Parkin, rollyard, Roma Runners, Rose, Roundyard, ruff, rwood, Sandra Clarke, SantaClaws, Scots Grey Stud, seeing_spots, shairlyn, Sharni N, shayne, Shelly Roberts, silver duckwing game, Smallflock, snowball, South Aust Rouen Ducks, SouthernDucks, SouthSussex, Sparky, splash laced Wyandotte, springcreek, Stark Waterfowls, Stelan, Stephen Richards, Steve Davies, Stuart Turner, Sue Clarke, Sue Hall, Sue Sheppard, Sue Wards, sue55, Sumatra Stud AU, sunrise, Sussex19, swiftwood pheasants, SwineoSam, SydneyOEG, T.A.S.S™ [Bot], TANYA, TazBarnies, The Barnyard, The Browns, The Chook Man, The Good Life, The Gotfeather, TheChookBlock, Toolern Vale Fowl, Trany Naked Neck, Tribe of Honk, Tropic Poultry, Trott Park, Trout Runner, Turkey Man, Vella Layer Hens, Vicki Joy, Victorian Waterfowl, Violet Town, W Brown, warmblood, Webbs Orpingtons, WendyT, white modern game, Whittlesea Poultry, whittls, wildman, winglet, Wombatbird, Wonderful Silkies, Wongarra Poultry, Wood Duck, WotTheFlock, Yvette, Zanne and 5679807 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  

A.P.F - Australian Poultry Forum TM 1566349 all rights reserved 2002 - 2024

APF supports

Stop Forum Spam