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Author Topic: Selecting Texas A & M's for Breeders  (Read 7611 times)
Finchlake
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« on: December 05, 2004, 06:33:22 PM »

As ya'll know I've been buying Texas A & M hatching eggs to select for breeders for next year.  I thought I would share some of what I've learned.

First is , Don't go cheep when selecting your stock for breeders. I purchased 90+ eggs from a breeder on ebay. The second batch I purchased from a breeder from the clasified adds in Game bird Gazette.

I have 25 birds from the first batch, 39 birds form the second batch. The first batch is 10 weeks old and the second is 6 weeks old.

I have been weighting the birds every week since they were 6 weeks old, and recording the results in an EXCEL spreedsheet, so that I can graph thier growth. It realy tells whats going on when you see it on a graph. Wish I could post the graph to show what I mean.

Anyway the second batch turned 6 weeks old today and I just got through weighting them. This is what I found.


               
Batch #1      6 weeks       10 Weeks
High              6.7 oz.          8.6 oz.
Average         6.0 oz.          7.6 oz.
Low               4.8 oz.          5.9 oz.


Batch #2       6 weeks       10 Weeks
High              9.4 oz.          
Average         8.0 oz.
Low               6.5 oz.


As you can see the quail in Batch # 2 are much larger the the quail in batch # 1 at the age of 6 weeks.

I had expected them to be about the same size and mix the males and females from the two groups. How I'm wondering if the quail from batch # 1 would bring down the size of chicks from batch # 2. I may just sent the quail from Batch #1 to the big hatchery in the sky, and use the quail from batch # 2 for my breeders.

Leason learned....When you are buying your breeder stock, buy the best you can afford. You will be way ahead in the long fun.

Finchlake
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Fivehollers
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« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2004, 06:42:50 AM »

I thought Texas A & M was a football team. :oops:

Learn something new everyday  :D

Lori
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deadeye1
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« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2005, 02:38:18 AM »

The first batch may not be the same strain as the second batch which will make a big differance.For example Tennessee Reds as compaired to Jumbo Bob Whites
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Finchlake
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« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2005, 11:52:48 AM »

Thanks for the reply Deadeye:

Both batches where advertised as Texas A & M White Coturnix Quail. I bought the first batch from a breeder on eBay who sells there regularly. The second batch I bought from a breeder out of Game Bird Gazzette. Both batches where rasied in the same facilities and the same feed (At different times). The largest quail in the first batch averager between 7 and 8 ozs. The larger quail in the second batch are over 11 ozs. and growing.

If I had only bought the first batch I would have belived that all the "hype" about how large Texas A & M's get was a lot of "CRAP". However, by raising the second batch, they have lived up to thier reputation.

I'm thinking the 1st breeder may not have been making breeder selection from his largest birds. He may have just let nature take it's course. Which has lead to genetic decay, or smaller and smaller birds with each generation. Maybe the second breeders birds are closer to the source, or maybe he has made better selection for his layers. Either way there is a big difference in the birds you get from one breeder to the next.

I still have some of the first birds as layers, but as I get larger birds thur hatching and growing of offspring from batch #2, I will replace all of batch #1.

My goal is to have 10oz. birds at 6-8 weeks. That's what the hype says is possible., and I belive it is.
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deadeye1
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« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2005, 03:41:42 AM »

Well than you know what your talking about,maybe thats why i'm only 5ft 3'' tall.I know i ate good all my life and some guys even called me a walking garbage can.Eat anything that was being scrapped but good to eatMy genetic make up kept me down.
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Finchlake
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« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2005, 11:13:29 AM »

My wife is only 5'-0". But there's no doubt who's the boss around here. When I get in trouble I go outside and play with my birds. :roll:
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poultryman90
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« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2006, 07:06:32 PM »

Well here's something to boggle your mind, just a thought... The texas A&M are good because they are white, and this makes it easy to see pinfeathers when plucking. However, they surely don't get as big as the XLD's. I have some XLDs that average 16 oz. each, and this comes with selective breeding, of course, but if you're going for size, these guys do the job. Granted, they are much more expensive to get a start of, but like you said, pay as much as you can afford, and come out on top in the long run. I'm not saying you should rip yourself off though... I am also working on some texas a&ms that are pushing the same weight when mature. Just a thought.
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Ethan King-

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kcgamebirdfarm
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« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2006, 12:27:05 AM »

hey,
    i have been raising Texas A&Ms for about 6 years  - the first birds i ever bought were over 16 oz in 8 weeks - that is why i bought them. Well i ordered 400 more from the guy for that fall and he dropped off the face of the earth never to be seen again. Since then i have bought Eggs from over 20 different sources and never have seen the same size as the first ones - within the last 3 years i started really trying to get this size back up with still a few of the original lines around. I also came across some info on how to get these birds big - and does it work - in a big way. The best thing is to get a brower brooder because they are easily closed up. Take a fresh batch of chicks ( after carefully selecting 25% of the largest eggs ) put these lil guys in the brooder with all the works. and let it go with a 100 watt light bulb till they are good and feathered around 4 weeks of age and keep the heat going and take the bulbs out of there ( with side panels in place ) leaving the birds in complete darkness. Give them maybe an hour of light of day and continue to feed them a vary high protein diet along with vitamins and electrolytes in their water. leave them this way till they are 6 weeks of age them give them one red bulb in the back element so it kicks on here here and there. leave them in there for another 2 weeks and take the birds out and check out what you have. This also works well for any of the larger breeds of Pharaoh. ~ and so you can see a different brood a batch of birds the way you normally would and compare at the end.... my experience
Kyle
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~what good are birds without feathers?~
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