Building a chicken army

Why: In the vineyard we use chickens to control pests, so we don't have to use insecticides. This can be dangerous though as hawks and other predators often see chickens as easy meals. Aside from bug control, chickens also fertilize and aerate the soil, adding nitrates and keeping soil health optimal. It is important that the chickens have a huge appetite, great instincts, and other traits that not only make them well suited for the work, but well suited for homesteads in general.
Store bought chicken products come from commercial farms, and are not as healthy as pasture raised chickens. They gorge on feed and are stationary/sedentary for their short lives. This creates toxins and high levels of Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). By using chickens to work for us, we can retire them with a party where they are the guest of honor. Chickens raised with an active lifestyle and balanced diet have a very different composition, and high levels of Omega 3 EFA. It is important to consider what your food eats and how it is raised.
Hypothesis: Improve appetite and body armor of Orpington heritage breed which are used to control bugs, aerate and fertilize soil. Second, improve hardiness and ability to pasture raise Commercial Cornish Cross used for food. The theory started simply by observing Orpington chickens performing great work services, but rendering low FCR (feed conversion rate). When time to retire, the chickens would offer delicious, healthy meat, but not very much for the work put in processing their retirement paperwork. Observation of commercial broilers - hyper food aggression, wide frame, taller stature, but poor foraging and other natural skills. Observation, combining the two would create an ideal bird. Observation, there are opportunities to improve meat quality, improved sturdy frame, improved predator defense, improved breeding success, bring egg production to average (Orpington is medium and frequent, Broiler is extra large and every slow). If this works out, we would essentially be continuing to improve a Cornish and Plymouth Rock Hybrid where the Commercial indurstry stopped. This is not to say their strains are not ideal for their purposes, but this should be ideal for homesteaders for perpetual poultry production.
2022: hypothesis conclusion - Legendary ORC, a taller, wider Orpington with meat armor and fierce appetite and all instinctive traits.
2024: Does not look like Orpington. Hens are offwhite and spotted with dark legs, roosters almost solid bright white. Size is comparable to CornishX, but slower growth. Hardier+, Forage+, production+ (large eggs frequently).
Process has been REMOVED - NEED NDA/LEGAL approval for details. Sorry for trouble - Sincerely Joseph Jaubert (10/10/2024)
Breeding stock: To achieve the highest quality Rooster and Hen, I hatched over 500 birds on this project. The breeding stock was sent to a nearby farm for safe keeping and to raise under an unbiased observer. I have retained the parent and grand parent stock, however, in order to prove viability we will halt the project (10/1/2024) to replicate and fully document every date, weight, and trait.
Legendary ORC (Cajun Cross/Bayou Broiler) ORC comes from Orpington - Rock - Cornish chicken breeds.
Store bought chicken products come from commercial farms, and are not as healthy as pasture raised chickens. They gorge on feed and are stationary/sedentary for their short lives. This creates toxins and high levels of Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). By using chickens to work for us, we can retire them with a party where they are the guest of honor. Chickens raised with an active lifestyle and balanced diet have a very different composition, and high levels of Omega 3 EFA. It is important to consider what your food eats and how it is raised.
Hypothesis: Improve appetite and body armor of Orpington heritage breed which are used to control bugs, aerate and fertilize soil. Second, improve hardiness and ability to pasture raise Commercial Cornish Cross used for food. The theory started simply by observing Orpington chickens performing great work services, but rendering low FCR (feed conversion rate). When time to retire, the chickens would offer delicious, healthy meat, but not very much for the work put in processing their retirement paperwork. Observation of commercial broilers - hyper food aggression, wide frame, taller stature, but poor foraging and other natural skills. Observation, combining the two would create an ideal bird. Observation, there are opportunities to improve meat quality, improved sturdy frame, improved predator defense, improved breeding success, bring egg production to average (Orpington is medium and frequent, Broiler is extra large and every slow). If this works out, we would essentially be continuing to improve a Cornish and Plymouth Rock Hybrid where the Commercial indurstry stopped. This is not to say their strains are not ideal for their purposes, but this should be ideal for homesteaders for perpetual poultry production.
2022: hypothesis conclusion - Legendary ORC, a taller, wider Orpington with meat armor and fierce appetite and all instinctive traits.
2024: Does not look like Orpington. Hens are offwhite and spotted with dark legs, roosters almost solid bright white. Size is comparable to CornishX, but slower growth. Hardier+, Forage+, production+ (large eggs frequently).
Process has been REMOVED - NEED NDA/LEGAL approval for details. Sorry for trouble - Sincerely Joseph Jaubert (10/10/2024)
Breeding stock: To achieve the highest quality Rooster and Hen, I hatched over 500 birds on this project. The breeding stock was sent to a nearby farm for safe keeping and to raise under an unbiased observer. I have retained the parent and grand parent stock, however, in order to prove viability we will halt the project (10/1/2024) to replicate and fully document every date, weight, and trait.
Legendary ORC (Cajun Cross/Bayou Broiler) ORC comes from Orpington - Rock - Cornish chicken breeds.