Chickens

[pdfangus]

I like to turn out my chickens but the foxes and skunks and other assorted wildlife varmits that everyone is so fanatical about these days eats em faster than i can buy em.

then I have to keep em in a pen.

I have three guniea roosters that have survived for three or four years and for the life of me I don't know how but I call em Larry Moe and Curly. The hens were all devoured when they went on their nests.

going to get some more gunieas this spring and put them in the chicken pen so Larry Moe and Curly will have some dames to talk to.

Unlike most folks I enjoy their noises and find the hen birds to be easier listening.

I have bought from the hatcheries mentioned above and was satisifed. Also can order exactly what you want. But lately get my chicks from the local feed store and just get a few.

 

[bigbull338]

this year is a restocking tear for me on chickens an guienies.only have 2 hens an 1 guienie left.as well as 5 turkeys.prolly get 12 lil chicks an 15 to 25 guienies.an that will be enough.unless i have to get 25 guienies..

 

[mnmtranching]

I like my barnyard type chickens :cowboy: Don't buy no 25$ per 100 feed for them, keep us in way more eggs then we need, hatch own their own. And taste nice and lean without all that nasty FAT :clap: :clap:

 

[kerley]

Has anyone just sat back and watched the chickens in the barn yard. They can be funny. I especially like the hens with their chicks. I love my chickens but they bring on predators which cause problems. I usually let my chickens roam freely during the day. They always come in to roost each night.Has anyone got any suggestions on how to prevent losses due to predators. Just my thoughts. Tom

 

[mnmtranching]

Predators have always been a problem for me, I expect some loss. But the predators that come around have to expect some losses also. :nod: :cowboy:

 

[pdfangus]

Predators have always been a problem for me, I expect some loss. But the predators that come around have to expect some losses also. :nod: :cowboy:

Well I try to do my part for crime prevention too but the predators have more time at my place than I do. Also it is difficult to work around the place and keep a gun to hand.

I have problem that one side of my place is along side a lumber company owned tract that is a suare mile. I lke it cause it won't get developed but them critters dash out and grab a chicken and dash back into the woods.

Not to mention the hawks and now eagles. Had an eagle fly out of the barn with a chicken once.

 

[never2old2learn-ron]

Good for you! Where did you end up getting them from? I LOVE getting my chicks in ~ my youngest girl and I always make the run to pick them up, it never gets old. I buy a variety of banties so everyone looks different. I need to get on the ball ordering ducklings or duck eggs to hatch or I am going to miss that boat.

I bought them from the local feed store. I was going to get 40 but after reading the inputs on this thread i was led to believe that when they were ready to butcher it had to be done all at once,because they would get too fat. I just couldn't see me butchering 40 chickens by hand in one or 2 days.

Cal

We haven't done Cornish Rocks for a few years. When we did we always got enough for 2 families. That way we had at least 4 people butchering. It made it a lot easier on everyone. We always let a few grow for a couple more weeks after the fryers. They made great roasters.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Got my chicks coming in May. I like it then so the grass is green the kids cut the grass and feed it to the baby chicks who just go crazy for it. I got some cornish cross and california whites ordered. Love those whites. I get great big cream colored eggs from them. A very hardy bird.
I also lose birds to the predators. I call the trapper on the big ones and trap the coons and skunks in my live trap. Put them out of my misery and haul them to the dump.

Anybody else start their chicks this way? I just give my chicks warm water with a tablespoon of sugar for the first hour, then give them a mix of corn meal and finely chopped cooked eggs. A family friend told me to do that because the commercial feed causes them to get plugged. The corn meal will not cause them to get the sticky butt. Tried it last year and had no trouble with the sticky butt.

 

[never2old2learn-ron]

Since we are talking about the cornish rock butcher chickens, how many knew that the cornish game hen is just a cornish rock hen butchered at a very young age? Its true.

 

[Auburn_Ag]

Since we are talking about the cornish rock butcher chickens, how many knew that the cornish game hen is just a cornish rock hen butchered at a very young age? Its true.

NO The Broiler today is Cornish Rock, this is a cross between Cornish and a Plymouth Rock.

I found this on Wikipedia

"Broilers are often called "Rock-Cornish," referring to the adoption of a cross between a White Cornish male and a Barred Rock female. This hybrid was introduced in the 1930s and became dominant in the 1960s. The original cross was plagued by problems of low fertility, slow growth, and disease susceptibility, and modern broilers have gradually become very different from the Cornish x Rock hybrid.

Modern broilers are typically a third generation offspring (an F2 hybrid). The broiler's four grandparents come from four different strains, two of which produce the male parent line and two of which provide the female parent line, which are in turn mated to provide the broilers. The male lines and female lines are not bred for the same traits; for example, the female line needs to be able to lay as many eggs as possible, since the number of eggs laid per hen influences the cost of broiler eggs and hence broiler chicks. Egg-laying ability is less important in the male line, while rooster fertility is very important."

 

[Lammie]

Yes, chickens are amusing, and I can't imagine not having them around. I have about 60 or 70 living in the trees along the fenceline. They come down from time to time to the barn to scratch around or to bring their chicks. I have about 25 that are penned up and I get eggs from them. Way more than I can use, so I sell the rest. I usually incubate some eggs every year. I have Barred Rocks and Black Austrolorpes. (or however you spell that... ) I order from Ideal Poultry. It is close and I have never lost a chick in the mail. Have not tried broilers. Am working up the courage to butcher some. I just don't like blood. Or poop. Especially chicken poop.

 

[JHH]

We get broilers every year for my daughter in 4-H. They usally weigh around 6-7 lbs at 43 days.
I love sitting back on a sunny evening and watching the chickens.

We have 40 large breed chicks coming at the end of this month. We ordered Buff Brahmas and Buff Orphingtons.

We have problems with foxes to. They seem to get the Buff Orphingtons first.The Rhode Island reds seem to be to quik or smart for them.

 

[angie1]

We ordered Buff Brahmas and Buff Orphingtons..

Brahmas are my favorite, those and the cochins. I have to have feather footed birds or they lose their toes in the winter. Anyhow ~ I have a dark brahma now, her name is Thistle. She is at least 6 years old this spring. The Cochins are excellent mothers, but I have never been able to get the full size brahmas to set a nest ~ is too bad, they are big enough to hatch a lot of eggs. They could hatch turkeys eggs for me ~ my banty hens look at me like "You are kidding, right?" :roll:

Anyone ever have silkies? I had 3 ~ Faith, Hope and Patience. Skunk got them.

 

[Calman]

As Lammie said chickens are very amusing. I was taking the old wood out of a trailer today to put in a new floor.Laying under it turning the old rusty bolts and they were making that squeaking sound.
Got an ol plymouth rock rooster and every time I would turn the bolt he'd make his funny warning calls to the hens.I think this went on for 1/2 hour.I never laughed so hard in my life.Could have gotten the WD40 but that would have spoiled the fun.
Guess it just don't take much to amuse me.

Cal

 

[Auburn_Ag]

If any of you have the dieing urge to take care of about 110,500 Broilers, I am sure I know someone that would glad to let you!

 

[mnmtranching]

Comparing broilers to my barn yard chickens is almost like comparing a butterball turkey to a wild turkey. In other words very, very boring. :???:

 

[MistyMorning]

Comparing broilers to my barn yard chickens is almost like comparing a butterball turkey to a wild turkey. In other words very, very boring. :???:

Most assuredly boring because all they do is eat! Sure they are cute when you first get them, than they figure out you are the food source and start stampeding you the minute you come out of the house. On more than one occasion I have thought, if I trip over them one more time, I'll just go ahead and release the chicken killing dog I've got on em! :shock:

 

[Lammie]

We ordered Buff Brahmas and Buff Orphingtons..

Brahmas are my favorite, those and the cochins. I have to have feather footed birds or they lose their toes in the winter. Anyhow ~ I have a dark brahma now, her name is Thistle. She is at least 6 years old this spring. The Cochins are excellent mothers, but I have never been able to get the full size brahmas to set a nest ~ is too bad, they are big enough to hatch a lot of eggs. They could hatch turkeys eggs for me ~ my banty hens look at me like "You are kidding, right?" :roll:

Anyone ever have silkies? I had 3 ~ Faith, Hope and Patience. Skunk got them.

I have four silkies that I have had for about six years.

Japanese Banties will sit eggs, any eggs, and I have used them to incubate peafowl eggs. They were the only chickens I had that would raise their own young. They had communal nests and there would be three or four of them in one box sitting on twenty eggs. As the eggs would hatch, the hens would peel off and take care of them until all of them hatched.

 

[MoGal]

I've had the Black Australian Australorps, Buff Orphingtons, cherry eggers, silver laced and golden wyandotes......... the wyandotes are about the gentlest but I'm not impressed with their egg laying. The buff orphingtons are kind of ornery to each other. Of course now that we've had a few 60 degree days they are starting to lay again, but we started feed them a couple handfuls of cheap high protein dog food. Normally we just feed whole corn and laying mash. Don't know if the dog food helped but I'm glad to be getting eggs again........... hubby will not eat store bought eggs for breakfast........ spoiled man!!!

I've ordered an assortment of brown egg layers and light brahmas. I picked the brahmas because they are supposed to lay in the colder weather (or that's what they said).

Yes, they are funny to watch and the cackling noise they make when they find something.... if they would just eat it instead of letting everybody else know they got something they maybe wouldn't have it snatched from them.

I can say that without a doubt, the best way to get pulled over in airport security and have them go all through your bags and use their wand and all the other stuff they have.......... just try taking some fresh country eggs through the airport. :lol2: That got an eye roll when the person explained that their dad liked fresh country eggs......... silly city folks don't know the difference!

 

[Susie David]

We had free range hens last year until Susie saw them eating the roots of her rose bushes...only time I saw that woman mad. Had to laugh watching her using a leaf rake like a hockey stick slinging birds out of the roses...that only made it worse.
I finished the chicken pen the next day. Oh yeah, we had 125 pullets then. Down to about 90 now and have 30 chicks in the barn. Can't seem to keep enough eggs in stock as we have a good customer base. I like the Delewares, hardy winter layer and lay large eggs though we have RRs, Barred Rocks and a misshipment that turned out to be a Golden Buff from Meyer's Hatchery and surprized us by being a good layer...anazing to watch a medim sized bird lay large eggs.
DMc