chickens

[bubchub]

Since this is the everything else board, does anybody know any thing about chickens :?: I want to get me some good brown laying hens that will do good in Texas.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Have chickens but don't know much about them. The brown laying kind can be bought in the spring from farm supply stores such as Tractor Supply. If you want pullets ready to start laying there are chicken sites on the web. Eggbid is one but they mostly sell eggs. Do a google search for chicken message boards.

If you don't find anything post here again and I will ask around.

 

[CattleAnnie]

I've got some IsaBrowns that are dandy layers. They lay a huge brown egg when mature, and even as pullets when they first start laying the eggs are at least medium sized. Also very hardy. My hens laid eggs almost every day last winter, only stopping when it was colder than minus 30 (and who can blame 'em...it's too cold for doing much anyway). So far no illness either.

Take care.

 

[Callie]

Do you want brown chickens or chickens that lay brown eggs?
To tell what color the eggs will be look at the hen's ear. The eggs will be the color of the ear. I'm not kidding either!
Rhode Island Reds are brown hens that do well in Texas.

 

[MULDOON]

I have some aracauna's they lay a light green egg ( Looks like Easter eggs)

I've never checked to see if the feathers around their ears was green :lol:

We do have some more that we got from TSC , I'll look at their ears , they should be brown.

 

[txshowmom]

We have some aracauna too and yes they do lay green eggs. We also have Production Reds and Wyndots and Minarkas and we ordered them from Ideal Hatchery and they mail them right to your doorstep. They are very hardy and we just finish hatching out about 30 chicks. They lay everyday, give or take a couple, and they are great for cleaning up around the cattle. We don't feed our chickens they get what is left in the barn after the cattle or they eat what they can find on their own and the are all fat and happy!

 

[MULDOON]

Do ya'll use incubators , or do you let the hens "set"??

I've got two incubators left from when I was trying to raise Quail :roll:

I didn't have problems raising the quail , it was getting rid of them.

After I started I found out that you need a special lisense to raise game birds in Texas. Not worth the hassle for me.

 

[txshowmom]

We use a little cheap incubator that we got at the Coop. It not fancy by any means. We have to turn the eggs twice a day but it works real well.

 

[Jake]

I'd like to raise some quail just for the heck of it, turn them loose and hunt them or slaughter and eat them (cheaper but less fun)

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

If ya raise them instead of shootin them you won't have to pick out the pellets ! :lol:

 

[Jake]

that's true, that gets to be a pain if there are too many killed, haven't had that problem for a few years though, not enough birds around

 

[Rustler9]

I've got a couple of dozen different breeds of chickens. If you want brown egg layers get White or Barred Plymouth Rocks (Dominickers), Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Sex-Links (Red or Black), any color of Wyandottes etc. All of these breeds lay well and their eggs are large and brown. If you want to raise babies you can get nice chicks from Ideal poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas. They have hundreds of varieties and breed to choose from-many plain and rare breeds as well. If you don't want to raise chicks look in a local farm paper or swap and shop bulletin. Usually there's someone with some chickens to sell. Good luck and be sure to have a good place for them to live without getting eaten by stray dogs or other predators.

 

[TheBullLady]

Make sure you have a tight shed or pen to keep them in. Once you get chickens every 'yote within 10 miles will be over to check them out.

As for cleaning up after the cows.. pot belly pigs are the way to go! They'll kick any 'yotes butt that tries to mess with them. And they're so ugly they're cute!

 

[CopeMan]

Since this is the everything else board, does anybody know any thing about chickens :?: I want to get me some good brown laying hens that will do good in Texas.

I raise Rhode Island Reds, very hardy breed. Best brown layer by far. I dont think that you have to worry about having chickens in Texas. Chickens seem to do good everywhere. There a source of food for the whole world. Like on Discovery Channel, when they visit all those 3rd world countries, like Burma and Cambodia, Tibet and so on, they have chickens. And there climate is much more hotter than Texas. Chickens are very adaptive. Even in the dead of winter, in snow there still out scratchin around, seein' what they can find.

 

[CopeMan]

I've got a couple of dozen different breeds of chickens. If you want brown egg layers get White or Barred Plymouth Rocks (Dominickers), Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Sex-Links (Red or Black), any color of Wyandottes etc. All of these breeds lay well and their eggs are large and brown. If you want to raise babies you can get nice chicks from Ideal poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas. They have hundreds of varieties and breed to choose from-many plain and rare breeds as well. If you don't want to raise chicks look in a local farm paper or swap and shop bulletin. Usually there's someone with some chickens to sell. Good luck and be sure to have a good place for them to live without getting eaten by stray dogs or other predators.

Not being a smart elic at all. And I am no trying to insult your intelligence, but Barred Rocks and Dominques(Domineckers as us Tennesseeuns call em') are two differnt breeds. I know everyone thinks automatically when they see a black and white stripped chicken that it is a Dominique. But Dominiques have a rose comb and Barred Rocks have a Single comb. Dominiques are also considered a rare breed. You can check this out at Murray McMurray Hatchery. You probably already knew this, just thought I would clarify for those that dont know.

 

[dun]

I've got a couple of dozen different breeds of chickens. If you want brown egg layers get White or Barred Plymouth Rocks (Dominickers), Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Sex-Links (Red or Black), any color of Wyandottes etc. All of these breeds lay well and their eggs are large and brown. If you want to raise babies you can get nice chicks from Ideal poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas. They have hundreds of varieties and breed to choose from-many plain and rare breeds as well. If you don't want to raise chicks look in a local farm paper or swap and shop bulletin. Usually there's someone with some chickens to sell. Good luck and be sure to have a good place for them to live without getting eaten by stray dogs or other predators.

Not being a smart elic at all. And I am no trying to insult your intelligence, but Barred Rocks and Dominques(Domineckers as us Tennesseeuns call em') are two differnt breeds. I know everyone thinks automatically when they see a black and white stripped chicken that it is a Dominique. But Dominiques have a rose comb and Barred Rocks have a Single comb. Dominiques are also considered a rare breed. You can check this out at Murray McMurray Hatchery. You probably already knew this, just thought I would clarify for those that dont know.

I thought I wa the only one that was aware of it. Didn't want to get a stink started so I passed. Glad somebody else got it going first.

dun

 

[CopeMan]

I've got a couple of dozen different breeds of chickens. If you want brown egg layers get White or Barred Plymouth Rocks (Dominickers), Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Sex-Links (Red or Black), any color of Wyandottes etc. All of these breeds lay well and their eggs are large and brown. If you want to raise babies you can get nice chicks from Ideal poultry Farm in Cameron, Texas. They have hundreds of varieties and breed to choose from-many plain and rare breeds as well. If you don't want to raise chicks look in a local farm paper or swap and shop bulletin. Usually there's someone with some chickens to sell. Good luck and be sure to have a good place for them to live without getting eaten by stray dogs or other predators.

Not being a smart elic at all. And I am no trying to insult your intelligence, but Barred Rocks and Dominques(Domineckers as us Tennesseeuns call em') are two differnt breeds. I know everyone thinks automatically when they see a black and white stripped chicken that it is a Dominique. But Dominiques have a rose comb and Barred Rocks have a Single comb. Dominiques are also considered a rare breed. You can check this out at Murray McMurray Hatchery. You probably already knew this, just thought I would clarify for those that dont know.

I thought I wa the only one that was aware of it. Didn't want to get a stink started so I passed. Glad somebody else got it going first.

dun

I agree dun, sometimes theres no harm intended, especially when your just telling the truth. Thats whats wrong with this board sometimes , you have to watch what you say, cause some people take everything to heart and take it personal.

 

[Rustler9]

Cope Man-I have the old fashioned Dominiques (rose combed, first American breed of chicken developed also from which the Barred Rock derived). Maybe I didn't make myself clear although I didn't mention the Dominique in my post. I was merely naming some of the more common brown egg laying breeds. I did name the Barred Rock or "Dominickers" as most country people in our area call them. But thanks for mentioning the Dominique as well. They are not as well known around here and do not have the egg production qualities as a commercially bred Plymouth Rocks.

 

[bubchub]

Is there a good hatchery on the internet to buy them from :?:

 

[dun]

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/