We've tried a few different dual purpose breeds so far. We are making frequent orders so we can have meat and eggs. We are trying to order a different breed every time - It's easier to tell them apart by age with out using leg bands, and we get to experience different breeds. So far we've had...
I've already ordered the next batch of replacements. A small (15) order of Black Australorps coming next week. Maybe I'll just start stock piling the freezer with chicken and see if that reduces the urge to buy factory farm poultry from the store. I too prefer our own chicken to factory chicken...
My chicken math calculations were based on eating 2 backyard chickens per week. I was in the check out line at Costco and noticed my wife had a large package of drumsticks and another large bag of chicken wings in the cart. It doesn't pay to argue. I'm just going to raise a lot fewer chickens...
I'm reading "The broken spears" an account of the conquest of mexico from the Indian perspective. There are two passages in the book where they talk about the Indians giving the Spaniards eggs and live hens. Just wondering what kind of birds were kept by the Aztecs back in 1519?
I'm a little over whelmed with chickens but today is a processing day and me and the surviving chickens always feel better when some of the flock go to freezer camp.
I think I have a sustainable chicken math plan that's going to work for us. We want to eat two dual purpose birds per week. So...
What did people feed chickens before you could by feed in a bag? Just thinking I've been spending a fortune on feed. I don't think Grandma did it this way.
How old do dual purpose roosters have to be before they lose their pin feathers? We buy straight run chicks and process the extra roosters ASAP. At 12 weeks old they still have pin feathers. How long do we need to wait to process until we get a clean bird?
I'm currently using flock raiser with free choice oyster shells. Our hens will be processed before they reach one year old, so maybe its not all that important. I'm thinking about using a higher protien feed as recommended for dual purpose birds by the Livestock Conservancy:
"Chicken Care and...
I just ordered 15 last week. I want to try a dual purpose bird that is more of a meat bird than an egg bird (eggs are nice but just a fringe benefit). Today I noticed the livestock conservancy had a heritage manual for meat that focused on Buckeyes...
My brooder is just a 4 X 8 chicken wire partition in a 8 X 12 coop. They can all see each other through the wire. I'll let them out with the adults early then monitor the results. If it doesn't work then they go back in the partition for a while. I like using judgement over rules of thumb most...
The hatchery threw in some free male chicks with my small order. I think some of them are black sex links. They are about 9 weeks old. They seem to be growing faster than other chickens I've had.
I'm on my forth batch of dual purpose birds. I want the next batch to be Red Broilers. I'm wondering how long do I need to keep these birds in the brooder before I let them join the older birds? I've heard two months old is a sweet spot for most birds, but that might be too long for a meat bird...
I got the call from the post office. My order of chicks had arrived. The next day the feed store got their order of chicks. I bought 6 different breeds from the feed store to mix it up with my on line order (that came with live packing peanuts). They had baby turkeys (poults?) at the feed store...
My two Barred Rock roosters are about 14 weeks old and are from Ideal Poultry. The 9 older Barred Rock pullets are about 27 weeks old and are from Cackle Hatchery. I'm looking forward to hatching some chicks some day! I'll start looking for the "bulls eye" then I can get started!
Thanks for...
I received my cockerel chicks in the mail on Christmas eve. My older pullets are laying an egg almost every day.
When should I expect fertile eggs?
How will I know when to buy and use an incubator?
I bought an egg candler, when do you use them?
Do fertile eggs turn off egg consumers?
Do they...
I just pulled a frozen one out and weighed it. It was one with the skin on and gizzard, heart, liver, and feet inside. Including the seal-a-meal vacuum bag it weighed 3 lbs 4.7 oz. I also weighed one of the skinned 12 week old birds at with the same amenities and it weighed in at just over 2...