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  1. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    You can make wonderful wine with it, takes a long time to age though. This bottle we made has been around for a while (2002) , the label is faded! It is our last one and I guess we have kept it for sentimental reasons. All this talking has got me thinking we need to get another batch going...
  2. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    My favorite part of taking birds to my first and only show to date a couple of months ago was bringing them home and putting them back out on the green grass again, just admiring them running around being chickens. My NH and Marans are very calm and adaptable so I only did cage training with...
  3. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    In Oregon/WA there is a Homesteaders Classified on Facebook where people do lots of barter/trade, maybe there is such a thing for your area. I have also used Craigslist some. Any farmers markets in your area where you can go talk with people?
  4. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Azomite is one of the ingredients in some of the homemade chicken feed recipes. Where do you get it?
  5. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Some people breed strictly for egg colour, some breed to SOP (egg colour is not judged in a show so if the bird is very nice but does not lay a dark enough egg it can still place well), some do both like me, why not grasp for the stars? :)
  6. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    I raise Marans, New Hampshires and Delawares. All three breeds sound like they fit most of your criteria and they are the only breeds I can really speak to. Marans: White skin, fast to mature, mine go broody and are typically good Moms, Single comb, not sure what you mean by black breasted...
  7. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    My hatchery leghorns in my layer flock start at about 16 - 18 weeks as well as my leghorn/New Hampshire crosses, my New Hampshires start at about 20 weeks and laid very well as pullets this winter, my BCM take a little longer to get going and will hold over if I don't get my timing right but...
  8. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Adding to the above post....... If you have breeds that take a little longer to mature/lay, you may need to hatch earlier. A few will sometimes hold out till the days start getting longer but most of mine start laying at about the age they should no matter the time of year or daylight hours.
  9. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Hatch some chicks end of August, Early Sept. Usually those young layers carry me through when the others are taking their winter vacation. They just get started with the right timing. Problem is if you want the eggs for selling rather than personal use they are often fairly small.
  10. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Is your opinion the same if birds are on free-range all daylight hours while growing up (5 weeks or so till starting to act amorous) or does this pertain only to birds that are confined?
  11. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    I feed oats I sprout that I get directly out of the combine from a local farmers field. I have done some research and can not find anything about what are forage oats other than they are the regular oats planted to feed either for forage or dried or for next years crop. Am I missing...
  12. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    My Delawares lay through the winter and even lay during molt. They do tend to be broody though so spring/summer can be slow in the egg department. I have heard others say that their lines of Dels. never go broody. Starting with a new re-created line from Kathyinmo here on BYC and they...
  13. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    x 2 Never had an issue. I also have white leghorns in my layer flock, no problems ever.
  14. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    Maybe at the Clark County Fairgrounds next fall. Showing white chickens, hmmm.................
  15. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    AletaG, I have some of Kathyinmos recreated Delawares but they are young yet. Should have hatching eggs and/or chicks next Spring. I can tell you that they look like little cornish cross, huge breasts on them! they have been slower to mature than my line that I have been working with for 5...
  16. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    My vote goes to the Delawares as well. I have processed as young as 14 weeks, plenty of meat for a dinner for 2. They are also very good layers of large brown eggs, mine lay well all winter, even through molt.
  17. Z

    Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

    I do know that some breeds forage better than others, my leghorns and delawares are out more and ranging farther than than my bcm for sure. One thing I have observed over 6 years of raising/breeding chickens, is that regardless of breed, if I have a broody who is a good forager, her chicks, no...
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