Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[bnjrob]

My DH decided that I was spending too much money on my chickens....

DH (looking at the 12 chicks in the brooder that weren't there yesterday)

"How much did those chickens COST?"

Me (Not truning to look at him)

"Well, they were a dollar each and there are twelve of them, so..... $12, How many rifles and game cameras do we own?"

He walked away without answering.



Another time, he decided that the chickens take too much of my time.

DH - "If you are not out at the chicken coop, you are sitting in front of the computer, reading about chickens!"

Me - "You're right, I need a new hobby. I've been thinking of taking up 'bar-hopping', would you like that better?"

He again walked away without answering.......poor man..........

 

[Dahlisgrams]

I am wondering.. Is there any real value in raising chicks in same sex groups after 8 weeks? My HBR are 9 weeks old and currently in the same coop. Are they better off being separated? I can if so.

 

[bnjrob]

I am wondering.. Is there any real value in raising chicks in same sex groups after 8 weeks? My HBR are 9 weeks old and currently in the same coop. Are they better off being separated? I can if so.

Yes. Less fighting among the males, larger size in both sexes because you don't have males chasing the females, which causes both sexes to have less time to eat and then running off all the calories they do eat. I didn't think it would really make a significant difference, but I am now a believer in early gender separation. As soon as you can figure out who is who before anyone gets any funny ideas about trying to mate. We've had males as young as 3 months trying to mate.

 

[3riverschick]

There are tons of Turkey Vultures here in Sonoma County. There is hardly a time when I can't look outside and see some. They have never bothered anything here.
Walt

Every year around Oct. 10th, the vultures pass over our house in western PA on their way to their winter roost in Ohio. It's an amazing sight.
Hundreds of vultures traveling in a wide swath but soaring in a line. Stretching from one horizon to the other. First time I saw it,
I was amazed. I thought they only soared in circles. It can take many minutes for them to pass over.
Best,
Karen

 

[juststruttin]

My DH decided that I was spending too much money on my chickens....

DH (looking at the 12 chicks in the brooder that weren't there yesterday)

"How much did those chickens COST?"

Me (Not truning to look at him)

"Well, they were a dollar each and there are twelve of them, so..... $12, How many rifles and game cameras do we own?"

He walked away without answering.



Another time, he decided that the chickens take too much of my time.

DH - "If you are not out at the chicken coop, you are sitting in front of the computer, reading about chickens!"

Me - "You're right, I need a new hobby. I've been thinking of taking up 'bar-hopping', would you like that better?"

He again walked away without answering.......poor man..........

 

[Canieldonrad]

There are tons of Turkey Vultures here in Sonoma County. There is hardly a time when I can't look outside and see some. They have never bothered anything here.

Walt

Spent some time in LA back in January. This was something I talked about with my uncle who relocated to the area about 25 years ago. In the time he has spent out there he says he rarely sees the same birds. Wild pigeons, hawks, buzzards(which I refer to Turkey Vultures as). If they are there, they are no where near as prevalent as they are here in the Cincinnati area. It was also interesting to see Sea Gulls more populous than Pigeons. Utterly mind blowing.

 

[thedragonlady]

Every year around Oct. 10th, the vultures pass over our house in western PA on their way to their winter roost in Ohio. It's an amazing sight.
Hundreds of vultures traveling in a wide swath but soaring in a line. Stretching from one horizon to the other. First time I saw it,
I was amazed. I thought they only soared in circles. It can take many minutes for them to pass over.
Best,
Karen

An overflying migration does not bother me. It's when you have 5, or 6 intently circling,that I get a bit edgy. Landing in my pear trees, and drooling is a No-no too.

 

[NanaKat]

 
Every year  around Oct. 10th, the  vultures pass over our house in western PA on their way to their winter roost in Ohio. It's an amazing sight.
Hundreds of vultures traveling in a wide swath but soaring in  a line.  Stretching from one horizon to the other.  First time I saw it,
I was amazed. I thought they only soared in circles.  It can take many minutes for them to pass over.
 Best,
 Karen

An overflying migration does not bother me. It's when you have 5, or 6 intently circling,that I get a bit edgy. Landing in my pear trees, and drooling is a No-no too.

2 - 5 soaring here means either a cow has passed her afterbirth or they found the coyote hubby shot. Rarely there is a deer or road kill on the highway. We have been most amazed by a bald eagle in our front pasture with a jackrabbit and seeing pelicans on a local lake...in central Oklahoma..

 

[ocap]

Every year around Oct. 10th, the vultures pass over our house in western PA on their way to their winter roost in Ohio. It's an amazing sight.
Hundreds of vultures traveling in a wide swath but soaring in a line. Stretching from one horizon to the other. First time I saw it,
I was amazed. I thought they only soared in circles. It can take many minutes for them to pass over.
Best,
Karen

I seem to remember a "Hawk Mountain" in PA where humans go to watch the raptor migration.

I have seem cows chase away the vultures from the young calves, yet the cows like the egrets.

 

[RedRidge]

I'm building new breeding pens and would like some opinions...

What is the minimum breeding pen size per pair/trio? (lg breed fowl)
I have seen Chris's breeding pens (beautiful btw), and each pen is 6x4 I believe.
Will 4x4 work? 6x3?
I don't want to crowd them, but would rather not go bigger than necessary.

Thanks for feedback...