Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Beekissed]

I think the last 10 pages or so were some of the best on the thread so far, regarding breeding for Utility.

I agree...the very basic, meat and potatoes of flock management. True management instead of feeding and watering some stock and collecting eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

Well Bee it was like the fellas were sayin, just got to find some good stock to start with and with your eye you can have great ones in no time.

I don't have any eye, Al.

I just know what I like to see in a man and a woman and put that onto the chickens and that's the ones I keep.

 

[al6517]

Yeah good solid meat & potato's conversation put to task the right way without the sillienss and frills. The advice in the last 10 pages are indicitive of what the heart of this thread is all about, from the mouths of the folks who know the old fashioned simple way to achieve great birds for those that have the desire to do it.

 

[Cynthia12]

Questions for the OT's: Should I be concerned about the mushrooms growing in my yard? We live in So. Cal, and had a few rare days of rain. We have a thick layer of compost and mulch in our garden, and I noticed that there were some mushrooms growing. I picked what I saw and threw them in the trash. Do I need to be cautious, or will the hens stay clear from these? Thanks!

I had the same worry this last fall..a lot of rain, and up popped those mushrooms. I thought, oh on, I wonder if that could hurt the chickens if they eat it! Well, they didn't touch them!

 

[armorfirelady]

All the pics you OT's are posting are beautiful.....makes me wish I had about 5 acres where i could get a variety of birds to do what you do. Get some hatchery mutts & breed them to make them better and be able to cull till I get some beautiful birds.........*sigh* DOnt mind me drooling over here in the corner but please keep the pics coming.

I am waiting for our pop quiz to see if I can guess what I see is wrong with the bird & see if I am right.

 

[al6517]

A LF Cornish White Laced Red Rooster

 

[armorfirelady]

A LF Cornish White Laced Red Rooster

What a beautiful Rooster Al... I love the brown markings on him

 

[al6517]

Not a real good pic and he's a little out of condition cause the weather was a little nasty last spring.
Just a pic to show the width and stoutness these Cornish can achieve, you could put a boxing glove through those legs. That is son of Hulk, he's camera shy.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Pop Quiz
​

Ok, here is the promised Pop Quiz. But here are the rules and background info.

There are two birds focused on here. I will try to identify them simply as Bird #1 and Bird #2. They are both ISA Browns, the quintessential layer. Think the CX of the layer birds. These are not dual purpose fowl. They are dedicated purpose fowl. Eggs, eggs and more eggs. They are both 8 months old, all the birds came in a box of 25, hatched on the same day, brooded together and raised together. Always been fed the same feed, in the same environment.

Apologize for my crappy photography and camera quality. It is what it is. While it doesn't come through on the camera well, I can give you this hint. Their feathering quality is vastly different in real life. You'll have to decide which is which and why.

Rules for the Quiz.

1. Only those who've kept backyard birds for less than 3 years are allowed to take the quiz.
2. No one can reply right now. Anyone who replies today, will be DQ'd. No ifs, ands or butts.
3. The window of turning in your Quiz responses will NOT be until this time tomorrow. There will be an open window of 8 hours in which to turn in your Quiz. Anytime tomorrow is just fine, after 1 pm EST. Noon CST, 11 am MST and 10 am PST. Sure, this is a gimmick, but hey. I want to think about this quiz and not give instant, knee jerk responses. OK?
4. Tell me what you see in comparing these two birds.
5. Tell me if you would cull one, both, neither, and why you think so.

OK, there it is. Is everyone ready for the photos to judge?




Bird # 1



Bird # 1 Bird # 2



Bird #1 Bird # 2



Bird # 2



Bird # 2

 

[Pozees]

A LF Cornish White Laced Red Rooster

Those look like shanks built to carry some weight, holy macaroni! He is just gorgeous.