Dreaming of Spring...

[donrae]

I placed my order for bantams for my breeding projects. Went with MMM. Ordered some red frizzle Cochin, barred Cochin and partridge Cochin. The plan is to hold a red frizzle rooster and put him over some barred hens to make little bantam frizzled sex links. then maybe a pen of the barred, and the partridge just cause I needed a few more birds to fill out the order and they're such eye candy

. They won't all be available until June, though.

I'm telling myself I don't need the Murray's choice layers. I really don't. Well, I'll wait til March or so and see if I need them then

.

The feed store will start getting chicks around the end of Feb. They usually have a decent variety of the more common breeds, so I can always get my fix that way.

Cause I can quit whenever I want, you know

 

[aart]

Well, l haven't ordered my chicks yet, but have narrowed down the breeds of hens I want. Now all I have to do is figure out what I want for a rooster. While I love the looks of a BLRW, I'm wondering if it would be more practical to get either a Buff Rock or Dark Cornish rooster. (I'm planning on females of both breeds). My thinking is, Cornish Rocks are the white franken-birds that are sold as meat birds. If I cross the Buff Rock and Dark Cornish, will I get a nice, meaty bird that's maybe not like those ugly white things, but still has plenty of meat on it?

For anyone who's interested, I'm thinking of getting BLRWs (straight run, as that't the only way McMurray will sell them), Buff Rocks, Dark Cornish, Welsummers, Australorps EEs and Barred Rocks. At the end of the summer, I only want a dozen or so hens, so I really only "need" one rooster.

I think the franken-meaties CornishX....are a mix of more than just two breeds, so I've heard-trade secret you know. Will have to decide what interesting crosses and OE backcrosses I can do out of my own coop.

I've got some Cream Legbar hatching eggs lined up and word out for others, nothing else has panned out as of yet.

 

[bobbi-j]

I placed my order for bantams for my breeding projects. Went with MMM. Ordered some red frizzle Cochin, barred Cochin and partridge Cochin. The plan is to hold a red frizzle rooster and put him over some barred hens to make little bantam frizzled sex links. then maybe a pen of the barred, and the partridge just cause I needed a few more birds to fill out the order and they're such eye candy

. They won't all be available until June, though.

I'm telling myself I don't need the Murray's choice layers. I really don't. Well, I'll wait til March or so and see if I need them then

.

The feed store will start getting chicks around the end of Feb. They usually have a decent variety of the more common breeds, so I can always get my fix that way.

Cause I can quit whenever I want, you know

Right - just like the rest of us!

 

[Mrs. K]

funny post

Cause I can quit whenever I want, you know

haha

 

[bobbi-j]

Change of plan. Since I have been indecisive for too long, some of the breeds I was going to order from McMurrays are no longer available. So, now I'm going to order their straight run heavy breed assortment, plus a couple of the breeds I wanted that are still available for the time I want them. It'll be fun! I love surprises. I'm also thinking I can go to our local farm supply store and pick up a few specific birds there. (Although, that can be a surprise, too, if you have the wrong person "helping" you...)

 

[Folly's place]

Bobbi, I've done the same thing, and it's great ! Besides, it's fun to figure out what breeds they've sent. Good luck! Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

It is fun trying to figure it out. I ordered the 15 straight run, 4 Buff Rock pullets and a Cockerel, 3 Dark Cornish pullets, and 2 Light Brahma pullets. Now it's figuring out a "brooder cave", cleaning out the coop for them, moving the old hens to that same coop (only in the other side).... It's supposed to be close to 50 this weekend! I know where I'm gonna be!

 

[donrae]

I've never ordered a hatchery choice/surprise, but this year I decided what the heck, I'd like to be surprised! I ordered from Meyer, the rainbow pullet selection so pretty much anything is fair game

. They're coming mid-March. Now, where am I going to grow out 25 chicks?

 

[bobbi-j]

I've never ordered a hatchery choice/surprise, but this year I decided what the heck, I'd like to be surprised! I ordered from Meyer, the rainbow pullet selection so pretty much anything is fair game  . They're coming mid-March. Now, where am I going to grow out 25 chicks?

Time for a new coop? It will be fun to hear what you end up with. I got heavies as I'm getting straight run. I can eat eggs as well as fill my freezer.

 

[aart]

Change of plan. ........

Am still waffling over what to put in the bator......starting to think maybe no to the CL eggs...sigh.
Want to backcross some of my OE's and hatch some more from the same cross...and only have 2 divisions in bator...sigh.

Might 'need' to do 2 hatches<rollseyesandcringes>...... I do want to make a hoop coop this year, a second hatch would spur that project....right?!

Getting close!
Have a build project to do up for someone else in the next 1-2 weeks, then time to set eggs!
<shrugs>who knows what I'll end up doing?!