First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[mountain mom]

Busy day here at the B&G!

Welcome back Morrigan! Your babies, feathered and fuzzy both, are adorable!

So. Here is what I did. I somehow managed to leave the feed store with only 3 chicks. You read that right, 3. They were out of the Dorkings, so we came home with a Barnevelder, Orloff, and Exchequer Leghorn. DH is not too upset... I imagine I can make him his favorite meal and all will be well. There were many comments about how 11 chickens is going to be waaaayyyy too many. All while he is feeding the gals bites of his afternoon snack. He loves them, he just hates to admit it.

The Barnevelder is TOO CUTE! She makes little cricket noises. Her name is Cricket. The other two are still nameless.

Jessica- I would LOVE to have such a deal on chicks and bring them all home!! Our feed store always sells each and every one, somehow. Maybe because they are the only one of two in town that sells chicks.
Good luck with the rest of the tractor parts! And with the Chicken Drive.

 

[nj2wv]

Mm - how can you buy just three ? I don't have the will power. I have to send my son to tsc or I would bring home the whole bin. My dh did say yes to another cackle surprise. I have one coming on 3/25 and this one on 4/20. 40 assorted poultry for $62. Includes shipping. I got turkey's and chicks in the last one.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Try this for catching chickens!

I haven't tried it yet but he sure makes it look easy.

That thing scares me. I don't see how it doesn't hurt their legs. Anyway, I am catching 100s of chickens though. I need to herd them into a trailer or something.

nj2: My problem is that the farm is nearly an hour away from me. Therefore, if I go at dark and spend the time rounding up the chickens, I may not get home until 11. Plus, they are at someone's home and I would most likely be keeping them awake. It stinks and there is not great answer. It's all complicated.

 

[JessicaThistle]

So. Here is what I did. I somehow managed to leave the feed store with only 3 chicks. You read that right, 3.

Jessica- I would LOVE to have such a deal on chicks and bring them all home!! Our feed store always sells each and every one, somehow. Maybe because they are the only one of two in town that sells chicks.
Good luck with the rest of the tractor parts! And with the Chicken Drive.

I cannot believe that you did it!! Only 3? That is some awesome self control!

We do have several places that sell chicks around here. There is at least one place that sells some nearly year round. It's not a definite but there is always I chance that if I time it right, I can score a bunch of chicks on the cheap. I will just wait it out and see. Often times, they are so desperate to rid themselves of the chicks that they will send the bin, water and feeders along too. I plan to just keep my eyes open. Lucky for me, I have to pass the main feed store where I saw this deal before on the way to take care of my chickens at the farm.

It would certainly need to make sense for my business, such as a large enough number of the right breeds. Last year there was sexlinks, barred rock and astralorps when I saw the deal. I'd take those at buy 1 get 2 free!

 

[Fyremelody]

Jessica -- Aliens are responsible for these beings in my house? Well, I guess there is proof after all. Huh. Who would have thunk it that parents can verify the existence of extra--terrestrial beings.

That's awesome on the chickens coming to your house. I've not read down yet to see if there are indeed pics. But I *love* going out to take care of the birds here at home. I think it would drive me bonkers to have to commute to do it. It would become a chore instead of something I enjoy. I'm glad you get to have the little pullets close!!

 

[Fyremelody]

Ralph: Sounds like you are feeling better -- I certainly hope so! Your rooster stories are too funny. But Ole -- oh my. He's gorgeous. As is your cream legbar. I'm a sucker for Crele coloring. So if you're ever shipping eggs this far...

MM: My nine year old also is unrecognizable. I swear it's not the same child who resided under my roof last year. Not at all.

Morrigan: Welcome back!

Turkeytruff (Hope I spelled that right): Welcome, and bottoms up!

Jessica: I misunderstood in my previous post, but now I understand your business endeavor. Your posts remind me of the "Free Range" commercial flitting around, which cracks me up every time I see it. Please continue with the chicken smuggling tales!

On the chicks and Cornish this year:

I really want to focus on rearing my own Cornish X variation. Unfortunately, fate isn't helping me out in that department. Lori had some obvious circulatory issues -- her waddles and comb slowly turned purple. (No other symptoms of anything to be that respiratory thing that causes this.) I found her three days ago in classic "Chicken Flip". The next morning, the same thing with Lola. Only one of those two ladies was producing fertile eggs. Lulu is still with Jerry, but hasn't laid since her sisters passed. The eggs I've put in the incubator are coming up with 1/3 fertile -- all out of the same type of shell. Lulu is clearly Jerry's favorite (I really need a saddle!) but I'm uncertain whether she's the actual productive hen. AND, my incubator and I have an ongoing battle. Presently it is winning. So my project meaties may not come into fruition. Everyone please say a little prayer that the 7 eggs I have in the incubator make it through hatch day this time. Sigh.

That means I likely will have some Cornish this year. It will probably only be the bigger birds that the local farm store can't sell off -- my best friend's mom works there and will pick them up for us when they get to the "unsellable" stage. So it won't be many CX.

Instead, if I lose Lulu, or even if we don't, I think we're looking for straight White Cornish. Anyone happen to know a breeder who will ship eggs? I want quality, not just hatchery stock though.

My eldest alien-possessed demi-demon, however, has a pet Dark Cornish, and he has informed me three times now that he wants to take on a flock of Dark Cornish. This bird lays exceptionally well. I told him he could so long as he did two hours worth of reading and studying about the breed each week. The same thing I told my youngest for the quail eggs we're cooking up for him.

Right now, it's also really hectic trying to get this heirloom farm off the ground and running. We *finally* got the mature Orps in their house this last week. And I snagged a lovely pure black English roo to go with them alternating with my BBS English roo. He's evidently all rooster, compared to Odin (the BBS) who, although a god, is very... docile. Bacchus, (the black) evidently killed two roos the week before he came here. And he'll evidently breed anything that moves. You can see it in his face too, he has a tough as nails scowl. Heh.

The lavender orp chicks are soooo pretty. Although now my brooder is overcrowded and I'm working on finishing up a nine-foot long brooder for the office. I also picked up some Ameraucana's this week, to add to my layers and my EE breeding pens when they mature.

And, my own rooster story of the week. Meet Marshmellow. An adorably fluffy white silkie who weighs all of a pound or so. I pulled all his pen mates from him for a day, separating a few of our breeding pairs now that they are mature. Then, that night, I put in four young birds with him and his beloved hen, Cotton. The young birds are two polkies (one naked neck), one silkie, and one frizzled silkie turkin. Sex unknown on all of them. Anywho, that first night they were terrified of Cotton. The next day, they were all getting along at morning feeding. By that night, Marshmellow had plucked every single tail feather out of both Polkies!!! He's now in isolation in the house, waiting for the flock in the coop to forget about him, so he can come in as low man on the totem pole and get knocked down a peg or two.

Anyway... chicken adventures, right? Laugh. Gotta love them, good or bad.

 

[duluthralphie]

Melody, Thanks..

I wish I could take credit for either one of those roosters, I can't. I bought the diamond encrusted golden egg laying crested cream leg bars. It is a shame he has some frostbite but it happens up here. I am hoping one of the three eggs of theirs will have a nice looking roo in them.

As far as Ole goes, he just kind of grows on you. He is cocky sneaky little opportunistic breeder. He is always following the girls hoping to get a chance to do it. He is good looking though, but his tail is getting kind of ratty. I am thinking he is getting caught in the saddle a little more than he should be the more dominant roosters. And alas I had nothing to do with his breeding either, I simply saved him from adorning a fishing fly. He was lucky he nearly became one when I said I would take him.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Jessica -- Aliens are responsible for these beings in my house? Well, I guess there is proof after all. Huh. Who would have thunk it that parents can verify the existence of extra--terrestrial beings.

That's awesome on the chickens coming to your house. I've not read down yet to see if there are indeed pics. But I *love* going out to take care of the birds here at home. I think it would drive me bonkers to have to commute to do it. It would become a chore instead of something I enjoy. I'm glad you get to have the little pullets close!!

Yep. I'm positive it's aliens. I think they are doing a study on how we react when our sweet child turns into a demon. I'm sure it's quite interesting for them that we actually let them live. We are so passive aggressive that we just start drinking heavily. Haha!

 

[Double Kindness]

Can I say something?! That ayam cemani roo got busy with my ladies awful fast! 3 eggs just hatched out of blue eggs, and they are BLACK!!

So now I guess I'm working on a fibro egg layer project.

And I think one of these runner ducks is a drake gah!!

So. Narragansett turkey or what breed? I need to get my meat chickens asap if I'm going to do it, my bf is wanting to till up the back raised garden bed that currently 2 muscovies and and 7 chickens are on..

 

[duluthralphie]

DK, I have no idea what to tell you on turkey breeds.

There are so many pretty ones to pick from.

I am not 100% sure which Jake I will keep.

I like the idea of splashes, but I also like the looks of one of the self blue/ lavender. He is majestic looking. I am most likely going to keep a splash/blue that does not think attacking me from behind in fun.

If I keep the lavender all I will get is lavenders. Of course I have a blue/splash hen so I should get splashes from her. I would not get any blacks then, which would be ok. I just am not sure what to do...





Ole got brave today, when I went to collect eggs I found Ole inside the main coop, that is a first. However, Ernie and Nameless were both outside the coop, so Ole could be losing a few tail feathers this afternoon.

I got 27 eggs from 30 girls! And of course no eggs from the golden egg layers! I am going to have to have a talk with them.