Montana

[Groovynatureguy]

Hello all!
I'm not new to BYC but we just moved. ( My family and I) To Montana. I've lived her once before and bought 3 of my original girls here and took them back to california with me and then hauled them all up to Montana again. We live in Laurel, just on the county line by Park City. My main flock of 12 consists of. 2 Roosters. One Buff Laced Brahma, One Olive Egger. and 9 girls. 1 gold laced Polish, 1 dark brahma banta, 1 olive egger. 1 olive egger x buff brahma cross, 1 wyandotte bantam cross, 1 wellsummer, 1 olive egger female, 1 barred rock, and 4 Wyandottes, SL, Colombian, 2 BLRW. We also just purchased two Heritage Breed Turkeys. A black spanish Jake and a royal palm hen. All living in a converted horse stall/ coop.

Probably going to hatch this spring again, trying to figure what breeds I really want and or like. I love the wyandottes, but mine my original two girls were Shipton's chicks and I wasn't impressed with their egg size or frequency at all. one of them is actually barren. Doesn't lay, never has she goes to the nest and sings her face off and we praise her but no eggs. The SL and my Wellie are reaching 5 so aren't laying much anymore....

Any thing the rest of you here in Montana really are liking? I had some Brown Leghorns that I rehomed in California and....one laid a massive egg but they were flighty and noisy and nosey and skittish and while they were beautiful I'm not sure I'd go that route again.

First,
Welcome back to Montana!

We really love our Buff orphington and Barred Rocks... All are good layers and quite full of personality. we also have a wheaton Marans that is the sweetest bird ever but she hasnt started laying yet,

 

[popsicle]

Hello all!
I'm not new to BYC but we just moved. ( My family and I) To Montana. I've lived her once before and bought 3 of my original girls here and took them back to california with me and then hauled them all up to Montana again. We live in Laurel, just on the county line by Park City. My main flock of 12 consists of. 2 Roosters. One Buff Laced Brahma, One Olive Egger. and 9 girls. 1 gold laced Polish, 1 dark brahma banta, 1 olive egger. 1 olive egger x buff brahma cross, 1 wyandotte bantam cross, 1 wellsummer, 1 olive egger female, 1 barred rock, and 4 Wyandottes, SL, Colombian, 2 BLRW. We also just purchased two Heritage Breed Turkeys. A black spanish Jake and a royal palm hen. All living in a converted horse stall/ coop.

Probably going to hatch this spring again, trying to figure what breeds I really want and or like. I love the wyandottes, but mine my original two girls were Shipton's chicks and I wasn't impressed with their egg size or frequency at all. one of them is actually barren. Doesn't lay, never has she goes to the nest and sings her face off and we praise her but no eggs. The SL and my Wellie are reaching 5 so aren't laying much anymore....

Any thing the rest of you here in Montana really are liking? I had some Brown Leghorns that I rehomed in California and....one laid a massive egg but they were flighty and noisy and nosey and skittish and while they were beautiful I'm not sure I'd go that route again.

My favorite birds are by far the Brahmas. However, I've been very happy with the productivity of my Jersey Giant--she's not smart, but she lays a lot and is calm. Marans are also a favorite for beauty, productivity and personality.

 

[Mrsfoote]

You know I"ve had horrid luck with Marans. All mine except the one wheaten Maran I sold turned into a rooster. But that is interesting that you think that. I love my Brahmas and like I said I know wyandottes are cold hardy but I"m not impressed with their egg size or the frequency in which they laid.

 

[popsicle]

You know I"ve had horrid luck with Marans. All mine except the one wheaten Maran I sold turned into a rooster. But that is interesting that you think that. I love my Brahmas and like I said I know wyandottes are cold hardy but I"m not impressed with their egg size or the frequency in which they laid.

I've had Silver Laced Wyandotte from two sources--Welp (Privett) and Cackle.

The Privett bird was massive (almost as big as my Jersey Giant), and had nice lacing. Her egg was good sized--probably a large. I have too many birds to really know what her productivity was, but I found her in the nest box often enough, however she was the last of that batch of chicks to lay.

The Cackle bird is undersized (smaller than my leghorn, but she's not bantam and they don't even sell SLW bantams), and lays a very small egg almost every day. For awhile she didn't even look like a wyandotte except the comb and lacing.

The youngest I've ever had a Marans lay is at 25+ weeks, which is one of my current Cuckoos. I'm still waiting for the others in that batch to lay, and they're now 28-weeks. This Cuckoo has been giving me maybe 4 eggs a week. My previous Black Coppers were maybe 4-or-5-eggs-a-week layers, but they didn't start laying until they were over 30 weeks. I like the Marans because the hens don't cause any problems. I've lucked out and never ended up with a Marans cockerel.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I've had some good luck. I've had some roosters, but none that I couldn't re-home. I had a beautiful breeder quality set of Brown Leghorns....and I would have kept them but the Rooster felt like 4 am was a good time to crow so he went to a farm with a family friend, because I lived in the city and couldn't have roosters...had two anyhow but my boys like to sleep in. No crowing before 7 am from any of the roosters I've had. Mostly Brahmas.

I love the way Barred Rocks look, but I've heard that the roosters can be a bit wicked, and I love the Marans as well. So I'm trying to figure out what I"m going to hatch come spring, as I'm trying to control my urges to do so now. Luckily due to just moving here, my incubator is hidden somewhere in the massive stockpile of boxes, and I'm hoping my SLW wont go broody like she does every Thanksgiving.

Other than that, does anyone know of some Hatcheries in which they are really happy with the coloring ( close to proper) and size of their birds? We got some chicks from Shiptons a few years ago and the light brahma's coloring was horrid, he was sweet though. The D'uccles were nicely colored but the black sex link I had I think that was what it was...at 35 weeks wasn't laying so I re-homed her.

 

[DuginMT]

Welcome back Mrsfoote!

We got our 13 chicks from Shiptons in west Billings this spring (March 15-17). The 12 pullets all started laying between 19 and 21 weeks. Shipton's got them from McMurray Hatchery. We bought five different breeds (RIR, BR, BO, EE, and BA). All 13 survived, 12 are good layers, the other is a rooster. They all turned out to be the color and size as advertised, except no two EEs seem to look the same. The gray barred rocks have very vivid barring, and the RIR's are a nice dark red, especially in their upper bodies and necks. Our BRs are not wicked at all, but any rooster can be cranky. We are currently getting 9-11 eggs per day. Haven't had them long enough to opine on long-term health and production, but they are all doing great so far. The only one to brood so far was a BA. She is back to laying after taking about 22 days off, and we tried to break her by putting her off the nest numerous times, but were not successful. I do know one of the EE's skips laying about 2-3 days per week, and the other one skips 1-2 days per week, but the blue and green eggs are great. I heard that RIRs are aggressive, but ours are near the bottom of the pecking order. All good breeds, and can't complain about any of them. Might try to add a few brahmas next year, or red sex links. Haven't decided yet. Very happy with the Shipton's chicks though, perhaps they changed suppliers since you got yours originally?

 

[popsicle]

I've had some good luck. I've had some roosters, but none that I couldn't re-home. I had a beautiful breeder quality set of Brown Leghorns....and I would have kept them but the Rooster felt like 4 am was a good time to crow so he went to a farm with a family friend, because I lived in the city and couldn't have roosters...had two anyhow but my boys like to sleep in. No crowing before 7 am from any of the roosters I've had. Mostly Brahmas.

I love the way Barred Rocks look, but I've heard that the roosters can be a bit wicked, and I love the Marans as well. So I'm trying to figure out what I"m going to hatch come spring, as I'm trying to control my urges to do so now. Luckily due to just moving here, my incubator is hidden somewhere in the massive stockpile of boxes, and I'm hoping my SLW wont go broody like she does every Thanksgiving.

Other than that, does anyone know of some Hatcheries in which they are really happy with the coloring ( close to proper) and size of their birds? We got some chicks from Shiptons a few years ago and the light brahma's coloring was horrid, he was sweet though. The D'uccles were nicely colored but the black sex link I had I think that was what it was...at 35 weeks wasn't laying so I re-homed her.

I think for a hatchery Cackle has nice looking Light Brahmas. Here is a link to their page with a video of their breeder flock: http://www.cacklehatchery.com/page68.htm
My Light Brahma from Welp has terrible coloring. I'm hoping to find some nice Buffs (or get eggs from my old flock in WI), and would love some Buff Laced.

I'd love to split an order with somebody in MT from Urch or somewhere similar. I can't shell out the money for the minimum 25. I'd like some of his Buckeye and Javas.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I should go out and take pics of my birds. I love my buff laced boy but he isn't very big at all. Beautiful though, except he has a few black leakage. I'm still trying to figure out what I want for spring .I'm a huge fan of the Dark Brahmas they are amazing. The lights are nice but I seem to notice more issues with coloring unless they are breeder stock.

 

[Danishennies]

I have a question if anybody knows the answer. Ok I have 14 chickens all together one Roo who is a good hubby to his flock. He finds food, he spotted an eagle the other day and pushed his flock into the coop and made racket until my husband went out to see what was going on he put the dog and both cats on alert so they helped him protect the coop. We seperated 5 girls from the big coop because their feathers were just not comming in(they do have aprons on) they are also the anti social birds of the bunch an want nothing to do with the other birds. Well Lewis is getting waking up in the morning and coming out if the coop an he has taken on running after the hens to mate. He is really rough with them now. Then as the day goes on he tames down and becomes the loving hubby again. My question is first is this normal? Second is this because winter in coming? Then my girls used to lay about 10 eggs a day now I am getting maybe 3 or 4? Is there something going on that maybe I am missing? Something going on in the coop? Plus I noticed when we do somthing to the coop my rooster pouts. I threw straw in there and he pouted and wanted to sleep in the shed. Please help!

 

[DuginMT]

I think he may be bothered by the five separated hens and is working the remaining hens more now. They are very aware of each flock member - my rooster attacked me when I sat between the flock and the one hen still laying in the coop! Also, I have noticed my rooster is more active in this cool weather than he was on the hot fall days. If you add back hens he will have to spread his energy out more - a rooster can cover 20+ hens. If he is seriously degrading the plumage, you may have to separate him until you need him (for fertilizing) or until you get more hens in his flock. Hope this helps!