Oregon

[tallyho]

I got two blue/green (what do you call EE egg color?) eggs today! The amazing thing is that they are from my 8 year old hens! And I was going to send them off to a retirement farm in Roseburg (to actually retire, not to the stock pot!). I need the room for some new babies. The old ladies took a molt break. One stopped in August. I thought she wasn't going to lay anymore. The other molted in October. They both had horrible molts down to bare skin.

Speaking of...is there a wives tale about hard molts and hard winters or something? I had a yard full of nekid birds this year.

Silkie report: still in the coop. I tried to shoo them out today but to no avail.

 

[Noncentzter]

I have 7 girls that I got from the August swap and NONE of them are laying...durn bunch of free loaders! And NONE of my W/BW Ameraucanas are laying and they are between 6 and 9 months old!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Well, the oldest Ams should start laying really soon. I also picked up 2 lavender pullets from pinkchick yesterday that are 8 months old (Shaffer/Blehm lines) one of which has been laying for a couple of weeks, and the other one started just a couple of days ago. The black one that started yesterday is 8 months too. Hang in there!

 

[geeber]

Quote:
What do you mean by a sound proof chamber? I am also very interested in adding a rooster to my flock. I also live in the city & want to keep my neighbors happy. We live 20 minutes west of Portland.

Also, how do you pick what breed of rooster to get? Obviously we'd want a quieter, docile breed of rooster for our 1 BO and 2 SLW.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
What do you mean by a sound proof chamber? I am also very interested in adding a rooster to my flock. I also live in the city & want to keep my neighbors happy. We live 20 minutes west of Portland.

Also, how do you pick what breed of rooster to get? Obviously we'd want a quieter, docile breed of rooster for our 1 BO and 2 SLW.

If you want a docile rooster, I'd recommend a Faverolles. Though Wyandottes and Orpingtons can be really nice too, then you'd have some pure chicks. Though with any large fowl breed, when they do crow it's going to be loud, and as far as how much they crow, it's up to the individual bird, you can't make generalizations about any breed for how much they crow. It's a personality thing.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I just went out to feed and collect eggs for the day, and I got a surprise in my Lavender bantam Ameraucana coop! My first egg from them today! Wow - it's been a great week!! First, one of my bantam blacks started laying again after MONTHS off, my first LF Am egg, and now my first lavender bantam Am egg! Merry Christmas to me!

 

[geeber]

Oh, I just checked out what Faverolle roosters look like. Oooooooooooo... very pretty.

So I then checked out your website & see you have bantam Faverolles. Are the bantams a little less loud then regular? And could a bantam mate w/ my BO & SLW's? This might be just the route to go. I would really like a rooster to protect & take care of our girls. & if we got a chickie or two... that would be okay. Mostly we eat the eggs. No freezer camp here (unless we had to cull for health or humane issues).

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
I think it depends on the individual rooster if they are able to "get the job done". Though I have heard of lots of bantam roos mating large fowl hens. Itjust so happens that I do have an extra bantam Fav cockerel right now. He hatched 10/3...

 

[geeber]

I may have to take you up on that temptation... however, my partner doesn't understand chicken math yet......

Ohhh... tempting.

 

[ctaynton]

Quote:
Ugh! Halfway, I bet you are buried in snow! We just got dumped on a few nights ago......
So, tell me about your chickens!