The Middle Tennessee Thread

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Alright, Jenski! Here you go! I started us a thread.

It was delightful to meet all of you today! What a fun group of BYCers we have here in middle TN!

Jen and I decided that we had all kind of hijacked the TN thread from the east TN folks. So here we have our own thread. So, go. Talk amongst yourselves...

 

[Deryk]

I don't know about everyone else but I am pretty tired of this rain. 12.4" in February for the month. Can't even walk through my chicken run without sinking up to my ankles in mud.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

[quote name="Holcombes Chick" url="/t/440277/the-middle-tennessee-thread/13410#post My question is...is anyone going to have RIR pullets who are "Coop Ready" in a few weeks to sell? We really don't want to mess with chicks to restart our coop, but we also have no problem getting hens that are not laying. The last auction we went to the poultry prices were ridiculous! I refuse to pay $20 a head for a chicken! (It was seriously that much).
[/quote]
Actually, $20 is a fair price for a quality, point of lay pullet. To get one that size you either have to hatch them out (cost of running an incubator) and raise it up (cost of brooding) or buy it as a chick either through a hatchery or locally (around $3-4). Then you have to feed it for 5-6 months ($10-12 worth of feed), not to mention cost of cocci meds or wormers if you dose them up (and since cocci is very prevalent in our dirt it is wise to do so). So at minimum a breeder has $12-15 in that bird already, not to mention their time. Paying $5 so you don't have to brood is pretty much a bargain for 6 months worth of work.

 

[Gentry1350]

My new babies...was in a hurry to get them back into the brooder!

 

[msmeower]

What are you going to use when you have to get a script for those wormers?.... not sure when that will happen I think 2017.

I am a licensed veterinarian so no problem there! I will also be happy to dispense poultry meds to Middle TN folks in necessary situations once a valid client-patient relationship is established...which will be easy between the swaps and such going on here! But truly, I don't think that legislation will ever pass.
As a side note on this topic, our veterinary website is about to launch a livestock online store for medications, supplies, etc. and the prices are mostly cheaper than you will find anywhere in stores or on the internet. Shipping is free if you buy over $38. I'll post the link here once it's up and running! We already have a dog and cat online store with awesome prices, especially on flea control and Royal Canin and Hill's pet foods, with free shipping over $38.

www.lynchburgvet.net

Click on My VetStore Online

Wendy
Golden Gaits Farm
Lynchburg Veterinary Hospital

 

[cree57i]

Hi! ANYONE in or near Westmoreland that has a hatching egg? I have a broody hen I can't break!

Welcome!
I've got a bunch of eggs that are fertile. What are you looking for? Rare breeds all the way to Barnyard mix. PM me if you are interested! I'm in Mt. Juliet.

 

[Rammy]

Raccoons and Humans.

 

[nchls school]

Pretty exotic breeds! I have a husband but am owned by a German Shepherd and a Corgi. I caught a very large rat snake stealing an egg this afternoon when the rain stopped. He's hiding in the straw in the chicken house.

I wish I could have caught the snake that was raiding our nests. No such luck. We bought snake repellent and it seems to be working.

Some of our Wigglebottoms.

 

[pickledchicken]

Subject: Murray McMurray Hachery - Help Us Say No to Proposed Poultry Handling Fee

Special Action Requested
Would you please help us say "NO" to the United States Post Office's plan to raise shipping rates on the poultry you order?​

Dear Valued Murray McMurray Hatchery Customer,
It has come to our attention the Post Office is requesting a change to the shipment of poultry through the mail. The following link is a copy of the proposal in PDF form or You can read the proposal on-line at the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/04/24/2013-09603/new-mailing-standards-for-live-animals-and-special-handling
They are asking that a Special Handle Fee be charged on every Live Animal Shipment. This proposal would increase the postage amount by $9.00 to $11.95 per box.
The proposal outlines the new fees to be charged but it does not include any new rules to insure us that service would also improve. Nor does it offer how additional funds would address their concerns about; Protection of Postal Service employees, mail and the environment, or animals against death.
Please read the proposed changes and send your comments to the US Post Office. We have included a link to a sample letter (in MS Word) for your use. (Sample Letter Link)
Make your voice heard, do it today. The comment period ends next week May 24. Thank you for your continued support.

​

Letters and e-mails must be submitted on or before May 24, 2013, by sending to the below address or Emailed to [email protected], with a subject line of "Live Animals".
The Manager, Product Classification
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446
Washington, DC 20260-5015
RE: 39 CFR Part 111 New Mailing Standards for Live Animals and Special Handling

​

The Postal Service consistently accepts, transports, and delivers live animals with additional care in handling, regardless of the mail class or the extra
service being purchased. This additional care ensures safe and effective processing for mail containing live animals through the mailstream to its
destination. Consequently, the Postal Service incurs additional expense to isolate and protect live shipments even when sent by air transportation, such as with Express Mail® or Priority Mail®

I could see where the shipment of live animals would require additional care and expense it has to slow things down a bit. I have had very good luck thus far shipping with the USPS. The packing tape is free the boxes are free and I enjoy the ease of printing labels at home and that saves money too. Anytime additional care and attention is required it's gonna cost a little extra. Even with the additional charges I still couldn't get in the car and do it for less. All we can do is moan over additional charges and make disclaimers in our adds and put all the weight and liability on the postal service. What if they just stop accepting live shipments all together ? It is a service they provide I am not entitled to this service they don't have to do this for us. I have seen birds sell for hundreds of dollars an extra 10 bucks to ensure the safe arrival of a live animal shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure if the chickens had a say in it they would fork out the extra dough for a safe comfortable trip.

 

[FeyRaine]

EE would not be good to breed true for something like egg color. Even my SBEL could and will lay white eggs. You just can't know the WHOLE genetics pictures especially with roos. My SBEL for example would only ever carry one copy of the blue egg gene (1 from the sire and White from the dam) So if you breed them you would get a mix of white eggs and blue eggs.... not including the genes of the other chicken mated too. Same goes with Olive Egger those are just ALL over the place and when you start breeding them together even a bigger mess. I don't even want to fool with F2 Olive Eggers.

I know.
I just needed to fill up the incubator to help it keep temps. even while trying to get the darn Buckeyes to make babies (which they sadly never did).

Everyone who got the resulting EE mutts were clearly told they could lay any color (white, brown, blue, green, or even a peachy-pink) and they were also clearly told they were simply barnyard mutts.

One of my neighbors who I was socializing our puppy w/ today is an unemployed 60something widow recently re-married to a disabled Vietnam Vet, and they were thrilled to tell me they got 4 eggs out of 4 birds today, including one bird which looks as I noted and lays a green egg. They wouldn't know a RIR from a Phoenix but they are making great use of those incubator packing peanut EE mutts I gave them I've got the last of the grown out birds going out next week as "feeder guppies" to two families who are new to chickens and in similar need, one being a family who got foreclosed on last year while helping their kids w/ a pre-mature grandbaby & all 3 generations are now living on 2 acres in RVs doing the best they can, the mutt EE cockerals can fill a pot of dumpling very nicely and for whatever reason these pullets are laying really well, I had avg. 12eggs/wk out of two of them all winter when none of my other birds including purebreds would lay.

They aren't fancy, they don't all lay pretty colors, but they kept the bator warm , they tended to have hatch rates of 80-100% , and I've got an F2 generation of my barnyard mutts in half the bator right now, partly to keep it full, but also b/c having a few extra decent mutt birds to grow out and gift to ppl who could really use a little food flock is my own little pay it forward project. Some of them will enjoy the birds and move into buying better stock if/when they can afford it, but mainly these go to ppl who would never afford it otherwise (2x it has included a basic little homemade coop too for that reason).