Recent content by aliciaFarmer

That's a really great plan and why I too have added all of those same breeds for more regular eggs and meat options. A couple of years ago with a flock of 24 heritage breed hens I was getting about seven dozen eggs a week in the dead of winter. I later switched to all beautiful colored egg...

That's sad af! I let my meat birds free range for 8 to 12 hours a day depending upon time of year and when they're confined, they have a minimum of 6sf each, but I'm working on getting more chicken tractors built so they have more space. My last batch was only 13 birds and I felt like they were...

That's really great information, thank you! I actually read about the marbling on a site that was selling Bresse chicks and they spoke nothing of what you just said. Very misleading on their part and that was the sole reason I wanted to try them next. Anything to lure a customer and make a buck...

I currently "only" have 44 because I just sold 15, but I'm adding 26 more in spring. I'll be selling more once those start laying because I don't really need to keep more than about 50 for our small farm. Love your names!

Thank you! I hadn't actually thought of Penedesenca -- I haven't had them before. Besse is another I eventually want to try as I heard the meat is marbled which seems fascinating to me. I'll check the others you mentioned too. I went for Bielfelders and Niederrheiners because they're apparently...

Oooh, he was bad and definitely deserved that name, lol. Most of my roosters have been super sweet but he wasn't nice to fellow chickens.

It might be easier if you try getting him off the roost in the evening if your coop is set up to be able to do such a thing. I've had plenty of roosters who wouldn't want me to touch them for anything but when I had to, getting them off the roost when they were chill seems to be what worked best...

I decided to start a dual purpose flock for potential meat. We've previously only kept chickens for eggs and have processed a few scrawny cockerels and roos. So far we have 2 Bielefelder girls and a boy (they're only 3 months old). I just ordered 2 more of Bielfelder girls and 5 straight run...

I've had one chicken with a broken wing, though it was a shipped baby and arrived that way. What helped for him was to wrap it with vet tape, over the effected wing and under the good wing, making sure the wing seemed perfectly aligned. I'm not sure if it was broken or dislocated but that seemed...

I have/have had a lot: Wren Tarly John Snow Tasty Bite Nettleton Mr Blue Foots Stew Jasper Arrow Brynjolf Little Sh*t Hannibal Johnathan Van Nest Ricky Baker (from a movie) Hec Treelore Fancy Fred Prabu Johnny Cash (became a she) Oleander Xanadu Periwinkle Soup Green Bean Kale Peppercorn...

You're actually lucky if you haven't noticed a feed shortage or I'm very unlucky. We have three feed stores within a 45-minute radius and one of them hopes to have feed next Thursday, another one isn't sure when they will get it and the other has a three-week waiting list due to people...

Stores here are pretty barren. I have four goat bottle babies and couldn't find whole organic cow's milk for them but now, no milk at all. There was literally no produce, no beans, no rice, no toilet paper, no meat at a handful of stores. I decided to order a bunch of seed potatoes and garden...

Thank you so much. I will look it up for sure and keep all the info on hand. The one that I was worried about had a big poop this morning and is doing great now. I appreciate the tips so much! These little cuties have such sensitive little systems.

Thank you! I will pick up some suppositories today. Is Karo syrup corn syrup? I don't have any of that for today but we'll get some tomorrow. The closest store other than a tiny drugstore is almost an hour away. Would molasses work in the meantime? I also read yesterday that milk alone doesn't...

I personally would get some hatching eggs of whatever breed(s) interest(s) the next time she's broody. It's so much easier. I have 16 in a brooder right now and 12 eggs under a broody. Brooder babies can be sweeter though, to be honest. I'd keep your older girls too, if it were me. My RIRs have...