Recent content by McSpin

  1. McSpin

    Austra white and California grey

    It's not going to hurt anything to keep them in the flock. I have a couple hatchery hybrids that are flighty, nervous wrecks, but the lay a lot of eggs and don't bother any of the other chickens. I don't particularly like them, but I like their eggs in the middle of the winter when the others...
  2. McSpin

    Breeding for size

    You sound a bit like me. I get bored to death of having show quality stock that has only small room for improvement to meet a "standard". Progress in such projects can be painfully slow. I'm far more enthused by crossing two strains to create a hybrid, that often times is not only unique in...
  3. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    A couple years ago I traded eggs with a person who had the same line of Welsummers that I have. I just wanted a rooster and as luck would have it, I got 7 to hatch and only one hen. Since I wanted to outcross, I made the mistake of getting rid of my roos before the new ones grew up (I could...
  4. McSpin

    Comment by 'McSpin' in item 'Farm Innovators "All-Seasons" Heated Plastic Poultry Fountain - 3 Gal. Model HPF-100, 100-Watt'

    I have a couple of these and they've worked fine for the 3 years I've had them. I would replace the plastic handle because it will not hold up if hung from it. It will keep the water moving in any weather. The galvanized ones with the heated base will not keep the water thawed in a raised...
    • McSpin
    • Review comment
  5. McSpin

    Homesteading with bees. Do they bother your chickens?

    I have 3 hives within 15 feet of a chicken pen containing 20 chickens. They've been together for about 6 years. The chickens are constantly around the hives scratching in the dirt, etc. I've never noticed any interaction between the two, but I'm leery of the chickens. I suspect if they took...
  6. McSpin

    How long before I give up on hatching eggs?

    It's really very simple. Fill a gallon sized container with cold water and crushed ice. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes to stabilize the temp. Hold the thermometer in the center of the water. Do not let it touch the sides or bottom of the container. Once the temp settles on one point, it should...
  7. McSpin

    How long before I give up on hatching eggs?

    This is why most beginners are better off buying chicks. It takes practice to get egg hatching down to the point where the percentage is over 50%. People think it's cheaper - it's not.
  8. McSpin

    How long before I give up on hatching eggs?

    If you heard a peep, don't bother candling. Peeps are an even better indicator. The time to candle is at about 10 days. Developing chicks are obvious and rejects can be removed. From this group, most everything will hatch if conditions are correct. Sounds like your temps are too low...
  9. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Photos really affect shape, angles and carriage and can be very misleading. The comb could be better, but most Welsummers seem to need improvement in this area. Our SOP states the back should be broad, long and sloping slightly. Yours seems okay here. The hackles should be golden brown and...
  10. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Thank you Ewe Sheep, The number one reason to make an outcross is because the prevention of immune system depression demands it. Here is a copy of an article about immune system genetics that explains it. This knowledgeable person bred cats, but it applies to all animals. Quote:
  11. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Quote: I haven't read his books and you've quoted nothing that he has said. How could I know if he's right or not on a statement? And to say that it "says enough in and of itself", is also a misleading at best. Quote: There has been no preponderance of evidence about anything given in...
  12. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Quote: No, line A,B and C come from the same parents, so they are all closely related and the same line. If I brought in a new outcross, the result would be a new line, but I didn't. Just rotating the breeders, does not make for a new line. Quote: I would never make such an...
  13. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    I'll expand further on how to develop a line. Let's say I went to a show and bought the best show-quality Welsummer rooster that was available. Pretend that I was disappointed with the average production of show Welsummers and I found a hatchery where their Welsummers layed an average of 275...
  14. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Yes, that is a good example. The definitions go like this: Variety: Any of a group of widely separated variants within a single interbreeding population. As used within the chicken world, varieties of Welsummers would be something like "partridge" or "duck wing", etc.. Strain: The...
  15. McSpin

    The Welsummer Thread!!!!

    Like I said - agree to disagree.
See more
Back
Top Bottom