Recent content by PoppasGrill

  1. PoppasGrill

    Sexing straight runs

    We tried taking the hatchlings at 1-5 days old and flipping them, in your palm, onto their backs. If they draw their legs up it’s a pullet, splayed our legs is cockerel. Was accurate for 8 out of 10, but just watching them grow and figuring it out is part of the fun of chickens. We have a Polish...
  2. PoppasGrill

    Existential chicken questions

    Good advise from everybody, Thank you. Have to review these options and discuss which will be our best. Hope they get busy or I figure it out and you will see me posting again about how much fun we are having with our chickens.
  3. PoppasGrill

    Existential chicken questions

    My wife was lucky enough to meet a restaurant owner and make a deal for the delicious eggs our ladies provided. That was when they gave us 70-80 a day, so they paid for themselves plus extra to put into coop renovations. All the egg money went back into the farm. With losses and lower egg...
  4. PoppasGrill

    Existential chicken questions

    Only time we consider quitting is after a predator attack. We lost 35+ last year to eagles and just got destroyed, emotionally, by the loss of hens and Roos. We do have 10 3 month olds and 18 10 day olds, not included in the original count. We are trying to get rid of some Roos , but our hens...
  5. PoppasGrill

    Existential chicken questions

    1) Is raising chickens, after chicken math, worth the time and money? We have 125 hens and 18 Roos . Spending about 150-175$ a week on feed , treats, and extras ( roosting pads, water vitamin additives, etc) while getting 30-40 eggs a day. We were breaking even on selling eggs, but now are back...
  6. PoppasGrill

    Eagle is back!!

    We have 4 different coops, and a bachelor coop, not really consolidated for a run.
  7. PoppasGrill

    Eagle is back!!

    Last year we lost 38+ chickens to, we eventually found out, to Eagles. They would kill a chicken and , before they could eat it, the donkeys would chase it off. Then it would circle and get another chicken and the cycle would repeat. Saw the Eagle in our front yard this weekend, ran out to see...
  8. PoppasGrill

    Waste of treats? Ideas on what went wrong, and what to do now?

    It’s a slippery slope you’re on. We mixed mealworms with our ladies feed for a long time, after a while they started picking out the worms and leaving the feed. Gave them feed with some scratch mixed in and they started digging through it to find worms, none in there, and walked away. Giving...
  9. PoppasGrill

    What breeds should I get next? What are your favorite breeds?!

    For us , we found the more docile breeds are Speckled Sussex, as mentioned earlier, EE, Copper Moran, and Saphire Gem. These are the friendliest , in my experience, and good egg producers. If you are looking for those that can be handled reasonably well. We have a rather large flock that...
  10. PoppasGrill

    What is your advise to someone thinking of using a Brahma to raise chicks?

    She is a good looking girl. We let Momma decide when they are old enough to be on their own, usually she will just walk away from them and join the rest of the flock. I’ve tried introducing day olds to a broody without good results, so never tried again. Breeds make a difference also, I know the...
  11. PoppasGrill

    It's been a very rough first year with chickens. Anyone else?

    We live in Florida, so the only season we have is hot, and prepare to get hot. Oh yea, and storms. Fans in the coops, lots of ventilation and shade, fresh water, frozen peas and watermelon are our Ladies saving grace.
  12. PoppasGrill

    It's now been 5 years.....

    That’s awesome. Good looking flock you got there, but seems that something is missing… I heard that pheasant are nice….
  13. PoppasGrill

    Question: Pellets vs. Crumble

    Our Ladies are wishy washy. Some refuse to eat pellets, others refuse to eat crumbles. Some go through and pick out any goodies they can and try not to eat either. We mix starter feed with ground up mealworms for the chicks, but the older Ladies will sometimes get in there and hog everything...
  14. PoppasGrill

    chicken bucket list

    We are trying to get a full spectrum of large colored egg layers. It’s tough as we are getting our chicks from Rural King, not a hatchery, so can only get what they have available.
  15. PoppasGrill

    chicken bucket list

    If you were closer I would give you a couple Cemani Roos. We purchased , 2 years ago, 8 Cemani chicks that turned into 6 Roos and 1 predator loss of a hen. They are beautiful, but we are trying to get rid of 4 of the Roos. We have a mixed flock and tried to keep the Cemani separate, but then had...
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