Recent content by vastplains

  1. vastplains

    Lighting question for adult chickens

    Thank you for your replies! This gives us some good talking points. We have pets and show chickens. That is all. There is no need for maximum production here and ,if there were, we would have production type hens anyway. Hopefully we can reach a compromise.
  2. vastplains

    Lighting question for adult chickens

    I am being told that chickens require 12 hours of light for maximum health and to keep egg laying at the maximum. The thinking is also that that show chickens will eat better as well. I am being told that research backs this thinking. In light of that (pun intended), we have large led lighting...
  3. vastplains

    Light Sussex source...

    We have Speckled, Light and Coronation Sussex. We have had many varieties of chickens for well over twenty three years. By FAR, our favorite breed is Sussex. We find them to be great foragers, very curious, gentle and funny. It is a rare day that I can lay in the hammock without one of them...
  4. vastplains

    Hatchery Suggestions?

    I have ordered from McMurray in the past but most recently we ordered from Cackle for the first time. I would absolutely order from them again. Their Amauracanas are actually good quality, the blue laced red Wyandotte’s are true in markings not just a “just” of what they should be and there...
  5. vastplains

    Speckled Sussex

    I don’t generally do more that lurk here, but I had to chime in to this discussion. By FAR, Speckled Sussex chickens are our favorite chickens of all time closely followed by Light Sussex. We have had a variety of show quality and hatchery quality chickens for over 20 years now and that is the...
  6. vastplains

    Illinois...

    I am located an hour west of Peoria. I would definitely be interested in the Barnevelders! I saw a breeder on Craig's list near Cincinnati, but that is the closest I've come to seeing any. I told my husband it's as if someone took our nations map and cut a misshapen circle from Chicago to...
  7. vastplains

    Illinois...

    Thanks for the reply! We have gotten hatchery chickens in the past and although they were healthy birds they were also little with conformation issues. We don't want to show so I guess I should say heritage quality, whereby they are missing on some points but they are a good, big healthy bird...
  8. vastplains

    Illinois...

    Hello fellow Illinoisans, I don't know why it just now dawned on me to call out instead of lurk as I usually do, but here goes. I have been searching daily on Craig's List for chicks near us in varieties we are looking for. I now believe that if all of Illinois was swallowed up in a sink hole...
  9. vastplains

    Barred Rocks Good Shepard Poulty Ranch

    I've been following this thread with interest. We have/have had show quality hens in Orpingtons, Favorelles and Brahmas. I have noticed quite a difference in personalities of show quality v. hatchery quality. We love the body types of show quality birds, but the hatchery quality are by far...
  10. vastplains

    Greetings from West Central Illinois

    Thanks for all the greetings. I have been sifting throught the Sussex thread and am off to find more discussions on some other breeds. Glad to hear the Delawares are nice hens. I worry a bit about a white hen on the farm as we live on open prairie. We have never lost a hen to hawks or owls...
  11. vastplains

    Greetings from West Central Illinois

    Hello. I am a chicken person from Illinois. Our chickens generally die of old age on our farm. We have four show quality Black and Blue Orpingtons that are old. We used to have show quality Dark Brahmas and Buff Orpingtons. We showed them at county fairs, but mainly wanted pretty chickens...
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