We're back from the fair where our BBB took third place. The only turkeys at the fair were market pens of BBB and BBW.
Sadly, there were no breeding pens entered for turkeys. We've been trying to come up with a plan for next year so we can bring a breeding trio, but we need some help. The...
Mexican H7N3 poultry outbreaks trigger animal health emergency
Mexico's government declared a national animal health emergency yesterday, designed to trigger more intensified efforts to contain a highly pathogenic H7N3 outbreak that has infected almost 1.7 million poultry, according to Agence...
Just curious if anyone knows the answe to this question. Our son will be bringing turkeys to the county fair for 4H for the first time. I know that for meat chickens the birds should be about 8 weeks so that they aren't too big. What's the rule of thumb for turkeys? Do you take your best matched...
Hi, everyone!
We will be showing a breeding trio of our Welsummers in July, but I'm concerned about feathers bleaching in the sun and damage to back feathers on the hens. I'm planning on separating the fair birds in order to protect their good looks which would mean caging them inside the...
Hi, everyone!
Our poults are 10 days old and have moved from large cardboard box to our 4X8 brooder. Does anyone have any idea about how long will they need extra heat lamps? When can we expect their adult feathering to come in enough to move them outside?
Any advice welcome!
I just picked up my order from Hoovers Hatchery, which were delivered to my local farmer's elevator. I ordered 15 Broad breasted bronze poults but were delivered 13 BBB, and 5 Broad breasted whites. The hatchery included a note that they had run short and so made this substitution. I'm more than...
We were so sad that there were no turkeys in the county fair 4H barn last year. We bring chickens every year and have a bit of space to grow out some turkeys. Can you suggest a breed given that we live in MN and can't get them shipped until April or so? That is, unless we try to hatch some...
I see we're looking to build the Other Poultry Database where we include photos of various turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. I wonder if we can change the term "newborn" and replace it with "hatchling." I might be the only person on the planet who is bothered by "newborn" for poultry, but then again...
HI everyone!
I need to order some plastic bags and would like the kind that shrinks when you dip it in hot water. I'll be processing chickens in the next few weeks and need about 50. Do you have a good source for me? I would like to order some this weekend.
Thank you!
I wasn't sure where to ask this question, so here we go.
I'm confused by the term "roach back". The APA-SOP defines it as, "a deformed, humped back, a disqualification." Is this something you identify by running your hand over a bird's back or can you see it? Is this hump more center back or...
Wasn't sure where to put this, but wanted to give you who show your birds at county/state fairs a heads up. We had a cock feather thief come in to the poultry barn at our county fair and cut sickle feathers off of our cocks. Lucky for us, the championship birds were spared, but at least four...
Thought you would like to see my broody with her day-old chicks. They are just too cute and what a patient hen. She deserves an award for broody of the year, right?
Here is the video: http://tinyurl.com/3qbcdkg
And here are some pictures.
I just got a call from a friend saying that her sister, a hair dresser, wants to buy tail feathers from my roosters. Say what? Yes, I guess the newest fashion is to adorn hair with feathers. I told her that my birds will be going to the county fair in a few weeks, so I can't spare any.
Does...
When cleaning out the garden on Saturday, we came across a nest of 10 baby rabbits. Apparently, we have fewer feral cats in the neighborhood than I thought. We debated what to do, since we have had years when the population of rabbits explodes and we have to bring a family friend in to harvest...
I hatched some chicks one month ago and noticed today that three chicks have a bent toe on each foot. I don't know if it's broken, but it's right at the joint and the joint is slightly swollen. The only trauma they've been exposed to is the way they can freak out and crash into the side of the...
I'm hoping some experienced cook can help me with this puzzle...
I harvested five Black Java cockerels in late fall. They were about seven months old when we butchered. I let the meat rest for three days before freezing them and they dressed out at about 5 lbs each. I roasted one last weekend...
Okay, we have a first time broody. She was lingering in the nest box, so I moved her into our broody box with three fake eggs. She got right on them and growled. If she stays put, can I slip the incubator eggs under her? I know hens can't count, but we'd be looking at day 15. That's really close...
We had a disastrous hatch and only one chick made it out alive.
I can get a few day-old chicks next Monday. By then, our little guy will be 9 days old. Does it make sense to go get some little friends for our chicky, or should we let him/her be an "only?"
What do you think? .
My wellie hens were using the nest boxes just fine last fall. We moved the Welsummers into their own quarters and hung a nice nest box on the wall. It's at the same height as the one they used to use. They started laying on the ground. In late October, they took a break from egg laying and have...