I am thinking about getting 30 meat ducks this summer instead of getting meat chickens, like I usually do.
1) How are they going to compare to raising meat chickens like the cornish cross and JM hatchery's Freedom Rangers? What feeding/shelter/management will be different?
2) I would like a...
I want to buy about 30 Muscovies for meat, but I can only find JM hatchery at 6 dollars a bird. Any one know a hatchery that is any cheaper that could deliver in mid June?
I am getting meat birds this week and I am wondering if it is a good idea to vaccinate for Marek's. I have had Marek's in the past with my birds, so I don't want my meaties getting it. Would the Marek's even have time to take hold of them? They will be butchered at 3 months. Is this a good idea...
Hello All,
I am organizing a rooster crowing contest for our county fair this summer and am looking for some advice. I am organizing it because I think every fair should have one, but I need some information as to any specific rules.
All I know right now is that you put the roosters in cages...
I noticed that my year old Faverolle hen has an extremely swollen face on one side. I do not know what it is or how to treat it. Anyone know what it is or how to treat it?
My flock has had a bunch of health problems, here is the link to my most recent deaths. On the first page about midway down...
I have a sick year old Barnevelder hen that has been "off" for about 4 days now. Her main sign is her inability to maintain her balance. She still gets outside, but she might stumble to the right, catch herself with her wing, continue walking, start running away from the dog in a awkward gait...
I have a bird who I believe has parasites because there are feathers in her cage and she is dust bathing, which I have never seen her do in her cage. Where is the best/cheapest place online to buy the powder, and how do I use it??? Do I need to clean out her cage at the same time?
She is a 11...
I am ordering freedom rangers from JM hatchery this spring to be shown at a show on July 20th. The two classes are broiler, 2 1/2 - 5 lbs., and roaster, 5 1/2 - 10 lbs. The earliest I am able to get the birds is April 6th.
My question is: with the time frame that I have, which class should I go...
(Here is what the original post was about: a sick hen I had. It turned into my whole flock death problem)
Tonight when I went to lock my chickens up, my 9 month old Banevelder was sitting on the floor, not on the perch. Come to think of it, I have in the past seen her sit down when she stops...
I currenty have what I think is fowl pox running through my flock. I have seen a couple dots on a couple chickens a month or two ago, but it wasn't getting worse or spreding so I just left them. about two weeks ago it really started to take off, and about 12 of my 20 hens have at least a dot or...
I noticed my hen sleeping under the perch when I came home from our thanksgiving trip. In the morning, She was lethargic, but she still went outside. I noticed that the tips of her comb were blue. Today, she would not go out side and her whole comb was really purple/blue. Here are some pics of...
I just started teaching horseback riding lessons to a 3rd grader. This is my first time teaching lessons, so I am looking for a book that could help me. I have been riding for a while and I feel I am capable of teaching, I just think it would be good if I could read something to make sure I am...
I have a 8 month old Buttercup rooster who has gone lame. About two weeks ago I noticed that he seemed a little unbalanced. It slowly progressed until it was a kind of staggering walk. Yesterday I found him in the coop unable to stand.
No bones appear to be broken. It almost seems like the...
I noticed two days ago that my 6 moth old welsummer hen is a little drowsy & less perky. Yesterday I noticed that her comb, wattles and earlobes were uniformly turning dark. Not sure if she stopped laying, not sure if she even has started. No other hen seems to be infected.
She is in the...
We are planning on building a barn next spring for 2 horses, a miniature donkey, possibly a cow, goats (most likely a fiber goat and a dairy goat), and possibly chickens (I already have two coops!). Features that we (probably) want: two horse stalls, a tack room, a wash stall, an area for...
My 3 1/2 month old Delaware pullet started to be a little droopy about a week ago. It has gotten progressively worse, until today where she is just sitting on the floor with hers eyes closed, not moving. When it started she would take theses little "naps" but then she would go on pecking and...
I am looking for a way to avoid having to fill my waterer every day. I am looking into an automatic waterer. Any Ideas?
http://www.ehow.com/how_5804200_make-automatic-chicken-waterer.html
Here is something that I thought might work. I would constantly have to keep the water hose on, right...
I have raised Cornish Cross hybrids (the white ones that expand like balloons) for two years now, and I would like to try something else, here's why:
Although the first year we only had one loss at 9 weeks, this year has been miserable. Out of 45 birds, we have lost eight: four two heat and...