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agreed Bee. I have a few really nice old RIR's. Old farm girls, great bloodline, laying well at 4 to 6 years old. Still going broody. BUT, they are never bred with a RIR rooster as I don't have one. So their offspring are mutts who perform like their mothers...usually.We all know all hens don't...

and while that all may be true, you I believe have followed a similar course as me with poultry breeding. We know one does not need perfect sop birds to have really great self sustaining flocks. And the truly sub par birds go bye bye. We don't breed them. But I know..they aren't from "so and so...

same here . Call my birds sub par because they aren't SOP from some famous breeder. I know they are better at being chickens than most peoples chickens. So I'll while my birds and I get attacked. Means nothing

not at all what I just said. Not even close. A few of you harassed me endlessly for breeding my best hatchery stock. Yet the hens lay well, they are smart enough to free range without getting killed, they forage well, the roosters taste fantastic and feed 3 of us well each, they are healthy...

depends on your definition of sub par. See for me a hen who lays 5 to 6 days a week, raises chicks at least once a year, can survive free ranging for years, and still lay well at 6 years old, I don't care if it is from a hatchery. THAT is a good hen. Chicken snob I'm not edited by staff

makes sense. I call that peak breeding season around here. Maybe I'm just used to broody raised chicks, but 3 day old chicks go out in snow with mama hen and survive just fine. I get what you are saying. breeding season is the time we humans think chickens should breed, not when they think they...

I keep reading of this short breeding season. Someone forgot to tell my roosters the breeding season was short

yes she can. I have done this with every broody I have ever had. Over the last few years the number of broody's must be between 70 and 100. Always raised with the flock. Never an issue.

check you State laws. Many states require a $400 permit to release trapped animals. But you can kill them for free

yup. Usually the 1st thing he does. The hen more often than not submits, they mate, they join the rest of the harem. This isn't everytime, but often

I can only speak for my own flock about the egg song. There is a distinct difference in my birds between the egg song that has gone out of control and the alarm call. They are similar but the alarm call is different..... it has for the lack of a better term a serious sound to it. I know the...

while not an OT I really want to see a rear view. I always compliment my girls on their wide stance with chunky thighs. Those girls always lay nice fat eggs.

I've seen my chickens with mice, frogs, snakes moles and voles. My ducks just quack at snakes. They have eaten frogs and toads. It is hilarious watching the crazy frenzied run around the yard with a frog in a roosters mouth with 10 to 20 chickens running after them to try to steal the kill

I built a simple plywood box to put mine in. Minimizes the temp fluctuations. Plus I put it in a room where the door can always be closed so it isn't affected by the wood heat. I've heard of other putting theirs in the closet for the same reason. But seriously putting it in a plywood box helps a...

no I haven't. My best broody sometimes goes 4 weeks other times 10 weeks. The other girls the same way. They do what they want

I had mama hens let the little ones go at 3.5 weeks or 16 weeks. Quite a few of mine this year reached the 12 week mark caring for lil ones. It is normal and probably has nothing to do with the weather. More to do with the broody hen

thanks. This is now my plan. Let them rest in the fridge now that the venison is out.

thanks Al. I'll let them rest 36 hours.

processing roosters today and tomorrow. I would do them all today but I also have venison to package. Here is my question. What are the OT's doing. Do you let your birds "relax" in the fridge for a few days or do you just dry package and freeze? I have always just done the later. Not sure if it...

nice! Killed these guys this morning for dinner