➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[FortCluck]

@KDOGG331 how did you change your thing to "Release the Ferrets"? Can you only do it if you're a premium member?

 

[R2elk]

@KDOGG331 how did you change your thing to "Release the Ferrets"? Can you only do it if you're a premium member?

If you have a PFM you can:

1. Ability to have several people in a group conversation
2. Ability to delete posts and lock and unlock your own threads
3. A new badge: Premium Feather Member or Golden Herd Member
4. The ability to choose your own custom title
5. Automatic No Ads
6. First peek at new features and specials before we roll them out to the rest of the members.
7. Access to a private forum to discuss new features and specials.

8. Ability to change your own username

9. Signature permissions

10. Ability to bookmark threads

11. BYC Store Discount

12. Ability to see who is reading your threads.

 

[FortCluck]

If you have a PFM you can:

1. Ability to have several people in a group conversation
2. Ability to delete posts and lock and unlock your own threads
3. A new badge: Premium Feather Member or Golden Herd Member
4. The ability to choose your own custom title
5. Automatic No Ads
6. First peek at new features and specials before we roll them out to the rest of the members.
7. Access to a private forum to discuss new features and specials.

8. Ability to change your own username

9. Signature permissions

10. Ability to bookmark threads

11. BYC Store Discount

12. Ability to see who is reading your threads.

Thanks!

 

[sdm111]

@BantyChooks (or anyone else with an opinion) do you think it is a terrible idea to get a male chick at the same time I get the female chicks this year? I know it is recommended by many to get a female flock established before introducing a male...but I am impatient And I actually miss the crowing.

how in depth or how high of quality are you wanting? If just for fun then hatchery stock would do but if you plan on focusing on bettering or at least keeping the quality you start with you may want to find a couple breeders and get a clutch or two from each. That way you can pair or trio unrelated males and females. With 1 order of hatchery stock you're just getting a bunch of chicks and imo youre just breeding whatever as in good or bad traits. You wont have the vigor of unrelated breeding and possibly breeding in bad things like bad tails, low station etc also I'd also get about at least 6 or 8 Male chicks that way you can pick the best out the bunch. Not all created equal and if you get only one you're stuck with passing on his traits good or bad. Also have a 2nd and possibly a 3rd backup incase no. 1 dies. You never know what can happen and if you lose the only Male you have then youre behind a year possibly. Just my 2c.

 

[CSAchook]

how in depth or how high of quality are you wanting? If just for fun then hatchery stock would do but if you plan on focusing on bettering or at least keeping the quality you start with you may want to find a couple breeders and get a clutch or two from each. That way you can pair or trio unrelated males and females. With 1 order of hatchery stock you're just getting a bunch of chicks and imo youre just breeding whatever as in good or bad traits. You wont have the vigor of unrelated breeding and possibly breeding in bad things like bad tails, low station etc also I'd also get about at least 6 or 8 Male chicks that way you can pick the best out the bunch. Not all created equal and if you get only one you're stuck with passing on his traits good or bad. Also have a 2nd and possibly a 3rd backup incase no. 1 dies. You never know what can happen and if you lose the only Male you have then youre behind a year possibly. Just my 2c.

Thank you! This is great advice

 

[CSAchook]

I've been on a mission to wake IV up. The ginger woke her up a week ago and fed her without knowing she's not supposed to eat while brumating, and now I'm worried about food rotting in her tummy.
Her lights are set to summer time and she's being brought out multiple times a day, but she keeps going back into her cave. :/
On the bright side, I clipped her claws yesterday and it was the easiest thing in the world hahaha. I don't think she was even conscious.

Trimming the ferret's claws, on the other hand..
they are wiggly monsters! Gremlins with needle nails! It is next to impossible.

Do you have/ does she like floor sunshine or windows? Tad would stay up for awhile if she could have sunshine window time.

 

[Conan]

The Brabanters sure do sound like amazing birds.

I had never even heard of them, besides @honanbm mentioning them a couple times here, and now from your description of their personality, they sound perfect.

Apparently Ideal sells them and they seem to be the only hatchery that does as far as I can tell.

Ideal also has tons of OEGB colors, even more than Cackle I think or at least offering ones they don’t have, but none of theirs are sexed, not even the barred or crele.

Anyway, now you guys have me wanting bantams and breeds I’d never even considered.

Wilco, our local feed store, uses Ideal, and they've been really happy with them. I've also never had an "oops" rooster in all my years purchasing sexed pullets from Wilco. I will say that 2 of my 5 hens lack both beards and muffs, but they are still wonderful, personality wise. I will ask to pick my own chicks this time to make sure I get the bearded girls.

 

[Conan]

@CSAchook, here are a couple pics of the mutts, and OEGB pullets. They're just the cutest little things.

 

[BantyChooks]

@BantyChooks (or anyone else with an opinion) do you think it is a terrible idea to get a male chick at the same time I get the female chicks this year? I know it is recommended by many to get a female flock established before introducing a male...but I am impatient And I actually miss the crowing.

Ha, you can always give it a try. I wouldn't do it if I were trying to stack the deck in favour of getting a really spectacularly behaved rooster, but you sure wouldn't be the first person, or the last; it simply makes more work on the human's part and IME increases the time it takes for the bird to mature fully. It's just one factor among dozens.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wilco, our local feed store, uses Ideal, and they've been really happy with them. I've also never had an "oops" rooster in all my years purchasing sexed pullets from Wilco. I will say that 2 of my 5 hens lack both beards and muffs, but they are still wonderful, personality wise. I will ask to pick my own chicks this time to make sure I get the bearded girls.

Thanks!! This is really helpful. I’ll keep this in mind if I ever do decide to get Brabanters. I don’t think we have a Wilco around here but I may have to order direct from Ideal at some point. Although I also would like to try an OEGB but they’re not sexed from there so idk.

I was thinking of adding more layers this year so I could potentially sell eggs or even adding quail but now you guys have me wanting brabanters and bantams and going for looks instead.

We’re actually already getting more than enough eggs and it’s not even peak production time so I don’t really need more.

Those brabanters really are gorgeous.

Do you think they’d get picked on in a mixed flock because of the beard, muffs, and crest??? Maybe they should be in their own dedicated flock??

Maybe I could still do all 3 ideas.