ALABAMA!!

[Wisher1000]

Most breeders suggest separating the sexes as soon as you know one from the other. If all the boys are in one pen, they do not fight as much. Then when you are ready for fertile eggs, add the rooster you want to sire the next generation. I have run several roosters in with my layer flock for years, but they free range dawn to dusk.

 

[Ceraglassics]

We will definitely start working on another pen for the roosters. I wish we could free range, but with our beagle and my moms blue healer...no chance of that ever happening. Thank you @Wisher1000

 

[Tomtommom]

Oranges are likely to cause softer shells once you get eggs. Just a random FYI.

Poor roosterdude.

 

[Ceraglassics]

Thanks @Tomtommom it was just a throw-in food as my husband received a case from his work. That's definitely good to know and appreciate it!

 

[Tomtommom]

My girls get all sorts of things as well

I used to be overprotective about it, but now they just get everything. The amounts are often so small it's a few mouthfulls per chicken, if that. Sad to say they've eaten leftover chicken nuggets from the kids *laugh*

 

[Ceraglassics]

Too funny, as tonight as I was cleaning out the refrigerator I picked up chicken breast used for chicken salad and thought...NO...how cruel could I be? So I guess it would not have been so bad uh¿ I have often wondered what of 'our' foods should I not give them. DH and I were just talking about wonder how in the world did chickens long ago 'make' it before all the bought feed! So many things to ponder and I'm so new to this chicken business!

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Hey y'all! Finally getting back in the swing of things after 4 moves this year. Flock got decimated between moves dogs coyote and 2 psycho landlords one poisoning them the other shooting them out of spite. So with only a handful of turkeys a trio of african geese and 4 ducks left its back to square one. All the moves bout bankrupted us. So yeah that's it. Trying to start over but yeah being broke is deff going to make this slow going. Think what makes me the maddest of all is this last round the whole meat flock destined for the semper fi foundation and wounded warriors was the target. That really gets under my skin in a bad way. Anyways, good to be back. Semper FI

 

[DeannaA]

Hey y'all! Finally getting back in the swing of things after 4 moves this year. Flock got decimated between moves dogs coyote and 2 psycho landlords one poisoning them the other shooting them out of spite. So with only a handful of turkeys a trio of african geese and 4 ducks left its back to square one. All the moves bout bankrupted us. So yeah that's it. Trying to start over but yeah being broke is deff going to make this slow going. Think what makes me the maddest of all is this last round the whole meat flock destined for the semper fi foundation and wounded warriors was the target. That really gets under my skin in a bad way. Anyways, good to be back. Semper FI

What kiinds of chickens are you planning to raise?

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Just about everything I had before with a few swap outs. Rhode island reds, barred rocks, orpingtons, black australorps, rhodebars, cream legbars, buckeyes, Delawares, jersey giants. That's just the list for now. Will be looking to rebuild the duck flocks and bantams as well. -MCF

 

[Tomtommom]

Too funny, as tonight as I was cleaning out the refrigerator I picked up chicken breast used for chicken salad and thought...NO...how cruel could I be? So I guess it would not have been so bad uh¿ I have often wondered what of 'our' foods should I not give them. DH and I were just talking about wonder how in the world did chickens long ago 'make' it before all the bought feed! So many things to ponder and I'm so new to this chicken business!

The only thing that keeps me from feeding them meats is the fact that there's a lot of hormones/antibiotic and other nasty stuff in there. Our bodies are a lot larger and it would take much longer for it to catch up with us, compared to a small chicken.

They did thoroughly enjoy the carcass of our Thanksgiving turkey, after I made broth from the bones. There was just enough bits and pieces left on there for them to go crazy.

The original chicken was MUCH smaller, so needed far less food. That and they lived in the jungle... lots of yummy grubs and fallen fruit to be found when they dig around. Corn is definitely as unnatural as it comes.