Arizona Chickens

[Parront]

I have leghorns. They are very nice chickens, and the rooster is a sweetie.

I like my leghorns, but the hatchery birds can be difficult to manage. Your barred Leghorns do sound nice!

 

[Parront]

@Parront Did they hatch yet?

I have 2 open holes and some chirping, not hatchlings yet!

 

[springvalley123]

I like my leghorns, but the hatchery birds can be difficult to manage. Your barred Leghorns do sound nice!

I had some hatchery leghorns that let the hatchery NN babies just take over the place at integration time, I guess it's a gamble. If I were trying to sustain a giant hatchery I don't think I could possibly breed for temperament.

 

[Parront]

I had some hatchery leghorns that let the hatchery NN babies just take over the place at integration time, I guess it's a gamble. If I were trying to sustain a giant hatchery I don't think I could possibly breed for temperament.

I am sure that the hatcheries breed for egg laying. What I have read is that hatcheries buy eggs from surrounding farms on contract. It is in the egg-sellers best interest to select for high egg production above everything else. From what I get the Barred Hollands from the breeder mine stop laying for him around September.

 

[springvalley123]

I am sure that the hatcheries breed for egg laying. What I have read is that hatcheries buy eggs from surrounding farms on contract. It is in the egg-sellers best interest to select for high egg production above everything else. From what I get the Barred Hollands from the breeder mine stop laying for him around September.

Good thing you have other breeds too!

 

[Parront]

Good thing you have other breeds too!

I think it is good to have some diversity. That is why I tried the Barred Hollands from Sandhill, too. On the Sandhill website, he says that the Barred Hollands lay all winter.

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

I don't know what my chicken's breeder was breeding for other than ribbons, but from what I've read on this forum, I ended up with an exceptionally nice natured cockerel/rooster. He should graduate from cockerel to rooster maybe this month?

Anyway, an idea has been cooking in this little brain. He got rid of these chickens because of coloring issues. When I got them, there were some white feathers showing up. Big Ben has been getting more and more of them in his tail, and now it's mostly white. I think the contrast of the barring with the white feathers make the chickens look better (Just don't tell the show people! )

I was thinking of breeding for more white feathers so the birds would be a mixture of white and barred. I think that looks pretty. However, in order to do anything like that, these mess-ups with incubation need to be straightened out. I've failed on two batches so far, the ones from the swap meet, and the ones from my own pullets.

 

[Parront]

I don't know what my chicken's breeder was breeding for other than ribbons, but from what I've read on this forum, I ended up with an exceptionally nice natured cockerel/rooster. He should graduate from cockerel to rooster maybe this month?

Anyway, an idea has been cooking in this little brain. He got rid of these chickens because of coloring issues. When I got them, there were some white feathers showing up. Big Ben has been getting more and more of them in his tail, and now it's mostly white. I think the contrast of the barring with the white feathers make the chickens look better (Just don't tell the show people! )

I was thinking of breeding for more white feathers so the birds would be a mixture of white and barred. I think that looks pretty. However, in order to do anything like that, these mess-ups with incubation need to be straightened out. I've failed on two batches so far, the ones from the swap meet, and the ones from my own pullets.

Since you only have a few hens, have you considered getting a broody hen? I ordered Dorkings for their broodiness, and then later got a nice NN I want to have a Dorking Cock breed. Some people get rid of the broody hens, because if they are brooding they aren't laying!

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

Since you only have a few hens, have you considered getting a broody hen? I ordered Dorkings for their broodiness, and then later got a nice NN I want to have a Dorking Cock breed. Some people get rid of the broody hens, because if they are brooding they aren't laying!

I have been thinking of this. Once the chicken palace is built, the coop that they're in now can be used for quarantine, and I can keep an eye on Craiglist for any broody hens. Not too long ago, someone was griping about their hen going broody again and saying if she didn't stop it, he was going to get rid of her, and I'm thinking Gimme the hen!

It would need to be a smaller breed, because I don't want them getting beaten up. At the chicken show, I saw a RIR about the same age, and she was quite a bit larger.

 

[BlueBaby]

Since you only have a few hens, have you considered getting a broody hen? I ordered Dorkings for their broodiness, and then later got a nice NN I want to have a Dorking Cock breed. Some people get rid of the broody hens, because if they are brooding they aren't laying!

I've had some of my NN's go broody, so since you have your's from out of my flock don't be surprised if your's do.