Arkansas folks speak up.........

[JFreeman]

Puddin, don't forget the Arkansas Blues. Perfect for someone wanting lots of blue eggs but fairly small chickens.

What does an AR Blue look like? I've never heard of them before... Were they only produced at UofA?

 

[gritsar]

Sounds like a blessing rather than a curse. I would love a reliable year-round hatching machine besides my incubator. If anyone out there has one, I'm willing to step up. I will give her the ideal broody/chick tractor 4 by 8 or 4 by 10 and let her raise chicks to her little hearts content.

Be careful what you wish for. Since 2008 I had prayed, begged and pleaded for one of my brahmas to go broody. Last year one of the younger ones (Emma) did but I didn't need chicks at the time, so I broke her fairly easily. This year Emma refuses to give up. She is now into her third month of being broody. I have no fertile eggs to give Emma. My only adult rooster is a serama (Widget's son) and try as he might, he just can't successfully mate a LF brahma. I tried breaking Emma, I tried giving her some day olds but she's one of those hens that won't take surrogates, I tried breaking her again. I even considered giving Emma some duck eggs but knew she'd freak out the first time her "chicks" headed straight for the water. I have given up, waved the white flag....Emma is getting blue breda eggs this week and Widget will get the bantam cochins.

Did I mention the fertility rate on this farm? Last year.... Goose - 10/10, call duck - 3/3, Widget - 6/6 (both times). This year a call duck - 6/6. Thank goodness I found the call's nest in time and reduced her clutch from 14 down to the six.

 

[gritsar]

Puddin, don't forget the Arkansas Blues. Perfect for someone wanting lots of blue eggs but fairly small chickens.

Small chickens are for old folks...you know Ridge, like you.

I should talk, how long ago was it that I swore up and down I'd never have anything but LF?

 

[caj1985]

What does an AR Blue look like? I've never heard of them before... Were they only produced at UofA?

Here are some pictures: (ignore the Rhodebar)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Puddin, don't forget the Arkansas Blues. Perfect for someone wanting lots of blue eggs but fairly small chickens.

Small chickens are for old folks...you know Ridge, like you. 

I should talk, how long ago was it that I swore up and down I'd never have anything but LF?  

Nope, Gritsar, us old folks need bigger chickens. If you're going to go to the trouble of butchering one it needs to have enough meat to make the effort worthwhile. It's you young whippersnappers that raise those little things for whatever reason.

I'm not ashamed of being old. I would say I was proud of every grey hair on my head but that number seems to get less all the time. Less to be proud of I guess.

 

[gritsar]

Nope, Gritsar, us old folks need bigger chickens. If you're going to go to the trouble of butchering one it needs to have enough meat to make the effort worthwhile. It's you young whippersnappers that raise those little things for whatever reason.

I'm not ashamed of being old. I would say I was proud of every grey hair on my head but that number seems to get less all the time. Less to be proud of I guess.

Prepare to get more grey now that I'm back around, Ridge.

I'm raising the little ones now because my old bones creak every time I try to pick up the fat ol' brahma hens. Easier to scoop up a little bantam cochin and snuggle it into my neck.

Seen Keith lately? I have finally succeeded in turning him into a chicken lover.

 

[JFreeman]

Here are some pictures: (ignore the Rhodebar)

Those are pretty! It's pretty cool to find new breeds.

 

[chrisnjenny]

Very nice flock!

 

[JFreeman]

Be careful what you wish for. Since 2008 I had prayed, begged and pleaded for one of my brahmas to go broody. Last year one of the younger ones (Emma) did but I didn't need chicks at the time, so I broke her fairly easily. This year Emma refuses to give up. She is now into her third month of being broody. I have no fertile eggs to give Emma. My only adult rooster is a serama (Widget's son) and try as he might, he just can't successfully mate a LF brahma. I tried breaking Emma, I tried giving her some day olds but she's one of those hens that won't take surrogates, I tried breaking her again. I even considered giving Emma some duck eggs but knew she'd freak out the first time her "chicks" headed straight for the water. I have given up, waved the white flag....Emma is getting blue breda eggs this week and Widget will get the bantam cochins.

Did I mention the fertility rate on this farm? Last year.... Goose - 10/10, call duck - 3/3, Widget - 6/6 (both times). This year a call duck - 6/6. Thank goodness I found the call's nest in time and reduced her clutch from 14 down to the six.

I agree. I had three hens go broody this year back to back. First it was a Silkie, and I have her 6 eggs. My Splash OE tried to go broody at the same time, and it caused Poof to lose 4 of her eggs. I had to break her, and she hasn't tried to go broody again yet, but now I have a Golden Polish that has been broody for about a month and a half. I gave her a clutch of 12 eggs.

 

[caj1985]

I agree. I had three hens go broody this year back to back. First it was a Silkie, and I have her 6 eggs. My Splash OE tried to go broody at the same time, and it caused Poof to lose 4 of her eggs. I had to break her, and she hasn't tried to go broody again yet, but now I have a Golden Polish that has been broody for about a month and a half. I gave her a clutch of 12 eggs.

I have had numerous hens that go broody, but they all go broody at the same time in July. I want one that will be a surrogate at different times of the year. LOL I don't want much just a feathered self-regulating incubator and brooder so I don't have to worry about temps.