Great information!! I agree with the "get one or two of whatever". Right now I have 6 chickens and they are a handful, but I love that handful. I've had to deal with deformities and culls, but I haven't had any parasite issues or predator issues (yet) because of where we live but I'm sure I will in time...there are both of those things in virtually any environment. No cocci yet, but again, I think that's due to the fact that they're inside a house with a neurotic human parent who keeps their bedding fresh every morning (don't like them having to walk in their own poop and I especially hate it when they get it in their food and water). Thanks for the information and the life experience! I actually really like the Buckeye even though it's a solid color and solids really aren't my "thing", but it's such a pretty mahogany colored bird (or dark maroon or whatever color is the appropriate term) I like how rich it is. They're kind of a dark red velvet cake color. lol!I belong to a mailing list that has, as part of their requirements that "You must own at least one book about poultry, and you are expected to have read it".
I "got my start" in chickens with a mixed batch from cackle hatchery. I had one or two of several breeds they offered that I thought would be fun to have, including 'easter Eggers". 9Stillhave descendants of those EEs in my yard flock) when we moved to a large farm a couple years later, I was ready to try my hand at 'raising a breed" and selected the Anconas over 20 years ago by ordering them from McMurray. I had Dalmatians at the time, and thought the contrast would be nice. It was, and I've enjoyed the birds so much they outlasted the dogs. Now, McMurray might have had pretty good birds in the 60's but by the time I ordered my birds, they were just average hatchery stock. Not complete "junk", but nothing that would be competitive beyond the local county fair. It's been fun and challenging breeding them up. I just added rosecomb genetics to my Anconas, so it's a bit like starting all over again with them.Anyway, about 6, maybe 7 years into the Anconas, I was in an online conversation with Mark Fields about breeding chickens in general, and eventually, Dominiques specifically. He met me at a show in Guthrie and *gave* me a fine trio to start with. I joined the breed club, looked up another local breeder Jack Bloomer and went to his house to swap a poultry book for another trio. We hit it off so well, I ended up bringing home about 15 birds. He kept saying "if you take that pullet, you need that male to go with her..."Just a super nice man.
Note: at that point I had already learned how to keep chickens alive longer than one year,
and I had already been selectively breeding and improving a flock of purebred birds for several years before I felt ready for the challenge of taking on a second breed.
When I decided I was ready for a third breed, I chose the Buckeye, both for it's interesting back story, and the fact that it was such a good contrast (type and color) to the birds I already had.
I spent no small amount of time on the internet. Remember, Poultry Neophytes, "Google is your Friend".
I sought out the actual breed club, not just an informal yahoo mailing list, and contacted Laura at Pathfinder's Farm about hatching eggs, which seemed like an inexpensive way to have a few around to "try them out". By that time, I had two decades' worth of experience with raising all kinds of poultry, but especially bred to standard chickens. LSS, I enjoyed the Buckeyes so much I've since ordered chicks from Urch and again, from Laura, and am feeling confident enough with my breeding them that I've got a few entered in the show in Shawnee. It will be good to see if I'm developing an "eye" for the Buckeyes.
My advice for anyone starting out: if you're still at the point where everything looks good, indulge, get one or two of whatever and get it out of your system. You'll quickly decide if you want to deal with the idiosyncrasies of the breed are worth it, and in the meantime, you'll be getting the basics of poultry keeping down. You'll loose birds to cocci and learn about worming and parasites and predators and housing and hatching and chicken shows and the NPIP on your starter birds. When you've got *that* part down, join the breed club, and start contacting breeders of whatever rare/heritage breed has captured your heart. If your intentions are on the mark, a good breeder will recognize it.
I'm not sure why it keeps doing this - it's quoting "something" you said but nothing is in the body of the message. Thank you for telling me all of that! I definitely don't live in a hotbed of poultry either, that's for sure (I didn't really know that until I started poking around though). There are LOTS of people with chickens, don't get me wrong, but I have found thus far that most of them are barnyard chickens kept strictly for eggs and meat and not any specifically geared toward breed preservation (there are some though). The state line that rests closest to where I live happens to be a state that is very strict with poultry laws and ordinances and not many areas within that state allow for poultry keeping. That being said, I'm sure there might be some areas that have meetings, I just hope I can find them. lol
With regard to your separate pens for egglayers and others - thank you for sharing your experiences, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I mean...*when* I get involved with this full time (not if), I want to keep the fertilized eggs and hatch them out - the thought of eating something that might have been a quality chick, really gets to me. lol! It's nice to know I can keep some culls for eggs and meat, etc. Your Ameraucana sounds lovely by the way. I really like that breed and their fluffiness from the neck up. Granted, I chose easter eggers instead of Ameraucanas because I wanted a "Surprise" in what their appearance would be as they grew, but still...I do like Ameraucanas a great deal. They may end up being a non-heritage breed I keep "just because".
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I found my state's APA Rep and wrote them a letter outlining my intentions and seeking any information they would be willing to share with me that might be pertinent to my endeavors..a snail-mail letter, not e-mail. I also asked for a meeting of some sort.
Now granted, I don't know if 2010 state reps are the same now as they were 2 years ago, but the state rep in 2010 is still sure to have information that is beneficial to us I would think. http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/APAState_ProReps2010.pdf
I also went to the master exhibitors page http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/Assigned Master Exhibitor Number thru 20111231.pdf and scrolled to the most recent (2005-2011) list and scanned like crazy until I found someone in my own state that was a master exhibitor (in order to be able to have the possibility of being within driving distance). I then googled and found a contact number (and found some for other states as well). WOW do they know people...they know breeders, showers, judges, and people who have a lot of knowledge about chickens. Even if they *don't* show or own the breed you desire, they are almost certain to know someone who does or know someone who knows someone that does.
There are so many more aspects to owning and raising (and breeding) chickens than I thought...and that is just from one DAY talking on the phone with people! I would imagine I'm going to need to attend these "in person" meetings and introductions with a three ring binder full of blank paper. I also feel like the next 2 years are going to require me to have a lot more than just 1 three-ring binder.
Where this man lives and works is only a 2 hour drive from where I live, and I'm very excited to meet with him face to face.
Newbies like me: When you contact these people - have a notebook ready with a pen or pencil (trust me on that).
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Since you're in MO, would you recommend something I could feed them in leu of the MFA? Something that has a starter and layer type would be great.
