Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[ronott1]

I guess I'm going to go against popular opinion. That Wyandotte brooded just as long as the other hen and if you are trying to maintain a level of broodiness in your coops or in your Wyandotte flock, I'd separate them with their respective chicks. I know space is at a premium, I think it is probably that way everywhere this time in the grow out season. If I break a broody early in her trance thats one thing, but once she hatches out chicks and proves to be a good mother to them, I'll let her keep them.

Yes, that may very well work.

One concern is that the Wyandotte may be working towards killing the Rock's chicks. Survival of the fittest and all.

This happened to a person in California last month. Quite sad for them.

Another answer might be to put up a temporary wire fence between the two Mother Hens. That would not take up more space but would require one more place to provide food and water. I am getting swamped with this now. Thankfully my incubators are off now so hopefully I will be able to get the numbers down soon.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I have a feeling their memory is considerably better than that.

If you've even seen a broody command her peeps to hide while she rushes out to take on an overly inquisitive dog, cat or small child, and then return several minutes later, you know she isn't just randomly wandering around the yard calling for them. She remembered where she left them. And you can teach them tricks and other non natural behaviors, Considering the size of a chicken's brain, it's not the degree of difficulty, but the fact that you can teach them at all that is interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chicken+training&page=&utm_source=opensearch.

I bought a small dog size agility kit to work with one of the dogs, and inspired by those youtube videos, I've begun experimenting with a few very friendly pullets on some of the equipment. (I have a lot of free time and I'm pathetically easy to amuse like that.) So far, hoops and bars are no problem, but when I put down the collapsible tunnel, the cats crawl in, stretch out, and take over the space, so I'll have to work on that.

Yeah I agree too that is a line of horse hockey (the 13 second memory part that is)
I know they can remember for ages I have a 4 year old rooster (Eddie) he comes on command never has forgot his name and I used to have him trained to coop up every evening in which I'd tell him "Eddie go to your coop" and he'd trot over, climb up the ramp, go thru the gate and await me to close it. I can verify this action by my then neighbor who was out on his steps smoking one evening when he witnessed this for the first time. He hollered at me did I just see what I thought I saw? I told him yeah he does it every evening he just shook his head in amazed disbelief. I've since moved and now every evening Eddie meets me as I'm headed to the hen house for lock up and comes to my feet does a little stamping action while awaiting me to reach down and pick him up and put him in his cat carrier/taxi (his coop) LOL and still knows his name and will come to me to this day. So 13 seconds is not to accurate of a time on the memory of a chicken. I often wonder who does these experiments and post them anyhow? the some ones that figured out the attention span/memory of a goldfish is 3 seconds probly, oh well whatever huh? LOL

Jeff

 

[catdaddyfro]

Morning all.....need some advise on "broodies"

I have one Columbian Rock and 1 Wyandotte who brooded (within feet of each other) and hatched off last Sunday. I moved them to a separate pen so the chicks could get out into the run with hassle from the big birds. All has been well until this morning....the Columbian hen is attacking/chasing the Wyandotte hen, repeatedly

There are 9 chicks between them so there is plenty of "work" to go around

This run has 2 separate, attached 4x4 coops, and the run is roughly 10x10 (wire covered to protect from aerial problems)

Will they "settle" this problem, or will it continue to be an issue? I'm a bit squeezed for "grow out space" right now due to all the broodies this year, but I guess I could find a way to open another coop

Thoughts? Advise?

Thanks

One should handle all nine of those just good put the other in a broody breaker more likely the one you want to go back to laying first is my suggestion if not they may end up not having any to brood!

Jeff

 

[buffalogal]

That is a shame. So many plants get sold without any kind of warning it's a wonder more animals (and children) aren't poisoned.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Not yet but I will get some soon.

Yeah I need to see some to compare my ones to Jeremy. I think they are good as I've ever seen though. I was concerned a little bit ago about the tails on these gals but its all good and fine, now. I was in too big of a rush once more(patience,patience,patience) LOL and as George stated these aren't all feather they got mass to them, and neck markings(the pullets) too LOL

Jeff

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

Most all decorative plants sold for pots and flower beds are poisonous in some way.

 

[Pozees]

Another answer might be to put up a temporary wire fence between the two Mother Hens. That would not take up more space but would require one more place to provide food and water. I am getting swamped with this now. Thankfully my incubators are off now so hopefully I will be able to get the numbers down soon.

I agree with this if it is possible. It is hard to anticipate what they will do, some will bicker and then get over it, some keep escalating the aggression. None of us can watch over them 24/7, so it's probably better to separate if at all possible.

 

[Pozees]

I am not one to vaccinate either. I posted quite a while back and I'm not even sure it was on this thread but I'll type it out again.

Turkeys carry a strain of Mareks disease. If you get some turkeys or know someone who has them or know a 4H kid who buys them from an NPIP supplier for his meat project, you can probably get bags of manure and bedding from these people. A chicken, running with turkeys will catch their form of Mareks and it is so slight, you won't even notice they have it. Anyway, they survive this disease and it makes them immune to the chicken form of Mareks.

I know this works. My first year of raising babies, I lost an entire hatch to mareks disease. The next year, I got bags of what was cleaned out of a 4H kid's coop once he finished raising his turkeys for fair. I spread it around in my chicken yards (I was terrified while doing this as I was completely familiar with "bio diversity" and its prevention practices. I fully expected to come out the next morning and find all my birds dead, having bled out from every orifice! They didn't though. The next year, I had no issues with Mareks at all and that has been several years. I have not had one bird come down with Mareks since and I think I'm going into my 9th year of breeding Andalusians.

I may try this. I had heard running a turkey with the chickens could create the immunity you describe, but didn't really want to raise any turkeys this year - I have never raised one, and felt like I had enough projects on the table this year already. A couple of local NPIP chicken friends are raising some turkeys, so maybe I can hit them up. Thank you for the suggestion, it never occurred to me to just use the manure/bedding from a turkey!

 

[NotAFarm]

For those of your who are or will be butchering a bunch of birds, pool all the livers together and try this recipe for liverwurst. Since I discovered it, that is all I do with the livers. It is great, hardly tastes like liver IMO. The stick blender makes it really easy. I just had to share this recipe, it is really good. I suppose you could also freeze the livers and wait until you have enough to cook them and make it. I've just always made it with fresh livers.

Liverwurst
​

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken livers
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste (optional)
2-3 teaspoons of powdered onion
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon finely ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Olive oil and/or melted coconut oil

Cook livers until cooked through (approximately 10-15 minutes - don't overcook).
While the liver is still warm, add the seasonings and oil and blend with a stick blender or in a food processor.
Use enough oil to make a smooth paste (I've never measured it, so I'm not sure how much I actually put in, but the more oil you use the softer and more spreadable it will be after refrigerating). I use all coconut oil since I like to slice it for sandwiches. The coconut oil will make it stiffer and easier to slice right out of the fridge, and the olive oil keeps it more spreadable. So adjust according to your preferences.
You can then put it in a container and use as a spread, or pack it into an empty can with the ends cut off both ends. When chilled, slide the liverwurst out of the can and slice as needed.
Or just pack it in a square left-over container, chill and slice.

I went to have my Freedom Rangers (yes, I know, not Heritage birds) butchered and wanted to show the difference in what the livers of my flock looked liked compared to those of another person's flock that also had their birds butchered the same day. I wanted to try Marcy's recipe so when another customer asked if I wanted their liver, gizzards and hearts, I said yes. She put them in the cooler in my truck while I headed inside to pay for mine. When I was loading, I noticed that hers did not look as "healthy" as mine so I thought I'd post a picture of them. I know that someone else mentioned that they only use livers from animals on their farm and never from others......here is evidence why I will never accept any from someone else......even from another "home flock". I won't feed them so they will be going on the brush pile that will be lit this afternoon.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Wow, what do you think they were feeding their flock to cause their livers to look like that?. They look old or something?!