California - Northern

[zooweemama]

I'm a night owl myself. Often not going to bed until around 2am. I usually try to walk away from the pc around 9/10pm to hang out with hubs before be has to go to bed.

Woo for the egg Papa Brooder!!

Ron- end of the month is approaching. So excited!

This thread is busy and it's fun! Since I don't really subscribe to many threads - it's fun to catch up here. I think I'll be trying to jump in the Orp thread tho. I have so many of them. Haha


Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.

 

[zooweemama]

Kim that was a wonderfully informative. Thank you so much for taking the time write it all up! Butchering a big sounds like a lot of work. When you give them your chickens- do you process the first? Never thought about pigs eating meat. Assumed they were vegans. Hehehe


Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.

 

[ronott1]

Deb, It would be nice if I could tell which birds are yours when I go to the fair. I don't know when I'm going, yet.

Amy, AGH piglets range in cost from $100-350. They are adaptable, so people feed them all different ways. Some live on pasture or in woods & orchards and do all their own foraging. Some get fed pig feed. You have to be careful with these easy keepers not to feed too much or feed them empty carbs like bread, or they get too much lard. I move mine around, letting them eat the old garden plants & turn the soil, or remove weeds. I feed them alfalfa/corn/oat cubes with a small supplement of Calf Manna, plus any left over veggies. I'm the only breeder who feeds that diet. I do not like the ingredients in pig feed and don't have enough forage for them to graze. I also feed them any chickens that die from the heat, which they love.
Since these pigs are so small, people do their own butchering. We haven't done it, yet. The meat yield is about 50% of the live weight. You can butcher these at any age and the meat is still great. The do mature slowly, can take a year to get to 100 or more pounds.
We eat and offer breeding stock from our Dexter cattle, St. Croix Hair Sheep, and AGH. They all have exceptional meat quality. I hope to offer the same with my chickens but they need more work to bring them up to good enough quality.

I'm trying to raise Delawares. I was surprised that they do not do very well in the heat. Ron posted a quote about it, a while back somewhere. I've lost 3 this year. The eggs from the Sand Hill strain are large. My Braden birds are working their way up from pullet sized eggs. They seem to lay an egg a day the first year. My 2 year old SH girls have slowed down to every other day. I like their meat, prefer them butchered at 5 months since the legs on the 7 mth old were a bit chewy. I just posted a pic of that one on the Homesteading Heritage Poultry thread. Dispositions range from friendly to shy. The roos can be nasty, but can be taught to behave.

Jules, nice looking duck!

Ron, there is no doubt that your hobby has turned into a way of life!

I'm getting a whole bunch of pullet eggs too. My Spring Dorks must be laying.

Enjoy your day!
Kim

Hi Kim,

I was surprised that the Delawares did not do well in the hear. I read on the Cream Legbar thread that it may have more to do with them being from somewhere else. The ones that can't take the heat are being culled since you lost three. The ones that make it are more heat hardy so over time yours will become adapted to our type of heat. "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" to qtote Monty Python

I love your little Pigs! Foodies love them too

I'm a night owl myself. Often not going to bed until around 2am. I usually try to walk away from the pc around 9/10pm to hang out with hubs before be has to go to bed.

Woo for the egg Papa Brooder!!

Ron- end of the month is approaching.

So excited!

This thread is busy and it's fun! Since I don't really subscribe to many threads - it's fun to catch up here. I think I'll be trying to jump in the Orp thread tho. I have so many of them. Haha


Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.

Amy Beth the little EEs are ready!

I moved the GLW into the brooder with the Heritage RIRs last night. The RIR's looked at her and then looked up at me and started eating again. The GLW started preening. They all just watched her. The GLW is very easy going.

That is a relief! You should not have a problem with them since they are a pair. Of course keep them quarantined for two weeks. I will let you know if any of mine get sick. I doubt it but you never know.

Ron

 

[Papa Brooder]

Quote: He's one of my favorite SFHs and very mellow. He actually will let me handle him without too much complaint. I have this SFH pullet with a lot of blue with red and white lacing that I can't wait to see what the two of them will produce.

 

[Papa Brooder]

I used to get more sleep until I started poking around on this site!

Did your green egg come from an EE? My SLW started laying this week. 4 tiny little eggs, 4 days in a row, and then today, nada. She was cranky, too. Maybe tomorrow she'll lay The Big One!

Yep it did. Her guardian roo and her managed to hide away at night and not get back into the coop. I found them in the morning. Roo was guarding her while she lay. He stayed with her for a couple of hours easy through the whole process, making the nest, laying the egg. It was pretty cool! Gonna see if there's another egg out there since it would be about the right time if she lays again today.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: He's one of my favorite SFHs and very mellow. He actually will let me handle him without too much complaint. I have this SFH pullet with a lot of blue with red and white lacing that I can't wait to see what the two of them will produce.

Yes, very nice looking Rooster!

Does he have a bent toe? That is a weird thing they do sometimes.

Ron

 

[Papa Brooder]

He's one of my favorite SFHs and very mellow. He actually will let me handle him without too much complaint. I have this SFH pullet with a lot of blue with red and white lacing that I can't wait to see what the two of them will produce.

Yes, very nice looking Rooster!

Does he have a bent toe? That is a weird thing they do sometimes.

Ron
Nope, just the way he is standing on the roost.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: He's one of my favorite SFHs and very mellow. He actually will let me handle him without too much complaint. I have this SFH pullet with a lot of blue with red and white lacing that I can't wait to see what the two of them will produce.

Yes, very nice looking Rooster!

Does he have a bent toe? That is a weird thing they do sometimes.

Ron
Nope, just the way he is standing on the roost.

That is a relief!

I was worried the Basque hens would have bent toes. I saw one that looked bent but the toe was just sitting on the brooder wire wrong.

Ron

 

[Papa Brooder]

Quote: I have definitely done my share of splinting a couple hatches back. I think I had some humidity issues because i had like 4-5 chicks with crooked toes. splinted them and all but one resolved. i have the one remaining who is nicknamed "The Claw" by my kids. He gets around great, you would never even notice when you see him move. I've never had any of my friends even pick it up until i point it out. pretty amazing!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

anyone want a young black true

ameraucana rooster?