California - Northern

[chiqita]

The more room they have to get away from each other, the better the intros go, IMO. I have a fair few roos, and they all get along because they can run away from each other!. I'm a bit nervous too, its the first time Ill be introducung adult roos into the flock.

My roos sleep inside, however, not in the coop, so they are not " cooped" up together.
When I introduce chickens I usualy lock them in the coop for a few days and keep them seperated ( I have a wire thing I use to make a wall in the coop) works well for silkies, the Marans sort of ignored it and I had to reinforce, but they didn't stay for 5 days as planned, heh. The biggest thing is to get them sued to each other without being able to get at each other. Dog crate might work fine.

 

[Papa Brooder]

Thought you all would enjoy putting faces to the people who are protecting us!

Right on! Thanks for that. I feel better seeing that!

I still want to try the Basques. Maybe 2 started pullets from one of you who have them and willing to sell me started pullets in the Spring or Summer 2013.

I should be able to help you out with that by spring as mine should start laying in the next few weeks. I also have another 11 in my grow out pen depending on the mix I will not likely keep all of them... although I know that Mike (monster clucker) may fight you for them. Ha ha!

Do you guys think I will have a hard time selling off the extra chicks? I may want to keep about 10 total from next Spring's hatch.

Craigslist all the extra chicks? Is that what you all do? I don't want to be a business- but I do want to responsibly manage my extras without literally giving away the farm. My chickens are of good stock so selling my extra chicks for a buck like some people do on CL is so not gonna happen.

Standard fresh chicken egg prices are $3/dozen right?

IMO, you can sell anything for the right price. generally all my chicks are $8 or higher, except my easter eggers and any barnyard mixes. I've had people come by for a lot of things and I frequently use my easter eggers to "make change" since I charge $5 for them, and will charge 3 or 4 dollars just to make an even sale. If any one is in doubt, I just show them the eggs and that usually sells them. you won't have any problem selling the marans and I think you can sell the orps up here pretty easy too. I don't have buff but I sell the blue and splash easily!

You are in a more rural area, and people might be looking for different things. I now offer to take roosters back if people get stuck ( don't ask me what I'm going to do with silkie roos,!) Ive actually re homed about 10 roos so far but I'm guessing we are towards the end of the line and we will be eating a lot of returned roos.

if you take roos back, you do want to have a "freezer coop" for chickens that will be processed then it is pretty low risk but I wouldn't free range them and I would get a space away from your other chickens. I have something set up on my property for this purpose but I just need to find someone to process them for me. I have about 6-8 chickens that are ready!

Quote: Good idea Ron and I would add that it would be way better to just sell to friends and friends of friends. That's my plan. after a while, everyone knows I have a million chickens and so they start asking about eggs. I will likely do as Ron says, give them a half dozen and then charge $4/dozen with some sort of bonus after so many dozen sold to keep consistent buyers.

The more room they have to get away from each other, the better the intros go, IMO. I have a fair few roos, and they all get along because they can run away from each other!. I'm a bit nervous too, its the first time Ill be introducung adult roos into the flock.

I have always allowed the roos to meet in free range environment for that reason. I have tried just introducing them in a big run and there is almost always a bit of blood on the comb. No blood ever in the fee range situation. often the low roo ends up hiding somewhere near the chickens on the outside of the coop. depending on how the day went, I will put him in the coop after dark and then check on him reasonably early in the morning. I've down this 3-4 times and never had a problem



I didn't get any photos today but did complete 2 new breeding pens and found a great deal on some recycled wood to build my next set of pens for my brahmas, silkies and sizzles!
getting excited!

 

[Papa Brooder]

not sure if you can see this picture but any thoughts on the comb. This is one of my new adult roos and seems to have bluish grey coloring on the tips of the comb. I just noticed it yesterday. any thoughts?

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: Good idea Ron and I would add that it would be way better to just sell to friends and friends of friends. That's my plan. after a while, everyone knows I have a million chickens and so they start asking about eggs. I will likely do as Ron says, give them a half dozen and then charge $4/dozen with some sort of bonus after so many dozen sold to keep consistent buyers.

Also, I always make sure the first few orders are nothing but X-Large and Jumbo. I see it like selling drugs, give em a taste of the good stuff, then you can start giving them Large & X-Large!

Naw, I usually give my egg sales all my biggest eggs. We eat the Peewee through Large for the most part. My DH eats 3 eggs for breakfast, sometimes I make that 5 if I'm giving him all little eggs. I do always make sure the customers get an assortment of colors. I only charge $3 a dozen and about every 6th or so, I'll give them an 18 pack. I do have about 5-6 dozen that I give away for free each week (my son, our neighbors and my masseuse - I'd do anything for her!).

Deb

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote: My daughter just called, he got home about an hour ago!!!

Quote: They do love what they do. He said that they were so exhausted they were falling down and the guy behind would just pick each other up and they'd just keep going. One night they were so busy and when they could get some sleep they all just dropped where they stood with the fires right there. He said it was all they could do to take a minute to grab their water bottle.

My daughter has wanted to marry a fireman since she was little. When she turned 18 and could get a tatoo she wanted a fire plug! She couldn't find a picture so she ran into my art studio and said "mom, you need to draw my tatoo for me"! I told her she was destine to marry a cop if she tatooed a fire plug on her a..! One our firefighter friends set her up with her husband. Yes, she's a strong woman.

Quote: I'm glad everyone enjoyed getting a look into the life of these guys. OK, tomorrow I read what I missed on the thread and share pictures of my Polish chicks!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

not sure if you can see this picture but any thoughts on the comb. This is one of my new adult roos and seems to have bluish grey coloring on the tips of the comb. I just noticed it yesterday. any thoughts?

If it was the right time of year, I'd say frostbite but other then that, I have no idea except to say he's a very handsome guy! Could it be some type of fungus?

 

[Miss Molly]

Thank God for the fire fighters!

Could not have said it better myself..... We are so Blessed to have these wonderful Men and Women risking there life's for us......BLESSED!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Tomorrow I am picking up Ron's Basque roo, Seiji. I'm really hoping him and his brother, my roo Chema, get along. Any advice on how to introduce roosters?? I'm nervous! He's going to the ranch where I have my 6 pullets and roo in a rented coop. I was thinking of putting him in a small dog cage in the coop for a couple of days to help ease the transition. The cage is pretty small, like 2x2x2. I also have a large dog kennel but I'm using it for my 14 chicks to sleep (they're outside all day now and come in around 7:30 each night. I don't they the chicks are ready to go outside since they're only 4 weeks old tomorrow. Do you think Seiji would be ok in the small one? Is it a horribly stupid idea to just introduce them without the separation? I'm nervous because we're not introducing them in our own backyard but 15 minutes away. Both of the roosters are super friendly and gentle so far so maybe there won't be problems.. Maybe?
Any advice guys?

You should seperate them but so they can see each other and mingle with out contact. I saw a week or two but I could be wrong. I have dropped a few hens in but not roosters without keeping them seperate.
Curly My Icelandic Rooster and former Avatar was brought in when I had Cluck my old Campine Rooster. kept them apart a few weeks and once they where together they where ok. They came up with a pecking order and where ok. I noticed though once Curly became the Dom. Rooster my other once pretty much stopped breeding.

 

[Papa Brooder]

Ok, now I noticed it this morning on a couple more of my roosters. Any ideas?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Ok, now I noticed it this morning on a couple more of my roosters. Any ideas?

Could it possibly be sun burn? Any sign on the hens?