California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

Hmmmm 3 Polish not know for being prolific egg layers,

I am pretty sure that my Dolish/Porking has laid 3 eggs in the last 4 days and she just started laying 8 days ago so there is hope. Her eggs...if they are indeed her eggs are cute little rounded things, perfect for your daughter's breakfast.

 

[chiqita]

Your wellies will be troopers and your morphs will lay untill they are 11. You'll be fine!

I won't be all moved until next weekend.  I am almost hoping they don't start laying until after this whole move thing.  I know they will be stressed.  Heck I know I am.  lol 

I haven't decided what exactly to do about the coop yet.  Isn't that sad?  My nephew needed some work, so he is going to Home Depot for me today to get some wood for the other house and my hardware cloth should be delivered today to, so I am going to start enclosing the run part.  Ummmm when you ask?  Well, I don't know.  I was hoping my fairy god mother would appear and then I could live happily ever after.

Does anyone know a good handy man that they would trust to do some simple run construction?  I am in the Roseville area.

Just two might be nice to work with.  Lots less mess and effort.  26 was a lot when I did it.

Well when I got the MFL's I did know they weren't as good a layer as the white, but not as low as 2-3 a week or less.  I was thinking 3-4. More of an average layer.  I will be interested to see now what I get.

I guess I don't have to worry about having too many chickens and too many eggs for just my daughter and myself if I have broody Orps and slacker egg layers. 

Hmmmm  3 Polish not know for being prolific egg layers, 3 Orps, 2 MFL's and 2 Wheaten Ameraucanas which can also be broody, 2 Welsummers, and 1 Splash Barnevelder.  Did I just read that someone said Barnevelders can be broody too?  

 

[chiqita]

( plus maybe Deanna MF lay more)

 

[Happy Chooks]

Did I just read that someone said Barnevelders can be broody too?

Yup. Barnevelders are a broody breed. I've only had 1 go broody so far though.

 

[PetRock]

http://www.helensbest.com/files/2013/09/PoultryProducerFieldDayFlyer812.pdf

Well this is interesting. Too bad I don't live in Fairfield any more. I would have gone just to see what was up.

I considered going to that until I saw that one of the sponsers is the California Department of Food & Agriculture and one topic going to be covered is state regulations. I don't need the government knowing any more about me than it already does!

 

[juststruttin]

I won't be all moved until next weekend. I am almost hoping they don't start laying until after this whole move thing. I know they will be stressed. Heck I know I am. lol

I haven't decided what exactly to do about the coop yet. Isn't that sad? My nephew needed some work, so he is going to Home Depot for me today to get some wood for the other house and my hardware cloth should be delivered today to, so I am going to start enclosing the run part. Ummmm when you ask? Well, I don't know. I was hoping my fairy god mother would appear and then I could live happily ever after.

Does anyone know a good handy man that they would trust to do some simple run construction? I am in the Roseville area.

Just two might be nice to work with. Lots less mess and effort. 26 was a lot when I did it.

Well when I got the MFL's I did know they weren't as good a layer as the white, but not as low as 2-3 a week or less. I was thinking 3-4. More of an average layer. I will be interested to see now what I get.

I guess I don't have to worry about having too many chickens and too many eggs for just my daughter and myself if I have broody Orps and slacker egg layers.

Hmmmm 3 Polish not know for being prolific egg layers, 3 Orps, 2 MFL's and 2 Wheaten Ameraucanas which can also be broody, 2 Welsummers, and 1 Splash Barnevelder. Did I just read that someone said Barnevelders can be broody too?

I actually found MFL to be quit good layers. I would typically get 4-6 eggs a day from my 6 hens. My girls are now molting and I still get 1-2 eggs a day. I will say that the egg size if disappointing - medium at best, and some eggs are beige. I only set the largest white eggs so hopefully the pullets will lay bigger whiter eggs but time will tell.

I do think MFL are temperamental. Production dropped severely after a hawk attack. Poor girls were beside themselves for weeks and barely came out of the coop (horse stall). I have to say MFL are smart and predator savvy because now if a sparrow flies over the pasture they run for the coop.

Barnies, yep. Mine are very broody and they are hard to break.

 

[juststruttin]

I am very sad this morning. I think I mention a couple a weeks ago that I was trying to grow out some Freedom Rangers (5 1 roo, 4 pullets) as an experiment. I had plan to breed them together to see if the next generation breeds true. Unfortunately, the rooster started getting too big. In hindsight I should have put him on a restricted diet because he would literally eat all day long. He definitely had OCD with food. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed his legs were starting to bow and he became noticeable lame this week. I had to make the humane decision to have him processed. He was 18 weeks old.

I am really sad because he was such a sweet bird. Who knew Freedom Rangers were so personable? I guess that is not a trait people want in a meat bird but there it is. He was always right under my feet and I think he actually liked being held. It was probably a relief to get off his legs because when I held him he would get so relaxed he would rest his head on my chest.

I still have the 4 girls and they seem fine. They're large but they are active foragers whereas the rooster was never found far from the feeder. I am optimistic that I will be able to grow the pullets to adulthood. I am now contemplating crossing them with a Sulmtaler rooster to see what that cross produces.

 

[ronott1]

I am very sad this morning. I think I mention a couple a weeks ago that I was trying to grow out some Freedom Rangers (5 1 roo, 4 pullets) as an experiment. I had plan to breed them together to see if the next generation breeds true. Unfortunately, the rooster started getting too big. In hindsight I should have put him on a restricted diet because he would literally eat all day long. He definitely had OCD with food. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed his legs were starting to bow and he became noticeable lame this week. I had to make the humane decision to have him processed. He was 18 weeks old.

I am really sad because he was such a sweet bird. Who knew Freedom Rangers were so personable? I guess that is not a trait people want in a meat bird but there it is. He was always right under my feet and I think he actually liked being held. It was probably a relief to get off his legs because when I held him he would get so relaxed he would rest his head on my chest.

I still have the 4 girls and they seem fine. They're large but they are active foragers whereas the rooster was never found far from the feeder. I am optimistic that I will be able to grow the pullets to adulthood. I am now contemplating crossing them with a Sulmtaler rooster to see what that cross produces.

They do grow on you!

sorry for the loss of your Boy.

 

[PetRock]

I am very sad this morning. I think I mention a couple a weeks ago that I was trying to grow out some Freedom Rangers (5 1 roo, 4 pullets) as an experiment. I had plan to breed them together to see if the next generation breeds true. Unfortunately, the rooster started getting too big. In hindsight I should have put him on a restricted diet because he would literally eat all day long. He definitely had OCD with food. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed his legs were starting to bow and he became noticeable lame this week. I had to make the humane decision to have him processed. He was 18 weeks old.

I am really sad because he was such a sweet bird. Who knew Freedom Rangers were so personable? I guess that is not a trait people want in a meat bird but there it is. He was always right under my feet and I think he actually liked being held. It was probably a relief to get off his legs because when I held him he would get so relaxed he would rest his head on my chest.

I still have the 4 girls and they seem fine. They're large but they are active foragers whereas the rooster was never found far from the feeder. I am optimistic that I will be able to grow the pullets to adulthood. I am now contemplating crossing them with a Sulmtaler rooster to see what that cross produces.

That is sad. My farm friend has a group of Cornish x that should have been processed a few weeks ago. Some of them have gotten so big that their legs just give out and they die. Tomorrow is processing day. The good thing is that my friend really wants to raise dual purpose chickens that are sustainable and this final experience with Cornish X has made her determined to make it happen.

 

[Ali707]

I am pretty sure that my Dolish/Porking has laid 3 eggs in the last 4 days and she just started laying 8 days ago so there is hope. Her eggs...if they are indeed her eggs are cute little rounded things, perfect for your daughter's breakfast.

So crossing chickens makes them a mutt? Just like with dogs? I always found mutts to be so much healthier and live longer than many pure breeds. Maybe the same for chickens, eh? I like the small eggs too.

Your wellies will be troopers and your morphs will lay untill they are 11. You'll be fine!

My morphs! I like that. For some reason that just reminded me of Mork from Ork that came to Earth in an egg! Okay the stress of moving is really starting to get to me.

( plus maybe Deanna MF lay more)

I will be excited to see. The two I have are very curious birds. Skittish but still want to know what I am doing.

Yup. Barnevelders are a broody breed. I've only had 1 go broody so far though.

Doh!

She is really pretty though.

I considered going to that until I saw that one of the sponsers is the California Department of Food & Agriculture and one topic going to be covered is state regulations. I don't need the government knowing any more about me than it already does!

Oh well I didn't see that! I just glanced at it. You know what they can do with their state regulations....... right?

I actually found MFL to be quit good layers. I would typically get 4-6 eggs a day from my 6 hens. My girls are now molting and I still get 1-2 eggs a day. I will say that the egg size if disappointing - medium at best, and some eggs are beige. I only set the largest white eggs so hopefully the pullets will lay bigger whiter eggs but time will tell.

I do think MFL are temperamental. Production dropped severely after a hawk attack. Poor girls were beside themselves for weeks and barely came out of the coop (horse stall). I have to say MFL are smart and predator savvy because now if a sparrow flies over the pasture they run for the coop.

Barnies, yep. Mine are very broody and they are hard to break.

I am okay with any color of egg. I like the variety. Doh! again on the Barnies and the broody thing. She is from your stock. Do you happen to have any pictures of what a splash Barnie from your flock looks like? Mine is mostly blue with some read on the chest area, but not double laced at all.

I am very sad this morning. I think I mention a couple a weeks ago that I was trying to grow out some Freedom Rangers (5 1 roo, 4 pullets) as an experiment. I had plan to breed them together to see if the next generation breeds true. Unfortunately, the rooster started getting too big. In hindsight I should have put him on a restricted diet because he would literally eat all day long. He definitely had OCD with food. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed his legs were starting to bow and he became noticeable lame this week. I had to make the humane decision to have him processed. He was 18 weeks old.

I am really sad because he was such a sweet bird. Who knew Freedom Rangers were so personable? I guess that is not a trait people want in a meat bird but there it is. He was always right under my feet and I think he actually liked being held. It was probably a relief to get off his legs because when I held him he would get so relaxed he would rest his head on my chest.

I still have the 4 girls and they seem fine. They're large but they are active foragers whereas the rooster was never found far from the feeder. I am optimistic that I will be able to grow the pullets to adulthood. I am now contemplating crossing them with a Sulmtaler rooster to see what that cross produces.

I am sorry you had to make that decision. I feel the same way, I would be happy if someone would carry me around too! Especially in the morning my feet are killing me!