California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

Thank you! Jeff produces nice birds! Unfortunately the cockerels are destined to become dinner for my parents and siblings, as roos are illegal here. At least they will go to good use, to feed the family, and will have lived a great life. My parents are interested in trying a home grown chicken, they've never had one before!
They have until they start crowing, unless there's a better age to butcher them at(before they start crowing)? Anyone know?

I hatched two silver penciled Wy's last fall and we processed them at 19 weeks. They were tastey and pretty meaty. I braised them and they were tender and yummy.

Oh, and my hens were shown a nest of pinkies last spring and went WILD!!! Did a little mousing AND got some good animal protein. Two birds one stone!

 

[FoxholeFarm]

I

Quick question for the group: when do I switch to layer feed?

I'm currently feeding Modesto Mills grower feed, and am getting low so I wasn't sure if I should continue with grower or start the switch to layer soon.  I have two girls that are laying for sure, and three that are getting close (they are all within a week in age to each other). I have added free-choice oyster shell to their run.

Thanks!

I use Modesto milling too. They recommend keeping birds on the starter/grower(light green tag) for 4-6 months or until first lay. It is a high protein combination feed that will support your birds through all their growing, and is the highest quality feed they produce. You an even continue feeding it after point of lay so long as you sub in some oyster shell for calcium. That's what I'm doing while I have young pullets in my layer flock.

 

[SpringPeeper]

I know a couple people were possibly interested, so I'm posting here- I am sending in 2015 reservations for Sandhill next Wednesday. Having too many specific breeds can apparently really throw them off, so I am planning on eating shipping costs and reserving two separate smaller orders. I am going to aim for April/May hatches (but won't expect them at a really specific time). If there is something specific you'd like to add on, let me know.

 

[loveless26]

hi my son is looking for Ancona Duck, chocolate call ducks or any kind of hatching eggs for his chicken to site on,we live in eureka.dose anyone have any of those kinds or any hatching eggs for sale?

 

[BCollie]

PLEASE HELP....I have a chocolate orp chick that is dying. I found it burried under pine shavings(the chicks are hungry so they're kicking shavings around) and pulled it out...it chirped a bit, I set it on the ground and it just flopped over. It tried to stand and fell over. It won't open it's eyes. At this point I'm sure there's no saving it, it is extremely weak and on it's death bed...I want to put it out of it's misery but I'm scared that I will not be able to do it quickly. I've never broken a birds neck before, that has always been my stepdads job when we find a fatally injured bird, but both my parents are out of town...what do I do?

 

[chiqita]

PLEASE HELP....I have a chocolate orp chick that is dying. I found it burried under pine shavings(the chicks are hungry so they're kicking shavings around) and pulled it out...it chirped a bit, I set it on the ground and it just flopped over. It tried to stand and fell over. It won't open it's eyes. At this point I'm sure there's no saving it, it is extremely weak and on it's death bed...I want to put it out of it's misery but I'm scared that I will not be able to do it quickly. I've never broken a birds neck before, that has always been my stepdads job when we find a fatally injured bird, but both my parents are out of town...what do I do?

if you have a pair of very sharp sissors you can snip the neck try and get right at the scull to damage the hypocampus (sp)

 

[HighStreetCoop]

PLEASE HELP....I have a chocolate orp chick that is dying. I found it burried under pine shavings(the chicks are hungry so they're kicking shavings around) and pulled it out...it chirped a bit, I set it on the ground and it just flopped over. It tried to stand and fell over. It won't open it's eyes. At this point I'm sure there's no saving it, it is extremely weak and on it's death bed...I want to put it out of it's misery but I'm scared that I will not be able to do it quickly. I've never broken a birds neck before, that has always been my stepdads job when we find a fatally injured bird, but both my parents are out of town...what do I do?

I'm so sorry. That sounds exactly like what's going on with mine.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The chicken house is almost ready for the chickens. We will be working on the room dividers today. There is an urgency to get them out of the old house before the tree falls on it.

Ummmmm, can I be your chicken? Hardwood flooring, room with a view.

Please come build me one.

PLEASE HELP....I have a chocolate orp chick that is dying. I found it burried under pine shavings(the chicks are hungry so they're kicking shavings around) and pulled it out...it chirped a bit, I set it on the ground and it just flopped over. It tried to stand and fell over. It won't open it's eyes. At this point I'm sure there's no saving it, it is extremely weak and on it's death bed...I want to put it out of it's misery but I'm scared that I will not be able to do it quickly. I've never broken a birds neck before, that has always been my stepdads job when we find a fatally injured bird, but both my parents are out of town...what do I do?

Sharp pruning shears will do it.

 

[chickee]

Ummmmm, can I be your chicken? Hardwood flooring, room with a view.

Please come build me one.

Sharp pruning shears will do it.

Pretty funny huh?

My husband wanted it to match our house (except it will have metal siding) and believe it or not the laminate flooring was cheaper than linoleum at Home Depot for 69. a foot.

 

[BCollie]

I was sitting there with the bird in one hand and scissors in the other, just sitting there crying, when I heard my neighbor drive up into his driveway...I went over and asked if he's ever killed a bird before and he said "Have I what?" And I said, "Killed a bird" and I broke down crying and showed him the chick and, I don't know how well he could hear me through my crying, said "I have a dying baby chick and I just can't do it" and he took it and said he'll take care of it. His wife said, "Don't feel bad honey, I couldn't do it either"
And I just can't stop crying, it's one thing when they die on their own but I just couldn't do it.