calling any one from missouri

[1cock2hens]

Just got an email from Orschelns, they are getting chicks the week of february the 18th ) our store is getting them the 21st. I'm thinking about getting guineas from them this year.

 

[microchick]

I love abbreviations, LOL. That much fewer words that my Rheumatoid Arthritic fingers have to type out.

@SueT, no, I do not vaccinate nor do I have plans to. It is virtually impossible to vaccinate birds on our property and keep them sequestered for the recommended weeks afterwards in order to keep them from being exposed to whatever strain we have on our property. My plan is to bring in only vaccinated chicks and cross them with my survivors. Right now my plan is to hopefully get enough eggs from my two vaccinated OEGB (old English game Bantam) pullets to stick under any broody I might get. I've had folks here on BYC recommend that route in order to breed in resistance in my flock. I'm planning to get 6 chicks from Orscheln's, as I have been told that their chicks are vaccinated for Marek's and turn them loose once adults to breed with my surviving bantam crosses.

I have resistant Buff O and Welsummer hens but I'm resisting the temptation to cross breed them with my resistant bantam roosters as the Buffs are noted to be highly susceptible to Marek's. Ane while the Welly's have fared better than the Buff's in survival rates, the roosters have dropped like flies. I have one Welly rooster left that is so far resistant but once again, I can't see using them for breeding as they have proven to be non resistant in the past.

I make sourdough bread also. Love the stuff. A member over on the Old Folks Home thread sent me a start of his starter that originated in the mid 1800s. Talk about yummy!

 

[SueT]

Just got an email from Orschelns, they are getting chicks the week of february the 18th ) our store is getting them the 21st. I'm thinking about getting guineas from them this year.

Does Heartland Hatchery do a chick days in your area? I know they come to Carthage, to Race Bro. this month....

 

[1cock2hens]

orschelns is minutes from me and I would have to drive half an hour to get to one of the heartland hatchery chick days. I only need keets and orschelns has 4 different colors, more then enough for this simple man lol. /// order of 5 keets at orschelns would be $20 order of 5 from heartland would be $30

 

[SueT]

@microchick re vaccinations, I found this online, and am still undecided:
"With regard to Mareks disease, in general, we recommend against vaccination unless there is a problem on the site. The vaccine is given to day old chicks as an injection into their breast, thigh or the back of the neck but remember that day old chicks are small and fragile and can easily be injured by an inexperienced vaccinator. Incorrect vaccination with a needle can cause excessive damage to the chicks or even death."
Of course the disease will also cause death, and in more than just those chicks. I will research further.
Here's my yesterday's loaf:

 

[jthornton]

Here's my yesterday's loaf:

Wow, that looks good.

JT

 

[microchick]

Yep, for every action there is an equal reaction.

Since I do have a definite problem with Marek's on our property, vaccinated chicks coming in is my only option. Like I said. I'm not vaccinating any chicks my broodies hatch out. No sense in it from my POV as all the birds I have are already exposed and shedding dander. The minute the little guys pop out of the shell they are exposed by mamma's dander and it is up to them to survive or succumb. I've got some tough little birds right now which is what I'm shooting for..

 

[SueT]

So tomorrow morning, total lunar eclipse. I hope it's not cloudy!

from: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/january-lunar-eclipse/

 

[jeria]

Hadn't heard about an eclipse. Full blue moon, super moon and a blood moon Wed am. I'll be on my way to work for part of it won't see it at total eclipse. My desk is on the wrong side of the building.

A few minutes after I read this and posted Fox4KC weather mentioned the eclipse and that we will have clouds moving in overnight and lots of wind. So editing this.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

You have youngsters ready for a brooder pen? Whow, Crooked, you are way ahead of me.

DH gave me a coop kit I have been wanting for Christmas that I plan to use as a broody pen/grow out pen. Right now, it's together and sitting in our workshop just waiting for somebody to go broody or for Orscheln's to get some bantam chicks for it to get broke in.

The truth of the matter is that no matter how much room you have, you always need more.

I've had them in the brooders inside my living room and then the kitchen for over 2 months. They should have gone out to the coop long ago, but since the older chickens would probably kill them I had to build a cage in the coop until they get accepted. And I really have doubts that they will take to all of the boys.

Crooked Chicken, 10 cockerels!!! and 4 hens, that's a lot of cockerels! I'm new at this but what are you going to do with 10 cockerels?

Probably going to end up eating most of them, if not all. I just don't have enough females to keep them all happy.

I've got 18 standard sized chickens and 40 bantam/bantam crosses. 4 of the standards are roosters as are half of the bantams. I've been fighting Marek's for over a year now and 90% of the birds that I've lost have been roosters or cockerels. Last year I hatched a lot of males and most of them are in a bachelor pen waiting to see who is going to survive until July. In the mean time the boys and the standards are going to be free ranging for bugs and earning their crumble that way. If I still have a lot of them left come fall I will have them butchered for consumption by either me or our dogs.

It's going to be hard. I really love my roosters.

Yep, for every action there is an equal reaction.

Since I do have a definite problem with Marek's on our property, vaccinated chicks coming in is my only option. Like I said. I'm not vaccinating any chicks my broodies hatch out. No sense in it from my POV as all the birds I have are already exposed and shedding dander. The minute the little guys pop out of the shell they are exposed by mamma's dander and it is up to them to survive or succumb. I've got some tough little birds right now which is what I'm shooting for..

So, if I understand what you're saying, because of the dander, etc. on your property you couldn't start fresh with a new flock?

I'm on the main highway and often find large white feathers along the edge of the property. Not sure if it's a turkey or chicken truck. Hopefully they aren't carrying and diseased birds.

I'm trying to find someone that has muscovy ducklings or may have some in the near future for sale. Would like my muscovy hen to have a buddy this spring. I'm located in Black Jack, MO and am willing to drive. Thanks in advance!

I've seen several postings for Muscovy ducks on Craigslist (Jeff City) -- looks like multiple locations all over Missouri and Illinois.