Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Beekissed]

I love all the hands on exploring and learning you are doing. If only all the new chicken owners on BYC were so diligent in actually learning about their birds and following through on what they learn.

That's what it takes, really, to learn better and more quickly...it's that hands on "feel" for what they look like and feel like when they are doing well that will let you know, just by looking at your flock, when something is out of kilter.

The more time spent in purposeful inspection and observation of the flock will yield so much more than just "chicken TV" or feeding treats and such. I'm very pleased and proud that there are newbies that are taking what they learn on this thread and applying it. It does my heart good!

 

[Beekissed]

I really want to encourage everyone who can to take advantage of this pop quiz that Fred is doing. If we have enough participation this could be the start of a VERY educational, visual tutorial on how to cull your flocks to get more productive, healthier and meatier birds. I don't know about you all, but someone can tell me all day but show me a picture and it's like the sun coming out...a light shines in and I get it. Finally.

I appreciate Fred taking the time to do this exciting, new teaching tool on this thread and it takes active participation from the other side of the computer for it all to work. Have those answers ready!

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

We just post our answers straight to the thread? No Pm's, right?

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

And thanks for the compliment, Bee. I read so much here that I can't wait to physically get my hands on those chickens! I'm thinking I couldn't raise Cornish... Probably couldn't heft one of those bad boys! How much did that rooster weigh, Al???

 

[Beekissed]

Al's Cornish are the pitbulls of the chicken world!

And people wonder why he puts the boot to one that flogs him? It would be like someone hitting you on the back of the legs with a big stick covered in 3 inch spikes.

 

[Beekissed]

We just post our answers straight to the thread? No Pm's, right?

Yep...everyone just post it straight to the original quiz by quoting it. Fred will post the quiz once again when he conducts the test. Isn't this cool? Wish I could play!

 

[NanaKat]

White mushrooms sprouting in Southern California about now are called "death caps" according to my nephew, a biological geneticist who live there.
Poisonous to people and some animals.

Al your birds are enormous. the one pictures in the cage was about 18 inches tall using the 2 inch wire spacing as the gauge to measure it.

There were a few White Rocks, Cornish, New Hampshire, Buckeyes at the Shawnee, Oklahoma show. I will post a few pictures after I load and edit them tomorrow.

Have enjoyed the past many pages on selective breeding and look forward to reading the quiz responses.

 

[galanie]

I'm just over the mark being a bit over 3 years but I have my thoughts. It'll be informative to me to see the answers and the judging. Can't wait!

 

[20736]

Nikki said -
"Upon inspection, I have two pullets who are missing some feathers on their heads. A fellow newbie chicken friend was here, so we looked closer and it simply appears that they are growing new feathers in that spot"

I don't know if this was covered yet, or if you have this particular hen with a rooster. But I believe the bare spot on the hens head is caused by the roo when he holds on to her for mating. Sometimes his Favorite will have a little larger spot there than the ones he has to chase around the run.
Just wanted to address that point.

 

[maryhysong]

Well I'm still reading way back in the 600s so will have to go back just a few pages to check out this pop quiz thing. In the meantime I was talking with my mom the other day and she was walking down memory lane (she's 73) talking about how my grandparents always raised chickens then traded roasters for rabbit fryers from their friends down the street. One of the things she talked about was caponizing. But she was talking about inserting a little pellet under the skin on the neck of the chicken. I'm thinking this must have been some sort of hormone pellet. I don't think I've heard of this before and was just wondering about it. This would have been in the late 40s through the 50s.