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

[Dead Rabbit]

i just started another thread on the ISA browns. id like to see some others opinions posted on it. thankyou.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=614807

 

[Tallulah Chicklet]

Quote:
You gave me some really good things to think about in an organized way. I'll have to check on her last molt, I'm pretty sure about her age, since she came from a mutual friend. When I first got her, I coerced my vet to do stool samples on both her and my flock, hers was clean and my flock was colonized with coccidia in small numbers (!). I quarantined her and gradually integrated her by letting her run around the yard where the other hens (and wild birds) had been. I checked her closely and treated her for leg mites. She had a swollen area on her foot, which I suspect is bumblefoot, but there is no sign of a point of entry, and it is gradually getting smaller, so I have not treated it since she first came. She eats Countryside Organics layer feed, forages in the back quarter of the yard and sometimes the entire yard with the rest of the hens, and gets scrambled eggs and leftovers with the others. My head hen tends to pick on her. Her vent has a yellow pigmented ring around the outside, which I understand is a sign of not laying. All in all, she appears healthy on general and close inspection, except for the swollen area on her foot. My friend seems to feel that the flock stopped laying after the trauma of an attack by some dogs. I plan to keep her regardless of whether she lays eggs, but it seems like she should at least be laying sporadically.

Thank you for your help and encouragement!

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Is this a fact ? what reference book/source ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_(eggs)
I've read it other places also, it's the nature of the bird (some breeds more than others), would'nt be many chickens if they went broody for one egg.

You do know that ANYONE can edit a wikipedia entry? So there is no place on this planet where "Don't beleive everything you read" is more important to remember than a wikipedia entry.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Quote:
Thanks Al!
Here's the skinny. going to be building raised beds, have bad knees, hate digging, got fire ants & clay soil.

Building about 6 - 2x2 (the raised bed guy on youtube stated 6" high was great for most plants)
4 - 2x4, 4 - 2x6 & the 1 - 2x8 I had from last year.

Have a 24 x 24 section of the yard I have been told by hubby to use. LOL 1/4 of the East side of the plot is shaded by the house, first thing in the morning, till about 10 am. The rest of the plot gets full sun. I am going to put 4 - 50 gal rain barrels on skids, against the wall of the house (1 ft away from the house). Because they come with spickets (can not spell this word), I was going to attach PVC piping between 2 of the barrels, with a outflow to a hose attachment. Priced out soaker hose tubing, solid tubing, splitters & a 6 outlet divider to attach the tubing to. Each barrel with water 2 rows of raised beds, Still trying to find the best price for a timer to attach to the PVC outlet.

Each raised bed will have compost my hubby gets from his local materials place, great stuff! Will have hubby cut the grass/weeds as low to the ground as he can, put a sheet of weed block down, soaked sheets of cardboard (overlapping) and a layer of wet newspaper, then the raised beds & compost. Once the seeds/plants are in, am going to lay down the soaker hoses, and a layer of hay.

I will also have 3 chicken wire baskets (3 ft high, 2 ft diameter) made up for growing potatoes, they will be staked into the ground on 4 sides. I just hope the wind is a little more gentle this year. Am also hoping that the house might act as a barricade or buffer to any wind we do get. For the beans & peas, I am going to screw a 1x2 to the left & right side of the raised bed (3 screws each side), and then a cross beam (top & bottom) to attach the strings to.

Still playing with the configurations, but I know I have to have the Tomatoes & Potatoes on opposite sides of the garden. Am also checking out the best companion plants. And then there is the fencing to keep the chickens out.

Hubby thinks I am nutty for planning it now, but I want to have a clear picture in my mind & on paper come spring, so I can just build, lay it out & start planting when the time comes. What else is there to do this winter, except plan out the coop for my meat chickens.

Will pick your brain later on what are the best tomatoes to plant. Have to have some pop in your mouth grape tomatoes for my 6 year old. She has been eating tomatoes since before she turned a year, she eats the big ones like an apple. In Cali, they have the 99 Cent Only Store (miss that place), and they sold the little containers of grape tomatoes. I would give it to her in the basket as I was pushing her around the store. By the time I was done shopping, she had eaten them all.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Really? My D'uccle went "broody" on 2 golf balls and she was NOT going to be moved off them, so I got her 4 large fowl eggs. She hatched 3 chicks (which were taller than her at 6 weeks

)

My silkie (which may or may not be considered a "real" chicken on this thread

) went broody on NOTHING. She made a nest in the corner of the coop, in the sand. I moved her every day for a week and every day she was back there, so I slipped 4 mutt eggs (of my own this time) under her. I have no idea what she hatched and only one survived the D'uccles "helping" mother them....but she didn't even have an egg to sit on but was broody...turns out she is a good momma too...who knew a dustmop could protect her baby from 3 roos?
So again, I say "really?", cuz that hasn't been my experience. As I understood it, broodiness is hormonal and has nothing to do with how many eggs the hen has around. A broody hen will steal eggs from another's nest (if the boxes are of the open style) or get off her own nest so the other hens can lay their eggs in her nest and hatch them as her own, no problem.

Perhaps you are thinking of ducks? It is a true statement with regard to some species of ducks (not all) and "a dozen" isn't an absolute...ducks decide based on the available food in the area.

who knew a dustmop could protect her baby from 3 roos

Interesting comment. How many people have problems with mature roosters killing chicks? I never have. Notice I'm asking about mature roosters, not chicks.

I don't have many problems with mature hens trying to kill chicks either, but I have seen Mama teach a few hens to leave her babies alone. I've never seen any of those problems with mature roosters. I have seen the dominate rooster help take care of the chicks. One specific example, which I have seen several times, is if some chicks get stuck on the opposite side of a fence from Mama, the rooster sometimes comes over and watches over the chicks until Mama can figure out where the gate is.

I don't think the roosters were going to hurt the chick, but the momma was NOT Taking any chances and chased them away until they proved, to her satifaction, that they meant no harm. 3 days after joining the flock the chick was cuddled under a roo's wing, cuz it was too large to fit under momma's any more. It was pretty cute to see.

I have not had any problems with any of my birds harming the little ones, but they sure do chase them around a lot. Poor babies.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Tallulah Chicklet, my guess would be that as the days get longer and spring gets closer, she'll start laying again. By then, she should have acclimated more to being at your place and have less stress, too. Free range can be deadly in some circumstances, but it gave her more nutrients than a plain commercial feed diet, plus she got more exercise.

She may have stopped laying because of the stress of an attack, but at her age, I think a heavy fall molt and/or the shortening days of winter were more likely the cause, unless your friend used supplemental lighting starting their second fall. They probably would have all started laying again some time after the days started getting longer. That's what usually happens.

Anyway, I hope she fits in and you enjoy having her in your flock.

 

[al6517]

Fred's Hens :

Quote:
In this context, the I.S.A. Brown. A particular strain of commercial hen. Holder of most of the world's records for brown egg laying.
http://www.isapoultry.com/

records are meant to be broken as in this case last year it was shattered by a new super egg layer called the Sil-Go, it to is an sex linked layer breed. It was bred in MS by some scientist and the new record set by them is a jumbo lrg egg every day for 428 day's straight. They have also bred the new layer called the ........get this........... super egg laying machine #365. As far as I know there are only 2 hatcheries in MS that sell them.​

 

[Dead Rabbit]

Quote:
In this context, the I.S.A. Brown. A particular strain of commercial hen. Holder of most of the world's records for brown egg laying.
http://www.isapoultry.com/

records are meant to be broken as in this case last year it was shattered by a new super egg layer called the Sil-Go, it to is an sex linked layer breed. It was bred in MS by some scientist and the new record set by them is a jumbo lrg egg every day for 428 day's straight. They have also bred the new layer called the ........get this........... super egg laying machine #365. As far as I know there are only 2 hatcheries in MS that sell them.

cool deal do yo know the names or links to these hatcheries??

 

[navasima]

Hey there y'all. Ya - I'm the OP of the "sustainable flock" question and I wholeheartedly thank each of you who responded! Special thanks for the link al!!

Side: This has all come about because DH ( the yuck/no guy as far as most things animal are concerned) turned to me one evening and announced that he would like us to have meat chickens as well as our egg/pretty flock because it's healthier meat. I refrained form saying DUH! and reminding him that this idea was vetoed when mentioned before. Now, this means a coop/pen, raising the chicks, maintaining the flock and processing are mine to do. Thank goodness he cooks!!!

I lucked out today and picked up a 4x3 coop and 8x3 run for $40.
As I have saved myself the building, just need some wire repair and paint now, I think I'll go with Cornish X chicks this year - match my birds to the available space. I do not bring anything in until accomodations are ready. Living space prepared and food on site before chicks get ordered.
I have someone experienced at processing ready to come supervise/guide when I'm ready. I also have a friend who will be going in on the chick order and processing ...and will be working out the details of a "meatie" breeding program with me at which time we'll have breeding stock on two different properties. She and I have processed quail, but not chicken.


Anything else to line up before the fuzzy butts come? Oh

- I've also discussed with our 3 year old that some chickens are for staying here and making eggs for us and others will come that are for eating...like our quailies....she is rather concerned that some of them must be nuggets just for her... So - am I good to go so far?

 

[Cass]

Quote:
"Freezer Camp" is also a way to talk about your plans for your extra roos in front of underage children who would scream and faint away if they knew you were going to KILL IT and EAT IT.

I "process" my birds when talking to adults and send them to "Freezer camp" when there are children around. (Other people's kids....mine are all grown and most don't eat meat...sigh)

Cass, I respect your opinion as I should. I have a slightly different view. I believe children that are exposed to real life farm situations are much more prepared for real life than those that are sheltered. When an adult deals with facts of life and states it as such to youngsters, they adopt the same outlook and are not as easily crushed by death of chickens, cows, even loved humans. They don`t need counseling when they lose a friend at school. Death is common not only on a farm, but in real life and can be easier on all concerned if it is dealth with out in the open and as a fact of life.......Pop

Pop,

I agree with you. BUT I am talking about other people's children. As an educator of several decades I know that I have no right to choose what other people's children are exposed to, so "freezer camp" is for little ears (and I mean under 6 years of age) and "processing" is for adults and children whom I know the parents well enough to know how they are raising their children.