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

[flocksalot]

Sure wish I could find some made in the good ol USofA though. To many things from China are made with things they shouldn't be made with. That and I prefer to support my own country rather than a competitors. If there are any made here I sure would love to have the link. Otherwise I will continue to use my old standard made in the US stuff until there is. Heck I'll even use made in Canada stuff first.

 

[JenellYB]

Unfortunately, that is a situation both created and continued by US. It is our own doing, our own fault. Given the choice of buying the cheaper imported item or the more expensive US made item, our choice is most often the cheaper.

Sure wish I could find some made in the good ol USofA though. To many things from China are made with things they shouldn't be made with. That and I prefer to support my own country rather than a competitors. If there are any made here I sure would love to have the link. Otherwise I will continue to use my old standard made in the US stuff until there is. Heck I'll even use made in Canada stuff first.

 

[ECBW]

True that. Do not overlook the middleman!! Trace where the $$$ goes and you will see the real culprit.

China, Korea, India, Guatemala, Mexico are like slave labor countries to the US of the world. My brother is learning Vietnamese and living in a tropical town where there is a few paved road because that is where his American corporation decided to outsource. You don't see Taiwan, Hong Kong or Japan anymore because their labor rates are too high. Corporate America will go to the jungle of Congo if that would give them the biggest profit margin, so the executives can earn millions yearly.

Why the labor rates are so high in US making us not competitive in the world economy? That is a hot topic for another day.

 

[flocksalot]

Hence the reason I use old equipment made here or make it myself. It's just to much of a throw away society. The old stuff was made to last whereas the new stuff shatters or cracks with normal wear and tare. I prefere to spend my money once instead of again and again and again, and I don't have to have all the newest stuff either. The chickens don't care that it's old or repurposed all they care about is that there is feed in the feeder, water in the waterer, and that I have either hay or snow on my boots when I come around.

I have a brother that makes specialized dental equipment for a Dr out in Colorado because the Dr. feels the equipment he can buy is inferior quality. He keeps my brother is business with just referals or new designs. Sadly he doesn't have the equipment to do plastic injection molding or I would be giving him a call. I know there is someone out there with the know how and equipment to do the work. I just have to find them. So if you know of anyone PM me so we can talk.

 

[galanie]

All the the above is the reason I made sure to state in my post that the nipples in that eBay ad are from China. No where in the eBay ad does it state this, and only after having received them did I know where they came from. At least, unlike me, you have a choice now. They do work great though, I'll say that.

 

[hannahransom]

I finally finished this thread! I think I've been working on it for a few weeks.

Questions and comments:

Flocksalot: where do you get your dark cornish? You said a hatchery. They sounds GREAT.

Do any OTs have comments on mutts v. regular breeds? I am thinking about trying out just breeding mutts so that I don't need to do all kinds of breed separation. I know that if I wanted to only have specific breeds I would have maybe two breeds max because it would be too much trouble for me and my style of keeping chickens.

I have a chicken that, when I go out in the morning to open their coop, is often standing on a roost maybe 3 ft (tops) up. She is always the last to jump down and flys kind of like an idiot and sometimes hits the coop wall when she is flying down before she runs out. I already decided she ain't going into the gene pool, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen this behavior and if it's something I should just eat. She's about 17 weeks and not quite full grown, so I'd probably wait on eating her for a while at least (and maybe let her lay until I have more replacements, too!). I just want to know if it's just a stupid chicken or what. She's a wyandotte, and they seem to be pretty dumb so far, not a breed I want to stick with.

 

[bobbi-j]

I finally finished this thread! I think I've been working on it for a few weeks.

Questions and comments:

Flocksalot: where do you get your dark cornish? You said a hatchery. They sounds GREAT.

Do any OTs have comments on mutts v. regular breeds? I am thinking about trying out just breeding mutts so that I don't need to do all kinds of breed separation. I know that if I wanted to only have specific breeds I would have maybe two breeds max because it would be too much trouble for me and my style of keeping chickens.

I have a chicken that, when I go out in the morning to open their coop, is often standing on a roost maybe 3 ft (tops) up. She is always the last to jump down and flys kind of like an idiot and sometimes hits the coop wall when she is flying down before she runs out. I already decided she ain't going into the gene pool, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen this behavior and if it's something I should just eat. She's about 17 weeks and not quite full grown, so I'd probably wait on eating her for a while at least (and maybe let her lay until I have more replacements, too!). I just want to know if it's just a stupid chicken or what. She's a wyandotte, and they seem to be pretty dumb so far, not a breed I want to stick with.

Mutts vs. purebreds - it all depends on what you want your chickens for. If you're not planning on showing or selling, mutts are great! I love my muttts. You never quite know what you're going to get as far as color, eggs, size, etc. until they feather out.

Could be your chicken is at the bottom of the pecking order and stays on the roost as long as possible to avoid being picked on. Flying into the coop wall might just be because there isn't enough room in your coop for when she's flying down. Half of my chickens roost in the rafters of my coop (an 8x8x8h shed) and when they fly down in the morning sometimes hit the wall or other rafters. It would be different if they would jump straight down off the roost or out of the rafters, but for some reason they don't. If you're going to eat her, I'd give her some time to get a little bigger. Wyandottes aren't real meaty. Mine are fairly good layers, though, so you might want to think about that before you eat her.

 

[flocksalot]

I finally finished this thread! I think I've been working on it for a few weeks.

Questions and comments:

Flocksalot: where do you get your dark cornish? You said a hatchery. They sounds GREAT.

Do any OTs have comments on mutts v. regular breeds? I am thinking about trying out just breeding mutts so that I don't need to do all kinds of breed separation. I know that if I wanted to only have specific breeds I would have maybe two breeds max because it would be too much trouble for me and my style of keeping chickens.

I have a chicken that, when I go out in the morning to open their coop, is often standing on a roost maybe 3 ft (tops) up. She is always the last to jump down and flys kind of like an idiot and sometimes hits the coop wall when she is flying down before she runs out. I already decided she ain't going into the gene pool, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen this behavior and if it's something I should just eat. She's about 17 weeks and not quite full grown, so I'd probably wait on eating her for a while at least (and maybe let her lay until I have more replacements, too!). I just want to know if it's just a stupid chicken or what. She's a wyandotte, and they seem to be pretty dumb so far, not a breed I want to stick with.

Boy that's a lot of reading isn't it!

I got my Dark Cornish from McMurray Hatchery which means they are already kinda a mutt in the purist sense for the breeders out there. I'm very happy with them and highly recommend them for others. They are also great for people that want a true dual purpose bird as they lay great and they are some meaty birds. I will start about 50 straight run after I fill my meat bird orders this year so I can have the boys for our freezer and the girls are great for our customers that have children that come out to play. They are just so very friendly. Of course we are a bit of a novelty as we raise them the old fashioned way, but love on them in the new fashioned way. Ya I hug my chickens so what. I do what makes me happy. I would still be putting doll clothes on them if I had some around. My Dad used to get so POd when I would steal the masking tape to keep their shoes on. Those were some good times. Any way that's where mine come from.

As for your flighty little girl, she's young and probably at the bottom of the flock. The more timid will find ways to keep out of the bossy and pushy ones way. Younger birds will do this around older birds. We recently moved our 17 week olds into the big house with the old ladies. Every morning I find them up on the perches after the old girls have vacated the premises. Then they jump like graceless morons and fly/flop into the walls, door, or even floor. They are still young and really just learning the ways of the grown up world. Soon they will be laying and mellowing out. Some of their flightiness will disappear as they begin to lay. So give the girl time to decide where she wants to be in the flock. She may end up being the boss even at some point.

Speedy was one of our girls that was just like that. She is a Partridge Rock and a very pretty one to boot. She was terribly flighty and extremely hard to catch. Hence the name. She wasn't allowed to even perch with the rest of the flock. The other day she was standing next to me as I was gathering eggs. She's mellowed over time and has become quit the funny girl. Well one of the other girls tried to challenge her. Speedy kicked the snot out of her. Then another and another. When she was done she had beat off five different girls for the position of standing next to me. I break eggs while gathering sometimes, and the closer they are the more they get. She's sure not the timid skittish little girl she used to be. Time will tell as to your girl too.

As for the mutts. I like them, but the purists won't. I used to be a purist and only wanted certain breeds, but over time I've grown to like my mutts quit well. The are pretty, unique and encompass all the traits I desire. However I don't think I would take an endangered heritage breed and include that in my menagerie as I would hate to see them disappear.

 

[Cass]

I finally finished this thread! I think I've been working on it for a few weeks.

Questions and comments:

Flocksalot: where do you get your dark cornish? You said a hatchery. They sounds GREAT.

Do any OTs have comments on mutts v. regular breeds? I am thinking about trying out just breeding mutts so that I don't need to do all kinds of breed separation. I know that if I wanted to only have specific breeds I would have maybe two breeds max because it would be too much trouble for me and my style of keeping chickens.

I have a chicken that, when I go out in the morning to open their coop, is often standing on a roost maybe 3 ft (tops) up. She is always the last to jump down and flys kind of like an idiot and sometimes hits the coop wall when she is flying down before she runs out. I already decided she ain't going into the gene pool, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen this behavior and if it's something I should just eat. She's about 17 weeks and not quite full grown, so I'd probably wait on eating her for a while at least (and maybe let her lay until I have more replacements, too!). I just want to know if it's just a stupid chicken or what. She's a wyandotte, and they seem to be pretty dumb so far, not a breed I want to stick with.

I solved the "keeping the breeds separate" by only keeping the roo of the breed I want more of. Everyone else's egg will be "mutt", but the breed I have the roo for, their eggs will be pure. (And since then are blue, they are easy to tell apart from the mutt layers) When I decide I don't want any more of that breed, I'll just change roos. (There are enough free roos out there I shouldn't have a problem getting a new one)

Any roos I hatch, by mistake, will become dinner. Extra Roo Stew is one of my favorite dishes.

 

[stonykill]

I'm not an Ot...yet. give me 3 more years! But about the mutt flock. Like someone said, it depends on what you want from your birds. Personally I am hatching a lot of mutts this year. I am only hatching eggs from my best layers. Poor layers, the ones who no matter what lay thin shelled eggs, the freaks, they don't get their eggs hatched. Hens will be ours to keep. Roo's won't be pure Sumatra, so they will all go in the freezer. Do what works for your long term plan.