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

[ldutch123]

I just put my 5 16 week EE's with my 35 layers and one roo and I'm telling you these EE's are so dang scares of everything! They won't leave the coop I even carry each one out to the huge yard they have and they hang out for a bit and run back to the coop. When are these birds gonna start hanging out with everyone. The other girls don't really even seem to care about them. Are they usually a skittish breed? All the other girls are mixed Cochins, BR, red sex link, Sussex, wyndottes and ok we'll u name it lol. And a tophat roo. Got my 2nd egg from these girls too and they are only 16 weeks old. I thought that was a bit soon but they were a pretty blue

 

[stonykill]

Beekissed, thanks for sharing that. While not necessary it really goes along with your thread opener. And, yup this is why you remind me of farmers around here who have lived the farm life for their entire lives. I've always said the simple life isn't simple as we all know. But it is rewarding, healthy, and good for the soul.

I wish my screen name story was as interesting. But it isn't. but I'll tell it anyway.

My grandfather was like a father to me in many ways. My biological dad, while I loved him of course, was... well a drunk. Not a great dad or role model. Forgave him when he died at 53 from his drinking. But that is another story. My grandfather was definalely my mentor in life. A man of the great depression who lived cheaply but happily. He always said "if I can't do it myself, it doesn't need doing". He met my grandmother in Normandy , the town she lived in in France. They met some time after D day, after things had settled down a bit there. They married in France (her father wouldn't have it any other way!) .
So I'm off track ....but in the year I was born (67) they bought the property I now live on with my family. So I grew up here. For many years my mom was a single mother, so I spent every summer and many other days here growing up. It is a 30 acre plot of old farmland with few neighbors. The Stonykill creek divides our property in 2. Hence the name.....

. We bought the property in 1990 from my grandparents.

Not related to the screen name, but we raised turkeys for the freezer until I was in my late teens. My sister and I plucking the birds. I was NEVER happier when I got promoted to chopping their heads off. We knew nothing of killing cones. An axe, a chunk of wood, a noose to tie the turkeys legs, and me. 30 turkeys a year for the freezer. We did pigs once with my grandfather. My grandmother didn't like the sounds, so we never did that again. We raised a steer for the freezer when we 1st moved here, but that was it other than wild critters for the freezer until 7 years ago when we got chickens. But there were many a lean money years that the only meat we ate I killed. Lots of venison, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, and LOTS of fish in the summer. Whatever was in season and I had tags for I killed and we ate.

We have always heated solely with firewood since I was very young. so in 1991 the year after we bought our place from my grandparents, we converted to ONLY wood heat. No furnace. We have NOT bought heating oil or used electricity for heat since 1991. Wood, nothing but wood for our home and my workshop. Self employed, so the shop is heated daily for 6 months a year as well as the house. And since 04 ALL of our domestic hot water is made with the outdoor wood furnace.

. Now if only we could afford solar....
ok, now back to our regularly scheduled programing

 

[jeapa]

Love the stories Beekissed and Stonykill.

 

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, thanks for sharing that. While not necessary it really goes along with your thread opener. And, yup this is why you remind me of farmers around here who have lived the farm life for their entire lives. I've always said the simple life isn't simple as we all know. But it is rewarding, healthy, and good for the soul.

I wish my screen name story was as interesting. But it isn't. but I'll tell it anyway.

My grandfather was like a father to me in many ways. My biological dad, while I loved him of course, was... well a drunk. Not a great dad or role model. Forgave him when he died at 53 from his drinking. But that is another story. My grandfather was definalely my mentor in life. A man of the great depression who lived cheaply but happily. He always said "if I can't do it myself, it doesn't need doing". He met my grandmother in Normandy , the town she lived in in France. They met some time after D day, after things had settled down a bit there. They married in France (her father wouldn't have it any other way!) .
So I'm off track ....but in the year I was born (67) they bought the property I now live on with my family. So I grew up here. For many years my mom was a single mother, so I spent every summer and many other days here growing up. It is a 30 acre plot of old farmland with few neighbors. The Stonykill creek divides our property in 2. Hence the name.....

. We bought the property in 1990 from my grandparents.

Not related to the screen name, but we raised turkeys for the freezer until I was in my late teens. My sister and I plucking the birds. I was NEVER happier when I got promoted to chopping their heads off. We knew nothing of killing cones. An axe, a chunk of wood, a noose to tie the turkeys legs, and me. 30 turkeys a year for the freezer. We did pigs once with my grandfather. My grandmother didn't like the sounds, so we never did that again. We raised a steer for the freezer when we 1st moved here, but that was it other than wild critters for the freezer until 7 years ago when we got chickens. But there were many a lean money years that the only meat we ate I killed. Lots of venison, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, and LOTS of fish in the summer. Whatever was in season and I had tags for I killed and we ate.

We have always heated solely with firewood since I was very young. so in 1991 the year after we bought our place from my grandparents, we converted to ONLY wood heat. No furnace. We have NOT bought heating oil or used electricity for heat since 1991. Wood, nothing but wood for our home and my workshop. Self employed, so the shop is heated daily for 6 months a year as well as the house. And since 04 ALL of our domestic hot water is made with the outdoor wood furnace.

. Now if only we could afford solar....
ok, now back to our regularly scheduled programing

I loved your story as well, Stony! I wonder just how many of the OTs have just such a similar background....I'm betting it's quite a few.

 

[chickletteSarge]

Loved reading your histories! I can only wish to have grown up like that!

 

[Robert Blosl]

Thanks, Bob. The java breeding article was useful. I definitely want dual purpose birds. Plan on eating the culls. After I've got my chicken-keeping skills improved I would like to set up a small breeding project. Not that I want to show birds, but I'd like to breed to standard to help keep the lines going. Reading between the lines of the SOP it looks like the old breed standards were geared toward keeping a strong, healthy, productive flock. Seems like a great goal to me. Who can afford a bunch of slacking chickens? I figure if I start with a trio I would have another year to build a set of pens for line breeding. But I'm not going to start a breeding project until I'm sure I can take care of the birds. Don't want to put any of those rare birds at risk.


The best thing you can do is go small and slow. Get two pairs or a trio and hatch a few chicks or get some eggs or started chicks about two to three weeks old and have a breeder ship them to you.

One of the secrets I have learned is hatch about 10 to15 chicks from each female and just improve or up grade each year. In three to five years you will have a good flock. One of the most important trait to shoot for in these old dual purpose breeds is good egg production. High egg production helps keep vigor up and it also helps produce good feather quality. In a few months you should find a good source who lives in your region to get a source from.

 

[jazzy519]

Thanks for all the advise that's been given here. I've been reading and learning. Beekissed you are a blessing . I just started my chicken journey this spring so I have alot to learn.

 

[Zany Chick]

If you only have 10 birds, you might to consider "charting" them. Grab a cup of coffee and a take ring side seat and watch the nests, if your arrangement allows for viewing.

Sounds like a wonderful plan, an excuse to enjoy my coffee and watch my chickens! Even though I might have to sit on a ladder to get a good view of the nestboxes, I think I would still enjoy it and my OCD part would love having that extra info!

 

[Zany Chick]

SAw on Storage Wars where in the 50's someone came up with..yeah thats right...sunglasses for the chickens !
.Well they were red or rose so the chickens wouldnt kill each other but what a funny picture.!!
Said someone bought 2000 to put on ALL his chickens !!! Can you imagine?

I saw that episode! Can't imagine getting glasses on my chickens!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks to both of you for your stories...really enjoyed reading! I'M SO GLAD I FOUND THIS THREAD! Thanks to everyone for the great info!


A calcium question...RE: Using milk products with Chicks under 20 weeks (milk, yogurt, kefir, whey)

My Chicks are 11 weeks old currently. I purchase an organic feed that I have formulated by a local feed store without soy. This is a "mash" type with the Fertrell poultry mix in it so there is a good amount of "powder" when you include the nutri-balancer and fish meal, etc.

So...I have been in the habit of gathering up the powder left over in the bottom of the pan and mixing it with milk I have soured with ACV. [FYI - the milk is raw..unpasteurized...from grass-fed herd.] I also make cheese so when I have whey I will use that to wet the feed. I have been giving this in the evenings.

BUT...I'm wondering about the calcium level since they're pretty young. If I need to cut out the milk products before 20 weeks or so I will do that.

Any advise on the calcium issue with this?