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

[cbuffy]

I've been lurking since this thread first began. And have learned SO MUCH! I add my thanks to everyone who has asked and answered questions. I started my first flock in April and you have saved me untold time, money and grief!

Now I'm ready to jump into the FF thing. My question is, I'm in Florida. So it's pretty darn warm here all the time. Ideally I would like to do it out in the barn (but it's an OPEN concept - actually a car port we put some stall panels in for the horses - they only come in to feed - they pasture 24/7). What about rodents? I had a problem with rats several years ago, but haven't seen evidence of any in 2+ years. I joke I have the only barn on the planet with no cat - we have a greyhound. We also have a really good lab and a jack russell/chihuaua but that greyhound is a pain. (so followed the dog information and learned lots!)

Anyhow - Bee you mentioned you sort of half cover your bucket with a lid. I'm worried about rodents and/or increased flies. (which is why I am not really interested in moving it to the garage... the dogs live in there and the door is open all day - if it attracts unwanteds, I don't want them in my house!) I DO have a really big snake (grrr) that lives under the hay room. Probably why no more rats. The chickens are a good ways away, but I don't want to attract rodents.

I soak alfalfa cubes overnight every night - half for the horses and the other half goes out to the girls each morning. I often find it looking bubbly/frothy in the mornings, so I'm sure my FF would cook pretty quickly.

 

[Beekissed]

That's something you will have to try and let us know the results. I don't live in that warm of a climate, so I have minimal flies, if any, and a few gnats but not much....more yellow jackets than anything until we killed off the local nest.

That's all new territory for me, as is this FF. This is the first year I've ever tried it and so am learning with all the others.

So glad you like the thread!

 

[Beekissed]

If you have a smaller pen, or a tractor with a laying box or two, that is where I'd put my breeders.

In other words, I'd have my rooster and those 5 or 6 hens I want to use in the breeding program, in a separate pen or tractor. After 10 days, I'd start placing eggs from that breeding pen into the incubator. You can theoretically get 36-42 fertile eggs per week from 6 hens in the breeding pen.

That is likely enough to fill the incubator. Once you've incubated all the eggs you wish, you can release the birds, or "break up" the breeding pen, as they say.

This is one example of a breeding pen/tractor that we've used.

WOW! That's all I can really say about those birds!!!! WOW!!!

If anyone wanted to know the real difference in breeder stock and hatchery stock, right there is the difference. Take a look at one of my Barred Rocks from a hatchery and then compare it to these fine feathered fatties in this post. Such a difference in the depth of the body, both chest and rear, the smoothness and fullness of the feathering...mine are just like a very bad copy of the real thing. Kudos to Fred on the exceptional breeding of these heritage birds!

 

[cbuffy]

Thanks Bee. Guess I'll just jump in and give it a try. The results you are getting proves experimenting is a good idea!

 

[bruceh]

My oldest daughter was 'gifted' and at a very young age. In her late teens/early 20s, while she was still on my insurance, I begged her to get a reduction done; I knew the misery ahead for her. She refused, she thought they were pretty sexy.

Well, 14 years and 1 son later, not to mention numerous days of her husband finding her lying in the floor with her back out, her triple Gs went under the knife thanks to his insurance finally approving it. Almost too late - her back was a MESS but they think the reduction in weight will save it and she says she never realized just how much pain she had been in for sooooooo long until it was suddenly gone after surgery. Now she does yoga, swims, spins, and a host of other activities that she neither wanted to do, nor COULD do with those dang things. I am so happy for her.

And I tell any young woman even thinking about enlargement her story to give them something to think long and hard about. I know that sometimes cosmetic augmentation is a GOOD thing, but these young girls that go and triple their size just for the look of it are going to be mighty sorry one day!

no comment from this rooster

 

[Fred's Hens]

Actually, those are our own line of utility Barred Rocks. Yes, we've bred them for generations as meat producers. They aren't too bad, actually, but nothing all that much to look at, feather wise. Good to decent layers too. But the heritage Barred Rocks dwarf even those, I'm afraid. The heritage birds are from the Good Shepherd line. HUGE doesn't begin to describe them. We have hens at 10-11 pounds, plus, and roosters that are around 13-14 pounds. Might have one at 15 lbs to tell you the truth.

So many of the Barred Rocks have been bred down, down, down and made into layers. That's OK. But the Barred Rock, back in the day, was a staple dual purpose bird.

This is just my own opinion, but I like a dual purpose bird to be on the larger side of things. Healthy and vigorous are the traits of a utility bird. They ain't for show.

 

[bruceh]

Actually, those are our own line of utility Barred Rocks. Yes, we've bred them for generations as meat producers. They aren't too bad, actually, but nothing all that much to look at, feather wise. Good to decent layers too. But the heritage Barred Rocks dwarf even those, I'm afraid. The heritage birds are from the Good Shepherd line. HUGE doesn't begin to describe them. We have hens at 10-11 pounds, plus, and roosters that are around 13-14 pounds. Might have one at 15 lbs to tell you the truth.

So many of the Barred Rocks have been bred down, down, down and made into layers. That's OK. But the Barred Rock, back in the day, was a staple dual purpose bird.

This is just my own opinion, but I like a dual purpose bird to be on the larger side of things. Healthy and vigorous are the traits of a utility bird. They ain't for show.

fred i remember when barred rocks were huge. the men in the markets sold them. that was in late 60's and early 70's. they also used a white bird i can't remember what they were. i think they were a little smaller. as i am walking down memory lane my vision says it may have been a white rock.
if you want google lombard street " jew town " baltimore city. that is how i remember baltimore even though i was young child.

for all those who are offended by the term " jew town " . baltimore in that time was broken up into neighborhoods of ethnic background. italians lived in little italy, greeks lived in greek town, jews lived in jew town, and so on and so forth. it remained this way until the riots of 1968. by the mid 70's baltimore culture was destroyed. all the neighborhoods got along and shared the cultures for where we from.we never new as kids if we were eating motza ball soup, spaghetti with gravy , ( never sauce it was gravy. sauce was for pizza) or stuffed grape leaves what a great life we had.

 

[NanaKat]

Okay. The genders will never be equal until men's jock straps include under wires to lift and separate... Just saying.

But I stray from chickens. Love those Barred Rocks. I like heritage breeds.

I have a question on chicken health. A little history
My flock free ranges 6 to 12 hours a day. They have full access to my garden. They have fresh water and free feed in hanging feeders. ACV water is also available free choice. The brooder room has a concrete floor with a mixture of dirt and wood shavings and the hen house has a dirt floor covers by deep litter. When free ranging the screen door separating the two is open so the teen birds have access to the hen room and the outside. My flock has been very healthy.

This year with the drought I have lost more birds than last year and more than any year I've had chickens. Most have been less than a year old. Examples: a 7 month old d'Anvers hen lays an egg in the morning and by afternoon check she has died. An 8 month old pullet out free ranging lays down and dies. Two young bird are running with the flock in the morning and by afternoon look like they have rickets.. Able to stand, eager to eat, bright eyes, but stumbling.

Can birds suffer from rickets and if so is it a deficiency that can be corrected? If not rickets, what could it be?

Will try to post a picture of my flock.

 

[Beekissed]

Is your ACV water in a metal waterer?

 

[NanaKat]

Is your ACV water in a metal waterer?

No, I put it in those gallon plactic waterers .