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

[Bobby Basham]

Oh crap...I didn't realize that I was at the end of the thread.

I just gotta say that you OT's knocked the ball completely out of the field, time and time again. I've read through the ENTIRE thread from the beginning, and after reading this, I look at the other threads in a different light with with a grain of salt, tolerating all the knuckleheads out there, especially the Chicken Behaviors and Egg laying.

Every other thread is "WHEN WILL MY HENS START TO LAY...THEY'RE BLAH, BLAH MONTHS OLD? A Hen will start to lay when it's ready. Just like Dianna Ross and the Supremes, "You Can't Hurry Love, OH YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT." It makes me want to throw up. Take some time to read about the breed, observe your flock, and stop throwing all the redundant crap out there.

If I wanted to adopt a 12-foot python, I would definitely do my homework before acquiring such a creature. Don't let the snake run loose in the house if you got hamsters, rabbits, small dogs and children running around the camp. Chickens are no different than those exotic creatures. Then again, not from a dangerous standpoint, but Chickens are exotic in their own right, and should be cared for and respected for what they are...another one of God's creatures that has been domesticated and cultivated to suit our needs.

I was born in 1955 and grew up on a 60+ acre farm outside of Grove City, Pennsylvania about 50 miles above Pittsburgh, and spent my first 10 years growing up there before we built our new Ranch house closer to town, about 3 miles out in the booneys still.

We had ponds and streams, forests all around the place. Strawberry/blueberry/blackberry patches and what we called "choke cherry" trees. The berries grew in clumps like grapes and would truly stain your hands and clothes. My dad drove coal truck during the day, and farmed at night on weekends planting corn, wheat, oats, plus had different gardens for sweet corn and other crops.

We had corn pickers, combines, hay baylers etc. We were actually poor by today's standard, but we survived.

We had a big chicken coop and huge barn. I can remember my Dad coming home one night after dark in a 1960 Pontiac with a trunk full of about 25 pullets and put them in the coop. I was probably about 7 years old at the time.

I can remember at times when Mom would be out there wringing chickens' necks, and us younger kids were scared, scaling up the nearest tree like monkeys avoiding all the bloody flopping around. She also did her canning outside under a wood fire in a big metal tub. I was too young at the time, being the next to the youngest of seven, but the older siblings would have to go milk the cows every morning. Mom is still feisty, at 92, trying to fight and slap the paramedics everytime they haul her to the hospital...LOL!

We even had HAY RIDES!!! So much fun during the fall of the year, with a bunch of folks piled up on that wagon with a bunch of hay, with are old Ford tractor pulling it. We even had a big dance out in our garage, I thought it was the Class of 1962, but my older sister said it was a church youth group gathering. There must have been 100 kids out there, with our old portable recordplayer playing.

Grand Dad (Pappa) and my Dad and older brothers would be in the barn slaughtering pigs...shot between the eyes with a rifle and hung up on a meat hook being guttered over a big metal tub. The meat was shared. We would then go to Grandpa's house and slaughter his hogs...the meat was still shared.

My dad and older brothers would go hunting in the fall. They brought home pheasant, squirrel, rabbit, deer. I don't think we ever did groundhog or possum.

Imagine whole hogs heads in the freezer...we had hog head cheeze, cracklin bread, or just plain cracklin by itself. I cannot remember a day of going hungry.

I may be a city slicker now (still about 12 miles out), but I will never forget my roots, and that's why I want to get some chickens to keep some memories of my past, maybe six hens max in the concrete (HOA) association where I live now.

God Bless you all who raise chickens for pets and/or entertainment, livestock, sustainability to survive and maintain some insanity. I am so ready to retire (11 months to go), but the numbers aren't crunching good right now. Please say a prayer when you can. I've worked long and hard and blessed many communities for over 40 years. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[Mountain Momma]

I got to looking at the thread and I think this is the slowest it's been for a long while. I think we've either run out of newbies or they've run out of questions.

Okay, I'll stick my naked neck out....Why do you like the Delawares so much?
Also, my friend with the sick chick has integrated the sc back into the flock but she now has her RIR pecking the bejeesus out of another different chicken. Blood and a bald spot on the base top tail. She has 11 chickens and a 12x10 coop with a 12x8 fully enclosed run. She thought it was too tight but I think they have pleanty of room. Tell me if im wrong here but I told her to make sure of the culpret and cull her. That she wants a peaceful healthy flock and she doesnt want one bully to breed and make more bullies and continually disturb the flock peace.
I still dont have a varified answer on chickens with the most flavor. I gotta tell you if im going to buy into meat it needs to tast good and some scrawny bland little chicken is not worth the process to me but a delicious fat mouth watering chicken would be. How do I achieve that?

Also, free to good home
1 72 pound black lab 3 yrs old nuetered.
and 1 Golden 70 pound in tact 2 year old
would like them to stay together
but willing to seperate them.
friendly non violent pet quality
I will pay for shipping

They ate my home made corn muffins off the stove when I ran out to pick up Nina from theatre practice. (Homemade as in not from a box)

At the very least they will sleep outside tonight. Maybe forever.
L

 

[thedragonlady]

No, I think I must have said that wrong. When that roo does whatever he does, there are no unbelievers. None. They ALL take cover NOW NOW NOW. All o them. Even the ones that otherwise ignore him. I just haven't heard that low call enough to know what he's doing . I know a predator call but obviously that's not the one he's doing. It's almost inaudible. But trust me, they ALL, with no exceptions, RUN for cover when he does that. None of my former roos did the same thing and got the same results. None.

More of a eeeehhh! under his breath? Different predator call for different predators. I've heard that one too.
My Sun Conures are the most reliable predator/ stranger callers. My dog pack reacts strongly to them, and you'd better not be in the way as they go out the door. The Suns believe they own the whole Polo Field that I have at my back door. Anything unusual , and they sound the alarm. They know all the usual dog walkers etc, but bring a new person, with a strange dog on the field, and they sound off. These are true flock birds ( I think designed by someone on a psychadelic trip) So their survival depends on flock diligence. Those bright colors are just too visable.

 

[Beekissed]

Bobby, thank you for the great walk down memory lane! Makes my heart ache for old days... I will pray that you get your chickens and your little piece of country going in time for your retirement. And congrats on having read this whole thread!!! Anyone that does should get a medal of achievement.

Quote:
They are a very mild mannered, sturdy and reliable breed. Hardy, great layers and meaty builds. Just an all around great breed that I never see much anymore...my granny used to have a couple in her flocks and I've had some a time or two in other flocks down through the years. Never had a problem with them...just a great bird. And they are prettttyyyy....

 

[Fred's Hens]

The Delaware was an INCREDIBLE breed. The old man, George Ellis was breeding Barred Rocks and New Hampshires, back in the day when those were huge, what we now call heritage birds. Nothing like the hatchery stuff, now 100 years later. He was a small hatching bird man, he knew his stuff. He got a fluke, a genetic freak he called Goliath and all Delaware came from him. The Del rocked the world. The Del was the CX of its day. Those "meat birds" were still 60 years in the future, as was the high flying commercial ISA type brown egg layers we know today.

The Dels took over the world, if only for a short time. Wildly popular, because here was an unsurpassed meat carcass bird that matured quickly, and laid eggs, a lot of eggs.

Alas, the Del got drowned out by the hybrid egg layers on one side, and the CX broilers on the other.

Some folks say the DNA disappeared. I know hatcheries everywhere sell birds they "call" Dels, but in truth, 99% of them are Columbians and such and are not even close to Dels. Not even close.

What some knowledgeable folks have done, Kathy in particular, is to recreate them. But... and this is huge. First you need to replicate the old man's attempts of a century ago. Secondly, where are you going to get the birds he had then? The New Hampshire is virtually extinct and as rare as hen's teeth. The modern BR is nothing that will work. You have to get REAL Barred Rocks and Good Shepherd and Frank Reese was one of the few who kept the old line alive. (I also have some of those very BR. Real BR)

Next, you need REAL New Hampshire birds. Long story short, for your own enjoyment, read the history of the German New Hampshire. It is a fascinating story. The breed essentially was "preserved" by an fluke of history.

Anyhow, in a bad story telling way, that's it in a nutshell. Kathy has been breeding and literally making Dels and bringing them to life. Her work is astounding. After a few years of work, she is now showing what she has done. In the eyes of the very best judges and breeders on this site, most have commented with "Those are the best Dels I've ever seen, bar none." These are judges who've seen, lifted, felt, and judged Dels at major shows from coast to coast.

That is why we are excited about Kathy's Dels. In a nutshell? They are the best Dels in existence, perhaps.

 

[Beekissed]

'Nuff said!

I know I haven't actually seen this breed or anything similar for quite a few years....I would guess the ones I had were hatchery stock and I don't know about Grandma's. I can't wait to see these birds in real life...like holding a piece of bygone history in your hands.

 

[Zanna]

They are a very mild mannered, sturdy and reliable breed. Hardy, great layers and meaty builds. Just an all around great breed that I never see much anymore...my granny used to have a couple in her flocks and I've had some a time or two in other flocks down through the years. Never had a problem with them...just a great bird. And they are prettttyyyy....

What Bee Said Also, great foragers and good Momma's! Can you tell I love mine.........

 

[thedragonlady]

The Delaware was an INCREDIBLE breed. The old man, George Ellis was breeding Barred Rocks and New Hampshires, back in the day when those were huge, what we now call heritage birds. Nothing like the hatchery stuff, now 100 years later. He was a small hatching bird man, he knew his stuff. He got a fluke, a genetic freak he called Goliath and all Delaware came from him. The Del rocked the world. The Del was the CX of its day. Those "meat birds" were still 60 years in the future, as was the high flying commercial ISA type brown egg layers we know today.

The Dels took over the world, if only for a short time. Wildly popular, because here was an unsurpassed meat carcass bird that matured quickly, and laid eggs, a lot of eggs.

Alas, the Del got drowned out by the hybrid egg layers on one side, and the CX broilers on the other.

Some folks say the DNA disappeared. I know hatcheries everywhere sell birds they "call" Dels, but in truth, 99% of them are Columbians and such and are not even close to Dels. Not even close.

What some knowledgeable folks have done, Kathy in particular, is to recreate them. But... and this is huge. First you need to replicate the old man's attempts of a century ago. Secondly, where are you going to get the birds he had then? The New Hampshire is virtually extinct and as rare as hen's teeth. The modern BR is nothing that will work. You have to get REAL Barred Rocks and Good Shepherd and Frank Reese was one of the few who kept the old line alive. (I also have some of those very BR. Real BR)

Next, you need REAL New Hampshire birds. Long story short, for your own enjoyment, read the history of the German New Hampshire. It is a fascinating story. The breed essentially was "preserved" by an fluke of history.

Anyhow, in a bad story telling way, that's it in a nutshell. Kathy has been breeding and literally making Dels and bringing them to life. Her work is astounding. After a few years of work, she is now showing what she has done. In the eyes of the very best judges and breeders on this site, most have commented with "Those are the best Dels I've ever seen, bar none." These are judges who've seen, lifted, felt, and judged Dels at major shows from coast to coast.

That is why we are excited about Kathy's Dels. In a nutshell? They are the best Dels in existence, perhaps.

Kudos to Kathy for bringing the true Delawares back to life.She has recreated beautiful birds that were all but lost in their true form. I've never seen as good in 50 years.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
There really is no way to verify that as the taste of chicken is such a subjective thing. The only way you will know what you prefer is to try both ways...raise some DP birds to processing wt.and also raise a handful of CX to processing wts.

I split it down the middle and raise the CX slower and on free range so that they will taste like a DP but have more meat on them.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

Do you know any local farmers or have a local farmers market? At our farmers market, I think meat is more readily available than veggies, except for a few weeks out of the year when gardens overflow. Anyways, found a farmer - Bee, I think he's local to you, it's Gardner Farms out of Waverly? - who comes to my local market with all sorts of poultry, as well as lamb, pork and even goat. When I bought my first chicken off of him, I asked all sorts of questions about how it was raised and how it was processed. He uses CX birds, said he couldn't financially see any reason to switch, but I'm telling you his birds taste NOTHING like what you buy in the store. I've also purchased guinea, goat, and now my thanksgiving turkey from him. I was considering raising some guineas next year, but after tasting one have changed my mind. So, my farmers market purchases taught me that I don't want guineafowl, but I will definitely raise some CX next year. It was worth every cent to find that out now, rather than after I'd spent money raising birds that I was disappointed in.


ETA: of course, what you feed and what your farmer friend feed may be very different things. Still, smaller farms are probably feeding and providing a very different environment than a large commercial farm...