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

[JeffOeuf]

Oh, and I see I missed the gratuitous grandson picture!

I don't know from SOPs and tail angles, but in my book, that is one fine looking rooster.

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah, I had to kiss a LOT of toads before I found my prince.

Yeah...me too. Wouldn't you know that all the toads I met were liars? No prince. Still can't get the taste of toad out of my mouth.

 

[RiddleMe]

Bee and Fred (and anyone else!) I'd really like to know if you think any of these cockerels are worth keeping for a utility flock.  I'm wanting to have some free fertilized eggs to practice with my Christmas incubator I hope to find under the Christmas tree. Note current flock is just a grab bag of different breeds that sounded appealing.

#1, #2 and #3 are about 8 months, they were all "sexed pullets". #4 and #5 are about 4 months old, part of a mid/late summer SR hatch I bought to replace some year old hens I lost to a coyote attack (took both my broodies!!). With the exception of #2 who I really just don't like, there are things I like and don't like about each of them. I've added my thoughts, please tell me if/where I am totally off base.

This is one of the pullets I will probably use, I have four from Cackle, all pretty similar in shape and size.

Can't tell you why or what the breeds are. I just like the fourth guy down the best. Love me a chunky monkey and he's got breast.

That one is a golden cuckoo Marans x Easter egger, ie mutt, the Marans is probably where the chest comes from. I'm liking him, hadn't looked at him closely since he went in the cockerel pen but he's filled out in the last month. Nice thing about taking pics.

 

[Beekissed]

So, how many of the newbies are going to participate in the first OT pop quiz? Can't wait to see the results!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bird # 1



Bird # 1 Bird # 2



Bird #1 Bird # 2



Bird # 2



Bird # 2

 

[mrsamplias]

No worries...they know what they can and cannot eat, despite what you may hear. Never had a chicken eat anything in all these years that made them sicken or die.

Thanks, Bee. I knew I could count on you!!

 

[bobbi-j]

I've enjoyed the thread today. Al - WOW! That's all I can say. I'm thinkin' those birds would look like small turkeys once they're dressed out. The thought also came to mind that I hope you don't make any long-term decisions yet. As with any loss, it's necessary to step back and take some time before doing anything permanent. I think the laced ones are so beautiful.

Fred - I have some thoughts on the "quiz birds" but don't qualify for the quiz. It will be interesting to see what others are thinking on these birds. Even though I've had chickens for a long time, I don't really have the critical eye of a breeder. I'm learning so much from you, Al, and Walt. I, too, have been wondering about ideal tail sets on roosters, but do understand that it's more of a breed by breed thing. I got some Buckeyes last spring that I hope to breed this year. Not for show or sale, just for my own DP needs. I plan on visiting the Buckeye thread to ask about desirable traits, though, so I can hopefully have a nice line of birds.

On my own personal managing my flock note, we are in winter storm and blizzard warnings here for the rest of the weekend, so I spent some time buttoning up the coops a little. I have one wide-open window opening that I don't have an actual window for, so I had to board that up (there are still 2 other windows in the coop for natural lighting), filled feeders and waterers. My winter waterers are heated dog dishes. I also put down some more straw so they can scratch and peck and do chickeny things while they're indoors. When it's over, I'll spread some leaves out in the run so they'll leave the coop. My wimpy chickens really don't like snow. Even with less than 1" on the ground today, no one was out and about.

Thanks again, everyone, for sharing your chicken pictures. I've really enjoyed them and look forward to the results of the quiz tomorrow.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I've enjoyed the thread today.

I got some Buckeyes last spring that I hope to breed this year. Not for show or sale, just for my own DP needs. I plan on visiting the Buckeye thread to ask about desirable traits, though, so I can hopefully have a nice line of birds.

Thanks again, everyone, for sharing your chicken pictures. I've really enjoyed them and look forward to the results of the quiz tomorrow.

That's what everyone should do. Here on BYC, there is real-deal, no froo froo thread for many/most of the breeds. It takes some reading, but most of these threads have passionate, did I say PASSIONATE keepers of these breeds. I learn an incredible amount just by reading a few pages everyday. Sometimes the threads are hoppin', sometimes they are a bit quiet. There's just something very special about some of these specialized forums.

I really encourage folks pick a breed or two and spend this winter doing some post graduate work. We may be old, but we're never too old to learn.

 

[delisha]

Maven,
I kissed a few toads and found my prince too..I am fortunate indeed. Got to love a man who loves to eat eggs and chicken and will indulge a woman outside all day long playing in chicken poop. I asked him tonight if I could reorder my script for the poultry press chicken magazine, and he said, aww hun, you can have anything you want.. you don't have to ask me about spending $20, you just need to talk to me when you want to buy a another $300.00 chicken.

He still will not let me buy an LGD. Weird that I can spend $300 on a chicken but not on a dog.

In my opinion, that really has no value..I am not a Judge...As far as your tents..Most of them are good..one looks a little pinched, but nothing to my eye that says don't use this one.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

I've decided my short-term goal right now is to keep with the hatchery stock for a while and really learn everything I can about making them look and feel the very best they can while learning all about good chicken farming from the OTs. I want them shining with good health and as big and happy as hatchery stock can be. I figure after a year or so of really burning the midnight oil at the OTs knee, so to speak, and working with these birds learning about hatching from a broody, culling, optimal feed utilization, and everything else that can go along with chickening,  I should be ready to move up to a good, solid, heritage quality dual purpose bird.

X2. I've learned so much in 9 months of chicken keeping, I can only begin to imagine what the next year will bring. My husband has now been bombarded with all the beautiful bird pictures, and he says to me "why don't you do something like that? As much time as you're spending reading about chickens, you might as well make it time well spent!" Lol.... So I'll start with my hatchery mutts. For now Found two today who don't have pinched tails, but nice wide tents. Was also able to compare the rest of their bodies and see how they remained wider throughout, leading to a wider stance, etc. Handled a few tonight, and felt for excess fat. As Al guessed, my chicken's lifestyle of free ranging doesn't seem to set them up for an oversupply of fat. Yay I still wanted to feel around to see for myself though.

Upon inspection, I have two pullets who are missing some feathers on their heads. A fellow newbie chicken friend was here, so we looked closer and it simply appears that they are growing new feathers in that spot. These chickens are 9months old. Would it be normal for them to be molting a bit? As I looked deep amidst the fluff, I found no evidence of any critters, but other new feathers interspersed throughout each of them. One, my broody who is still with her chicks, had a small, dry, pale vent. The other, my hatchery "RIR," had a nice moist pink vent. I know she's laying anyways, but I was thinking back to the earlier days of this thread and that was one of the first things I learned about telling a layer from a non-layer: look at her vent. Haven't done one of Bee's famous chicken-gyno exams, (yet?), but I taught my newbie friend how to hold a chicken upside down, find the vent, look for bugs, and the difference between a laying & non-laying vent. Also taught her about FF and proper deep litter methods (her comment upon entering my coop? Your coop does not smell!) Yay for the OT's!! I'm proud to forward your wisdom on


This has been a great day on the OT thread . Looking forward to the quiz tomorrow, although I'm not feeling so confident about it:/ 2 days of learning about the way a chicken should look - when I've previously focused so much on how a good chicken/rooster should act - is probably not enough wisdom to pass the test, but that's ok. I looks forward to failing (ha!) and then learning from my mistakes so that I can have something else to inspect for in my flock