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

[Maven]

Good Morning, Fred!

Thank you again for the quiz, and then for your explanation of the scenario and answers. Like I said, you've really given me something to think about and a situation of my own to watch carefully.

I thought that my cockerel chasing that pullet out of the coop each evening was no more than chicken shenanigans where the pecking order is concerned. I'll be watching much more closely as the gals come into lay and keep a very close eye on her.

Each morning I have a ritual that I can enjoy because us retired folks have the time. I go down and dish out the FF, then I sit in my chair in the run where they are eating and watch them. I'm usually in there for about an hour, just watching. About half way through the time, when I can see they are starting to slow down on the FF and wander around and scratch instead, I'll sprinkle a little scratch around to get their attention, then sit in my chair and hold it in my hand for them to come to, I'll also drop a bit around my feet.

This gets them close enough that I can pick them up, and each morning I try to grab 3-5 different ones. I turn them upside down, check their vents, check under their wings, their feet, and check their heads looking for lice, mites, and how close to POL I think they are.

This morning I noticed that the hen he doesn't like DOES look close to POL - as close or closer than the others, and I couldn't find anything about her that stood out to me, but she will be one I'll be checking very regularly from now on.

I look forward to the DP discussions. I'll put in a bid for BOs or BAs after the WRs if at all possible since those are the two breeds we've pretty much decided to move forward with when it is time to replace hatchery stock.

Thanks again - your willing to teach us newbies is sooooooo very appreciated!

 

[neopolitancrazy]

May I suggest the following breeds: rocks, wyandottes, orpingtons, australorps, leghorns, brahmas, cochins, rhode island and new hampshire reds, cornish and polish? Although I am not sure it will be easy to find good examples of these, they do seem to be popular offerings among the hatcheries.
Angela

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't know which or even whether the next conversation will be breed specific, but I believe it should be if we can make logic, helpful and meaningful comments about body type. A Rock looks a certain way, which is altogether different from a Rhode Island Red, for example. Very different body types. We'll se how the next chapter here unfolds.

One point I'd like to make is that even if your favorite breed isn't up for that day's conversation, there's still lots to learn, I think. I think we could easily cover 15 major, common, most-likely-to-be-owned-by-BYC members kind of thing. A day each and we'd like cover those 15 in a two week period. This is just a proposal.

 

[Maven]

I don't know which or even whether the next conversation will be breed specific, but I believe it should be if we can make logic, helpful and meaningful comments about body type. A Rock looks a certain way, which is altogether different from a Rhode Island Red, for example. Very different body types. We'll se how the next chapter here unfolds.

One point I'd like to make is that even if your favorite breed isn't up for that day's conversation, there's still lots to learn, I think. I think we could easily cover 15 major, common, most-likely-to-be-owned-by-BYC members kind of thing. A day each and we'd like cover those 15 in a two week period. This is just a proposal.

That sounds great, Fred!

Y'all have a great day!!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I don't know which or even whether the next conversation will be breed specific, but I believe it should be if we can make logic, helpful and meaningful comments about body type. A Rock looks a certain way, which is altogether different from a Rhode Island Red, for example. Very different body types. We'll se how the next chapter here unfolds.

One point I'd like to make is that even if your favorite breed isn't up for that day's conversation, there's still lots to learn, I think. I think we could easily cover 15 major, common, most-likely-to-be-owned-by-BYC members kind of thing. A day each and we'd like cover those 15 in a two week period. This is just a proposal.

Please and Thank You

 

[Fred's Hens]

May I suggest the following breeds: rocks, wyandottes, orpingtons, australorps, leghorns, brahmas, cochins, rhode island and new hampshire reds, cornish and polish? Although I am not sure it will be easy to find good examples of these, they do seem to be popular offerings among the hatcheries.
Angela

Everyone should understand that most every breed mentioned has a good thread, or two, or three already on BYC. What might prove more helpful, as an educational thread, which is this particular thread's purpose. Here, it is no nonsense, OTers leading discussions on the birds. To accomplish this thread's original purpose, it would seem best to enlist an OT to talk for a day, off and on, about a particular breed. Again, the stress would be upon experience, but also bringing in the true purpose of that breed, type, shape, characteristics, some history.

Again, we're still in the proposal writing stage here.

 

[galanie]

I like. I like the idea too of an OT discussing his favorite breeds and WHY they are favorites. Might give some insight that the specific breed threads don't convey. Maybe.

 

[IvyMaeWilliams]

Good Morning everyone.

Got to thinking about the learning thing, I think if the next possible conversation were to move toward what are popularly known as "Dual Purpose" birds, we may want to take one breed at a time. Really dig into one particular breed, say the Rocks, for a day or two, before moving on to another breed. This might prove less "bouncing" and more focused? Perhaps starting with the ever popular Americans? Might want to even look up what "the Americans" means in the chicken world.

Just an early morning, first cup of coffee thought?

This would be so beneficial to me. Pictures and discussion about traits, etc. I know this takes up a lot of y'all OTs' time, but it is so helpful.

 

[fowlman01]

Thanks Al. Mean that.

I just hope folks have a growing appreciation for what you do Al. You breed some of the very best birds, and most difficult birds to breed, in the world. What Walt does in both breeding and judging all these fowl? Boggles my flippin' mind. That both he and you teach on here? With humor? Priceless.

Thanks also to Bee for letting us kinda hi-jack her thread so very badly. I just thought maybe we could compress a few thousand posts into a basic quiz and see if some of this stuff sticks. Now, we gotta help Bee girl to broader her world, and enrich her life, just a wee bit. Got a feeling a year from now? Our Bee girl will be lighting up the heritage threads.

Good job Fred! I was watching football and missed the results. All of a sudden I had over 100 posts to read. We should do one of these every so often. It was interesting to see what was important to each person who participated. It was a good way to get people to look at chickens in another way.....a more in depth way. I could write pages on what I didn't like about those two chickens, but they are bred for one purpose and they do a good job fulfilling that purpose. In my own case I found when I was finally able to see past the initial look of the bird and see how it was put together I was able to see chickens in a different way. Think about judging 100+ white Leghorn pullets...they are all going to look the same until you can see past the initial impact. I look at the body first, then the head, legs and color the very last. Last year at Columbus I judged almost 700 birds in 8 hours.

Until we can see past the pretty bird we will never be able to see that maybe it is a pretty bird with a crooked keel or some other serious fault that can only be found by having the bird in your hand. The way a bird looks and the way it feels are two different things. Al's Cornish and Call ducks are IMO the two hardest kinds of poultry to reproduce and improve. I am talking about reproducing good ones. The ugly ones reproduce like popcorn.

Good job Fred! Thanks for taking the time. I'm skipping ahead a bit here......don't have time today to read 100 posts.

Walt

 

[Mskayladog]

Wondering can you mail fresh eggs and the person who receives can still eat them? It would take 3-4 days for the eggs to get there?