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

[IvyMaeWilliams]

I don't believe that is the going rate, at least not in the breeds that interest me.

What breeds interest you?

I have always loved Rocks, ever since I was a kid. I have BRs (hatchery) right now and love them. I'm interested in Partridge Rocks too, as well as Dominique. I foresee Runner ducks in my future, too, but that's a different story.

Okay, now I'll step away from monopolizing the thread!

 

[Gypsi]

LoanWizaard, That's a really big slippery looking chicken in your picture!

 

[mrsamplias]

Quote:
GREAT ADVICE! Thank you!!

 

[al6517]

"How do I get some of these birds you ask ??? they are out there all over the place, you just have to look beyond your hatchery nose. Shoot !!! go down the road or out to the country for a Sunday drive and see flocks raised by people who don't even know Hatcheries exsist, that's where"

Al and others,
I think maybe y'all underestimate a little bit the difficulties us non-OTs face in trying to get into chickens or any small-ag enterprise or hobby these days. I'm 32, and though I am only 2 generations removed from my strawberry and tobacco farming ancestors, I was raised by a generation who scorned anything farming related. I grew up in a very rural area, where the prevailing mentality was to get out of there ASAP and never look back. Only the poor and uneducated were interested in farm stuff, people told me. Now, after pursuing academia and hating it, I'm back in my hometown, on the same 10 acres of land, and having an unbelievably hard time getting good information about how to raise animals and a garden. There are a lot of people my age that I know who want to learn these things--I was even at a party the other night where I heard a group of 20-something girls talking about canning (which is of course a little silly since they don't raise any food to put in the jars, but that's beside the point). There are farmers at my church, but they are the kind with 600 acres who only raise corn or cattle and nothing else. Then there are the small yuppie farms who show up at the farmer's market, which all have chickens but only hatchery stock. I try to talk to the old guys selling turnip greens out of the backs of their trucks, but it turns out they get their eggs from the store. And the feed store? Staffed almost completely by kids from the local high school. I did business with one lady with a backyard flock, and she knowingly sold me 6 chickens with CRD, then moved a few weeks later.
So here we are, no money and no information. No wonder we get sidetracked by what the internet offers!
Now I get it, a lot of people have a lot of superficial trendy interests and will never put in the effort to get better at any of them, but if someone's read 1200 pages of an OTs thread because there aren't any OTs living down the road willing to give them the time of day, they're probably at least trying. I ask where to get real DP birds that don't cost the $100 I saw on a breeder's website because I have literally combed the tri-county area with no luck.
So don't get frustrated with us. I bet there are a lot of others like me who feel like they are living in a time and place bankrupt of common sense, work ethic, and an appreciation for things that last. We can't learn in a vacuum!

I hope this doesn't sound disrespectful--I don't mean that at all!! I appreciate everything y'all say on here and I bet the questions newbies ask are frustrating as all get out. I guess I just wanted y'all to know that we're not always being stupid, we are just kind of floundering out here on our own.

No Ivy......... folks like yourself who humbly put it so nicely are not those of which we speak, sure your plight is common and sometimes the road is rocky, but you kinda strike me as someone who can maybe see the light at the end of a narrow tunnel. PM me with where you think your headed with your birds and maybe I can do some digging, and believe me........ I only do this for those deserving LOL. IDK perhaps I can point you in the right direction.

 

[Pozees]

IvyMaeWilliams, there's a thread for most breeds, and one for most states, some states even have multiple. I've never looked but I would guess there's a Florida thread. Perhaps someone there could point you to a local breeder who would sell you chicks or juveniles, or even a pair or trio of adults, for way less than $100 a bird. Don't get discouraged, you will find what you seek. Many folks here are much closer to you than I am (Colorado) and I would bet one of them will soon point you to someone who has nice BRs.

I admire your willingness to redirect your life, having realized you were unhappy with it. Many folks don't have the energy or self confidence or just pure will to do it, and wish and/or complain their lives away. Doesn't sound to me like you will be doing that

 

[al6517]

Good heritage birds don't have to cost an arm and a leg and many don't, so don't get hood winked into thinking they're out of your range. Think about this.......... a few decent quality hen's and just one good rooster and your in like flint, that's the OT's term for awesome dude !!!

 

[7961]

Wow, One heck of a nice WLR Cornish!

A LF Cornish White Laced Red Rooster

 

[JeffOeuf]

This is a New Hampshire. (no red) The official breed name is NH. When cockers or bird folks say Red they mean the Rhode Island Red.

Over on the Heritage Large Fowl thread, Bob Blosi posted this last night. THIS is a New Hampshire. That said, Bee's hatchery girl has got it going on. I'll say again, breed that old hen before she passes on. She's got utility genetics you really want.

This is such an attractive bird. If I read the follow-up posts correctly, she originated from a flock that is about an hour from me. I'm one of those who has had some success with hatchery birds. I had three goals when I bought the birds, I wanted the garden picked clean of grubs, I wanted those grubs turned into manure and deposited on the same spot and I wanted a few eggs. The girls are delivering on all goals and keeping me plenty entertained at the same time. Now I'm contemplating some better quality stock, just to have something to keep me busy. I'm drawn to New Hampshires and Buckeyes for some reason. I would like to pick a breed where my efforts would actually help, without picking something outrageously exotic...I don't do fru-fru. This bird sure does make me think of making a trip to Nevada.

 

[al6517]

The Buckeye is a great choice if you get some good ones, big, meaty, lay well, look great, and have great attitudes. Besides they too are not so common, I have some close friends who raise some heritage buckeyes and they are truley pretty cool.

 

[Gypsi]

I wonder whether large fowl tolerate the heat we get in Texas. Or it may have just been "feed store chicks" - one of my barred rocks dropped dead on a 108 day. Granted I quit seeing blood in eggs after she died, I think she had an internal problem.

But I've been a bit leery of getting expensive birds since. The weasel didn't help much. I heard black australorps for heat tolerance, were better than rocks. Anyone care to comment?