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

[BooBear]

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Wish someone would tell my hatchery girls that they are not supposed to be broody.

Ah well, some girls just love babies too much.

 

[dirtsaver]

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Wish someone would tell my hatchery girls that they are not supposed to be broody.

Ah well, some girls just love babies too much.

I think the idea is that hatchery stock,being breed more for egg production(if any selective breeding occurs at all)likely has the "broodiness" bred out of them. That may or may not be the case. Just ask one of my Welsumers! It took a couple of dunkings in the water bucket several different days to break her from setting. With no rooster it was a moot point!

 

[Beekissed]

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Chicken saddles? I think you wondered down a strange path....chicken saddles are not in our vernacular on this thread.

Did you happen to preview the first page or so of the thread?

If you were raising chickens before they invented/advocated "chicken saddles"..feel free to expound. If not, please clarify your years of experience. Thanks!

BooBear...all my hatchery hens must have missed that message also. So far, all my main flocks have been primarily hatchery stock and I'm completely mystified as to the myth that hatchery stock do not go broody, are all bred for high egg production and then burn out, etc.

I don't quarantine birds nor do I worry about people walking in my coop or pen...my pen is my whole acre of back yard. Can't very well keep people out of that. If your birds have developed a strong immune system, any disease a new bird may bring will not affect them...if it does, it was time to breed and maintain stronger immunities in your flock anyway. Kill them all and start over with a flock that doesn't faint at the sight of a germ.

 

[cbohn80]

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I've read a lot of studies on coyotes. Never seen any that mentioned interbreeding with wolves. They do sometimes cross with dogs, causing larger size and different colors, pack formation.
I saw a large,black one living on our property in NE OK once. I always thought it was a dog cross.
Given the limited range that wolves live in, I'd be extremely surprised that they are interbreeding with coyotes back east. I'd love to see DNA proof to back this up.

i pretty sure some tests were run. my info was from the dept of fish and game, i put a link up, theres more stuff if you google it

http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/downloads/TrailNativesCoywolfATJourneys.pdf

 

[Emptywagon2]

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If I didn't have a hen or two who DIDN'T have a messy backside, I'd be thinking the world had stopped. After all...this is where the poop comes out. My granny always said her best layers were the ones with messy butts and I've found this to be true in my own flocks as well. Depending on the forage at that time of year, eating too many left over garden fruits, etc. Whatever the cause, your hen has had runny poops....this shouldn't be a problem. You've already stated she had no other problems of decrease in lay, health, eating, etc.

On this forum, I've noticed a constant obsession with the consistency of chicken poop...weird! I've often wondered if they were as obsessed with their own? Think of how often your own BMs vary according to what you eat. If you have a bout of diarrhea after eating your first mess of sweet corn in the spring, do you wonder if your health is in question? Probably not...it happens.

Chickens are the same way. They are omnivores, so their diet will vary and how they process it will vary as well. If they were ruminants, I'd be looking at stool consistency to determine their health. Depending on the time of year or any change in diet for a ruminant, the bowel consistency is indicative of digestive changes or health changes and needs to be monitored or corrected.

Chickens? Nah. You can tell their general health by their appearance and performance...and sometimes you can't. One day they'll be healthy as a horse and the next drop off the roost with a heart attack. Such is life on the farm.

ETA: Sorry, Ridge and Loli...didn't see your posts that had answered that already!

Thanks to all who answered my question. One more question... Should I do anything to clean it off or just let her be? Someone told me that it would draw flies & cause maggots. Thanks again!

 

[cbohn80]

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you have to check your local laws but no harm in selling them to people you know. i sell my spares to my co-workers, they cant get enough. some even want their own birds now because of the quality of the eggs compared to store bought.

 

[cbohn80]

I have a friend who cans her own Tuna... Hubby is a Sea Captain (sport fishing). She puts it in Glass jars.... OH MY GAWD good..... Do you can chicken in glass as well? Do you de-bone? I am very interested in canning Guinea meat when I start processing.

you can can just about anything, if you do chicken though, you should use a pressure cooker.you can find cook times and temps online​

 

[perchie.girl]

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you can can just about anything, if you do chicken though, you should use a pressure cooker.you can find cook times and temps online

Oh yes definately Pressure cook. I have seen actual cans though online with a tool to crimp the lids. I like the idea of Glass because you can see the product. And they are re usable.

 

[Clay Mudd]

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If you have hatchery chickens, you're not one of the cool kids.

 

[babymakes6]

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If you have hatchery chickens, you're not one of the cool kids.

There is the operative word.....