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

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Very good overview. There is as much motivation for healthy, tasty food and the self-satisfaction that comes with these ventures as motivation purely for economic savings. I also don't know how one quantitatively measures the "purpose/quality of life" value added or the connecting with one's agrarian self that comes with chickens/gardening and the like.

From a purely profit motivation, the ISAs we use flat outlay and at less feed cost, and lay a larger egg than our more heritage birds. Yet, like the CX meat bird, they aren't sustainable either. I've always balked at committing 100% of our flock to ISAs. If I gave up the egg business, I'd likely also abandon the ISA layer. I'm simply undecided at this point. We just take it year by year.

 

[Tallulah Chicklet]

Um,

peep?, Old Timers...is it safe to come out and reask my question?

I adopted a chicken from a friend whose entire 2 year old flock had stopped laying, then all her chickens but Eunice were killed by hawks. Is there any possibility, in your experience, that Eunice could start laying again?

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Yes.

Walt

 

[al6517]

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Is it from hatchery stock ??. If it is then maybe it could, if it is a true heritage bred bird than I would say sure she can lay again. Either way the only way to find out is to implement and maintain a good feed program that will kick start her laying and keep her laying well enough until she gives up the egg ghost LOL. Hatchery birds tend to burn out much earlier than heritage breeds but hatchery stock lay more in their short time frame, while heritage breeds lay a smidge less eggs for a much longer time. Either way feed is going to be the key to find out if she will lay again, and by feed I mean a good custom mixed feed with supplements that has all the stuff needed to kickstart good laying.

 

[fowlman01]

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I guess what I mean was it is truely a tough project and it has to be approached with a definite goal and a well thought out plan. here is a link that is quite long but we discuss this and 3 or 4 of us me included had the same ongoing project and compared results as time went by and some are still trying. It does have a ton of pic's.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316007

I started my sustainable meat bird project with the goal to have nice big meaty birds that grew fast but not too fast for the stew pot but that could also live for years and lay and naturaly reproduce and hatch consistant heavy birds. As I stated most started out with inferior hatchery stock and after much tribulation just ended up with different colored hatchery birds, I started with my own stock of show quality birds using Rare Pure LF white Cornish and SQ white rocks and commercial Cornish X. Yes thats right commercial Cornish X's raised special under a very strict diet to laying age, mine lived 3 years. I wanted the birds to be white so I started out with white and stayed that way, eliminating the whole color issue from the start. I bred them together in various matings, evaluated them culled heavy and rebred again and again and again. Until I achieved a finished bird that was white, grew to 6lbs dressed weight in 20 weeks, had no heart or leg issues, and could lay 20 weeks and hatch out the same type bird consistantly over time, with a slight infusion of new blood every 2 years, they also could free range well and had very good temerments.

Anyway that is what I did, some folks had some results but not near what they invisioned by crossing hatchery Cornish with things like Hatchery americanas, Jersey Giants, Welsumers, BO's stuff that you might think would work well because of their size. The obstacles as you can imagine was growing out, selecting, hatching, culling, raising and then starting all over again and again for years, and this was the sad demise of many who tried such a project because they just thought hey why don't just cross this and that and then like magic WaLa a sustainable meat bird. It doesn't work that way, the commercial Cornish X took many many years to develop and their parent stock is locked up and maintained tighter than fort know. The rare LF White Cornish was the cornerstone to their program so they systamaticly bought every single bird in the country they could find to reduce the chance of any home flock doing the same thing, that is why there are only less than 10 flocks of LF white cornish in the country today.

AL

Al knows his stuff.....

Walt

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Absolutely. Give her good layer feed, keep her healthy, and I`ll bet she will start laying before the weather starts warming. Happy New Year......Pop

 

[al6517]

There are a few more things we need to know about the bird before we can guide you effectively, and just tossing some layer feed to her might work, but I dought it. I need to know her condition if your able to ascertain it , like when was her last molt and is she molting now, what is the condition, color, and look of her vent. Are you sure they are 2 years old or does your friend just thinks she knows this is important. Is she truely healthy devoid of any respitory problems, lice, mites, skin and feather condition and eye clarity.

These things will tell you of her overall condition that will also most definitely effect her getting back to laying, and by custom mixing her feed to address these all at once is going to be a big shot in the arm in getting her back. Layer feed alone won't do diddly for any of these issues if she has them. layer feed is very minumalist and if you want to encourage good laying again you have to go the extra mile, since as you say you have "adopted" it then I assume you want to get her healthy again or do you just wany eggs from her and nothing else.

 

[Terri O]

Quote:
I guess what I mean was it is truely a tough project and it has to be approached with a definite goal and a well thought out plan. here is a link that is quite long but we discuss this and 3 or 4 of us me included had the same ongoing project and compared results as time went by and some are still trying. It does have a ton of pic's.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316007


AL

Al knows his stuff.....

Walt

Just took a look at that thread and I am going to be going back to it to read more...very interesting! Thanks for the link AL! Terri O
Happy New Year everyone!

 

[Gypsi]

Thank you Galanie, I thought 14 days. And yes, my insurance company might take care of truck
Loss next week. Regular adjuster out with an injury when I called yesterday. This has been a
Nightmare. Got to get some work done before the weather changes. Planting clover. Looking at a
Friend's bees.
Gypsi

 

[Cass]

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"Freezer Camp" is also a way to talk about your plans for your extra roos in front of underage children who would scream and faint away if they knew you were going to KILL IT and EAT IT.

I "process" my birds when talking to adults and send them to "Freezer camp" when there are children around. (Other people's kids....mine are all grown and most don't eat meat...sigh)