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

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: Have no clue what he has in white rocks I do not follow the hatchery side of things I just try to presurve old strains of Heritage Large Fowl that are 50 to 100 years old. I always have a passion to preserve history of livestock. However, in dogs I will go to a Human Society and adopt a dog that is mixed breed. But when it comes to chickens I want a all around dual purpose fowl and I want to look at them and say I am so happy I got these birds and wish others could to. It cost the same to feed chickens and ducks I just want to get the best all around bird for my investment.
Next year I hope to help ten new people get this old California stain and then I may retire breeding them. I have my hands full with my miniture Mohawk R I Reds. bob

 

[Arielle]

I apologized if this has been discussed before, if not perhaps many OT will chime in, all opinions welcomed. I have been playing with birds for about a year. While I have learned a lot, I'm often left with bigger questions that I cannot resolve. I have a number of different breeds, and see that there is a wide variety of behaviors and it leads me to: do I have the right birds for me?

I see the purpose of hatchery birds: a smaller bird is more efficient at egg production especially when 100% of the feed is put in front of the hens. And the production lines of , say, leghorns and cornish X take it to the next level; factory level production. I'm not criticizing. Just that this type of production requires a boat load of processed feed. I see fast growing as very efficient if the feed can be trucked in cheaply, but those days are in the past. I'm thinking, and correct me if I'm off here, that the old lines are more dual purpose, utilize less feed per day, grow slower, and are better able to subsist off the land available.

How do I figure out which old breeds will work for me? Clearly many old breeds were developed to fit specific conditions. So each is different for many good reasons. I'm just lost trying to know what I need for my circumstances. THe speckled sussex, the Buff orpington and the black copper marans have been my best foragers yet--traveling the furthest away from the coop area.

Who would like to tackle this dilemma.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Fair enough stonykil, I just had visions of the natives in the 'village' watching the crazy white guy round up their food source! 'Excuse me. Of course wasteful slaughter isn't something to ignore.

 

[stonykill]

I apologized if this has been discussed before, if not perhaps many OT will chime in, all opinions welcomed. I have been playing with birds for about a year. While I have learned a lot, I'm often left with bigger questions that I cannot resolve. I have a number of different breeds, and see that there is a wide variety of behaviors and it leads me to: do I have the right birds for me?

I see the purpose of hatchery birds: a smaller bird is more efficient at egg production especially when 100% of the feed is put in front of the hens. And the production lines of , say, leghorns and cornish X take it to the next level; factory level production. I'm not criticizing. Just that this type of production requires a boat load of processed feed. I see fast growing as very efficient if the feed can be trucked in cheaply, but those days are in the past. I'm thinking, and correct me if I'm off here, that the old lines are more dual purpose, utilize less feed per day, grow slower, and are better able to subsist off the land available.

How do I figure out which old breeds will work for me? Clearly many old breeds were developed to fit specific conditions. So each is different for many good reasons. I'm just lost trying to know what I need for my circumstances. THe speckled sussex, the Buff orpington and the black copper marans have been my best foragers yet--traveling the furthest away from the coop area.

Who would like to tackle this dilemma.

while not an OT yet, I do tend to think like 1. The short answer is, you won't know what breed fits you until you yourself see that they do. If that makes sense. My best large egg producing foragers are RIR's, not hatchery stock. Old farm stock. Probably not purebred either. Thet leave the coop in the morning and only return to lay an egg or at dusk. Otherwise they are out foraging.
I'm experimenting with mutts from my flock. I hatched many this year. IMHO mutts are healthier than purebreeds. But again, that in my opinion.

 

[loanwizard]

When I heard about the symptoms in the birds, my first thought was lead poisoning.... but, that could be because I am having some lead abatement work done in some rental properties right now.

Other things to look for are outside water sources such as galvanized downspouts, groundwater that may have been strip mined years ago etc. I did a quick google search of lead poison symptoms in birds, and here is a paste and copy of 1 that i looked at.

Heidi L. Hoefer, DVM, Dip ABVP-Avian Practice

Island Exotic Veterinary Care

Huntington, New York

Lead poisoning is the most commonly reported poisoning of pet and wild birds. Lead toxicity not only occurs in urban areas, but in rural and suburban neighborhoods as well. Clinical signs of poisoning can be variable and depend on how much lead is eaten. Symptoms include:
•Loss of appetite, listlessness, weakness
•Loose droppings with abnormal color (green, black, pink, bloody)
•Vomiting, increased thirst
•Neurological signs to include blindness, incoordination, lameness, seizures
Diagnosis of lead toxicity is made by measuring blood lead concentration. This is a simple test requiring small amounts of blood. X-rays can be helpful in making the diagnosis and determining duration of treatment. X-rays may reveal lead particles in the gastrointestinal tract necessitating a longer period of therapy.
If lead poisoning is suspected from clinical signs and x-rays, treatment should begin immediately while waiting for blood lead results (which can take several days). Therapy consists of injectable medication (calcium EDTA) and supportive care for hospitalized birds. If diagnosed early, treatment is usually successful.
Preventative measures should be taken to remove all potential sources of lead from your pet’s environment. All birds should be caged when unsupervised. Some items containing lead, which may be found in the environment, include:
•Hardware: old paint, plaster, galvanized wire, putty, solder, batteries
•Houseware: drapery weights, ceramic dishware, costume jewelry, alarm tape
•Furniture: Tiffany lamps, stained glass, mirrors, wrought iron welding
•Sporting goods: fishing weights, shotgun pellets
If necessary, testing the bird's environment may be helpful in eliminating potential sources of lead. Call your local department of health for information on testing. Remember that prevention is the best medicine!

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[loanwizard]

Additionally, if it is poisoning, I might schedule a family doctor visit if you've been eating their eggs too....

 

[fowlman01]

while not an OT yet, I do tend to think like 1. The short answer is, you won't know what breed fits you until you yourself see that they do. If that makes sense. My best large egg producing foragers are RIR's, not hatchery stock. Old farm stock. Probably not purebred either. Thet leave the coop in the morning and only return to lay an egg or at dusk. Otherwise they are out foraging.
I'm experimenting with mutts from my flock. I hatched many this year. IMHO mutts are healthier than purebreeds. But again, that in my opinion.

I don't feel that is a correct statement.....what is your reasoning? I believe that to be true with some dogs, but chickens are nothing like dogs and most people on this site have never had purebred chickens. All these health problems that you read on BYC are usually from hatchery birds...which are mutts.

Walt

 

[liliesllamas]

I have had chickens for all of 10 days now, so I guess that places me solidly in the newbie department. I have been reading this thread for more than a week and have really enjoyed all the straight talk from those that have "been there, and done that". We have 35 acres in south-central Wisconsin - mostly marsh in the flood plain - and have 6 llamas and a couple of labs. We got 8 started birds (now 9 and 12 weeks old) and have a small coop and run that we move every couple of days by pulling it with the 4-wheeler. My question is this: when can we let them out of their run and be fairly certain that they'll return to the roost at dusk and is there a preferred method of doing so. I have read that letting them out a couple of hours before dusk is a good place to start...
Any thoughts?

 

[stonykill]

I don't feel that is a correct statement.....what is your reasoning? I believe that to be true with some dogs, but chickens are nothing like dogs and most people on this site have never had purebred chickens. All these health problems that you read on BYC are usually from hatchery birds...which are mutts.

Walt

like I said it is my opinion. Never stated it as fact. My reasoning? My own flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, letting them out a couple of hours before dark is a place to start.

Also, when you feed them, always call, "here chick, chick, chick" or something, even if they are standing right there. They will always come if you call then.

If you do have a straggler, a long stick, to extend your arm, will help you round them up if necessary, but that is usually only if you have to lock them up before dark.

If they have roosted even a couple of days, they will go there at dark.