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

[Christie Rhae]

Quote: FUN!! I live in Ka'u area so kind of the opposite side of the island as Kohala.

 

[thedragonlady]

Walt is right on. Once I got my Silkie line going, I never kept more than 10 birds of each color in white, black, buff and grey. They were all the same shape, and all carried a very high percentage of white blood for type. I showed a lot, but I never took more than 8 birds to a show. That was the joint ABA-APA Natl. in Columbus of 10,000 birds. What fun that was! BV,RV, BB,RB across the board on those 8 birds. Now if I can just get my Orps there, I'll be a happy gal!

You don't have to show to enjoy a level flock. They will perform better if their similarities are correct for the job you intend.

Just a nugget about a stable, level flock....... We had heavy storms forecast for this afternoon, with nary a cloud in sight. All 5 mature girls laid by 12:00Pm. Early for 2 of them. At about 5:00pm I looked at the radar, still not a cloud in sight, but nasty stuff on the radar coming, and immediately went to put up the birds...3 hours early. They had beaten me to it. Everyone was in their appointed run, including some newly turned out 5 week old chicks. Told them what good kids they were, and passed out some scratch. Not 15 minutes later, the heavens opened with 3 inches of rain in an hour, and it's still raining. Bird brained? I don't think so. This is a flock acting as a unit.

 

[therapydoglady]

It never ceases to amaze me that something so scatterbrained as chickens seem to be, that the Good Lord endowed them with senses that we probablly started out with, but have become to lazy to use, ie. coming in out of the rain hours before it ever starts!

To see a hen running amok like sombody wound her too tight and then turned her loose is such a silly (and entertaining) thing to watch. We are easily lead to believe they have no gumption whatsoever. But then they do stuff like thedragonlady described...or the rooster that lives on the fringes of my property, belonging to no one, but surviving all the elements, all the predators, all the dumped dogs, the wild hogs, the drought, and no food or water - especially in the winter. That's pretty cunning if you ask me. It is only the fear of what diseases and parasites he carries that I don't let him in, for he has my utmost respect.

When the day comes that they don't amaze me with little things, like coming in out of the rain before it gets here, knowing that eggs are still going to hatch and sitting on that nest an extra three days with already hatched chicks waiting for them, then that's the day I'll quit keeping chickens! They still have so much to teach me!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

We got a good storm last night as well. I watched it come in and heard a chick or two chirping that chirp - you know the one - where it's lost or something...so, in the yard my broody had decided to just shelter everybody in the yard and wait it out there....either he was too big to fit under comfortably or just plain mad that mama wouldn't take than inside...little whiner! I think she wanted a shower to make her feathers look good. Another little guy decided to eat with the big guys and was taking a few hits too..he didn't run off but kept taking his share and kinda got an attitude at two weeks...gotta watch that roo, he'll be a leader. Maybe they can sense your attitude too, because since I decided it's a no go on broody attacks - they have backed off and no more strikes...not unless you want me broody too. (If I had an icon with snarly teeth I'd insert it here) just like dogs they are - show no weakness.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Oh? Therapy lady? I am curious as to what kind of disease could that roo have? He's still alive and doesn't look sick? Someone pretty wise told me something once, that small animals/birds usually die off quickly once they get a disease, and that if it looks sick help it along. That sounds like one of my roos, if he can make it there, he'll make it anywhere...I'd grab those genetics. Odds are, he's gotten close anyway, what with wind blowing and all...what's to worry?

 

[HappyHenMama]

Quote: Christie Rhae,

I love the quote in your signature...words to live by in this day of "look it up on the Internet" hype!

 

[loanwizard]

Funny thing about the storms. We had some the other day as well and I had commented that all the birds went to roost early, even the 5 week old Freedom Rangers. Must be good weather today, slept in til 8:30 this morning and had 15 little rangers outside the Electro netting.

 

[bobbi-j]

Several pages back, there was talk about "schooling roos". I haven't seen it yet, but apparently it has happened. This morning one of the older hens came tearing out of the barn with a young cockerel in hot pursuit. She ran right over to the old brahma roo (who didn't even even so much as glance at either of them) and that young cockerel stopped so fast it was almost like he'd hit a wall! I wouldn't have thought too much about it until I saw it happen again. So my guess is, those cockerels have had a run-in with the brahma and he's let them know that he is the boss. I have about 50 young birds that I got this spring - 25 are mutts that I hatched out, and 25 are a variety pack of breeds that I got from a breeder - at least 15 that I know for sure are cockerels. Within the next couple of days my plan is to separate the cockerels from the pullets, grow them out a little more and then butcher them. They (the cockerels) will be in a coop/run and the pullets will continue to free range. I thoroughly enjoy this thread, and have found so much information on here. Al, I read your 10 tips on breeding and will be reading them again and again as I work on my flock of Buckeyes. I have no intention of showing or selling, but do want the best egg and meat birds that I can get out of them.

 

[whatthecuck]

I have one silkie that I hatched check ebay for eggs and make sure you buy 2 to 3 x the ammount of eggs to chicken ratio
I had 6 eggs 3 were blanks and 2 stalled at about. 10 days

 

[therapydoglady]

Oh? Therapy lady? I am curious as to what kind of disease could that roo have? He's still alive and doesn't look sick? Someone pretty wise told me something once, that small animals/birds usually die off quickly once they get a disease, and that if it looks sick help it along. That sounds like one of my roos, if he can make it there, he'll make it anywhere...I'd grab those genetics. Odds are, he's gotten close anyway, what with wind blowing and all...what's to worry?

Not so much disease, per se, but he hangs out between my place and the neighbor down the way who's hens had all the fleas - who are doing great, BTW. No fleas! Anyway, would be more than happy to catch him up and send him to you...I know he's at least 2 years old! And no, he doesn't look sick. He's beautiful, actually. A little on the pushy side, tho never has been agressive to me. He will certainly lay into a cat, tho! My barn cats give him a wide berth!