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

[Kansas Prairie]

Fowlman01
Quote: Please explain!

 

[Marty1876]

Funny how long lived chickens can be. What type of chickens do you keep?

Mostly my hens hatch special eggs for 4H. I'm also trying to start an uncommen breed here (sicilians) and I prefer the silkies to any brood hen. I also have a very speecial duck flock that they hatch for. The better the layer the poorer the sitter it seems.

 

[stonykill]

Funny how long lived chickens can be. What type of chickens do you keep?

Mostly my hens hatch special eggs for 4H. I'm also trying to start an uncommen breed here (sicilians) and I prefer the silkies to any brood hen. I also have a very speecial duck flock that they hatch for. The better the layer the poorer the sitter it seems.

I guess it is breed dependent. but my Sumatra's who lay 4 to 6 eggs each a week are fantastic broody's. My best broody Sumatra lays 6 eggs a week when she isn't broody.
I'm told by everyone that silkies are good broody's but with my Sumatra's I don't need them, and silkies are really aliens from a far away planet, not chickens

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Funny how long lived chickens can be. What type of chickens do you keep?

Mostly my hens hatch special eggs for 4H. I'm also trying to start an uncommen breed here (sicilians) and I prefer the silkies to any brood hen. I also have a very speecial duck flock that they hatch for. The better the layer the poorer the sitter it seems.

I was actually really surprised with my silkies. I originally got them just to be sitters but they have turned out to be very good layers. I would say that I get probably 4-5 eggs a week from each silkie. Maybe more. And it is over 100 degrees in the afternoon here. I'm impressed with them. The eggs are larger than my other bantams' eggs and I can sell them as eating eggs just as well as I can my laying flock's eggs. And, they eat less. It's a win win for me. Sitters and layers that are cheap to feed. I'm not really in to the whole furry looking feather thing, though.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Fowlman01
Please explain!

My turkeys were not hardy at all. I had 1 royal palm tom, 1 royal palm hen, and 1 domesticated "wild" turkey hen. Both hens died within a few months after I got them. They just seemed to fail to thrive. The tom turned mean and I got rid of him. Some people may like turkeys but they are not for me.

 

[fowlman01]

Fowlman01
Please explain!

There is something on this property that domestic turkeys can't tolorate but all other forms of poultry can. That's all I know about it. I just don't raise turkeys and all the other birds are fine. I have tons of wild turkeys here in the vineyards and they multiply like rats. they get in the street sometimes and get run over, but I don't see any of theem getting sick. I have tried different breeds, strains etc of turkeys, they all get..I suppose blackhead and die. I don't medicate, so if they can't live here so be it.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Funny how long lived chickens can be. What type of chickens do you keep?

Mostly my hens hatch special eggs for 4H. I'm also trying to start an uncommen breed here (sicilians) and I prefer the silkies to any brood hen. I also have a very speecial duck flock that they hatch for. The better the layer the poorer the sitter it seems.

I have several breeds, but to name a few. Shamo's, Asils, oeg, modern games, sumatra's, nankin, Leghorns, Ko Shamo etc, etc.and all kinds of waterfowl.

This is a very small part of the young ducks here. They are in a 40'X60 grow out flight pen with access to free range after they grow out. The ducks that can fly stay in the flight pens. The white runners are the champion egg layers of the poultry world. I have raised Runner ducks since 1974.

Walt

 

[fultzie]

walt ..how much would u sell some sumatra eggs for ? ive seen some of your pics and there really nice birds ...ty

 

[thedragonlady]

I have several breeds, but to name a few. Shamo's, Asils, oeg, modern games, sumatra's, nankin, Leghorns, Ko Shamo etc, etc.and all kinds of waterfowl.

This is a very small part of the young ducks here. They are in a 40'X60 grow out flight pen with access to free range after they grow out. The ducks that can fly stay in the flight pens. The white runners are the champion egg layers of the poultry world. I have raised Runner ducks since 1974.

Walt

Pretty special White Runners too, unless my memory fails me!

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

There is something on this property that domestic turkeys can't tolorate but all other forms of poultry can. That's all I know about it. I just don't raise turkeys and all the other birds are fine. I have tons of wild turkeys here in the vineyards and they multiply like rats. they get in the street sometimes and get run over, but I don't see any of theem getting sick. I have tried different breeds, strains etc of turkeys, they all get..I suppose blackhead and die. I don't medicate, so if they can't live here so be it.

Walt

This must be why it's illegal to release domesticated turkeys into the wild. I never really thought about it until now.