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

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I have a few more questions. And apparently, this is the best place I've found to get honest, reliable, friendly in your own way answers. Other forums are either full of newbies who don't know anymore than me or people who don't seem too thrilled with answering newbies. I do try to find the answers on my own, but some I've had no luck with.
I would like to start breeding quality/exhibition birds. I don't live in a rural/agricultural area and don't have anyone close enough to me for advice, so the internet is all I've got. I've started out with hatchery and pet quality birds for the most part because they are all that is readily available here and I wanted to make sure I actually liked the breed before investing the time and effort. I'm too old for 4 H, so how do I get into showing? Should I just show what I have that best fits the standard? I really don't care if people laugh at me or my birds. I'm thick skinned and I have to learn somewhere. I've read the standards, and looked at pictures of winners, but that really doesn't help me any. I plan on attending shows as soon as I can (I believe the next one in my area is in oct). But how do I find out what the judges look for in the birds I've picked? And what to look for in my breeders, how to counter balance faults, etc? I could go buy exhibition quality birds, but if I don't know what makes them exhibition quality that's not going to teach me much.
Do I have a chance at producing decent offspring with my non show quality birds? Or would it be better to sell them and start over with better birds? Although I don't even know if mine are that bad. I've picked what I think is best out of them, but I don't know if I was right. Like my magpie calls. I kept the smallest typiest (I think) girls, although they have crappy markings, and the boy is too big and has too long a beak, although he's nice and round. He has better markings than most magpies I've seen though.
So basically, where and how do I start?

My runners and EE's I'm breeding for health and production. It's so much easier. Keep the producers and cull non-laying or unthrifty birds.

That I've managed to figure out all on my own, lol. Sorry for rambling guys.

I know what you mean about the birds available being mostly pet quality. If you want really good birds, you are going to (unless you are lucky and a person near you has exhibition birds) have to give up on the idea of getting what you need locally. I recommend getting either some broody hens or an incubator (personally I purchased three silkie hens) to hatch out eggs for you. Hatching eggs from exhibition birds are easier to find than the exhibition birds themselves and are easier to ship. If you look hard enough, you can get the best of the best by buying hatching eggs. In my opinion, you need to start by choosing a breed, contacting the best breeder you can find, and getting hatching eggs.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:

I know what you mean about the birds available being mostly pet quality. If you want really good birds, you are going to (unless you are lucky and a person near you has exhibition birds) have to give up on the idea of getting what you need locally. I recommend getting either some broody hens or an incubator (personally I purchased three silkie hens) to hatch out eggs for you. Hatching eggs from exhibition birds are easier to find than the exhibition birds themselves and are easier to ship. If you look hard enough, you can get the best of the best by buying hatching eggs. In my opinion, you need to start by choosing a breed, contacting the best breeder you can find, and getting hatching eggs.

There are several of us on here that will try to assist a newbie in acquiring good stock. Just understand that most exhibition/heritage breeders have small flocks and a limited supply. We also DO NOT sex our chicks. Most do not sell quality birds to someone as a backyard layer. If you can't have roosters, a good breeder will pass you by. We are interested in creating new breeders. To become a breeder one must have both cockerels and pullets in a young flock. Thus its not that we do not want to learn to sex baby chicks, we have no need to learn. The cockerels are as important to us as the pullets. I will have to decide this week which Buff Orpington cockerel I keep and which I share with a friend. I do not want to ship my best bird, yet do not want to ship junk. Thankfully I have several to choose from. I have one that will be "culled". He is a Splash and I just do not care for him. He is from swap eggs and just does not suit me. Can't put my finger on it.


Definitely get a mentor. Preferably near you. We can all mentor you on line, but there is just something about having your mentor visit your farm and advise you in person.

NPIP is most important. each state administers it a little different. Learn more about the NPIP at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/

 

[ONSTAD1]

Quick revert to a few pages back. Last night there was a hawk sitting comfortably on top of my coop. Luckily, all my 9 week olds were locked up tight in the run. I have no doubt that he/she could have taken out one of my pullets, but my question is will a typical sized hawk go after my hens when they are fully grown ....large fowl, EE's, Stars and australorps.

mo

Not so much as even a yes or no answer? Honestly, didn't think it was that trivial of a question. Just trying to get a handle on when (or if) I could let my birds out of the enclosed run.

mo

 

[galanie]

Quick revert to a few pages back. Last night there was a hawk sitting comfortably on top of my coop. Luckily, all my 9 week olds were locked up tight in the run. I have no doubt that he/she could have taken out one of my pullets, but my question is will a typical sized hawk go after my hens when they are fully grown ....large fowl, EE's, Stars and australorps.

mo

Not so much as even a yes or no answer? Honestly, didn't think it was that trivial of a question. Just trying to get a handle on when (or if) I could let my birds out of the enclosed run.

mo

That is not answered easily because we've all heard of hawks doing just that. BUT... they don't bother my grown birds one bit. Even the ones that are barely bigger than the hawk itself are not interesting to the hawks around here. But once upon a time, they were. The hawks have simply moved on, having had a bad experience trying to get one. And, they have ample other prey in that there's a huge dove population 'round here.

 

[ONSTAD1]

That is not answered easily because we've all heard of hawks doing just that. BUT... they don't bother my grown birds one bit. Even the ones that are barely bigger than the hawk itself are not interesting to the hawks around here. But once upon a time, they were. The hawks have simply moved on, having had a bad experience trying to get one. And, they have ample other prey in that there's a huge dove population 'round here.

I've lived in my house for 10 years and have never seen one hawk. I have a feeling my new birds and the loss of habitat/hunting grounds due to Waldo Canyon fire we had here not to long ago has brought it/them in. Might have just been passing by on the way to greener pastures. who knows

 

[galanie]

I too have lived here a good while and never saw any hawks until I had a reason to look out for them. I never knew there were any around. I still don't know if I started seeing them because I was looking for them or if they really did "just" come this way a few years ago. But they're here to stay. They simply don't bother my grown birds and once the babies get to a certain size, pay no attention to them either.

It's the same with the other critters around here. Opossums and raccoons don't bother with them. They just have plenty of easier prey around.

 

[fowlman01]

I've lived in my house for 10 years and have never seen one hawk. I have a feeling my new birds and the loss of habitat/hunting grounds due to Waldo Canyon fire we had here not to long ago has brought it/them in. Might have just been passing by on the way to greener pastures. who knows

There are hawks all over the place here and a red tailed nest 200 yards from here. hawks are not a problem to me with adult birds. The most aggressive hawk I have here is a Coopers hawk and he is too small to take a grown chicken. Predators hunt based on experience, opportunity or lack of natural food sources. If these birds get hungry, they will try to take whatever they can. I have had great horned owls take full grown chickens, but not very often. They will take a cat too, so nothing is safe if they are hungry.

Bottom line is that it depends where you are and what kind of hawks you have in the area and what they are accustomed to hunting. Some people have a huge problem with hawks..I don't.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Wow certainly an awefull lot to tell here, but basicly there are many things you need right off in order to be successful. One get rid of any hatchery birds for showing and exhibition purposes, they will add nothing and will drag your program down into deep despair. Start with the best you can get and afford, before that do your homework on the breed you select and there are some things to consider there as well. LF or bantam, choose a breed that you can handle as a keeper, not all birds are suited for everybody, and some show better than others. You must have your flock NPIP tested in order to show, go to as many shows as you can and learn from people, gather info and maybe even obtain some birds there. The whole showing thing can be and is expensive so if you are able fine if not forget about the whole thing, you can't show and a shoestring. Find someone you know and trust who shows and ask them if they wouldn't mind helping you get going. The joy of showing isn't always winning although that does help LOL, but it's in the learning, breeding, getting better, and accomplishing something. It can be quite daunting at first so maybe a few others can jump in here and offer their tips and experiences showing, I do show and have for a few years but it helps to get info from others sources as well.

That was a lot and I waited until this morning hoping you would answer it......lol. The only thing I can add is ...go to a show and do a dry run..check it out...talk to judges and exhibitors. Generally they are very happy to talk about their birds. Don't try too talk to them when they are putting their birds into the show or when they are taking them out as that is a time when they can make a mistake so they are not into talking. Snhows are an excellent place for beginners to acquire birds. Keep in mind that just cuz they are at a show does not make them anythjing special. Ask people for their opinions of the birds for sale. Not the people selling them, other exhibitors or better yet a judge who has finished his/her judging.

Walt

 

[qball53]

Thank you for this post Beekissed. I am not a newbie but would not consider myself an ole' timer either. I did not have the opportunity to be raised in the country, though I did get to visit the farm a few times. I also was not raised by a father who hunted. Additionally we were not allowed much by way of a pet growing up. However I have always liked animals and derived pleasure from being able to provide them a healthy existence. I also inately feel good about raising some of the vegetables I eat as well as some of the meat.

When my children were growing up I wanted to depart some experience of raising vegetables and animals for consuption. We lived in a sub-division neighborhood and had a garden in the front yard. My children were teased as being those people that had corn growing in the front yard, LOL. They did enjoy the squash, corn and other small crops we produced in our 9' x 30' garden. We also raised a few chickens and rabbits for consumption. These were small enough to raise in our environment and easy enough for me to slaughter and clean. One of my kids took to it like a duck to water. The other two will probably never raise any of their own food, but they had the opportunity to know what it was like.

I know we joke about this on here a lot..the whole softy newbie not being able to kill a chicken. Sometimes we get a little preachy about it all, I realize. But this is a recurring problem that we see on this forum from new chicken owners that is one of the more disturbing issues. No, we don't expect everyone to be born with an innate ability to go out and kill an animal when they have never done it before.

I'm not directing this whole issue at you but we get this a lot, so I'll address it again if you don't mind~ not just for your benefit and that is the sole intention here, to benefit all new chicken owners.

I feel strongly that it not only is your responsibility as someone who owns animals to be able to kill them if you need to do so, but it is also your responsibility to work on your mindset...this is something that really needs to be changed in today's world. This may not be the case for you, but for some reason there are people who think that a person is mean and heartless, with no feelings towards animals, if they can just go out and lop off a chicken's head.

Nothing could be further from the truth, particularly in my case.

Some people think that isolating a chicken, bringing it in the house, doctoring it when it is clearly wounded or sickened almost unto death is an act of extreme compassion and shows their heroic side. It may make the human feel dandy but the chicken has been taken from her familiar and her family structure, placed in isolation in a strange place and is submitted to things that hurt or do not make her feel better....and most of the time she dies anyway. The threads are full of just such incidents. The chicken cannot rationalize that they are just trying to "help" her and all she does know is pain and distress.

When dealing with animals like chickens, one has to develop a certain skill set in order to keep them in a healthy and humane manner. Along with knowing about giving them water, the proper nutrition, safe and healthy housing and environment, is the imperative need to understand how to kill a chicken, even if it is to put it out of its misery. Some things just come along with the territory and the only difference between back in the old days and now is that we were taught this basic principle as children then and now no one teaches their children these things. Chickens still need killin' whether we like it or not.

Most of the people participating on this forum are not children, so they can learn and be mature and responsible about doing things that are hard to do.... but still need to be done, nonetheless.

Sorry if that sounded like it was directed at you personally because it wasn't.

It just gave another opportunity to stress that very important point to all newbies. I encourage you to weigh this information before getting any more chicks because this situation or one like it will always come around again if you keep chickens for very long.

edited by staff to remove discussion of animal rights organization

 

[normanack]

Just last week the two roosters in my young (4 to 5 month-old) flock gave a warning call when a hawk flew over. All the hens scurried into the coop at warp speed. It was reassuring to see the roos' protective instincts with my own eyes.

Of course the idiot (me) thought it was a particularly frantic egg song: "bok bok bok ba-GACK!" fast tempo and repeated rapid-fire.