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

[Fred's Hens]

I know a lot of you are thinking I'm nuts to worry about these gals already and it's not even winter or the middle of summer, but look at the max/min temps the pullets have to deal with when the seasons change. Those temps at the bottom both happened since about 4 o'clock this morning. We have some big temp swings out here.

We live in an area where overnight lows of 29F can rebound easily to 81F and then plunge again to 29F overnight lows. 50-60 degree swings is quite common. The birds adjust, as do the robins, the wild turkeys, the eagles, and all the other wild birds. They are tough and not sissies. If they were not tough, they'd never have survived and thrived as well as they have for the last 4000 years.

 

[Lazarus718]

We live in an area where overnight lows of 29F can rebound easily to 81F and then plunge again to 29F overnight lows. 50-60 degree swings is quite common. The birds adjust, as do the robins, the wild turkeys, the eagles, and all the other wild birds. They are tough and not sissies. If they were not tough, they'd never have survived and thrived as well as they have for the last 4000 years.

I agree Fred, for the most part they are some tough animals. I've got it a little rougher now though because we lost my wife's favorite one in a thunderstorm a couple weeks ago. She had set the birds (when they were still in their wire cage) towards the shadier part of the yard on a hot day then left to meet me at the grocery store on my way home from work. Typical New Mexico weather ensued and a big storm blew in out of nowhere and dropped 3/4 of an inch in about 30 minutes (yeah, that is a lot of rain for us). The birds didn't have any shelter from it and got drenched. The one we lost was a Cochin so not sure if it's the breed that isn't as good at handling the weather here or if it was that particular bird because the others just shook it off like it was nothing. My guess was that he was a roo anyways but the wife wanted to hang on to him until he crowed. He was a good looking roo though, had started getting this teal-green color to his feathers and no signs of illness at all. When we got home we moved them to the porch and my wife grabbed him and dried him off. I went to check on them all about 9:30 and he was laid out on the bottom of the cage. I figured he was just a weaker guy than we thought and told the wife that if these birds are going to make it with us they have to be able to stand up to our weather and that it wasn't her fault. She had about a days worth of mourning then was out on the hunt to snatch up another Cochin before winter hits, no luck yet on that pursuit but I'll get her another next Spring. Thanks for the peace of mind

 

[fowlman01]

I agree Fred, for the most part they are some tough animals. I've got it a little rougher now though because we lost my wife's favorite one in a thunderstorm a couple weeks ago. She had set the birds (when they were still in their wire cage) towards the shadier part of the yard on a hot day then left to meet me at the grocery store on my way home from work. Typical New Mexico weather ensued and a big storm blew in out of nowhere and dropped 3/4 of an inch in about 30 minutes (yeah, that is a lot of rain for us). The birds didn't have any shelter from it and got drenched. The one we lost was a Cochin so not sure if it's the breed that isn't as good at handling the weather here or if it was that particular bird because the others just shook it off like it was nothing. My guess was that he was a roo anyways but the wife wanted to hang on to him until he crowed. He was a good looking roo though, had started getting this teal-green color to his feathers and no signs of illness at all. When we got home we moved them to the porch and my wife grabbed him and dried him off. I went to check on them all about 9:30 and he was laid out on the bottom of the cage. I figured he was just a weaker guy than we thought and told the wife that if these birds are going to make it with us they have to be able to stand up to our weather and that it wasn't her fault. She had about a days worth of mourning then was out on the hunt to snatch up another Cochin before winter hits, no luck yet on that pursuit but I'll get her another next Spring. Thanks for the peace of mind

Cochins are loose feathered, so they don't have much protection from rain. Birds here will assume a more vertical station the harder it rains in an effort to lessen their exposure if they are out in the rain. Cochins can't do that either.

Walt

 

[Lazarus718]

Cochins are loose feathered, so they don't have much protection from rain. Birds here will assume a more vertical station the harder it rains in an effort to lessen their exposure if they are out in the rain. Cochins can't do that either.

Walt

That's what I had figured, lesson learned on that one. They have a nice cozy coop now so we shouldn't have any more problems because I know my wife is loving that breed and wants to breed them when we move to a lot with some land next year (which means I will be building some more coops). My favorite so far has been our Barred Rock. Thanks for all the info guys, been a great help.

 

[fowlman01]

That's what I had figured, lesson learned on that one. They have a nice cozy coop now so we shouldn't have any more problems because I know my wife is loving that breed and wants to breed them when we move to a lot with some land next year (which means I will be building some more coops). My favorite so far has been our Barred Rock. Thanks for all the info guys, been a great help.

The Cochins need a place to get out of the rain. It sounds as if you fixed that so you should be OK.

Walt

 

[Missa Chickabee]

There's a lot of confusion, I think, about the term "hatchery stock". When some people refer to hatchery stock they are thinking of the production cross birds like Golden Comets, Red Stars, Production Blacks, Production Reds, White Leghorns, RIR, etc. These are chickens that have been bred by the hatcheries for early and high volume laying but burn out quickly and aren't real hardy. The hatchery version of the leghorns and RIRs are not the best representation of the breed, as they too have been manipulated for production reasons, and these would be better obtained from breeders with old lines if one wanted the true characteristics of these wonderful layers.

The heritage, dual-purpose hatchery sourced breeds like the Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, Black Aussies, Speckled Sussex, Dominiques, etc. are a little closer to their original characteristics, thought still a far cry in regards to conformation, hardiness, production, etc. They still mature later than do the breeds manipulated for production, as indicated in the above paragraph.

They are NOT grandma's old chickens, in any way, but sometimes you get lucky and get hatchery birds of the heritage strains that still perform a little like their ancestors. I've been lucky in that regard but still got to see what the hatcheries did to my grandma's old reliable, Dominiques...nothing like the original birds and I'd never get another from a hatchery source.

Hatchery stock are good enough for most backyard flocks but you may have to cull, breed the best, cull some more, etc. before you will develop a flock with the characteristics you need for a utilitarian, sustainable flock of egg birds. I don't even mess with the production birds anymore as they aren't hardy and you can really see this start to show in their second year.

If you stick with the breeds that haven't suffered from over tampering when ordering from the hatchery, you can get some birds that will lay well and last awhile...but they mature a little slower than the production breeds, which is a good thing.

Thank-you, Bee for the above.

I have wondered about my birds, too. I have Buff Orpingtons from the farm store (hatcheryl birds without a doubt) Five of 15 have come into lay. They are just over 18 weeks. They are not the big big girls that I see at the fair. So I guess they are bred for laying. Are these BO's also classified "production" with the ones you listed? If I had done my research I would have gone for heritage stock (not for showing, but for a nice relaxed pace in egg laying) I don't want to burn them out laying and have worked hard toward healthy birds. I have them for eggs, not meat. What should I expect from my birds? (and...darn. I make pets of everything......strong nurturing instinct, I guess)
I'd like to be around for awhile. I'm not leaving the lights on all night life my neighbor does to bump up the egg numbers. We'll get enough for us and others (My 3 leghorns (that they threw into the chick flock for free) have been laying most usually an egg a day since week 16, two weeks ago.

Thanks for your wisdom and guidance for the future.

 

[Nomibear]

Thank-you, Bee for the above.

I have wondered about my birds, too.   I have Buff Orpingtons from the farm store (hatcheryl birds without a doubt) Five of 15 have come into lay.  They are just over 18 weeks. They are not the big big girls that I see at the fair.  So I guess they are bred for laying.   Are these BO's also classified "production"  with the ones you listed?   If I had done my research I would have gone for heritage stock (not for showing, but for a nice relaxed pace in egg laying)  I don't want to burn them out laying and have worked hard toward healthy birds. I have them for eggs, not meat.  What should I expect from my birds?    (and...darn. I make pets of everything......strong nurturing instinct, I guess)
I'd like to be around for awhile.   I'm not leaving the lights on all night life my neighbor does to bump up the egg numbers.  We'll get enough for us and others (My 3 leghorns (that they threw into the chick flock for free) have been laying most usually an egg a day since week 16, two weeks ago.

Thanks for your wisdom and guidance for the future.

Posts like this make me Jealous and relieved at the same time. Jealous because with birds from Ideal (A hatchery) I expected to have chicks that would lay between 16-18 weeks. If early laying is a sign that they will quit on me early as well, then I'm delighted to see that I have better stock!

 

[Nancygardens]

I'm not an OT but someone asked for those that order from hatcheries which ones do you use?

The feed stored and breeders in our area have made a few suggestions and I found a hatchery I'd not heard of in byc forums forget which one now. I followed the link.

I live in the West Eastern Washington state so the closest ones were a big consideration.
When I was a kid we got hatchery chick from local feed stores.

These were top contenders in my consideration:
Dunlop Hatchery in Napa Idaho might be the closest but they are done with the run of chicks for this year.
Privett Hatchery in New Mexico a local feed store uses.
Mt. Healthy a local breeder recommended.
Farwest Hatchery in a neighboring state but relocating the brooders so closed at the moment.

Note: We ended up trying to hatch our some local eggs for chicks!

 

[bruceh]

I'm not an OT but someone asked for those that order from hatcheries which ones do you use?

The feed stored and breeders in our area have made a few suggestions and I found a hatchery I'd not heard of in byc forums forget which one now. I followed the link.

I live in the West Eastern Washington state so the closest ones were a big consideration.
When I was a kid we got hatchery chick from local feed stores.

These were top contenders in my consideration:
Dunlop Hatchery in Napa Idaho might be the closest but they are done with the run of chicks for this year.
Privett Hatchery in New Mexico a local feed store uses.
Mt. Healthy a local breeder recommended.
Farwest Hatchery in a neighboring state but relocating the brooders so closed at the moment.

Note: We ended up trying to hatch our some local eggs for chicks!

i have had and still have some mt healthy birds they are nice birds.. produce well.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Once you get a strain you like, be it from hatchery stock or a slightly better-than-average backyard breeder, I'd stay with those few birds that are the best of bunch. I'd breed and cull until I had a bunch of birds I like. There's not much to be gained by constantly buying more and more hatchery stock, really, from my point of view. We've selectively bred our birds for 4 generations now and we honestly like what we have. They are far, far from type, quite honestly. You couldn't breed a true-to-standard or show type out of them if you took a decade or more of trying. The DNA just isn't there. But..... Healthy, thrifty, good laying birds? One cannot do any better than that, if what one wants is thrifty, healthy, good laying birds and we do.

Heritage lines simply aren't for everyone. Heritage birds are often larger, very slow to mature, often eat a lot and usually lay far fewer eggs. That's just the way it is. They can be impossible to find, as there simple aren't enough of them to go around. Breeders of the very best don't want to sell to hobbyists or backyard folks, particularly. They want to share their passion with other like-minded people who will breed and usually show them, which might be 1% of the population. Some of the top breeders only produce a few dozen birds a year, so it isn't as if you can just place an order for them. They must also be bred carefully or the flock will also go into decline in the out years as well.