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

[armorfirelady]

What breed? The heritage breeds take their old sweet time coming to maturity but when they do, they should lay right through winter for you this first year.

They are Partridge rocks. Just started within the last week or two to get their wattles growing and the combs are starting to turn red. They forage well in the enclosed run & veggie garden all day & clean their FF trough clean by the end of the day. I open the pop door and they run into the yard. All are double in size so I know they are getting enough to eat.




Here is a photo I took of one a couple of days ago loving the feast in the garden.

 

[loanwizard]

Well, made a trip to old TSC for dog food. Tried to find some NuStock but alas, no luck there. I did, however, find a 50lb bag of Calf Manna... 25% protein. Fed some to the chickens and the hogs. We we see if this ol city slicker can tell a difference in the next couple hours....

Also looked for Calcium Carbonate. Found this lime stuff that says keeps barn floors dry and sweet, whatever that means, but no tag with percentages of what. So, found 50lb bags of Ag Lime that said high magnesium content, but the tag said 16%. Has a lot of calcium and strangely enough, the bag said percentage of Calcium Carbonate is like 137%. Hope it is the right stuff cause I already put some down.... Clerk said she and hubby used it if a hog died to deteriorate it....

 

[Beekissed]

Slow to come to POL, from what I remember. I didn't get to see the laying performance of mine before giving them away. Now I only have one of the four original ones left and I've never eaten one of her eggs...they were just coming on POL when I gave them away.

Maybe someone can chime in on the typical maturity time for this breed? I have no doubt you will start getting eggs from these birds this winter, it's just a matter of when.

 

[Gargoyle]

I have a 20 week old pullet with a bent butt... I just posted about her, I hope some of you more experienced folk can share your thoughts and perspectives.

I posted about her here, with photos:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/714154/pullet-has-a-bent-tail

Mainly I'm hoping the skewed tail doesn't have any effect on her laying, and that she'll be fine.

TIA,

 

[Folly's place]

Question for normanack; do your birds free range, or are they in a fenced run? I could see more problems if they are fenced in rather than out. Maybe extra feeding stations and waterers would help. What breeds of hens? I'm with Bee on this one; never happened like that here. Mary

 

[Pozees]

Just a quick comment on less corn in the feed and prices going up. Mountain Momma mentioned not knowing about a drought. The three "I" states (Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa) where much of the country's corn comes from dried up this year. We live in western MN and have had no significant moisture since July of last year. No snow last winter (one snowstorm right before Thanksgiving, about 4" of snow, but less than 1" moisture content and was melted in a day). We had a couple of inches of rain in June, 7/10" in July, about an inch in August, and 9/100" in Sept. Nothing so far this month. That is part of the reason your feed cost is going up. There are several other states that are also in drought conditions this year. My husband and I farm and I can tell you right now that we are not driving around in new pickups paid for by the taxpayers because we're not planting corn. (Our newest vehicle is over 12 years old) I will not comment or get into that discussion. I just ask that if people really want to know what's going on, please do some research and remember that on the internet, you can find information to support anything you want to believe, no matter what side of a subject you may be on. Not all farmers play the system to get "free" govt. money. There are honest ones out there, too. Just like any other group of people, you have your honest ones and your crooks. The minority of those who give a group a bad name are the ones who get noticed and give the whole bunch a bad name...

Drought is very widespread. In Southern Colorado, where we already don't get much precip, we are under 5" for the last 12 months, accompanied by weeks of 100+ degrees and wind through June, July, and a good part of August. Trees I used to water once a month required water daily - I let them go two days once, and a small Aspen in the ground 6+ years looked like it had been hit with a blow torch. The well will only take so much of that and at this point we have agreed if we don't start getting moisture the grass will have to be brown next year. My local feed mill will no longer publish a price list because grain prices are changing so fast. I'm only feeding 7 hens so it won't break me, but lots of locals are selling good numbers of their flocks in preparation for winter. Cattle Ranchers are selling stock at lower weights than normal, and horses are getting dirt cheap because it isn't just corn, it's hay too - what was a $4 bale - small bale - is now a $9-$10 bale and not a whole lot around. No one can control Mother Nature.

 

[normanack]

Question for normanack; do your birds free range, or are they in a fenced run? I could see more problems if they are fenced in rather than out. Maybe extra feeding stations and waterers would help. What breeds of hens? I'm with Bee on this one; never happened like that here. Mary

During the day they have access to the coop, run (unless the babies are in there), and fenced yard.
At night they are in the coop.

coop 8' x 16'
run 8' x 12'
yard 30' x 50' (will double in size next summer)

Flock = 21 (not including the three babies), more or less in pecking order:

1 Dark Cornish mix
4 Silkies
1 Orpington
1 ISA Brown
1 Wyandotte
3 Easter Eggers
4 Sussexes
1 insane Polish (she's insane and I'm insane for getting her)
1 Jersey Giant (not giant)
2 Welsummers
2 Belgian bantams

As you can guess, I went completely nuts at the feed store last spring. Not exactly a utility flock, but they're really fun to watch. And yes, I would do things differently in hindsight: fewer birds, fewer non-utilitarian breeds.

Also I'm not planning on enlarging the flock.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Quote:
I've never seen a bent butt before. That would probably freak out my roosters.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Do you mean a wry tail?

 

[Gargoyle]

Do you mean a wry tail?

I'd never heard that term, just did a quick search here and it looks like that's what it is. Thanks!

The threads I see say it's a genetic trait, but it hasn't occurred in the flock she came from.