Colorado

[Debbie82]

Also, I can't see how you have your roosts but I like them wide side up so the girls can sit on their toes in the winter.

The roosts are 2x4's with the thinner part up.

 

[Latestarter]

For full size (LF) birds, they really should be wide side up.the birds feet aren't really designed to grip a limb but to walk flat footed, and they lower themselves down over their feet in winter to keep their feet warm. That's a lot easier for them to do on the wider side of the board (without falling off).

 

[Ashdoes]

I have those type of roosts, wide side up, and we recently discovered one of our cochin girls lost the tip of two toes this past winter. The weather was so bad, that even though she is large and was able to fully cover her feet, it didn't seem to matter which way the boards are turned. We had two Roos get really bad frost bite, and now this one hen minus some toe material.
I like the boards turned wide up, simply because it makes me think they're more comfortable.

 

[Debbie82]

I'm so glad I posted here for advice First thing tomorrow will be to flip the boards over then so the wider part is up.

 

[COChix]

Hi! I am in Loveland and due to chicken math, just doubled my flock this spring. However, one of my sweet little chicks is now, all at once showing HIS true self at five months! I turned around to find this big flowing Buff ROOSTER strutting around the yard. wth? Surprise! He doesn't crow yet and just hitting puberty. I hand raised them from day 1 so he isn't aggressive to humans, just a bit stand offish. They all come a runnin to " chick chick" for the treats. We are a Girls Only Club and so he needs to find another yard. His name was Chick of course. Now Chuck? Chuck Norris? His legs are like tree trunks and he is Tall! Fed only Ranchway Organic, there has never been sickness in my flock. Am asking $10 but will take less as I don't want him to end up in a soup pot. Someone please take him! For a rooster, he is still pretty sweet. A tall, blonde, buff roo... the ladies will go crazy for him! Private message me here if you are interested or know someone who might be. He is handsome and would be a great protector. His size alone is intimidating. Thank you thank you thank you!

Chick N Mama, beautiful Buff Roo, we have two and they are starting to get that beautiful coloring. We selected the Buff's after researching and due to the reports of temperament was the deciding factor. Good luck!

 

[COChix]

So tough decisions lay ahead for me, the RR Roo has started getting into it with both of our Buff Roo's. So one will be culled and processed, I am in progress of observing behaviors, one thought is to keep the RR. My understanding is he has the brown egg laying gene so when he mates an EE we would have Olive Eggers. Ultimately what it comes down too will be temperament and how they treat the girls. Any thought, stories or words of advice?

 

[Pozees]

So tough decisions lay ahead for me, the RR Roo has started getting into it with both of our Buff Roo's. So one will be culled and processed, I am in progress of observing behaviors, one thought is to keep the RR. My understanding is he has the brown egg laying gene so when he mates an EE we would have Olive Eggers. Ultimately what it comes down too will be temperament and how they treat the girls. Any thought, stories or words of advice?

There are a few considerations. First and foremost select for vigor - the robustly healthy chicken. Second, keep the one(s) you really enjoy living with - there is simply no pleasure in keeping a chicken you just don't like. Third, if there are still choices to be made, consider how each affects flock dynamics. If one is easygoing and another is constantly picking fights, or if one is always calling the girls over for treats and watching the sky while the other does neither of those things, the first is the leader and the flock protector and that is the one you want to keep, assuming he is healthy and pleasant to live with.

Above all, I strongly recommend that no one should keep a chicken that has ever attacked a human of any size. Those are genes you want to remove from the pool.

 

[katie5668]

I am chiming in with what Judy said.

I sat out many a morning just watching my chickens to see who was the one that would call the hens when there was a treat. Who would run everyone else off!!
I have too many roo's & need to cull ...my Dominique roos are beautiful and have not been aggressive at all..but just have too many!
My flock is in a large open pen & one roo is all I need. Love that Buff one..but sure do not need to add a roo to the flock..
100% agree if a chicken or roo has shown any aggressive tendencies...gone..stew pot material!!
Pick your favorite..then observe to make sure it has the personality of a leader...calling the hens..watching over the hens & not aggressive to smaller chicks is a huge one.
I had a roo that would go after chicks like they were his favorite lunch a munch treat!!
Good luck in choosing!!

 

[Percheron chick]

Hay prices

So those of you that have livestock, what are you paying and where do you need prices to be (what's fair for what you are getting)? I feed about 100T of hay a year. I shop around and have typically paid no more than $125/ton but these past few years was happy with anything under $200/ton. WELL, the hay gods were kind to me today. I went up to Centennial to just pick up a couple big bales. Everyone wants big bales because they don't have to load them themselves. No one was bidding on small bales. I walked out of there with some decent grass hay for $1.25 and $1.40 a bale or about $50/ton. One lot had been rained on after baling so it is bleached but the other looks like it was just put up. I ended up with 6.5T of hay for under $325. If you like feeding rounds, there was really nice grass going for $35. Same hay we were paying $135 for 3 months ago. You don't have to pay what they want on CL or the Fence Post. If buying hay at an auction scares you, don't be. Many of the brokers buy their hay this way and turn around and double their $$. I'll be heading back to the Aug sale if anyone want's to go.

 

[jime]

Percheron Chick:
That is good price on the hay I just goat loa yesterday of 140 bales so don't need hay now but would you care to tell me what is this centennial thing.I am new here, I get most of the stuff (for the animals) in Elizabeth and Parker but if there is better places i am all for it.
Is this the centennial livestock… How that woks.
Thanks