Colorado

[samsr]

Oh my goodness. PM sent on the DOs! AND my incubator should be arriving tonight - I'm jumping out of my skin I'm so excited!

Thanks for the tip! I hadn't realized (obviously) that the Japanese long-tails are nonexistent here in the US, so my best bet is to look for a breeder with Phoenix for sale. I think I'd probably do better with them since the Japanese ones don't molt(?) and that would be a lot of upkeep. I just wish people weren't so crummy that they scam others like that. My mom just went through this on CL with husky puppies when trying to help my brother find one. Just a real bummer!

I have a Phoenix roo that you can have if you want him. He is quite pretty and still developing. He is about 8 months old. I need to thin out some roos as I have 6 at the moment. I can get some pics for you this weekend, if you like. I never seem to get home soon enough before dark to get much of anything done anymore. I sure will be glad when we get more usable daylight.

 

[Ashdoes]

For our Dane we did NutriSource till he was a year old, because the protein in the adult food is perfect for them. I thought, since upping the protein is a good idea after they turn one, that Diamond was ideal for that. Archer did not agree. We used it for about 6 months, and he never had normal poos. Back to the NutriSource, adding in a little canned everyday, and he's back to firm stools. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if he didn't eat 9-10 cups of food a day we lucked out that our Doberman did so well on Beneful, and it was way before I knew how awful supermarket foods could be...not that I'm bashing Beneful, I'd switch to it tomorrow if the Vet said the proteins were right for Archer.
I've found that ordering the food online is the best price. Although, the new Big R on Constitution now carries the NutriSource, just in case I need a bag quickly. They're a lot more expensive then online though.

 

[Ashdoes]

I'm not providing heat or additional light in the coops. All the pullets that are doing the laying are hatched end of May 2014, which puts them at about 7 1/2 months old... When the temp allows (above freezing during the day) they get FF, if the day time temps are below freezing, they get a dry mix of the same grains/stuff in the FF, just not fermented. My mix would be between 14-18% protein.

That seems to be the best time to hatch, if you're looking for winter laying. Our Cochins laid everyday their first winter, so I'm hoping the last batch get on it pretty soon.
Another plus for the FeatherFixer, it has probiotics in it. This means you DO NOT want to ferment it, it was the most disgusting, foul smelling concoction I've ever had contact with. Seriously, middle of summer and fully fermented, made me almost vomit and I've got a tough stomach. It wasn't a week later that the fermented feed board blew up with people warning others away from it, lol.

 

[Latestarter]

Another plus for the FeatherFixer, it has probiotics in it. This means you DO NOT want to ferment it, it was the most disgusting, foul smelling concoction I've ever had contact with. Seriously, middle of summer and fully fermented, made me almost vomit and I've got a tough stomach. It wasn't a week later that the fermented feed board blew up with people warning others away from it, lol.

Too funny! Luckily, I read up about FF before I started doing it, so kinda knew what to watch out for or avoid fermenting...

 

[uzisuzuki]

I have a Phoenix roo that you can have if you want him.  He is quite pretty and still developing.  He is about 8 months old.  I need to thin out some roos as I have 6 at the moment.  I can get some pics for you this weekend, if you like.  I never seem to get home soon enough before dark to get much of anything done anymore.  I sure will be glad when we get more usable daylight.

Oh, man. I would *love* to buy him from you right now, but I'm still a few months off from having an adequate coop/pen for more birds. I'm kinda just searching for potential breeds to add right now. I'm not sure how long you want to keep an extra roo around, but if he's still available in May I could definitely buy him then.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Does anyone here have experience showing birds? I would like to get started in it with ducks, but I don't know where to start, hoping someone here has experience. I've looked on the Feather Fanciers site, but I'm just not finding answers to questions that I have. 
Thanks for your help!

I don't but I find it pretty interesting! I didn't even know it was a thing until recently (but I also didn't know chickens came in the wide variety they come in until recently also). I did recently purchase a show grooming kit to use on my flock when the weather gets nicer & it is a lot more involved than grooming my dog, that's for sure!

 

[samsr]

Oh, man. I would *love* to buy him from you right now, but I'm still a few months off from having an adequate coop/pen for more birds. I'm kinda just searching for potential breeds to add right now. I'm not sure how long you want to keep an extra roo around, but if he's still available in May I could definitely buy him then.

I will more likely still have him. He is hed roo at the moment. Maybe we could just swap some hatching eggs for him. I dont really expect money for him. He is quite striking. One of my neighbors gave him to me. She said i needed him. Lol. She was overrun with roos. I think she has about 300 or so chickens at the moment.

 

[COChix]

Hey gang,

So doing some research for streamling the chickens for when I have surgery on my wrist in a couple weeks. I have picked out some PVC style feeders that my BF will install and now I am looking at the whole watering situation. I am looking at a horizontal nipples with probably a bucket system. Was wondering if anyone on here has tried the horizontal nipples? If there is anyone out there who has please share your experience with using them, also what did you do when we got below 0 and the freezing issue, did you use a submersible tank heater as well? Thanks in advance for sharing!

 

[trsturself]

Hey gang,

So doing some research for streamling the chickens for when I have surgery on my wrist in a couple weeks. I have picked out some PVC style feeders that my BF will install and now I am looking at the whole watering situation. I am looking at a horizontal nipples with probably a bucket system. Was wondering if anyone on here has tried the horizontal nipples? If there is anyone out there who has please share your experience with using them, also what did you do when we got below 0 and the freezing issue, did you use a submersible tank heater as well? Thanks in advance for sharing!

On the winterizing nipples thread there are a couple people that are using the horizontal nipples with great success. I believe one is using an aquarium heater and the other isn't. I think the one using the heater gets weather more like ours. I think I'll switch to the horizontal nipples after this winter. I already have a heated water bowl so no need to spend the money on a different system right now but they get it so dirty and it doesn't last more than 1 1/2 days usually. I'd like something that lasts longer and stays cleaner. I'm sure I can find an animal to use my heated bowl on.

 

[COChix]

On the winterizing nipples thread there are a couple people that are using the horizontal nipples with great success. I believe one is using an aquarium heater and the other isn't. I think the one using the heater gets weather more like ours. I think I'll switch to the horizontal nipples after this winter. I already have a heated water bowl so no need to spend the money on a different system right now but they get it so dirty and it doesn't last more than 1 1/2 days usually. I'd like something that lasts longer and stays cleaner. I'm sure I can find an animal to use my heated bowl on.

Yes I am reading several threads regarding the horizontal nipples and so far it seems like they don't freeze as long as you have a heater in whatever vessel you are using to hold the water. Also sounds like the chickens waste less water and it doesn't drip, which would be great inside the coop (however we have no room for water in the coop). On the heated water bowl, as I think you have one similar, our roosters and two hens got frost bite on their wattles from drinking out of the heated dog bowl in subzero weather. Rocco's wattles damage is almost half way up his wattles,poor boy. Just something to keep in mind.