Colorado

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Hey all! Well, my babies are growing up! I will post picks later but I am fairly sure I have two little roos and one pullet. They are only 4 weeks old so they have two weeks, minimum, before they go to their new home(s) but I wanted to see if anyone on here is interested. They'd be free to a stewpot free home. Two of them are (I think) RIR x Orphington and one is RIR x Leghorn. The leghorn x is one that is highly suspected of being a roo. I would prefer they all go to the same home, if possible.

Let me know if you are interested!

Again, will post pics later!

Wsmith - I dont envy your having to choose, but I do envy your birds! They are gorgeous!

 

[pichuris]

Thought I'd introduce myself here - new chicken keeper in Stapleton, Denver.  Picked up 3 pullets last weekend and have been trying to figure out what is routine, what they like to eat and such over the past week.  Very pleased that last night they put themselves to bed on their own without having to be chased back into the coop from the evening free-ranging.  Starting small and looking forward to our first eggs at some point in the next couple weeks!  Coop pictures are in my profile, fairly pleased with how it turned out without any true plans - just following pictures I found on the site here.

Welcome home.

 

[pichuris]

Hey all! Well, my babies are growing up! I will post picks later but I am fairly sure I have two little roos and one pullet. They are only 4 weeks old so they have two weeks, minimum, before they go to their new home(s) but I wanted to see if anyone on here is interested. They'd be free to a stewpot free home. Two of them are (I think) RIR x Orphington and one is RIR x Leghorn. The leghorn x is one that is highly suspected of being a roo. I would prefer they all go to the same home, if possible.
Let me know if you are interested!
Again, will post pics later!

Bummer looking for RIR rooster but no x.

 

[wsmith]

Tyra (Norwegian elkhound female) "I can see it and it looks funny, but i can't get to it.....


Cockerel # 8, " If I stand here and look awesome, the fuzzy loud barking thing will be afraid....."

 

[wsmith]

Anybody want an awesome looking Dominique Cockerel that has a bum toe? for sale, cheap (cheep) $15.00 He is from Ellington/Post lines. He is 17 weeks old and will gain another couple of pounds before he is full grown. He didn't make the cut because of his toe. Please notice the lovely zig zag barring that really sets them apart from Barred Rocks. And he's only 17 weeks old. Imagine what he'll look like full grown with his erect carriage and awesome sickle feathered tail!

 

[pichuris]

Anybody want an awesome looking Dominique Cockerel that has a bum toe? for sale, cheap (cheep) $15.00 He is from Ellington/Post lines. He is 17 weeks old and will gain another couple of pounds before he is full grown. He didn't make the cut because of his toe. Please notice the lovely zig zag barring that really sets them apart from Barred Rocks. And he's only 17 weeks old. Imagine what he'll look like full grown with his erect carriage and awesome sickle feathered tail!

He is a beauty! Or err handsome.

 

[Pozees]

BrotherJosh, welcome to the brood! Embrace your new addiction

Wendell, those are some beautiful boys, and I am curious about two things. First, is precocity valued in breeding chickens? I know in horses and dogs it is, primarily for the competitive advantage it offers in performance - precocious racehorses win races at a younger age and as a result often increase their value as future breeding stock; precocious dogs win at dog shows earlier and thus finish championships sooner; and in both species, those who are able to pass that trait on to offspring gain popularity, sometimes even when the offspring show fragility more often than the get of other lines. In chickens, I can see the advantage in knowing sooner whether you have a male or female, and perhaps precocious females may begin to lay sooner than average for the breed. Are there other things that would make it a desirable, or undesirable, trait?

Second, what particular traits of the cockerels you prefer, make them preferable? I know nothing about the breed standard for Dominiques, so while I see beautiful cockerels, I don't know what makes them best - I realize it is probably a combination of things, such as defined markings, greater contrast, leg color, feather quality and quantity, stature, size - I'm interested in learning about how you select your best, since you have offered us such great pictures to compare them. It is one of the more difficult aspects of breeding, and often one of the most rewarding, especially if you have an impossible choice and are able to work with another fancier who can give your third and fourth choices a try with their own hens to see how your decision bears out.

I have a particular penchant for that sort of thing, but at this time no ability to follow it myself, too many hours away from home working, DH who currently wants nothing to do with roosters, and limited funds for proper housing. Hope you don't mind if I live vicariously through your adventure

Ashley, it sounds like you already have some great ideas! I agree, the tiller attachments for lawn tractors are very expensive. You might find a used one for sale once fall winds down a bit, the problem with our native weeds is their ability to survive and reproduce in the harshest conditions. I have often said if we could figure out how to make fuel from bindweed, we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams! On some, a pretty strong solution of white vinegar and water will kill them, if applied on a sunny morning and probably repeated a few times to really kill them off. Over the winter you can cover some areas with plastic held down with rocks or cinder blocks or something heavy and that will kill most things, but not bindweed of course. Tilling and amending before winter sets in is still your best bet at a good start come spring, for sure, and I really love the idea of meadow grasses and paths, it sounds like it will be really nice. The xeric plants we have had the best luck with are Blue Mist Spirea and Russian Sage.

 

[kmatt87]

Thought I'd introduce myself here - new chicken keeper in Stapleton, Denver. Picked up 3 pullets last weekend and have been trying to figure out what is routine, what they like to eat and such over the past week. Very pleased that last night they put themselves to bed on their own without having to be chased back into the coop from the evening free-ranging. Starting small and looking forward to our first eggs at some point in the next couple weeks! Coop pictures are in my profile, fairly pleased with how it turned out without any true plans - just following pictures I found on the site here.

welcome!!

 

[Pozees]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704100/shelless-eggs#post_9571460

would you guys minding taking a look at this and letting me know what you think. I added a bit of additional info 4 or 5 comments in as well.


Thanks!

I'm just trying to figure out if i should be concerned or if one of my birds are sick or what

Interesting discussion so far. Is it possible 20% is too much protein for laying? Most layer formulations are 15%-17% I think. Also, the issue of being chased by the kids could actually have a different effect as a hen reaches laying age, so maybe putting a halt to that for a couple of weeks will tell you whether it is making a difference. Is the nest box nice and private? Just throwing out guesses Try offering yogurt if you don't already, sometimes they absorb the calcium better from it than from other sources. Maybe offer some fresh greens a few times a week if you don't already - my girls are crazy for greens and mealworms over anything else I can give them, in fact I am seriously considering mealworm farming, they go so crazy for them.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Ok, Pics!! Note; the Silkie babies are staying until I figure out which one I am keeping!