Colorado

[camillebug]

Please help! We have a rooster we have to get rid of.

He is an EE mix and very beautiful. If you will take him please PM me and I will meet you halfway with him. My dad says we can't keep him and if we can't find him a home he is dinner. I think he is too pretty to eat. Help!

 

[cockadoodle]

OMG is that the sun I'm finally seeing for the first time all week?!?!

oppp, nevermind, clouds are back.... NOT ready for winter yet.

 

[mylilchix]

We're still getting left over sleet and snow in Conifer.

I just lost a buff cochin to a fox because I had my dogs inside while we were gone just now. Usually on sunny days I leave them in the dog run next to the coop and nothing comes around with the dogs there. Today I felt bad and had them in because it was so cold and wet.

Sonja

 

[coloradochick]

Sorry Sonja, that just stinks.

 

[mylilchix]

Thanks! I also discoverd the fox got my blue ameraucana too. I'm really upset about her. She was a late hatch I named Miracle because it was really touch and go in the beginning

. I'm leaving my lab mix out now. He's awesome chasing fox and loves being outside. If anyone has any blue ameraucana they wouldn't mind parting with I'd love to replace her!

Sonja

 

[alpinefarm]

Every fall, I find I have too many young roosters to keep around and I am fond of them all. Hard for me to butcher my own chickens. They have "identities" to me.

So I was thinkin'...

Some friends of ours "swap" calves with another family every year. They keep their milk cow bred each year, but then they get attached to the calf. So they trade calves with friends and then the butchering is not as emotional.

I'd like to find someone I could swap cockerels with next fall (2010). I use whole grain feed, non-soy, and am moving toward some (if not all) of my grains being organic by next season. I will have ameraucanas, marans, bantam cochins, norweigan jaerhons to "swap" next fall. I guess I could predict maybe wanting to trade 12-20. I'd like to find someone (or more than one person?) who feeds similarly as I do.

I wonder also, in a larger perspective on this, with backyard chicken flocks becoming so popular and with many folks needing to get young roosters gone before they start crowing, if there might be a way to use these excess roos for charity food banks somehow? Or fresh meat for pet food? Some way to organize a "round up" and butchering and maybe processing?

Well, I'm thinking too much. I'll stop now.

But I would be interested in finding a swap partner. I am on the Front Range often and could deliver/pick-up, no problem.

Rosemary

 

[Rockpile99]

Alpine farm, that sounds like a great idea!

I don't know how many I'll be able to trade next fall but would be willing to trade any that I don't wan't. A few of my Boulder friends plan on getting chicks next year (hopefully mine) and I plan on offering a buy back / trade for any that turn out to be cockerels.

I currently feed whole/cracked grains, soy free but do include wheat. I've just switched over to organic grains - wasn't that much more from my local grainery. They get lots of fruit & veggies, grass and leaves. occasional treats of yogurt, and high quality dog food for extra protein.

I have a mixed flock 3 EE, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Speckled Sussex pullets, 1 Cuckoo Marans Cockerel, and what look like a black tailed buff bantam Silkie and Wyandotte cockerels (they're not crowing yet but sure look like cockerels)

What kind of Ameraucanas and Marans do you have?

Karen

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Anyone here going to the RMFF show this month? I'd really like to meet up with some bantam Cochin breeders - especially of Splash and Columbian. I have a pair of Splash, and 2 Columbian hens, and would really like to fill in so that I have a nice breeding quad of each for next spring. I also have 2 MF Cochin pullets coming from Lynne at Wingshadows this month, so I'm anxious to get started on Mille's, too.
Here's a pic of my two most recent additions - white Silkie pullets from Shagbark. That's Debit on the left, and Credit on the right!

 

[alpinefarm]

Quote:
It sounds like we have similar diet with our flocks (I forgot to mention that mine are out about 50% of the time in the forest free-ranging). I would love to plan on a trade of roos. What time frame would be good for you? October sometime? Maybe if others are interested, we could also create an exchange list/database of some sort. Or meet somewhere on a given day and have our own BYC swap/cockerel give-a-way?

My Marans are Black Copper/Wade Jeane and I'm getting straight run chicks from Bev Davis next spring, as well, so I'll have a group of very nice cockerels from her. My standard ameraucanas are mostly from a roo I raised from eggs/someone on BYC, can't remember who. I am working on silver bantam ameraucanas, as well, from John Blehm.

Rosemary

 

[alpinefarm]

Quote:
Oh, congratulations! My mille's are from Lynne. You will be thrilled!

Maybe we can trade eggs down the line...? I also have some 3m old cockerels that are turning out really nice, if you need one!

Here are some of my mille fleurs:

Hongo (Spanish for "mushroom"):

And Henna and Hillary, 2 very spoiled pullets:

Rosemary