Colorado

[suncatcher]

Love the Blue Wheaten Ameraucana's too. I am sticking to the program and not adding another breed (yeah right)! I will be hatching white Marans, and my MF Bantam Cochins. I may do another project if the stars align, but really don't have the room. I am at three coops, with another in the making! Yikes!

 

[maggiemo]

I don't have any roosters but I am ordering some bantam americanas. I have wanted bantam americanas for years and it has never worked out.
You folks with bantams tell me; what do you do with the extra roosters? I can't imagine killing and eating them, but it seems like the only logical end to the problem.
My Pet Chicken sells sexed bantams for $12 a pullet. I bought 4 last year and all 4 were DOA

it was horrible.
I am thinking I am going to need to order the minimum # of bantams and try to sell the extras, but I am worried I will only be able to sell the pullets, that no one will want roosters.
Does anyone have experience getting rid of extra bantam rooster?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Bantam roosters are an issue when it comes to getting them gone. No one seems to want the little fellers unless they are show quality. Not much meat on them so the ones looking to eat them are not interested. I am sure you can get the sexed little ones sold quickly. If you have to order a minimum amount perhaps they have sexed ones of other breeds that you could sell off and keep the ones you intended to get.

It looks like they are willing to do mixed bantam and standard size birds. I would order the special sexed little ones and add in some standard large breed at the lower cost then sell the large breed ones. They should go fast. Just make sure they will look different then your special ones. Blue cochins standard size would look lots different and sell fast in my opinion.

 

[maggiemo]

It looks like they are willing to do mixed bantam and standard size birds. I would order the special sexed little ones and add in some standard large breed at the lower cost then sell the large breed ones. They should go fast. Just make sure they will look different then your special ones. Blue cochins standard size would look lots different and sell fast in my opinion.

I did that last year and all the bantams died in transit and I was stuck raising a bunch of birds I didn't want. It was awful.
I am going to try again though. I really, really want americana bantams.

 

[sonshine15]

I have the same concerns over hatching the silkies...would love to have a roo and all pulleys in every breed for a hatch lol

 

[21hens-incharge]

Maggie,
I could not remember if you had done that or not. I am hoping this time things go better for your littles in transit.

I got some weird chicken stuff going on with my older hens now. I think I know the cause but dang one whole year of good behavior would be nice.
There are 4 out of the 11 in that group that are now refusing to go in at night. Most likely reason is the old mean GLW being her usual self. She has started the attacking thing again. She is the worst one in my whole lot of chickens. I think it is the stew pot for her this year. I am growing tired of her antics.

The egg laying has started to resume with the older ladies as well. The old leghorn is laying again, so far 3 eggs from her in the last week.

That is about it for new things from the north here. Take care y'all.

 

[Latestarter]

Well, yesterday when I looked, the weather forecast was for the snow to start this evening. When I got up it has already started with a light mist like snow and the forecast now says all day today into Friday evening or Sat morning... I still have large sections of yard covered by snow from the last storm. Maybe this will turn out to be a snowy winter after all?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Snowing here for a couple hours now. Started off really fine and turned into big flakes. My entire yard is still covered in 6 inches of snow from the last go that had not melted off.
Forecast was saying the mountains are going to get quite a lot.

Y'all stay warm now.

 

[Latestarter]

Caught one of my egg eaters yellow beaked today! I was checking for eggs and have 4 sets of nest boxes to check. After the 4th, I was headed back around and heard pecking, so went inside to see if it was what I thought and sure enough I had one Wyandotte hen in a box eating an egg she had obviously just laid as it wasn't there 3 minutes earlier.

This is one of the largest birds, in very good shape, fully feathered again... The other birds with her are in just as good shape. They are NOT lacking for food!

I was NOT happy! Of course it was too late, she had already busted the shell and was eating. I pulled her out of the box and gave her a stern talking to and put a saddle on her, colored side up, so I can ID her from here on out

Rather than leave immediately, I hung around and while I was chastising her, 2 others went in to continue the meal I'd taken her away from.

I'm not going to waste much more energy worrying about it here as I'm moving this coming summer, but the next coop I build is going to have egg drop/roll away nesting boxes so this won't happen.

Light snow here. was too warm during the day for anything but a mere dusting as the snow underneath was melting... Supposed to get 1-3" overnight.

 

[coop410silkies]

Yep, starting to look like Christmas again in Berthoud. I got a last minute run in to Hays for dog food, and checked the chicken food larder. Filled a couple of feeders and checked waterers for the few birds that actually prefer water to snow. I picked up 9 eggs from the Silkie box, this afternoon, one hen is setting. The Silkies seem to ignore day length and near zero temps, they just keep keeping on. My car doesn't handle snow, and it's really possible for me to stranded in my own front yard. Lost a windshield wiper on my way to Hays. And one of my old sheep died yesterday. My dog is in rabid heat, she has to be tied out, and I grieve for her. Well, that's the end of the good news. I AM warm, I have food, and I have a new movie to watch. It can snow for the whole day tomorrow, if it wants. Hope y'all are faring well.