Colorado

[pichuris]

Thanks! I just need to get these boys a new home before they start trying to crow. The downside of suburbia.

And they would be free to anyone on BYC or anyone vouched for by a BYCer with the promise that they would get the chance to prove themselves as good little flock guardians.

Uhhh, yeah. Just spoke with her and she wanting one for the stew pot. Sorry.

 

[pichuris]

I have eggs in the incubator. I have some cream legbars...which may or may not hatch as they came in the mail and some cuckoo maran chicks or cuckoo maran crosses. The servicing roosters this time around are both cuckoo marans with feathered legs, good stock. So if you still have chick fever, let me know. The crosses I'll give away for just a donation. The cream legbars cost a bit so would want the cost it took me.

Oh, no!!! I'm such a sucker. Gosh good thing I'm only addicted to chickens.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

 Uhhh, yeah. Just spoke with her and she wanting one for the stew pot. Sorry.

Thanks for asking anyway. You never know if you don't ask.

Minchi- not sure if this changes anything, but I don't think there is any milk in velveta. It isn't a 'real' cheese. I have no clue how it would do with canning.

 

[coloradogal]

When will they be hatching? I was hoping some of mine would but they didn't. If its really soon (a couple of days, so I could sneak them under my recent mama) I'd be interested in getting some from you.

They won't hatch for another week and I suspect then it'll be too late to co-mingle them. Someone else might know though.

Coloradogal, I can't begin to tell you how tempting it is to snap up some Marans chicks, but I have just been NPIP certified and if I get new flock members from non-NPIP flocks I lose my certification I know how silly it seems for 7 backyard hens, and I don't even know if I can say exactly why I want to maintain it, except the hope in the back of my mind that some day I will have eggs and chicks to sell.

Since you have both Marans and (I think you said) Aracaunas, maybe you can tell me how you feel each has fared here? Not only do chickens in CO have to be cold tolerant, they also have to be heat tolerant, predator savvy, and human tolerant Those who like to forage may have little to forage on during the hottest months of summer, do yours seem to manage well during July and August and into September?

I inquired about NPIP certification. They really don't recommend it for small flocks unless you want to sell out of state. I still asked for it and they said they'd keep me on the list if there is another down here looking for it. I don't plan on selling my chickens out of state and you don't need it for eggs. So I guess I'm just not very important on the whole NPIP radar. I have a bunch of mutts and am very clear that I want a stable, landrace mutt flock. Part of me feels a little discouraged that my flock just isn't important enough to warrant it. But then I start to separate ego from reality and I realize that it really doesn't warrant testing. They come a very long distance for a handful of hens that will never be shipped out of state.

So far, I am the happiest with the little colloncas chicks I received. They are very sweet and their ancestors lived in high elevations. They are the parent species of the araucana. I won't know yet about how they do this winter until the spring.

My marans are very large and give an egg about every other day. I get a double yoker about 4 times a week from the 3 I have laying. These are not hatchery chicks and are from a stable flock from Colorado. Hmmm, actually, most of my flock are all colorado chickens or hatchable from eggs so robust enough to make it through the hatch. I have two colors of marans - the black and cuckoo. I am most impressed with the black marans cock so far. He is large, beautiful and gentle. The only time so far I have seen him aggressive is when one of the other cocks went after one of his gals. I do not, repeat again...do not like the cuckoo marans roosters thus far. I am just waiting for Grandma to get them for dinner.

The phoenix rooster so far is very cooperative when it comes to having other cocks around. He doesn't bother anyone. Nemi's little boys so far are still very sweet and gentle. I have witnessed no chest bumping between them yet. I have noticed the little silkie roo, half the size of Nemi's boys.... thumping and then running between the legs while the wondering 'what the hell just happened'.

I am starting to ramble...

I plan on keeping, of the males... the black silkies as I have about 4 black silkie females... one of the white frizzles and I suppose now the frazzles as who would want a frazzles rooster that will probably never, ever get more than 21 ounces... the phoenix, the black marans and one of Nemi's as he was a very good guardian.

Chick-N-Burbs: If it gets to where they are crowing, just bring them on back. I'll see how well they integrate. Perhaps they will do ok as Nemi wasn't a rooster aggressive cock. I'm really hoping that you'll find a great home for them. There mixes are exactly what you said: Nemi X Sweet Gal (Buff Orphington) and Nemi x Whitey (white leghorn). Both moms are still thriving and doing well for laying into their second year.

edit: I have read that silkies are wonderful for bringing out the blue/green egg color in the easter eggers. Not sure if this is true but I have read that there seems to be some genetic evidence that these subsets are very similar in the whole ancestral line.

my black beauty.

 

[coloradogal]

To those of you who can, I am making chicken cheese soup with Velveeta, It is probably 60 % water and 40% Velveeta when finished. Does anyone have any experience dealing with canning cheese soups or at least know if this will work?

I would say no. I would assume that it would act as a thickener. I suspect even if you could, you would have to do a 90 minute, 15psi per quart and it won't be very appealing at the end.

You could call Valveeta and ask but personally, I wouldn't do it.

 

[NoisyNora]

Would anyone in the Springs be willing to butcher 4 hens in exchange for a 4th? I have 4 hens who are moulting and have started eating eggs. They also bully all my other hens and I and I am just tired of it. If anyone would be willing to butcher them for me they could have 1 for their efforts

PM me if interested.

 

[wsmith]

I would say no. I would assume that it would act as a thickener. I suspect even if you could, you would have to do a 90 minute, 15psi per quart and it won't be very appealing at the end.

You could call Valveeta and ask but personally, I wouldn't do it.

Sorry, I missed the "can" part. I haven't tried to can with it.

 

[wsmith]

Pullet #41 is the one laying. Caught her in the act. We have now gotten three perfect very small eggs.

We made chicken and dumplings with store bought chicken today. Turned out good. This is how it looked when we gave all the veggie and chicken scraps to the flock....

 

[Pozees]

Coloradogal - I'm not sure I will ever sell out of state either, but wanted assurance about disease for my own peace of mind, and was able to transport the girls 12 miles to have them tested. I may ask them if they will schedule a home visit in conjunction with another larger flock they have to come south to test, or else just do the same as I did this year. Come next year I may decide it was a waste of time and money and let it elapse, or I may have expanded enough to get them to visit (dreaming - but such a happy dream!). State departments are so limited in funding, even that for food safety, which of course is the main goal of NPIP.

Colloncas is a breed I've never heard of, but it sounds like one I might want to look into further. Interesting to hear of the difference between Black and Cuckoo Marans - and what a handsome guy in your picture! Is the difference you don't like strictly in the roosters, or are the hens difficult as well?

LMAO at the thought of the little Silkie roo running between the legs of the larger roos Very interesting information about Silkies contributing to blueness in eggs - genetics are endlessly fascinating, aren't they? You can ramble on all you want, BTW, I never tire of reading about the differences in breeds, lines, and individuals.

 

[gardendufus]

To those of you who can, I am making chicken cheese soup with Velveeta, It is probably 60 % water and 40% Velveeta when finished. Does anyone have any experience dealing with canning cheese soups or at least know if this will work?

I absolutely hate it when someone posts one of these, do you think it will work posts. Cuz then I go to google to see what I find. Next thing you know I've thought of something else I want to look up. Next thing I know, it's past my bedtime.

Anyway......

Did a google on 'canning velveeta cheese'. Most of these were about canning the cheese itself. Tried for canning soups with velveeta in them but didn't get any hits. The concensus is......several people have canned the velveeta itself. Canning cheeses is not USDA (or whatever the agency is) approved, but these people swear it's ok. Here is one of the links or you can do your own search. http://akhomesteaders.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=foodcache&action=display&thread=286 On one of the threads, I read a comment I liked which had to do with home canning cheese not being approved by the government agency. Went something like........but do you really need approval to do something that they did 80 years ago without problems from the same agency that approves, then disapproves, food and medicines. Uh......and probably will change their mind in another 5 years, AGAIN.