Consolidated Kansas

[rlh1]

I need some advice on where/who to get my chicks from this season. We are between Carbondale and Auburn. We are looking to start a flock for egg production and meat.

Thank you
Ricki

 

[Trish44]

Danz is closer to you probably. She raises several breeds. It just depends on what you're looking for.

 

[rlh1]

Hello. I see that you have Nigerian Dwarf goats. What do you think of their milk? I hear that the milk is not goaty tasting. Are they easy to care for? I am wanting to get a few this spring. Thank you for any info or advice.

Ricki

 

[sharol]

I need some advice on where/who to get my chicks from this season. We are between Carbondale and Auburn. We are looking to start a flock for egg production and meat.

Thank you
Ricki

I agree. I'd check with Chicken Danz. She has lovely birds that are good for eggs and meat (with the advantage that they are strong and healthy). She is over by Waverly so it wouldn't be too long a trip. Of course the farm stores have chicks in the spring, but buying locally, you know what you are getting.

 

[Trish44]

Hello. I see that you have Nigerian Dwarf goats. What do you think of their milk? I hear that the milk is not goaty tasting. Are they easy to care for? I am wanting to get a few this spring. Thank you for any info or advice.

Ricki

I don't know who you were asking this to since you didn't specify. I don't personally have Nigerians, I have Boers for meat & brush control so I can't answer about them. I have always been told that the dwarf breeds are harder to contain because they will go under or over fences more easily. I got the Boers because they're much heavier goats & don't do the jumping that smaller breeds do. They have been very easy for me to handle so far other than you have to make sure they can't get their head through the fence because they will get stuck. You have to have good fencing for any goats because they're very good at escaping if you don't.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Hello. I see that you have Nigerian Dwarf goats.  What do you think of their milk?  I hear that the milk is not goaty tasting.  Are they easy to care for?  I am wanting to get a few this spring.  Thank you for any info or advice.

Ricki

Hi Ricki, I have a herd of NDs for milk. I absolutely love them. They're personable, easily handled and make great home milkers. NDs have the richest milk of all the dairy goats; Nubians have the next highest butter fat. I skimmed the cream off and made butter recently and that was a huge hit at this house. I don't pasteurize the milk and DH isn't fond of raw milk so we mostly use it in cooking, or added to coffee etc. My MIL on the other hand, Loves raw milk and says it doesn't taste goaty at all. Cleanliness is a big part of keeping the milk tasting good. I should have some kids available this next spring sometime if you're interested. If I don't have any available for some unfortunate reason ( for healthy babies) I'd be more than happy to help you find someone who would.
As far as keeping them contained, good quality field fence should do the trick. It may not keep the babies in when they're tiny but they stay pretty close to Mom anyway and haven't been a problem for us. Don't! use welded wire. They love to stand on the wires and it ends up breaking and then they get out. I chose NDs because of their milk (no goaty), size (I wanted to be able to easily handle them without help), and temperament (they're like dogs, very curious, rather affectionate, and they love to follow you around and be with you). I get mobbed when I go out to their pens they all want to know if I've brought them something and most of them like their scratches unless they're too focused on the treats I've brought.

Ditto on what everyone has said about Danz's birds. I'm hoping to get some more from her this next spring. Which breeds are you interested in? I love my Wyandottes but I like a mixed flock so I'm hoping to add some Ameraucanas, Partridge Brahmas, and Speckled Sussex next spring.

 

[Trish44]

Prairie Fleur I have the Ameraucanas in lavender & wheaten/blue wheaten. I also have SS.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Prairie Fleur I have the Ameraucanas in lavender & wheaten/blue wheaten. I also have SS.

Oh, right! I didn't mean that to sound like those were all from Danz. Sorry everyone.
I'd really like some blue Ameraucanas next spring but I'm not sure where I'll get them from.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

BTW how many hens is ideal for one rooster so they don't over breed the hens? I checked closely today and out of my 8 hens their was feather damage on 5 of them. Two of the other three are a lot smaller and the other one is the same size as the 5 but her comb is still a pale pink.

 

[Trish44]

Has anyone seen the new copy of the Chicken Whisperer magazine? It has some really good articles in it.