Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

rittert-You might try posting your question on the OE thread. There are some folks on there that are doing some special projects with OE's and are very knowlegable about color gentics. Personally I have no idea of what you would get with that cross.

Out of my last small batch of eggs I got one black copper marans chick and two lavender ameraucanas. I will take them out of the incubator in the morning. One marans didn't hatch and one rosecomb didn't hatch. I still haven't had any of my rosecombs hatch. Maybe it's just because she is a young pullet. Anyway, if she keeps laying, I will keep trying. The eggs have been fertile, they just haven't hatched.

My DH had our GP, Runt, in the house tonight. Buddy was outside and started barking. Runt heard Buddy and just about tore the door down to get out and get whatever set Buddy's alarm off. Gee. How could you not love these dogs?

I think I might sell my silver ameraucanas. I need to cut down on breeds just a little. It is so hard to do, but I really need to do it, and I guess these would be the ones. If you hear of anyone who would be interested I will have 2 pair to sell. I haven't priced them yet, but I will figure out a fair price. They came from John Blehm.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yeah, great idea on asking the OE thread-- I know the silkie thread, when I ask questions, they can REALLY talk genetics (in code) and explain it very well. Based off of any leakage or your undercoat on your birds or other qualities, they can usually make a pretty educated guess at what genetic background your bird is and what would be desirable to breed with-- hopefully the OE thread has some people that are similarly educated. When you say Showgirls, I'm assuming you mean the silkie/turken cross? I believe there is a whole thread on that too. But if not, I know a few people on the silkie thread have them and sell hatching eggs. I don't know what colors, though. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they haven't been added as a breed, have they? (or whatever you call it-- to the standards book) They sure are pretty, though! It would be fun to have some of those! Are you wanting to learn how to caponize roosters? There is a lady down in Oklahoma that does it. She'll be at that swap meet they told us about. She said she won't caponize a roo there (not sterile enough) -- but that she'll have info and pictures on how to do it. Did you see that video on YouTube? There is an asian woman that does it and they took video of it. She holds the bird's wings down with her feet (she's VERY limber) and then shows where to make the cut, etc. It's not something I'd ever do, or want to! Good luck on your projects! I'm just going to stick with my layers and silkies. LOL!

BTW-- have you thought about buying dog panels? Sometimes they are on CraigsList for really cheap! You can get the chainlink runs for around $100 or so. That is what I was trying to do-- but ran out of time looking for a large enough one. I wanted the 12 ft length/ 6 foot height. I eventually bought mine as time ran out and winter came on. But CL's does have a plethora of sellers of kennels. That might be cheaper than trying to build something, you could even divide one in have by running chicken wire inside and saving you more money.

Let me know if we get a bunch in Kansas. I don't have room for many chickens where I'm keeping them but I love the rooster coloration and they are one of the few breeds that are auto sexing and breed true. I'd hate to buy just one rooster and not breed them being as rare as they are right now.

ETA: I got all excited about the legbars and forgot to post what I came here to post, lol. Can anybody back up what I've heard about spangled OE over crele OE hens throwing sex links? And if so what markings on the chicks would indicate the sex? That was originally going to be my first project but I got the millies instead because all his creles where chicks and all his spangled were hens and I wanted birds to breed this year. I've got about 10 more chicken projects I want to do over the next 5 years or so and only have room for 2 quads at most so I need to prioritize what order I want to do them in. I only want them to last a year or so each but anyway... I'll go ahead and list a few of the breed / cross projects I want to do so everyone can see what I'm hoping to be upto... Spangled/ Crele for OE sex links, BBS Showgirls, White Giant Capons (I know the practice is out dated but I want to try my hand at it), BBS Sumatra Bantams, Black tailed white Japs, and there are a few others but I'm sure some will get scrached off for something better.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Great dogs! They wouldn't know what to do out here! There are soooo many coyotes! I know we have two or three out there. That one year when my mare was attacked, that was when there were about 5 of them packing together. That's too bad you haven't had any rosecombs hatch-- I'm sure it's a matter of time before you get some good ones. Disappointing, though. I don't know if I will try to hatch my first silkie eggs or not. Depends on when they start laying, I guess. If it's close enough to Spring, I will. If they start laying now, then likely I won't since I don't want to brood babies right now. UNLESS.... they go broody at the same time?? Then I'll leave them alone to try to hatch themselves. Then THEY could take care of the babies! ha!

rittert-You might try posting your question on the OE thread. There are some folks on there that are doing some special projects with OE's and are very knowlegable about color gentics. Personally I have no idea of what you would get with that cross.

Out of my last small batch of eggs I got one black copper marans chick and two lavender ameraucanas. I will take them out of the incubator in the morning. One marans didn't hatch and one rosecomb didn't hatch. I still haven't had any of my rosecombs hatch. Maybe it's just because she is a young pullet. Anyway, if she keeps laying, I will keep trying. The eggs have been fertile, they just haven't hatched.

My DH had our GP, Runt, in the house tonight. Buddy was outside and started barking. Runt heard Buddy and just about tore the door down to get out and get whatever set Buddy's alarm off. Gee. How could you not love these dogs?

I think I might sell my silver ameraucanas. I need to cut down on breeds just a little. It is so hard to do, but I really need to do it, and I guess these would be the ones. If you hear of anyone who would be interested I will have 2 pair to sell. I haven't priced them yet, but I will figure out a fair price. They came from John Blehm.

 

[rittert3]

I've been on one of the OE threads since the other night when I brought them home, I've also toyed with the Idea of joining the club page too. I was suprised to find not a whole lot of people posting to the OE thread.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Geez!! this thing double posted on me when I tried to edit for spelling above. I needed to fix the word "have" to say "half"... and it took about 30 mins or more for the darned thing to submit, because it kept saying BYC was having server problems, and blah, blah, blah... and then when it finally went thru, then it double posted!? WOW. How is no one else having these problems? Every time I post, it takes me hitting Submit at least two or three times before it goes thru (without error messages)

 

[Trish44]

IVY, I would love to have a pair of your silver Ameraucanas, but we would run into the same problem we had getting the rooster down to me. Hopefully you can find someone closer up your way to take them. I love that color though, they're beautiful.

Danz, I hope you get some rest after your ordeal, you deserve it. I hate to see this cold front coming, I have been enjoying this 60 degree weather, even the 50s haven't been bad. We have all been really spoiled this winter & I'm just afraid we're going to get a rude awakening before it's all over. We still have 2 more months really of winter & March can be really nasty, especially since we have not had it yet.

rittert, good luck with all of your projects, I hope they go well. I agree with Hawkeye, the dog runs do work pretty well for a run, you will just have to add fencing over the top & put hardware cloth along the sides all the way around to keep predators out. Believe it or not, things can reach through & pull the chickens through that chain link & 'possums can actually get through it. I had a 'possum attack on my guineas in a run this summer. The darned things killed 7 young guineas in one night & another time I had a raccoon pull my hen's head through the wire & eat her head off, not a pretty sight. Hopefully with my GPs now by summer I shouldn't have so many problems that way.

 

[chicken danz]

Renee, so what did you end up with? Anconas or Cayuga, or a mix?

 

[chicken danz]

Marshmallow is getting more normal every day. This morning she was chasing chickens out of the pen that got too close to the dog house. I probably should open the back end so they have a place to get away when she chases them. The chickens never learn. She's never grabbed one but chased them if they got too close to the puppies for a couple weeks after the last litter. Very protective mama. But later on the chickens and the pups were always together. Marshmallow is actually laying outside the pen gate right now. That is great. She just hasn't wanted to be any distance. I'm so glad my dog is going to be ok.
I am excited today. I found a potential source for midget white turkeys this spring. I've been looking for months. That is the breed I want to raise if I'm going to have turkeys. They are perfect for what I want. Of course I have those slates in the incubator and I am sure I'll love them too, assuming I hatch any that live. I've got some Seramas hatching today. I'm really going to downsize there. I have so many nice roos I need to move but not sure how to do it. I don't want to get rid of an equal amount of hens because I am roo heavy. There just isn't a practical use for extra roos.
Speaking of which, I have a few mixed breed cockerels I may sacrifice for dog food. I normally sell them to a commercial person but I am thinking for what I get I could sure add some nutrition to Marshmallows diet. I just hate to butcher. It is probably on my least favorite things to do list.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, that's great that Marshmallow is such a good momma, she sounds like she's getting back to normal again. I don't blame you for wanting to keep the puppy that you rescued, that would be my choice too.

rittert, I will be raising some Cream Legbars eventually, but I will be getting chicks so it will be a long while before I get eggs or am able to hatch chicks. If you hang out on the Cream Legbar thread you will see which people are selling eggs & chicks. There is already one guy in Missouri that is selling hatching eggs & will be selling chicks soon. It depends on whose price is the best as to who I get some from. They're all from the same farm since they're the only ones in the US that have them. They're very popular in the UK.

Hawkeye, if you were going to stay at your place you could get someone to come & kill the coyotes for you. My friend that lives in Derby just had them come out & they have gotten one so far on her land. The coyotes ate her little Chihuahua awhile back & the neighbor's dog also & she has 3 little dogs there. I sent her an ad from Craigslist for some guys that hunt them for people if they're threatening their pets or livestock. They don't charge anything for doing it.

 

[Trish44]

Hey, those of you that have GPs, do you have any suggestions for me as to how to keep my pups from crossing my fence line & going up on the hill to a trash pile there? The people that rented there for years made this humongous trash dump back there, I watched them for years just take their household trash out & dump it on the side of the hill. I had tried to complain about it to the county, but at that time they were not enforcing any cleanup outside the town. I may try to contact them now that the people aren't there any more & the land is vacant to try to force the owner to clean up the mess. Anyway my pups are going up there & bringing back all kinds of junk & who knows what all is dumped there. I have caught them only once going there & called them back, but they sneak back there when I'm not watching.