Consolidated Kansas

[ChooksChick]

Hey, all. I've got 3 broken computers and my phone is acting up, so I won't be around much for a few days.

I wanted to offer up a lovely Birchen OEGB cockerel for anyone that wants one. Super good-looking. He nearly went to the freezer yesterday because the little squirt is in love with a hen in one of my breeding projects and I can't have him in there wooing her! He's so little he keeps finding ways to sneak in.

Elvis is a lovely guy and I really like him. He needs a girlfriend and a home far away from my chocolates!

First to claim him gets him!

 

[rittert3]

I think I'll pass on this one chooks, I've got newbi fever again and want to buy all the cheap bird I hear about but after these last three I realize I've got to have some restraint. I did get someone from AR that wants me to ship them some eggs in the BST forum.
My computer is having problems too now, I think it's still under warrenty but I've got to find the paper work tomarrow. My wife went to watch a show on here account and I blacked out but didn't do it to my account

I have alot of documents and sketch up files on her account so I'm still kinda ticked.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I guess where I have a problem with it is that "battery" meens really crowded pens and that just not the way I like to do things, but in a commercial setting like they are it's the only way to do things.

K-State is an agriculture school, and everything they teach is for mass producing; whatever that might be. No, it's not ideal for birds, but the school is conscious about trying to teach safe, clean methods to grow, or produce. By the way-- did you see their "battery cages"? They look nothing like the ones I've seen in those horrible videos. I do think any large operation can be respectful of their animals and practice clean and safe methods... now whether they choose to do so after these kids graduate, who knows. I know the school is trying it's best to teach their kids to be ethical about it's care of animals. Most of my family has graduated from K-State, and are proud of the school's practices. My issue is with the constant antibiotics other over crowded operations pour into the birds. I'm certainly glad that I've got my own flock now.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Rittert-"Battery brooder" isn't a bad thing. It's only bad if they are left uncared for, unclean and overcrowded. I have used a battery brooder. Works pretty good, and it's not a bad way to do it. Since BYC deals more with small, backyard and hobby flocks, like many of ours, most people do not have a need to use a battery brooder. Right now I'm kind of wishing I had my battery brooder set up to keep my chicks warm. They are already outgrowing the plastic tubs I have for them in the basement.

Yippee! The long lost sideboard has been found!

My DH and a friend of his had moved it and it was completely hidden by some other stuff. Unfortunately, Danz, your paint was not with it.

My DH's friend will be here tomorrow and he is going to help move the thing out where I can get to it to make the new brooders that I want to make. There's no way I can get to the thing and move it out of where they put it. I KNEW I had to have that thing around here somewhere! I had asked my DH about it, and he didn't know because he thought I was talking about something else. I guess I didn't make myself clear at first. I couldn't believe I could loose something that big!

Now, here is the other embarrassing part. Along with the sideboard was another thing I had bought to make a brooder out of. It is an old bookcase. I forgot I had it.

Okay... go ahead guys... laugh at me. I have broad shoulders and I can take it!

Oh Ivy.... that is sooo bad! LOL I figured that side board was buried under something. Glad you found it. Hilarious that you found ANOTHER piece that you were going to use also. Too bad Danz's paint wasn't there.. *giggle*

 

[Hawkeye95]

Rittert-"Battery brooder" isn't a bad thing. It's only bad if they are left uncared for, unclean and overcrowded. I have used a battery brooder. Works pretty good, and it's not a bad way to do it. Since BYC deals more with small, backyard and hobby flocks, like many of ours, most people do not have a need to use a battery brooder. Right now I'm kind of wishing I had my battery brooder set up to keep my chicks warm. They are already outgrowing the plastic tubs I have for them in the basement.

Yippee! The long lost sideboard has been found!

My DH and a friend of his had moved it and it was completely hidden by some other stuff. Unfortunately, Danz, your paint was not with it.

My DH's friend will be here tomorrow and he is going to help move the thing out where I can get to it to make the new brooders that I want to make. There's no way I can get to the thing and move it out of where they put it. I KNEW I had to have that thing around here somewhere! I had asked my DH about it, and he didn't know because he thought I was talking about something else. I guess I didn't make myself clear at first. I couldn't believe I could loose something that big!

Now, here is the other embarrassing part. Along with the sideboard was another thing I had bought to make a brooder out of. It is an old bookcase. I forgot I had it.

Okay... go ahead guys... laugh at me. I have broad shoulders and I can take it!

Oh Ivy.... that is sooo bad! LOL I figured that side board was buried under something. Glad you found it. Hilarious that you found ANOTHER piece that you were going to use also. Too bad Danz's paint wasn't there.. *giggle*

 

[Hawkeye95]

huh. wonder why I had a double post? This thing acts up on me all the time! Well, it's preschool day! Gotta run! OH!! But before I go, I got my 3 yr old pierced ear rings. She has been asking for them for months. I kept telling her it hurts and that there will be a lot of care involved. So anyway, she sat there and even when the lady showed her the piercer and how it worked and that it would sting-- she just sat there and never said a word! Not a cry, or yell or anything. She got the one ear ring in and then had to see it in the mirror and then was so excited to get the other ear done. I was sweating! I was so worried she'd throw a fit once she realized that I wasn't kidding about it hurting! LOL She's been dancing around ever since. ha! I have one tough cookie of a kid there.

 

[HEChicken]

I have more of a problem with the battery laying pens and it's not nessicarily the pen style that bothers me, it's the over crowding, I'm going to use a similar style for my quail breeding pens. To each their own I guess I'm just not a big fan of the way commercial poultry opperations work all around, but I guess they don't have many choices in managing those kind of numbers.

Rittert3, I'm trying to understand your point of view. I think most of us on here, as backyard poultry keepers abhor the conditions in which commercial birds are often kept. In the case of the KSU birds, IF I bought any, they would be joining my backyard flock that has it pretty darn good, and for the rest of their lives, would not be living in a battery environment at all. If they are only 17 weeks old by the time they are sold, they have spent very little of their lives in that environment when all is said and done.

Is your objection just to the fact that they are being housed as factory birds for ANY portion of their lives, or that you feel that by purchasing them, buyers are encouraging large producers to continue keeping birds in a battery environment?

 

[chicken danz]

Ivy I had to laugh. My #$%& paint must have found a yet another new boyfriend and ran off with them. It's still missing. I even had my neighbor looking last weekend! I really don't want to spend more money because I know as soon as I do I'll find that stuff.
I am just totally beat. Two days of catching and moving chickens is too much for an old lady. Other than my chores I hope to just take it easy today. Of course I have tons of stuff to do but I need a break. It is so much quieter in the Serama house now. Getting 39 roosters out of there made a huge difference. Now maybe the ladies can have a little peace. I have no idea how many hens I have now. I was surprised there was that many roosters in there.
By the way all. Marshmallow seems to be doing great now. I swear those puppies double in size every day. I'll try to get out and take a new picture today if I don't forget.
Ok I need some advice. If I separate some of my birds into smaller pens/cages/ areas to breed, how much head room do they need. I am talking LF birds. I may need to separate some before the trailer gets done and I'm not sure how much space, say one roo and 5 hens would need. I'm getting desperate. I can't seem to get it through DH's head that I need this work done. I can't afford to pay to have it done. Also if I move them to confined areas here will the hens stop laying like they would if you move them to a new home? All of these are factors I've not dealt with before. I had never considered confining birds before.

 

[rittert3]

HE- I don't like to support commercial egg production, after working for a company that supplied replacement pullets for a short time, and not so much that I don't want to support it I just don't want to consume eggs from such an operation. I think my main issue here though was just making sure everyone one knew that they were commercial birds that were not ornamental or show stock in the least. I might buy a couple myself, I'm not trying to put k-state down at all, I just don't favor commercial poultry.

Danz- I think it would matter if you were talking heritage / DP breeds or meat birds (like your Cornish X) that tend to get breast blisters. Without a roost I think 3 to 4' tall would be fine, maybe a little taller with breeds that SHOULD be allowed to roost. I've read many places that roosts will increase the occurrence of breast blisters in heavy meat birds.

ETA: BTW glad to hear about marshmallow and the pups!

 

[HEChicken]

HE- I don't like to support commercial egg production, after working for a company that supplied replacement pullets for a short time, and not so much that I don't want to support it I just don't want to consume eggs from such an operation. I think my main issue here though was just making sure everyone one knew that they were commercial birds that were not ornamental or show stock in the least. I might buy a couple myself, I'm not trying to put k-state down at all, I just don't favor commercial poultry.

I'm certainly with you on that! For me though, a commercial "egg" is one that has been laid by a hen who is kept in battery conditions, likely has never seen the light of day, felt sun, tasted grass or bugs, has lights on year-round and so on. Although these chicks may have started their days in a battery brooder, by the time they lay their first eggs, they will have been living in the same conditions as any of my other hens so I wouldn't consider the eggs to be commercial eggs at that point.

I wouldn't mind getting a few of these pullets but being in the Wichita area, by the time I add cost of gas to drive up and get them, they're not so well-priced any more. Anyone else in the Wichita area interested in getting some? I could be persuaded to make the drive for a contribution towards my gas expenses....