Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Danz, that is a gorgeous rooster! I have a gold laced wyandotte hen that I just love because of the beautiful lacing. In fact I just ordered another one with my chicks because I think she's so pretty. I don't have a wyandotte rooster though, I can see why he's your favorite. Everyone is wanting your faverolles, so if you get your pens done you know what you need to hatch a bunch of.

We have a great visit with our granddaughter today, it's always fun to have her here, tiring, but fun. She told us that her daddy is coming next weekend, he hadn't told me that as of yet, so if he is it looks like next Sunday will be busy too.

I really had thought about the hoophouses for a run, but I didn't know how hard that would be to put together & you would still have to put other wire over it to make it secure, so I'm not sure it would be any cheaper. I think I'm just going to use dog runs with my new coop since I already have one I can use after the dogs get finished with it. I will need another one since one won't be big enough, but I could get the 2nd one & hook them together, then divide them into individual pens for each breed. At least that's my idea right now. DH doesn't want to build another run I don't think, he already kind of indicated that. We'll just have to see, that will come after the coop anyway. I could always use the runs in the beginning & then build something different later.

IVY, I'm tempted to get some other colors of Ameraucanas from you if you can send chicks down this way later on. People around my area are always looking for Ameraucanas. I will have some black/lavender splits if mine ever start laying again so I can incubate some eggs, but I wouldn't mind having some other colors too. Maybe checoukan can bring the chicken train when she comes to see you for those of us too far to drive up to your place, that would be great!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hi all!

DH & I, plus 8 kids, ages 7 to 16, live in the Rose Hill/Derby area on approx 5 acres.

I'm so excited

our first batch of chicks are coming this week from Mt. Healthy. DH is feverishly working on the coop, finishing up mods on a storage shed we already had on the property and will be adding a nice sized run. He'll also be making several breeder pens and a portable pen for free-ranging. Poor hubs, but we're helping!

(Somewhat)

Even though this is my first time starting chicks, I'm already an expert at chicken math!

I have 75 chicks coming this week: 50 straight run Sussex and 25 free miscellaneous roosters. In addition, the following week I am expecting 44 chicks from Murray McMurray: Nine assorted bantams for the kids, 10 Buff Orp pullets, 10 RS pullets, 10 CXR and 5 Sussex cockerels. Within two weeks we will be the proud owners of over 100 chicks! It'll be chicken heaven, hell or both!

My plan is to work on the Aloha Chicken project. I will be rehoming the hens I do not select for my program and using most of the roos for meat. I plan to overwinter approx 25 to 30 and hatch eggs from my crosses. I'm also hoping to trade some of my eggs for Aloha eggs. I am on a chicken mission!

Even my best friend is looking at me like I have completely lost it, even after my very best Oliver Wendell Douglas speeches about the joys of raising your own. Oh well, I have 8 children and am well accustomed to that look, for a plethora of reasons!

All of us are really, really excited to receive our first batch of chicks this week. Okay, DH, not so much as the rest of us, but as soon as they're here and all the work is done, he'll be all in. I know him pretty well.

I've spent a lot of time researching, reading and enjoying BYC!

 

[tweetysvoice]

First and foremost...

!!! Nice meeting you and looking forwards to pics of your new flock! Are you planning on keeping all the chicks together in the same brooder, even though they are coming from two separate sources. (OT's, would you still have to quarantine newborn chicks?)

Please enlighten me on the Aloha Chicken project. I love learning new things!

 

[Trish44]

Welcome KarenS to BYC & the Consolidated Kansas thread! I lived in Derby for 23 years before I moved where I am now & I miss living there even still. I do go there quite a bit though for this & that. I'm curious about what the Aloha Chicken project is also, please fill us in. It sounds like you will have your hands full with all of those chicks coming for awhile. I see that you're getting quite a few Sussex, are they the Speckled Sussex or which variety? I have some Speckled Sussex & really like them, so I have ordered a few more for the spring. Just to let you know, we also have a Kansas Poultry Swap on Facebook, so if you want to come join us on there we would love to have you there also. People will be listing chicks & other poultry for sale as they have some available, so we're excited that we now have this avenue to swap poultry & find what we're looking for. We only just started this site recently & are just over 200 now. The link for that site is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275183675880038/, hope to see you there.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

First and foremost...

!!! Nice meeting you and looking forwards to pics of your new flock! Are you planning on keeping all the chicks together in the same brooder, even though they are coming from two separate sources. (OT's, would you still have to quarantine newborn chicks?)

Please enlighten me on the Aloha Chicken project. I love learning new things!

Thanks for the welcome! I'll be sure to take plenty of pics! I've enjoyed the pics on BYC so much while waiting.

I'm planning to keep them together, even though from different sources, but with a watchful eye. I decided to do so after reading several different books and getting different perspectives from BYC. It seems rather heartless but it's part of the selection process to cull those with weaker immune systems. Did I just say that? Yuck. I do understand the risks but it's a calculated risk. The one week age difference is also a concern but I believe I can make it work. If not, I'll adjust my expectations and my pen.

The Aloha chicken project was started when the founder saw a pic of Swedish Flower Hens before Greenfire Farms imported the breed. The birds are very colorful with spangling like the Sussex but a much broader range of colors. Sommer tells her story better than I, so you can check out the Aloha Chicken project under Breeds for more info. But the condensed version is that she set out to breed an American version of the Swedish Flower Hen. She's come quite a ways now and the birds are really stunning. The challenge now is to bring up the size of bird, they began from a colorful neighborhood bantam, and the production and size of eggs. Right now her focus is on the bright colors since it gets complicated when adding in the black and blue colorations. She will concentrate on that later. Anyone else is certainly free to join in and help with the process.

I will be crossing Sussex with Red Star because I need to get to a bird of good size, good egg production, bright red feather color, yellow skin, feet, legs, with the spangling gene. I will be crossing the Sussex with Buff Orp for the same things but gold colored feathers. I'm hoping to cross a red roo from my freebies (hoping for New Hamp, RIR or Red Star). Once I have my crosses hatched, then I'll cross with Alohas and Swedish Flower Hens from Greenfire and go from there on any improvements that need to be made. You can check out the Swedish Flower Hens at Greenfirefarms.com.

The idea is to create a wildly colorful, hardy, dual purpose chicken, with a calm disposition for the backyard flock. Doesn't that sound like fun?

I'll have extra birds available as I cull (as in separate) heavily for specific characteristics. Spreading the chicken math joy, so to speak.

Of course, these first chicks have to make it to maturity first!

Thanks for asking!

 

[chicken danz]

A week in age shouldn't make a difference as long as the first bunch isn't bantam and the second bunch all LF. I mix chicks up to 3 weeks in age difference. The important thing is having enough room and clean water and lots of food. I wouldn't worry about the hatchery chicks giving each other any diseases either as long as it is a licensed hatchery.
BTW Welcome, Karen. I am one of those multiple kid people. Not quite as many as you but I raised 5 of my own children. Most of the time as a single Mom at that. At any rate it is refreshing to see some one jump in with both feet. That is kind of what I did and I never looked back. I wasn't trying to do a breeding project; just trying to decide which kind of chickens I wanted to focus on raising. Instead of raising one or two breeds I ended up wanting them all and adding more and more. Having the kids to help will be a Godsend. I keep hoping for the time that my granddaughters will come visit for a week or so at a time and help me care for the birds.

 

[rittert3]

Got me curious, what are they going to do with dead quail chicks? Feed them to snakes?

Yep. It'll give me a little something vs. pure loss for the chicks that don't make it plus I will sell them cheaper than they can produce mice. So in turn owners can purchace them cheaper than mice, if their snake/s will consume thawed prey. Btw don't feed pinky mice or anything similar to your beardy because thats the one thing that will make them bite plus there's a chance of him choking.

 

[shotah]

Karen S! I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with

I'll be mixing batches too, from 3 different sources, and adding them to my existing flock when they get big enough to look out for themselves. One piece of advice (since I used to breed parakeets for color)--remember that those Red Stars don't breed true. You'll really have to select for egg ability in the hens and go from there, but you won't get color-sexable chicks. At any rate, welcome to BYC and please join the Kansas site on FB. Happy Chickening!

 

[Ivywoods]

KarenS-

and welcome to the Consolidated Kansas thread! Wow! You are getting into chickens in a big way. I raised chickens when I was a kid and had them in 4-H for a short time. I guess that is part of what got me back into it as an adult. My kids really enjoyed their chickens, too. They each had their own variety and did very well at the local fair.

Trish- It looks like I'm going to have quite a few wheaten chicks, and frankly, they are my favorite. My wheaten roo is such a character. Such a talker. He is the friendliest of the ameraucanas, too. I would recommend them. My silvers haven't started laying yet, but hopefully soon! I believe they lay the bluest egg of the varieties I have. Checoucan has some of my silvers, too, and will probably be hatching some of them. You already have lavender and black for split chicks, but perhaps you would want a black hen or two. You really wouldn't need a lavender rooster (although I DO have several!) You don't want to put your black split chicks back with your black. Pure black hens would be better if you want to raise some blacks. Just my 2 cents worth!

I have one egg in the hatcher that is pipped. It is a Wheaten ameraucana. Hopefully it will be hatched in the morning.

DH was sleeping on the couch, trying to wait up for me when I got home. Someone sent me a video by email, so I opened it. In the video the woman starte screaming. Poor DH. He came straight up off the couch and ran to the back of the house. He thought it was me screaming. I had no idea that was going to happen when I opened the video. Good thing he got a stent put in last week, otherwise I think I would have given him a heart attack with that little episode.

 

[Hawkeye95]

OMGosh!!! I want, I want!!! But I can't , I can't!! But I want!! LOL!!! They are soooooo adorable!!! Are you going to be selling them, I take it? What amazing color-- does that roo on the right have Blue (grey) in him? Am I seeing a little blue hen, too? The rooster on the left is amazing!

Okay, really, I can't have more, but wow, these guys are soooo pretty! I think I'm in love with OE's too! hehe!! These would also be great 4-H projects... I bet you could sell them to a 4-H'r in a heart beat! That reminds me, I need to call our 4-H leader and get our birds tested for our first show. I keep forgetting!!!

Well I took some photo's awhile ago, these are my rosecomb-bbred oe project that I thought I wanted to do. Well changed my mind and not going to continue. Hubby says I don't have enough space for them, sooo, guess they will hit the road. Takes several generations to get them right, ya know color comb, body type. Anyway thought you would like to see them. I use bbred-with blue/red to keep the color correctin the blue/red, so I also have some blue/red F1's in the mix too.