Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[FortCluck]

I am quite shocked in how easy it is for me to get decent fertile eggs that are local. So far I have found ducks, chickens, and quail.

I had to get a laptop in order to manage what I am doing with breeding and selling because I cannot keep track of everything on paper. I am that person who tosses stuff and realizes later that I needed it.

 

[Kabootar]

I have 3 roosters with 7 hens. The reason why I have it this way is because I couldn't give up a good deal.

I am going to add more pullets so that we have at least 15 girls.

I would say that up to 6 with 1 roo is the best you can do to get optimal fertility.

What are you going to be breeding?

I personally think the optimum sex ratio of a flock should be 1 nice little roo per 7 hens, but like you said some roosters are difficult to part with and some you can't wait to get rid of.

One more thing, overbreeding also impacts fertility and general health of the hen. Overbreeding should be avoided.

 

[Kabootar]

If you hatch too many cockerels, which is usually the case, you can make capons from the extras. That way they remain peaceful and they don't go to waste.

 

[Kabootar]

They were Kune Kune... I think that is how you spell it. They're a very good type of pig.

I hear a lot of good stuff about this breed. They say it thrives on pasture.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I have 3 roosters with 7 hens. The reason why I have it this way is because I couldn't give up a good deal.

I am going to add more pullets so that we have at least 15 girls.

I would say that up to 6 with 1 roo is the best you can do to get optimal fertility.

What are you going to be breeding?

Looking to use my Australorp roo over-
Australorp hen - 1
Rocks - 4 or 5
Ameraucana/EE - 1

The Rock hens are to see what kind of cross they produce and if a resulting roo would grow into a meaty enough bird. The Aussie hen is for more Aussies to sell, and the Ameraucana is just for fun to see if I can get an olive egg. She lays bright blue extra large eggs so it's more of a Hmmm, can I.... type of experiment.

In June I have Red Rangers, JG, and Partridge Rocks coming so these intitial hatches are to get my feet wet for next spring with the goal of working on a good DP cross.

 

[Folly's place]

Should be fun!
Mary

 

[FortCluck]

Looking to use my Australorp roo over-
Australorp hen - 1
Rocks - 4 or 5
Ameraucana/EE - 1

The Rock hens are to see what kind of cross they produce and if a resulting roo would grow into a meaty enough bird. The Aussie hen is for more Aussies to sell, and the Ameraucana is just for fun to see if I can get an olive egg. She lays bright blue extra large eggs so it's more of a Hmmm, can I.... type of experiment.

In June I have Red Rangers, JG, and Partridge Rocks coming so these intitial hatches are to get my feet wet for next spring with the goal of working on a good DP cross.

JG in my opinion is not something I would use to make a DP. I tried it and I used several DP hens (Delaware, Barred Rock, RIR) The Cockerels took forever to get meaty. JG grow their frames the first year and then grow meat the second. Crossing them with another breed doesn't change that fact. I actually rehomed my JG that I absolutely loved, but he was destroying my girls backs, my Deathlayers do not do that. I would love to get JG females though, but I will never go down the roo path with JG again.

The grow out for JG cross is well past 20 weeks. I have 22 week old cockerels that still don't look meaty, but if I wait any longer they will be too old for the cooking method we use.

The best DP cross we have butchered was the Easter Egger cross. We got it from someone at a swap and it ended up being a cockerel. It was nice and meaty, it had very nice meaty breasts.

Orpington cross was my least favorite. Way too much feathers and was just a pain to butcher overall.

Right now I am working on Deathlayer cross DP. So far I think Squatch (JG) is still in my flock and it is driving me crazy. I am going to set some more eggs this weekend to see if he is out of the mix. He has been gone for about 4ish weeks so let's hope his DNA is gone because I am over all these black chicks.

And if you're plucking... You want WHITE to be the most dominant feather color or something that isn't black. Black feathered birds do not pluck well. It makes a very sad looking carcass because you can never fully make them look extremely clean. My black feathered birds are always skinned.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I like those Wobbler things but I also really like those puzzle bowls they make.

They have different designs so they don’t figure it out too fast or get bored haha think I have a few different ones.

They’re different than just slow bowls (though those are great too) because they’re more of a puzzle and they have to think/use their brains to solve it and “chase” their “prey” (kibble) spring the bowl haha

I also like using regular Kongs sometimes especially to put in a crate or something. They’re great stuffed and frozen too haha last forever!! I’ve done peanut butter and kibble in there as well as treats mixed in and all sorts of stuff. Some people do yogurt too.

I also really like training with meals too. Not all the time but I’ve done that a few times, especially with the really smart and/or high drive ones. Some meals with no bowl, just working/training for their food. Uses their brains too and of course they eat much slower haha but I wouldn’t do that all the time. Some people do and never use bowls, only training or the wobbler or snuffle mats, or something, but it seems kind of mean to me to do that every single meal. Idk haha

 

[FortCluck]

I like those Wobbler things but I also really like those puzzle bowls they make.

They have different designs so they don’t figure it out too fast or get bored haha think I have a few different ones.

They’re different than just slow bowls (though those are great too) because they’re more of a puzzle and they have to think/use their brains to solve it and “chase” their “prey” (kibble) spring the bowl haha

I also like using regular Kongs sometimes especially to put in a crate or something. They’re great stuffed and frozen too haha last forever!! I’ve done peanut butter and kibble in there as well as treats mixed in and all sorts of stuff. Some people do yogurt too.

I also really like training with meals too. Not all the time but I’ve done that a few times, especially with the really smart and/or high drive ones. Some meals with no bowl, just working/training for their food. Uses their brains too and of course they eat much slower haha but I wouldn’t do that all the time. Some people do and never use bowls, only training or the wobbler or snuffle mats, or something, but it seems kind of mean to me to do that every single meal. Idk haha

I wanted to get one of those slow feed puzzle bowls for my beagle, but I think it would frustrate her too much. She eats so fast, sometimes I will give her commands and she listens about slowing down on her eating. She is incredibly smart and it is sad that her previous owners did not see how smart she truly is.

Jolene is the slowest eater ever. To eat one cup of food takes her about 30 minutes.

 

[Kabootar]

JG in my opinion is not something I would use to make a DP. I tried it and I used several DP hens (Delaware, Barred Rock, RIR) The Cockerels took forever to get meaty. JG grow their frames the first year and then grow meat the second. Crossing them with another breed doesn't change that fact. I actually rehomed my JG that I absolutely loved, but he was destroying my girls backs, my Deathlayers do not do that. I would love to get JG females though, but I will never go down the roo path with JG again.

The grow out for JG cross is well past 20 weeks. I have 22 week old cockerels that still don't look meaty, but if I wait any longer they will be too old for the cooking method we use.

The best DP cross we have butchered was the Easter Egger cross. We got it from someone at a swap and it ended up being a cockerel. It was nice and meaty, it had very nice meaty breasts.

Orpington cross was my least favorite. Way too much feathers and was just a pain to butcher overall.

Right now I am working on Deathlayer cross DP. So far I think Squatch (JG) is still in my flock and it is driving me crazy. I am going to set some more eggs this weekend to see if he is out of the mix. He has been gone for about 4ish weeks so let's hope his DNA is gone because I am over all these black chicks.

And if you're plucking... You want WHITE to be the most dominant feather color or something that isn't black. Black feathered birds do not pluck well. It makes a very sad looking carcass because you can never fully make them look extremely clean. My black feathered birds are always skinned.

I hear jersey giants make good candidate for caponizing, they can get in the neighborhood of 20 pounds. I have never had them though. So far Brahma cockerels are making the best capons.