Eastern Tennessee Thread

[bairo]

Quote: I've been keeping an eye on someone with a very good reputation for breeding good genetics in West TN, I finally saw something that caught my eye. All of a sudden I woke up with a credit card in one hand the enter button under the other and somehow on the paypal site. HMMMMMM

 

[rockinrandall]

okay, that is pretty cool. Tell me about your solar system and where you got it. Very interested. And I love the way you did the windows.

Thanks! I did alot of research on the best solar charger that my wallet could afford. Thought about going cheap to see how it performed, but decided to go with quality first and not have to make another investment later. I don't have electricity to the coop, so it was between solar and battery operated. I knew the sun would come up every day and provide free energy, so it was easy to make the decision between the two...(besides, I hate buying batteries). Out of all the solar charges, Parmak had the best overall reviews. I went with a Parmak Deluxe Field Solar-Pak 6. Got it off Amazon. it has a two year warranty, puts out up to 1.5 joules, is low impedence, has a 25 mile range, and offers 9000 volts of shock. Plenty of juice to ward off any predetors I have in my area. It has a built-in meter so I know how much charge the batter has and most importantly, it's made in the USA. I'm running 17 guage aluminum wire twice around the fence, one high and one low to the ground. Thought of adding another wire around the very top, but thought that would be a little overkill.

 

[bairo]

Pic heavy..so im going to put them in small, just click on them for a bigger picture


FBCM Feather Legged, just cant see them

FBCM (looks mean here, not normally like that, lol)

Cuckoo Marans

Golden Campine

Wel-del, 2 others are Welsummer over EE's. We got another what I call "Snicker-Doodle" on the darker one. Almost always a boy with that color, but this one is smaller than everyone else and the same age. Really interested to see if it turns out to be a she.

Wel-Del

Wel-Del acting like a boy, but almost certain it is a little pullet.

Welsummer over Lavender Ameraucana

Welsummer?

Wel-Del

Welsummer over Lavs again

Same as above

Wel-Del

Over lavs

Over Lavs

Still figuring it out. Unless she gets "puffy" cheeked, it should be a pure wellie. On the other hand her gold is not coming in yet either. She has got us stumped. Earlobes looking kind of white is just feathering not coming in real well yet there. Campine was not laying at the time and I did not set any white eggs of course, unless she was immaculate conception.

Typical 3 days eggs

 

[tnchickenut]

Looks good... are you going to put something down on the floor? I don't have lamenent (or however you spell it) flooring, but I imagine you'd have a easier time cleaning it with some bedding. And on that note: take more pics It will never been that clean again!

But it is exactly what my mother is looking for. What size is it?

 

[tnchickenut]

That's awful. Industrial accident sounded bad enough, but it sounds like it doesn't even touch what you're going, through. I'm glad you're got a good support system. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

I'm so glad I'm not from Knoxville. lol. I'm sorry you were treated poorly there. Really, how can any town be snobbish that hosts the Tennessee Valley Fair?

Because they..... oh I won't type it here.

Thanks Daphne. Because I have "Lawyered up" I can't go into details publicly... but it was horrific and I was lifestared out to UT medical. I am alive though... don't want to take up the thread with me. But that is why I have been here so much lately. I went from working 7 days a week to working 0 days a week.

 

[tnchickenut]

Just for bario 100

@Rockin That looks awesome. Looks like you really had a good plan before you started.

@tnchickenut Yep designed this after the last picnic. the location was a little hard to find and someone said it might help to have signs.
ME, I am ashamed of mine compared to yours. Mine has be remodeled at least 3 times and is currently under construction again.

This time into a chick house for raising chicks through the winter.
Extra insulation for easy heating, 8 brooders with interchangeable parts that slide in and out for easy cleaning.
Should be able to run a batch of chicks every two weeks and have P.O.L. ready for sale in the spring time (when they sell for the best money)


A couple of years ago I had close to 300 adults to feed through the winter, that was EXPENSIVE.

With lack of sunshine most did not start laying till 8 or 9 months.
When all was said and done, we went into the hole BIG TIME.

My thinking on this, babies and juveniles are less expensive to feed through the winter.
The should be approaching laying age when the weather warms in the spring when daylight is more abundant.
Also POL's should bring a lot better money.

Monday I set 29 eggs, Dominique, Lavender Orpington and Rhode Island Reds.
All three breeds different colors for easy identification.

Would have had more but my girls are like everyone else's, NOT laying worth a darn.

I had 500 one year and 300 last year... it isn't just expensive, but TIME CONSUMING!!! I fully admit it was way too many, but in my defense a good half were bantams. Now I got it down to maybe 85-100 (I'm not counting anymore... it's scary) and much much better but as soon as spring comes I'll get back up to 150ish.

You make a good point for newbies... if you coops are in the shade (woods or woodline) they stay cooler in the summer but they also will be slower to lay again out of winter. My breeder coop is out in the wide open and I just put up shade for them in the summer.

 

[tnchickenut]

Ok, I have a couple of questions about showing. I have never done this before. I am considering it. What is the APA rule that determine hen,pullet,cockerel etc? I am sure that it is an age thing, but I have to make sure I fill out the form correctly. What are some things to do to prepare for a show? Also, do you bring your own cages or are those there? If you have to bring them where can you buy them at? Mine are all young, and I didn't know if they had to be a certain age to show. I am considering showing my Delaware roo, and my Lavender Orpington roo which are both about 8 months old. And, also maybe my Silver Grey Dorking roo and one of the pullets that are 5 months old. I might even consider a pair of my Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons that are about 3 months old, but I didn't know if they would be too young. I don't know I might not show anything, but just go to see how it all works. Any advice?? I am a newbie to this kind of thing. I don't really know anyone to ask. You all are my chicken family!

Ok. Lots of questions... hold tight... here is goes.

Yes, it's a age thing... under year is a pullet or cockerel... over is a hen or rooster. It does matter how old they are if you want to win... if not, then feel free to get your feet wet. If you want to take it seriously, usually people don't show anything under 5 months old or so. You want to make sure the roos have their sex feathers and such. This is because those features get judged and everything is worth points. So if the bird isn't developed enough, you are losing those points.

Show cages are provided. But you'll need a cage to bring them in. Some shows have a state vet there to do a blood test before to make sure they aren't sick. That is something you need to find out ahead of time and prepare for by leaving early enough to get your birds done. You check in and usually they already assigned you your cages and you find them and put your birds up. Sometimes you feed and water, sometimes they do it or 4H kids do it.

You will be judged on the look of the bird, of course, but also it's temperment and how you prepped the bird. Bathing and handling them is just as much part of it all as is getting a pretty bird to show. That is why some of the best show lines make the best pets because that is a trait passed down and they don't mind being handled like rag dolls.

Now, you mentioned your Del rooster... you might have noticed my Delaware Poultry Club link in my signature. I'll PM you more about him specifically... I'm one of the founders and VP, so I can help you with him more than the others.

 

[tnchickenut]

Well..against my better judgement, my alter ego ordered some eggs last night

It's a secret, so no i'm not telling till I hatch them out.

I do the same thing... if you yack on about it, they won't hatch... plus everyone will copy you and I like to have breeds not many others do.... they always seem to catch up and I'm searching all over again. This time I got everyone beat.... FOR NOW

 

[tnchickenut]

Hawkins county here as well

Hello! No idea where Hawkins County is, but hi! LOL

 

[tnchickenut]

Oh wait, I think some of the ones I mentioned to show can't be shown because of the color. Like the Orpingtons. Is that right?

Some breeds are not recognized and a "open show" will allow you to show those breeds but you can't win. Same goes for colors... some colors are not recgonized in the US but they are in Europe for example.... a Double Laced Partridge Barnevelder is ok here, but a Blue Barnevelder is not.... but it is ok in England. Get it?