First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[lazy gardener]

I think you're painting with a pretty broad brush to say that all hybrids are prone to health issues. Technically, any first generation barnyard mix is a hybrid. IMO, those hybrids have the advantage of "hybrid vigor" and may be better layers, have better health, and live longer than either of their parents which are of a specific breed. The term "hybrid vigor" comes from the deliberate or not so deliberate mixing of breeds or in the case of plants, varieties. Often producing a mutt with superior health and productivitiy. Yes, the super layers and super meat birds are prone to problems. I agree with that.

 

[mountain mom]

The war on squirrels has taken an ugly turn.

My wife is evil, very devious and very evil. I think she is a witch, not in behavior, but in the style of Salem, Ma. witches. She causes many problems and escalates conflict. She did so today. She knows I hate the squirrels. She has secretly laughed at me, and I think actually rooted for the squirrels to win.

Of course, like a genuine Mata Hara, she never lets on to her true feelings.

We can be having coffee, watching the morning news and if a squirrel gets on the bird feeder, she will say " that darn ( she says Darn because she read the BYC rules on profanity) squirrel is scaring away all my little birds"

Not that she spends 3 seconds feeding them, cleaning the feeders and picking up after them. NO, that all falls on my shoulders.

She also knows the squirrels will run for cover as soon as the door to the house opens. The oak trees here are so old and hollow they can find protection and wait me out anywhere and at anytime.

This morning I was enjoying my second cup of coffee, I had been out and let the girls out of their coop, picked up the first round of eggs. I gave BOSS to the layers and turkeys. I gave the CX's some wild bird seed spread on the ground in front of their coop. I swore at the guineas and went in for another cup of coffee.

BTW I already had potatoes browned and in the oven roasting, bacon on the grill and eggs ready to be scrambled for her breakfast. The kitchen was as spotless as I always keep it. I had fed the dogs. Then as I sipped my second cup of coffee, she crawls out of bed looking like something Godzilla barfed up the night before, she shuffles by me on the way to the bathroom.

She stops at the kitchen window and looks out it and says, " Are you going to just let those squirrels eat all the expensive bird seed?".

Of course I replied " What Squirrel"

Her comeback stung me with " not squirrel, squirrels"

"Where"

"Eating your stupid chickens food in front of their coop"

So I got up letting my coffee get cold and went to investigate. Sure enough there were 2 squirrels eating the CX's treats. I swore at them, in a manner not in compliance with the BYC rules of conduct. She laughed and said " Are you going to just let them do that?"


Here we go, a challenge to my manhood! This had to be righted. I tried to do it in a sly manner, by simply responding, " I have my .17 right here, loaded and ready to go."

Her, " well, it does no good just sitting there".

I am not dumb, I knew she wanted me to try and shoot the darn squirrel so she could laugh at ma and tease me all day for letting it go. Coming after the trapping debacle I knew this to be true.,

I tried to get out of it by saying " as soon as I open the door they will run" Thinking that put the matter to bed, but no.

She replies snarkedly (spell check hates that word) " Your just making excuses for when you miss it".

I think this is when she cast the spell, I am not sure. I picked up the gun, I was going to show her.

I snuck the door open and the squirrels true to form took off. I knew I was in for a day of misery. I stepped out on the deck, and one squirrel stopped climbing the tree to laugh at me. I am sure it was the male of the pair, The only reason he stopped was because the female said in Squirrelese to the poor male "Are you going to let him scare you off good bird seed?"


I took careful aim and shot. To everyone's surprise the squirrel flinched, held on to the branch a few seconds and fell to the ground dead. I left it there for chicken protein.


I stepped back in the house, feeling guilty for killing the poor squirrel, but happy I had complied with my brides wishes.

Only to have her say" How could you kill that cute little thing ?"

It is going to be a long day here for me.

Ralph. Seriously. I had to wipe the tears from my eyes to read through the whole saga.

I hope tomorrow lends to better squirrel war games.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralph. Seriously. I had to wipe the tears from my eyes to read through the whole saga.

I hope tomorrow lends to better squirrel war games.

I Think the war I need to worry about is not the squirrel war but the spousal war. Women are evil!

 

[mountain mom]

I Think the war I need to worry about is not the squirrel war but the spousal war. Women are evil!

MAAAYYYYBEEEE...
We just like to keep things fun. I love that your wife taunts you. I do the same.

Squirrels are really your first threat.. we just like to take advantage of an opportunity when it is presented.

You know you do the same thing. This is how we coexist.

Oh, so as I was cracking up reading your squirrel saga, my hubby asked, "what is so funny?"
So I read the Godzilla excerpt. We happen to have a bearded dragon named Godzilla....
He expanded on it and I found it less than funny. He said, "since you laughed, I thought you were condoning making fun of you in the morning..."

 

[dpenning]

MAAAYYYYBEEEE...
We just like to keep things fun. I love that your wife taunts you. I do the same.

Squirrels are really your first threat.. we just like to take advantage of an opportunity when it is presented.

You know you do the same thing. This is how we coexist.

Oh, so as I was cracking up reading your squirrel saga, my hubby asked, "what is so funny?"
So I read the Godzilla excerpt. We happen to have a bearded dragon named Godzilla....
He expanded on it and I found it less than funny. He said, "since you laughed, I thought you were condoning making fun of you in the morning..."

When I first met my husband we were on a motorcycle trip with the same group of people. By the 3rd day people at one of the places we were stopped thought we were a married couple because of the way we were harassing and teasing each other. It was pretty funny. Sometimes I get looks of sympathy in the grocery store when my DH says things that sound somewhat rude, but I get it.

 

[mountain mom]

When I first met my husband we were on a motorcycle trip with the same group of people. By the 3rd day people at one of the places we were stopped thought we were a married couple because of the way we were harassing and teasing each other. It was pretty funny. Sometimes I get looks of sympathy in the grocery store when my DH says things that sound somewhat rude, but I get it.

I get looks of sympathy all the time!

 

[duluthralphie]

I get looks of sympathy all the time!

My wife claims she does too, I tell her it is only because people do not know how truly horrible I have it.

 

[LindaB220]

Quote:
No disagreement there. I love the hybrid birds. And we pay extra for the special mix. They do provide more eggs and vigor than regular birds. But they will only last a couple of years. Totally different from barnyard mixtures. Their quality will go down after several years of mixing. The amount of eggs produced will lessen. That's the reason so many people wanted pure bred birds back 100 years ago. I have no problem with raising my own hybrids. A New Hampshire over a Delaware or Coronation Sussex will give me some fine hybrids. Just keep the pure birds to breed them from.

 

[LindaB220]

Quote:
I have a buddy on the La Peep thread that has started his own website selling EE eggs. He Just mentioned that he has bought a really good Dom cock and will be getting good eggs soon. I think I want some. The hatchery birds can't compare.

 

[lazy gardener]

This year's chicks will all be sired by a lovely EE boy. I'll be getting some walnut combed, green egg laying, black sex linked pullets from him over my Dom and SLW girls.