First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[LindaB220]

I just may be able to convince my husband to get a cow if it is a Dexter! Off to work I go...

On your egg front:
Our hens were hatched end of March, technically should not have molted (they say around a year and a half will be molting age), but did starting in November. We are currently not getting any eggs.
I wonder if they are indeed starting to molt. I have one who is just now starting.
The tell tale sign will be feathers in the coop. You may not think much of a couple here and there, but check them to see if they match the girls who are missing feathers. I would think if it was the guineas, there would be a bit of blood as well. A forced pluck will likely bleed a bit.
I would also check poop, listen for sneezing, etc. just to be sure it isn't anything else.
Even with the light, I think some gals just slow down in the winter because they use more food energy for heat instead of egg production. And if they are indeed going through a molt, they will not lay. They can't do both. Also, it seems once one starts molting, everyone will. Kind of like cycle syncing.
That is what my research has yielded for me on the , "where the h-e-double hockey sticks are my eggs?!" search. Hopefully none of you find that spelling offensive and report me.

Talking to the choir on this. Mine were born late March and I'm finally getting 1 tiny blue egg out of 7 girls. They don't do a giant molt until about 18 mon old but they do have several small molts during the first 6 or so month. Mine have done three since March. The set idea of breeding for the the first egg layers and such have pretty much gone out the window with the climate change kicking in the past two winters. I read that the best way to do it is to breed your keepers in Sept and keep them growing during the winter. If Feb or March they will begin laying and will continue through the next winter. That way you aren't feeding all the adult hens through the winter with a shut down in eggs. I'm getting my one day old pullets in the first week of February and they will start in 4-5 mo. This weather is a real game changer in breeding. The scientists are saying this could continue for decades. We just have to learn a different way.

 

[LindaB220]

Of course there's the advice to turn your eggs while in storage to prevent the yolk from settling out of the middle of the egg. Good advice, but can be labor intensive compared to just letting them sit until they go into the bator. there was also a study done recently where hatching eggs were stored upside down, without turning, and the hatch rate was comparable to the traditionally handled eggs. Interesting stuff. Then, there was a study about doing a vitamin C dip which improved hatch rate and vigor. Gotta love it. I may try the vitamin C experiment with some of my eggs.

Couldn't put my hands on the ascorbic acid when I was ready to set my eggs. So I missed the chance. I still had 4 hatch out of 11 shipped eggs. Not great but it is a learning curve. My incubator is not much and will need to improve. I have a handyman that incubates hundreds of quail and I'm tempted to see if he will do my first few batches of my White Plymouth Rocks. I could offer $1 per hatched bird. They are too important to make do a cheapie. The cheapie was still $133 and all I could afford. I have not had stellar results and if may behoove me to bite the bullet and get a better one.

I'm at a turning point in my endeavor. Wanting to raise a bunch of eggs and raise a lot of veggies and do a mini co-op in my neighborhood. A lot of money people have moved to the boondocks in the last year or two. Five minutes from my house. I had planned on getting 40 ISA brown pullets because, hey, they are the best. Brown eggs. Up to 325 eggs a year and low food consumption. BUT, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, what if they don't want brown eggs. What if I should be getting EE's for pink, green, blue etc. My mind says" Stay on target, stay on target." From my fav scifi movie. hah. And I keep thinking that I should do a Cackle surprise of 50 chicks. $65 or so shipped. Maybe even a duck or something thrown in. The surprise is comprised of what is left of the day's hatching. They pull out the ordered chicks, then they do the assortments people order, then they do the fry pan order for males. The rest, no matter, what they are, is shipped. Usually pullet heavy. One person, on the Cackle Surprise thread got 47 with 5 roosters. Absolutely no choice, cochins, top hats, a lot of rare birds. One lady told them she was interested in EE's and got 15 of them.
Any suggestions on this?. Should I continue with the brown egg layers ISA Brown's or somethin', somethin' else.

I'm placing my order the first week of Feb. I have a big space for a lot of raised beds or whatever. I have a lot of plastic dog crates that can be turned upside down and add a couple of inches of water to both top and bottom. The add a ton of grow bags to wick up the water. I know I'm going to grow a lot of tomatoes, peppers, both sweet and hot, squash, zucchini, herbs etc. And beans and peas. I'm planning on doing a lot of trellis' for peas/beans. God help me, if the customers don't show an interest, I'll be canniing myself to death. I plan on offering a flat of veggies and a dozen eggs delivered to their door for $20. Totally raised with organic feeds and not fertilizers. Maybe a loaf of my Artisan bread for a few bucks.

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't know, Linda. I think from an economy perspective, the ISA browns are a good buy. I also think that a lot of customers fancy themselves to be "living on the fringes" and therefore better than the average joe, if they can show their friends that they have an egg in their refrigerator that can't be bought at the grocery store (green or blue egg). So, If I were selling eggs, I'd go for the mixed egg basket. And while that Cackle surprise sounds like a steal at 50 chicks for $65... if you get a lot of fru-fru chicks that don't have good laying percentages, you'll buy a lot of feed and not have a lot of eggs to show for it. So, if I were you, I'd stick with the known. Order the good layers, maybe even throw in some leghorns, and add some EE for the blues and greens.

 

[mountain mom]

Linda- I'm sorry you are having daughter/son-in-law issues. Lord knows, I would never be able to live with my mom. Nor could my husband.
BUT, I know she couldn't live with us either

You are a very generous person for sharing your space! Would they consider a "chicken bucket"? We have a sealable container that we toss things in when cleaning out the fridge, daily scraps, whatever. I take it out once a day.

As far as the eggs, I think people will like both. Of course, brown eggs will sell well. Sometimes people are creeped out by colored eggs... but they may become a huge hit because you are selling them, and of course, they taste amazing. It is tricky to know exactly what people will want. I say, go with maybe 1/2 the amount of the ISA brown layers, and 1/2 EE. I am a middle of the road type of person... usually. When I am starting to decide things anyhow...

If you are not able to make a huge go of the co-op, at least you will have food for the winter! And next year you will have a better idea of the demands of the people in the neighborhood and only add as needed.

Jessica and Morrigan- There is no way I could do rabbits.
Morrigan, how was your rabbit dinner? I agree with the responsibly raised meats and veggies. That was the whole reason for our move, (part) of the reason for getting chickens, the huge garden, a goat, etc. I would love to depend less on society for the things I need for my home and family. I would love to raise all I need (I would need a bigger ranch...). But we currently have a local dairy that is antibiotic and hormone free. We have a local ranch that sells their grass fed, hormone free beef to the local grocer. Soooo...
Wants and needs are different, right? I want to do it all myself, but with the location we chose to move, I don't need to do it all myself yet.

On the topic of the lights in the coop. I decided to not spend all afternoon stapling Christmas lights to the ceiling of my coop. I have, instead, put an incandescent bulb in place of the black one. Ralph is right. They can handle the cold. The gals are all cold hardy breeds. I was just worried while they were molting, then it just carried over to nights colder than 15... seemed like a reasonable number. Anyhow, no more "heat" for the gals. Not that it was that much. Now, they will get sunlight starting at 4:30! Hopefully I start getting eggs soon.

 

[duluthralphie]

Linda- I'm sorry you are having daughter/son-in-law issues. Lord knows, I would never be able to live with my mom. Nor could my husband.
BUT, I know she couldn't live with us either

You are a very generous person for sharing your space! Would they consider a "chicken bucket"? We have a sealable container that we toss things in when cleaning out the fridge, daily scraps, whatever. I take it out once a day.

As far as the eggs, I think people will like both. Of course, brown eggs will sell well. Sometimes people are creeped out by colored eggs... but they may become a huge hit because you are selling them, and of course, they taste amazing. It is tricky to know exactly what people will want. I say, go with maybe 1/2 the amount of the ISA brown layers, and 1/2 EE. I am a middle of the road type of person... usually. When I am starting to decide things anyhow...

If you are not able to make a huge go of the co-op, at least you will have food for the winter! And next year you will have a better idea of the demands of the people in the neighborhood and only add as needed.

Jessica and Morrigan- There is no way I could do rabbits.
Morrigan, how was your rabbit dinner? I agree with the responsibly raised meats and veggies. That was the whole reason for our move, (part) of the reason for getting chickens, the huge garden, a goat, etc. I would love to depend less on society for the things I need for my home and family. I would love to raise all I need (I would need a bigger ranch...). But we currently have a local dairy that is antibiotic and hormone free. We have a local ranch that sells their grass fed, hormone free beef to the local grocer. Soooo...
Wants and needs are different, right? I want to do it all myself, but with the location we chose to move, I don't need to do it all myself yet.

On the topic of the lights in the coop. I decided to not spend all afternoon stapling Christmas lights to the ceiling of my coop. I have, instead, put an incandescent bulb in place of the black one. Ralph is right. They can handle the cold. The gals are all cold hardy breeds. I was just worried while they were molting, then it just carried over to nights colder than 15... seemed like a reasonable number. Anyhow, no more "heat" for the gals. Not that it was that much. Now, they will get sunlight starting at 4:30! Hopefully I start getting eggs soon.

My girls want to move to your place so badly, They want a place that does not see 20 below for a week straight or more. We have actually had a warm winter, but it has been humid, I am going to have some ugly wattles, combs and snoods this spring. I have one turkey that has black marks all over it's face, I thought it was frostbite but after looking closer today I think it is wounds from establishing the pecking order..

ON a higher side one of my egg customers called about buying a tom. It appears they will make it a guest of honor at an upcoming family event. Lucky Guy!

Linda, I would go with the EE, They are smaller and eat less feed and still lay a fair number of eggs, However, they are smaller my EE lay around 1.60.1.80 ounce eggs.. Yes, I am that anal I weigh each egg....What do you expect out of a guy that wears latex gloves to put clean dishes in the cabinet, and is teased mercilessly by his wife for it. When I went to clean the kitchen this morning I reached into my gloves cup, a huge cup my Grand Daughter made me that I keep rubber gloves in, I had only one! I tried to do dishes without it, but could not, so I drove 15 miles one way to buy 3 more boxes of latex gloves, Can you say OCD?


Anyways back to the eggs, The colored eggs while being looked at strangely at first fast become favorites with the customers. I now let them pick their own eggs from my egg case and most take the blue ones first. The cheapskates, like me go for the big round dark brown ones that weigh in at 2.45 ounces.

With luck tomorrow will be the day I transfer the guineas to Guinea Gulag!

 

[LindaB220]

My girls want to move to your place so badly, They want a place that does not see 20 below for a week straight or more. We have actually had a warm winter, but it has been humid, I am going to have some ugly wattles, combs and snoods this spring. I have one turkey that has black marks all over it's face, I thought it was frostbite but after looking closer today I think it is wounds from establishing the pecking order..

ON a higher side one of my egg customers called about buying a tom. It appears they will make it a guest of honor at an upcoming family event. Lucky Guy!

Linda, I would go with the EE, They are smaller and eat less feed and still lay a fair number of eggs, However, they are smaller my EE lay around 1.60.1.80 ounce eggs.. Yes, I am that anal I weigh each egg....What do you expect out of a guy that wears latex gloves to put clean dishes in the cabinet, and is teased mercilessly by his wife for it. When I went to clean the kitchen this morning I reached into my gloves cup, a huge cup my Grand Daughter made me that I keep rubber gloves in, I had only one! I tried to do dishes without it, but could not, so I drove 15 miles one way to buy 3 more boxes of latex gloves, Can you say OCD?


Anyways back to the eggs, The colored eggs while being looked at strangely at first fast become favorites with the customers. I now let them pick their own eggs from my egg case and most take the blue ones first. The cheapskates, like me go for the big round dark brown ones that weigh in at 2.45 ounces.

With luck tomorrow will be the day I transfer the guineas to Guinea Gulag!

Good idea, I think I'll go with half of the ISA browns and half EE. I do have 2 Super Blue egg layers. One of which just started laying last week. Super is Crested Cream Legbar over White Leghorn. So light it's almost white. All of my girls are very docile and I understand that EE will fit right in. The ISA's are supposed to be very docile also. Not getting a dominant hen type at all. I'm going to put 2' tall roosts to keep dominant games down. It's a 12' x 12' so that's going to be around 3.5' per bird with a good size run.

Yes, Ralphie, my box of gloves has been empty for a week. Antsy!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

BABIES!!!!


I got this text from the guy I sold 3 dozen eggs to last month. He says only 30 hatched, but every EE hatched.

I am sharing the pictures, just cause pictures of babies warm the heart, even an old codger like me:










This one has Rick's eyes!

 

[LindaB220]

BABIES!!!!


I got this text from the guy I sold 3 dozen eggs to last month. He says only 30 hatched, but every EE hatched.

I am sharing the pictures, just cause pictures of babies warm the heart, even an old codger like me:










This one has Rick's eyes!

Oh, Ralphie, so cute. Definitely made my decision to go halfsies on the EE on my chick buying.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Linda: I'm sorry too that you are having family issues. We are a blended family and I came into it with two pre-teens. Man did we have some doozies! I thought we'd never make it. My dh and I were fine but the teens were out to get him any chance they could get. Now, my son has moved on to work in Alaska and my daughter is turning 18 in 2 weeks! My hubby even bought her a car for her birthday, which she doesn't know yet. I NEVER thought that would happen after all of the ahem..entertainment...like the WWF kind. But anyway, I know this is different than what you are dealing with but no one has a perfect family and we really just have to take it a day at a time.

I would definitely go with brown egg layers as well as EEs too. I LOVE my EEs. I have read that people are squeamish about colored eggs but I think it is just because they have never seen them before except for Easter. They don't taste different and they add a beautiful touch to the egg carton. I just smile when I open the carton and see a beautiful blue-green egg or two. I think once people get used to them, they will feel the same like Ralph says.

Mountain Mom: No rabbits for me! I have never eaten rabbit and I don't really care to. I have guinea pigs, adore them and couldn't eat them either. There is something about those adorable fuzzy faces that just makes me lose interest in having them for dinner.

Ralph: Those babies are adorable! Of course, all baby chicks are. Isn't that really how we all got sucked into this in the first place? Chickens are like a drug or something.

 

[lazy gardener]

Please... stop... the... cuteness... pics, as well as the talk about how adorable EE chicks are. I've promised myself that I wouldn't buy any chicks this spring... just hatch from my own flock. I have 2 EE gals, and an EE roo, but the old gals are not producing... well, one is... but she has a persecution complex, and lives on the perch, so her eggs fall to the floor and break, or are frozen by the time I find them. I'm thinking about putting her in a dog crate at night so I can get some of her eggs for hatching.