First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JRNash]

My wife sent me this picture. Said it was a blue egg,can't tell from pict. But it's huge.lol

 

[macgro7]

My wife sent me this picture. Said it was a blue egg,can't tell from pict. But it's huge.lol

I went to the city centre market yesterday. On guy was selling what he described as "jumbo duck eggs". They were as big as goose eggs!! Maybe double yolkers

 

[lpatelski]

Hello!
How's everyone?
Hope better than us!!!





Mr Fox doesn't care if they are my prized extremely rare red dorking, my breeders for next year which I had carefully selected and got rid of all the inferior birds. Mr Fox just kills them ALL!!!
I found ALL my chickens dead this morning. All of them except for seramas bantams which were housed separately. I'm surprised geese which were together with meat chickens were untouched.
So at least I know I'm keeping the geese for breeding.
What chickens shall I breed now for next year's meat???????

I am terribly sorry to here of your beautiful bird's demise,so disheartening

Do you have anyone you sold stock to? It looks like you need a good stock dog or a trap. The problem with traps is they are static, and there will always be another fox. At least with stock dogs, they are on the hunt, and much like traps, foxes stay clear of them. Again, my heart goes out to you.

 

[duluthralphie]

I made a nest box for the toads. It was a double box 14 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 16 inches high.

When I put it in the coop all the rooster checked it out. The hen and pullets could not get to the boxes. When they finally did 2 of them crawled right in the box. I made an error though, the box was not big enough for them to turn around in. I guess I need to remake them 16 inches wide.

I put it 5 inches off the ground so they can climb into it. I could have raised it higher. When the two were in the box a third one jumped on top of the boxes! They are real athletes.

I got pictures of the toads sitting on the roost too, (it is only about 18 inches off the ground) I do not want leg damage jumping off it.

I will try to download pictures tomorrow. I drove over 600 miles today and am beat...BUT I got 2 new incubators!

 

[Molpet]

The lizard stage make a nice bird, however, I did not find bringing in one more cross of CX to hurt them.

My toads are actually doing pretty good. I have high hopes for them. I have only lost one of them, a hen that had what I assume is heart problems a few weeks back. The difference between the lizards and toads in body mass is amazing or was in the ones I have.

I have cockerels I should consider processing that I am willing to bet will be 15-20 pounds dressed. They are all healthy and running around. When I open their pen they will wander 2-300 feet checking things out. The boys will even chase (run after) a regular chicken girl. I have yet to see them catch the girl though. You know how fast those skinny girls run..

well my 4 lizards are almost 6 weeks and it seems to be only 1 pullet

.. hope one of the 3 cockerels can catch skinny girls this spring...guess I will need to make some breeding coops when the snow melts so the lizard has a chance LOL

 

[Dave C]

Well the UK has been on lock down since last Tuesday because of a Bird Flu outbreak in Germany and France.
So they have to be penned for 30 days.
The birds are not happy at all and there runs are a mud bath already

I'm getting a bit worried about my hybrid meat cockerels which were nice and fit chasing hens around the field but now there confined , may put to much weight on

 

[Molpet]

Well the UK has been on lock down since last Tuesday because of a Bird Flu outbreak in Germany and France.
So they have to be penned for 30 days.
The birds are not happy at all and there runs are a mud bath already

I'm getting a bit worried about my hybrid meat cockerels which were nice and fit chasing hens around the field but now there confined , may put to much weight on

so sorry the gov is reacting this way... prayers the cockerels stay fit
My cx hens are not going far because of the snow, so I have similar concerns on weight gain

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Same problem here. The snow has the cx and my blind hen stuck in a 6×6 coop with a nice run, but they avoid the run right now. Apparently cx can't swim and my duck keeps eating the hay I put down to give them dry ground. So needless to say my cx are at risk for the next week or 2.

 

[JRNash]

My chicken population finally hit critical mass. Feather picking became so severe that they were killing one another. Being out of town working the only solution I could come up with was to tell the DW to open the gate and let them run loose. She said it was "The Great Escape " lol chickens EVERYWHERE. I'm hoping it solves the problem until I can get home and build ANOTHER enclosure

 

[Molpet]

My chicken population finally hit critical mass. Feather picking became so severe that they were killing one another. Being out of town working the only solution I could come up with was to tell the DW to open the gate and let them run loose. She said it was "The Great Escape " lol chickens EVERYWHERE. I'm hoping it solves the problem until I can get home and build ANOTHER enclosure

LOL I know what my bunch look like when I let them out in the old pasture

and I only have 31 birds

what about predators?