FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[calmwinds]

Are they having geese and ducks in the show and when are they showing? I would love to go and see the birds

 

[nova022]

Got my first egg yesterday morning! I was so excited I took pics and e-mailed everyone I had been sharing my chicken tales with.

Came from my New Hampshire Red who had just hopped off of it when we found it in the nesting box. She stayed aloof from the other two "juvenile " hens the rest of the day. She is a woman now! I include a pic compared to large store bought eggs and a pic of the yolk compared to storebought eggs for anyone new to back yard free range eggs such as myself. I also included a pic of the finished product.

Eggsellent! It looks yummy too!

 

[kwol]

Thanks for the directory! I checked it out and contacted the two folks with d'uccles but neither have them anymore. One said she just sold hers a few weeks ago. I'll have to just keep watching until my post count is high enough that I can post an ad of my own.

Congratulations on your first egg! So easy to see which egg came from the happy chicken at your house just by the yolk color, right?

Yep. I was surprised at the thickness of the shell and the thicker consistency of the white. She laid another yesterday, but none yet today. She laid it later in the morning yesterday. She was already out in the yard with the others when she broke away and hustled back to the coop and hopped in a nesting box. The other two followed and were real interested in what she was doing in there. The Barred Rock was up on a roost sticking her head in the box to watch!

I think Waldo is not far from you. I beleive there are poultry vendors at the Waldo Flea market now. Maybe they would be able to help direct you to a breeder?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Tarac, we have customers down here who have some d'uccles that I know they had for sale. PM me and I will have her call you

 

[Skipspin]

Re: Strawberry festival. It's only a chicken show- no other poultry. My daughter was going to show, but since she couldn't bring her ducks she decided to pass. We are kind of fair-ed out anyway from being at the State fair the whole time between Dairy Goats and the Youth Poultry Show, then Pasco the week after with the goats.

I think we are done with poultry till the Hillsborough county youth show in October.

Can someone explain to me how to know if it's worth showing our NNs? We have a small-ish NN rooster that is just lovely. Our hen got eaten a few weeks ago (we haven't lost a bird in a year till this), but we rescued some of her eggs from the omlet basket and just hatched out two more under our broody. My daughter has shown her ducks, BO, and will probably take her Aruacana. She's thinking about taking tthe BR/Araucana rooster just for kicks because he's so very lovely. He looks like a cheeky BR. She could use him for showmanship instead of her ducks if needed too. Her drake is usually her showmanship bird, but, um, at the SF it was raining and he'd been locked in a cage for 4 days and really, really, wanted to go play in the puddles. Not the best combination, but she got him settled down eventually.

I still want some Marans, but I have to wait till my hubby builds a new chicken coop for one of our flocks so we can swap things around and have more room- and use our chicken tractor for young birds/ducks instead of the adults that free range anyway.

 

[calmwinds]

Are there shows that have a lot of ducks and geese in central fl ? The chickens are fascinating but I'm into waterfowl

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

the sunshine classic is worth going to for waterfowl here in FL

 

[Tarac]

Quote:
You know, that is actually where I first saw them- mille fleur d'uccles. Love at first sight, very attractive little birds. Unfortunately the guy vending them was not chicken savvy and neither was I so I left not even knowing what they were called. Couldn't house them at the time anyway and it was a pair for sale which I can't do in my area- no roos allowed Eventually figured out what they were (via this forum) and now I have space and accomodations ready, just can't seem to find the birds again. Perhaps when it warms up a little there will be more activity at the flea market again- still a few more overnight freezes scheduled this weekend even. I'm going to try to get down to the Micanopy swap this weekend as well. Thanks everyone again for the information and contacts. Some day I will find them I am sure with all the great help around here, I can wait until then. A question- anyone else plant their coops, for a more "natural" looking habitat? My previous set up was planted- had some azaleas, camellias, a couple species of gingers and nandina before I tore it out (horribly invasive IME) that the hens left alone. Any other suggestions? Or is that weird to try to keep a naturalistic chicken enclosure? Thought I would continue to dress up the coop and run while I search for birds.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

...A question- anyone else plant their coops, for a more "natural" looking habitat? My previous set up was planted- had some azaleas, camellias, a couple species of gingers and nandina before I tore it out (horribly invasive IME) that the hens left alone. Any other suggestions? Or is that weird to try to keep a naturalistic chicken enclosure? Thought I would continue to dress up the coop and run while I search for birds.

Totally not weird at all!!! I dont have any suggestions though, our plants are on the outside of the coop

 

[welasharon]

I plant vines around mine.