Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[hillfloweranch]

Amazing OZ!! Sounds wonderful

 

[Tomtommom]

Yeah its been cold. Couple nights were -20 F or worse I stay up nights to tend the woodstove since its our primary heat source. And the house is big and almost 100 years old. This morning was -10 w/o wind. Funny a few days ago its was like 45F. Grew up with worse weather but that was 30 years ago and I didn't age well I guess.

I grew up in Europe.. My mother kept the house at about 60-65F and it was not a problem. We biked to school in all weather: snow, freezing rain, wind... whatever. There were no 'snow days'. Now, I am as close to the heater as I can be.. avoid outdoors if possible. I've become a spoiled brat ;-) Time will do it to us, if we don't have to deal with extreme cold for a while, we lose the ability to deal with it.

Apparently our governor has declared state of emergency, because we're running out of propane. The chicken farmers need propane to keep their chickens warm. And I'm just thinking 'This is why you don't heat your chicken coop! They can handle the cold, if you don't spoil them!' My birds don't have heat and they're all alive and kicking. Ofcourse commercial poultry houses don't build their coops like we do... end up with too much humidity a.k.a. frost bite. Open coops are your friend.

*sigh* Guess I'm an Alabama chicken: I need to be heated.

 

[Bulldogma]

The chicken farmers need propane to keep their chickens warm. And I'm just thinking 'This is why you don't heat your chicken coop! They can handle the cold, if you don't spoil them!' My birds don't have heat and they're all alive and kicking. Ofcourse commercial poultry houses don't build their coops like we do... end up with too much humidity a.k.a. frost bite. Open coops are your friend.

One thing to remember is that meat chickens are usually processed at around 8-12 weeks of age. Most of the chicks in the farms are basically still in the "brooder" stage. They aren't fully feathered and can't handle the cold... The difference is that instead of keeping young chicks in a brooder with a heat lamp like you and I do, they are in a giant building, and they have to keep the ambient temperature warm enough so that the chicks can keep warm under the lights. Not heating them would be devastating to the industry with losses in the millions.

(Aren't you glad WE don't have to do it that way??)

 

[Wisher1000]

We will keep all the males until I get there then we shall put a couple of the younger guys in the oven,

The hens should start laying soon.

Hey, Oz, before you eat those young males........ I have had many Guineas over the years and they are not like chickens.

Mine tended to pair off and became very attached to each other. In the spring, the males like to spar and chase each other to compete for the females but once a mate is chosen, they stick together like glue. It was very sad to see a female, that didn't have a mate, tagging along with a pair. The male didn't mind, and would service the second female, but if she went broody he would not guard her and her nest. The Guinea hens tend to go broody according to rank. They all lay in the same nest, then when there are a bunch of eggs, the top hen will start to sit, and the male will stand guard. Also, the primary female in a "pair and a spare" group would try viciously to run the other female off, all the time. Spare males, on the other hand, spent all their time trying to mate with another male's girl, fighting, and chasing each other.
They would fight and seriously hurt the roosters and also attack and molest the chicken hens.

I think it is better to have pairs, and maybe just a few extra girls, but don't take my word for it, ask around to be sure. I ended up with only three males (the hens will make their nests in the wood, or hide them in fields, and will not come in to roost at night. Something always found them and killed them during the night. The three males nearly drove me nuts, chasing each other, fighting with the roosters and hens, and screaming constantly, so I decided not to get more.

 

[ozexpat]

Hey, Oz, before you eat those young males........ I have had many Guineas over the years and they are not like chickens.

Mine tended to pair off and became very attached to each other. In the spring, the males like to spar and chase each other to compete for the females but once a mate is chosen, they stick together like glue. It was very sad to see a female, that didn't have a mate, tagging along with a pair. The male didn't mind, and would service the second female, but if she went broody he would not guard her and her nest. The Guinea hens tend to go broody according to rank. They all lay in the same nest, then when there are a bunch of eggs, the top hen will start to sit, and the male will stand guard. Also, the primary female in a "pair and a spare" group would try viciously to run the other female off, all the time. Spare males, on the other hand, spent all their time trying to mate with another male's girl, fighting, and chasing each other.
They would fight and seriously hurt the roosters and also attack and molest the chicken hens.

I think it is better to have pairs, and maybe just a few extra girls, but don't take my word for it, ask around to be sure. I ended up with only three males (the hens will make their nests in the wood, or hide them in fields, and will not come in to roost at night. Something always found them and killed them during the night. The three males nearly drove me nuts, chasing each other, fighting with the roosters and hens, and screaming constantly, so I decided not to get more.

Thanks for the advice.

First I will do a count of my birds and try and work out how many males I have. I do want to eat some but I will do it only if there are more males than females. I am always cognizent of carrying extra birds on my feed bill but I dont want to mess up breeding.

My Guineas are not free ranging. I was hesitant to let the first generation go out into the world in case they did not come back. Our fence is still being constructed. Its a long manual process. I estimate about 75 yards to go. Thats a couple of months work.

The current plan (ever changing) is to get half of the F1 birds into a Guinea Coop at the far end of the farm and attempt to train them to return using a bell each afternoon. Some people say this works, others just laugh. I will give it a go - As long as I have a breeding pen.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Friday was de-lice day.

We gave every bird a drop of Ivermectin pour on. It will de-worm them as well.

Using WhatsApp I recorded the sounds of the male and female Guineas so Bernie can tag them. They were surprised to be able to receive a sound file on the Android. We will keep all the males until I get there then we shall put a couple of the younger guys in the oven,

The hens should start laying soon.

We lost the last batch of Scovie ducklings to the rain and winds and we discovered the dogs have taken a liking to duck eggs so now they will get a duck pen for breeding. It will be a basic structure along the same design as the goat house but not raised and have a dirt floor and it will on the far side of the pig pens.

The new vege gardens are being prepared.

Hopefully buy the 4th of July we will have food independance!

just a drop?

 

[ozexpat]

I am actually using a 1cc syringe - 0.1cc per adult bird.

 

[Tomtommom]

One thing to remember is that meat chickens are usually processed at around 8-12 weeks of age. Most of the chicks in the farms are basically still in the "brooder" stage. They aren't fully feathered and can't handle the cold... The difference is that instead of keeping young chicks in a brooder with a heat lamp like you and I do, they are in a giant building, and they have to keep the ambient temperature warm enough so that the chicks can keep warm under the lights. Not heating them would be devastating to the industry with losses in the millions.

(Aren't you glad WE don't have to do it that way??)

Hm, you know, you're probably right. I figured they were talking about layers. Silly me. *laugh*

I was thinking 'well, if they're meat birds, they could just process 'em' and the only reason to keep them through the winter would be if they're layers. But heck, commercial chicken farms don't wait for spring chicks, they need them year round.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I am actually using a 1cc syringe - 0.1cc per adult bird.

oz is this cheaper than what you get? http://www.revivalanimal.com/Ivomec...c31234_d_412&gclid=COWlnOe-l7wCFRAS7AodPUQAaQ

 

[Sweetpea3829]

I grew up in Europe.. My mother kept the house at about 60-65F and it was not a problem. We biked to school in all weather: snow, freezing rain, wind... whatever. There were no 'snow days'. Now, I am as close to the heater as I can be.. avoid outdoors if possible. I've become a spoiled brat ;-) Time will do it to us, if we don't have to deal with extreme cold for a while, we lose the ability to deal with it.

Apparently our governor has declared state of emergency, because we're running out of propane. The chicken farmers need propane to keep their chickens warm. And I'm just thinking 'This is why you don't heat your chicken coop! They can handle the cold, if you don't spoil them!' My birds don't have heat and they're all alive and kicking. Ofcourse commercial poultry houses don't build their coops like we do... end up with too much humidity a.k.a. frost bite. Open coops are your friend.

*sigh* Guess I'm an Alabama chicken: I need to be heated.

LOL, ours have survived -15 temps (colder with the wind chill) in an unheated coop and have been just fine. They don't go outside when its that cold...and when there's snow on the ground.