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

[ozexpat]

i like the sound of those orpington x rock birds
both offer plenty of meat so that should be a great cross
so far my french Bresse x english orpington chicks are outgrowing my buff orpingtons
that are the same age in the same diet
could be the buffs are all female so they are smaller.....?

Once I get a doz hatched (and more in the bator), the Bresse roo is going in I think.

My one buff orp chick is a month old now. I will have to wait to see if he is a roo. If not, I wont be hatching and Buff Orps till the eggs you send grow up.

More patience.

Still I am very happy to have the BBS orps, Jerseys, Rocks and Reds in the bator.

I have a pen of 25 mixed birds. Some mutts and some purebreds that weren't leg banded. There are Breda, Legbar, Swedish Flower hens, Faverolles, and Andalusians in there in quantities of more than one. I have to play sort the chook. I am getting 2 or 3 eggs a day from there. What I really need to do is hatch up a storm with the original mutts then put them in the fridge to make way for breeders.

The Buff Rocks and Leghorn Rocks will be included in the mission chicks. I should be able to stop setting mutt eggs by the end of the month.

These 120 chicks that I am hatching for the chicken misson are going to need a couple of large grow out coops.

Oy vey.

 

[ozexpat]

I am happy for you Heather.

Learning a new bator can be painful.

I have to tweak one of mine when I get there as its running a tad low.

 

[piglett]

Pig, that big giant Orp that you had? What was it that made him so big? Didn't you say he was a certain line or something?

I'm looking to increase the "size" of my birds. My Amercaunas are nice and all, but I need a meatier bird. So I've got Orps on my list for this spring, along with australorps, barred rock (of which I already have a mating pair), and speckled sussex. I still really want to get ahold of some Black Copper Marans. But its not a priority at this point.

that buff orpington rooster is from a part english line

you can buy chicks from "Renies Peeps" she gets $50 each day old unsexed

i only have the roosters over normal sized buff american hens

i will see if their offspring will have the same size to them

i have 2 of those roosters camping out in the muscovy pen

the big coop was over run with monster roos

so my wife will process a couple so we can thin them out

 

[ozexpat]

i purchased 3 hovabators last season
2 had turners & 1 was with picture window that one was used as a hatcher
all 3 had a fan kit
all in all i was out +/- $400

BUT i made more than that back from the chicks i sold
why sell a dozen eggs for $2
when you can incubate them & get $60 for a dozen?

i sell my birds at about 8 weeks
at 12 weeks they really start to go through the feed

also we had about 40 extra cockerels left over
we fattened them up & they went to camp
free chicken all winter for us!

so you really need a bator

good luck
piglett

finally some rational chicken math

 

[piglett]

Once I get a doz hatched (and more in the bator), the Bresse roo is going in I think.

My one buff orp chick is a month old now. I will have to wait to see if he is a roo. If not, I wont be hatching and Buff Orps till the eggs you send grow up.

More patience.

Still I am very happy to have the BBS orps, Jerseys, Rocks and Reds in the bator.

I have a pen of 25 mixed birds. Some mutts and some purebreds that weren't leg banded. There are Breda, Legbar, Swedish Flower hens, Faverolles, and Andalusians in there in quantities of more than one. I have to play sort the chook. I am getting 2 or 3 eggs a day from there. What I really need to do is hatch up a storm with the original mutts then put them in the fridge to make way for breeders.

The Buff Rocks and Leghorn Rocks will be included in the mission chicks. I should be able to stop setting mutt eggs by the end of the month.

These 120 chicks that I am hatching for the chicken misson are going to need a couple of large grow out coops.

Oy vey.

sounds like you are in the same boat as i am "always needing more pens" so you have room for the youngsters

i have plans for 3 more come warm weather


i'll send off the care package mon. before i go get my taxes done OZ

you will have the goods!

 

[piglett]

finally some rational chicken math

we have chicken about once a week & i never buy ANY from the store

1 chicken is $10 X 52 weeks $520

& the hens make my breakfast

 

[ozexpat]

sounds like you are in the same boat as i am "always needing more pens" so you have room for the youngsters

i have plans for 3 more come warm weather


i'll send off the care package mon. before i go get my taxes done OZ

you will have the goods!

Suddenly I have chickens.

Its mind boggling.

So much effort for onsies and twosies but now those twosies are grown up and getting busy. I know for sure I wont ever be buying eggs again - and before too long, there will be no need for store bought chicken.

Heck. by the end of the year we will have veggies, eggs, chicken, goat and pig for my wife's whole family

 

[hillfloweranch]

 

[ozexpat]

Gosh I miss that sound

I will have some hatch on March 1 - I hope I will hear that sound as its the day I arrive

 

[ozexpat]

Here is what I am taking so far

Barred Plymouth Rock *
Black Australorp *
Brown Leghorn *
Buff Orpington*
Crème Legbars*
Golden Sebrights*
Polish Mix
Rhode Island Red*
Silver Pencilled Rocks
Swedish Flower Hen*
White Crested Black Polish
White Leghorn *
White Plymouth Rock *

Those with a * are my current breeds that I am just trying to get a trio out of or beef up.