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

[ocap]

I must have been reading too fast as I had to go back and re-read that last sentence... The first time I missed a word, and it made a bid difference!

amazing how a single word can make a huge difference, I need to be careful.

 

[JerseyHen]

I have thought about that. There is not much I can find on maintining the Autosexing of Legbars, cambars etc on crossing. If it could be done, it may be a great first cross with the local bird to boost egg production and then build size next cross.

I am hoping Phage will jump in as she has lots of chicken science.

There are a few really good legbar threads on this site, one that deals with hybrids. I am sure you could get your answers there from Niclandia if Phage doesn't chime in. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/825092/cream-legbar-hybrid-thread/1140#post_13407102

You can use them to make sex link hybrids (since they are barred) or auto-sexing breeds.

 

[ozexpat]

I have a friend that tried to be a "normal" milk producer and finally gave it up. He had to specialize in cheese and yogurt to try and make a living.

I loved to shop the cattle semen catalogs (years before the internet), the photos of the best of the best are amazing.

cheese yoghurt and semen in two sentences - no wonder @apteryx did a double take

Hats off to your friend who worked out his market. Sometimes it takes persistance.

After spending several hours playing with chicken color calculations, the discussion of our butakal came up and the need to find a back up solution. Local guys charge one piglett fee for AI or natural insemination. Thats $50-60 per sow and the boars are average quality.

When we bought cocobeach about 12 years ago I saw a huge boar in a 1/2" pipe framed side car being driven down the road. My wife told me it was a butakal. I thought the insemination service was called a butakal but it is actually the local word for a boar. We had a good twenty minute tangent thought train and laugh on me setting up a premier butakal service 1-800-BUTAKAL with a network of guys with side cars cruising the islands with hormone filled boars. Our place was just an abandoned beach house in complete disrepair and we had no plans of ever really living there. I bought it simply to preserve the memories of my wife's summers as a child.

Fast forward to May 2014 and there is a guy earning $400K in sales a year doing just that. His boars are not show quality super studs but good honest Grand Parent and Parent Stock He sells the doses for $17-25.

Being a student of the medical field philosophy of see one - do one - teach one, and having seen a couple of inseminations I decided I can do it. The sun and moon aligned as I calculated that I will be at the right place at the right time. The order can be placed by lunch time and be on our island by 2pm the following day.

Maybe an insemination business is where we really will head. It is proven there is a market for swine. I know in my gut that I could market Indian River Water Bufallo bulls and both dairy and meat goat bucks.

We could all be witnessing the creation of CocoBeach Body Fluids

 

[Penny Hen]

Maybe an insemination business is where we really will head. It is proven there is a market for swine. I know in my gut that I could market Indian River Water Bufallo bulls and both dairy and meat goat bucks.

We could all be witnessing the creation of CocoBeach Body Fluids

 

[Lacy Blues]

We could all be witnessing the creation of CocoBeach Body Fluids

Oh... that statement made my stomach do a little dipsy do!

Anyway, I wanted to say earlier and didn't quote the post... during your cooler weather is when your greens will grow best as they are cool weather crops... lettuces, peas, broccoli... stuff like that.

 

[ozexpat]

Oh... that statement made my stomach do a little dipsy do!

Anyway, I wanted to say earlier and didn't quote the post... during your cooler weather is when your greens will grow best as they are cool weather crops... lettuces, peas, broccoli... stuff like that.

I figured they would do better in cooler times but gave them a shot. I will try again in the late wet season

thank you

 

[piglett]

Being a student of the medical field philosophy of see one - do one - teach one, and having seen a couple of inseminations I decided I can do it. The sun and moon aligned as I calculated that I will be at the right place at the right time. The order can be placed by lunch time and be on our island by 2pm the following day.

Maybe an insemination business is where we really will head. It is proven there is a market for swine. I know in my gut that I could market Indian River Water Bufallo bulls and both dairy and meat goat bucks.

We could all be witnessing the creation of CocoBeach Body Fluids

i better remain silent on this subject

 

[ozexpat]

The view from our lanai this morning



The Pekins pool will be filled today.


The plant nursery - the small green plants are Australian beach cherry trees. They love salty environments



Please lay the rebar 24"x24" square - lost in translation - it will be re=done today



This is an Ipil Ipil tree - they will become the back bone of our feed supply for the future dairy goats



Egg plants!



Bell peppers - we need to decrease N+ in fertilizer and up the potash



Local tomatoes

 

[ramirezframing]

This looks like a mimosa tree (tree we got around my area that gets pink flowers that look like hair

Does your Ipil Ipil tree get these flowers?

 

[ozexpat]

My lone red dorking roo is beating up his cell mates

I really need that piggery completed to repurpose three stalls as coops.