Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Hoping Strevale will come over and join us.
Strevale is wanting to get started in Buckeyes
and looking for information and quality stock.
Best,
Karen

 

[Strevale]

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the forums and I have a lot of questions. My husband and I want to raise some free range chickens in our backyard. We have about an acre of land, and are located in southeastern Wisconsin. We would like to free-range them, but I have read you still need to feed them, so we would like to give them organic feed. We decided on getting Buckeyes, but I'm having trouble finding information on them. Sorry if this information is somewhere else, but it would be nice to have it all in the same place. So here are some of my questions:

What is a good site/book to explain how to raise chickens?

How high can a Buckeye fly (how high do our fences need to be)?

Are Buckeye roosters very load like other roosters?

Where is a good place to get organic starter and feed?

Where is a good place to get 6 Buckeye hens?

What, where, and how much do you feed them?

What coop plans are good for Wisconsin and 6 Buckeyes?

What supplies do I need, and where should I get them?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the forums and I have a lot of questions. My husband and I want to raise some free range chickens in our backyard. We have about an acre of land, and are located in southeastern Wisconsin. We would like to free-range them, but I have read you still need to feed them, so we would like to give them organic feed. We decided on getting Buckeyes, but I'm having trouble finding information on them. Sorry if this information is somewhere else, but it would be nice to have it all in the same place. So here are some of my questions:

What is a good site/book to explain how to raise chickens? I like "The Chicken Health Handbook" by Gail Damerow. It's got basic information as well as a little bit of deeper stuff.

How high can a Buckeye fly (how high do our fences need to be)? Each buckeye I have had won't even get up on a perch that is 2' off the ground once they get mature. When they're young, they will but after 7 or 8 months? No. You could probably fence them in with a 36" fence but that won't keep out many predators.

Are Buckeye roosters very load like other roosters? Not the ones I've had. When they crow, which is almost never, you can hear them but they crow so seldom that they're easy to forgive.

Where is a good place to get organic starter and feed?

Where is a good place to get 6 Buckeye hens?

What, where, and how much do you feed them? There is a thread on BYC entitled "Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds" that has evolved to include many more birds than meat birds. We feed fermented feed to all our birds and it is fantastic for them. If you can't find it, just go to my profile page. It will be on there and you can just click on it.

What coop plans are good for Wisconsin and 6 Buckeyes?

What supplies do I need, and where should I get them?

 

[3riverschick]

Hello Everyone!


What supplies do I need, and where should I get them?

So good to see you here!

and accepted way to build a coop. I was one coop whee the nest box doors were old toilet seats.

and fun for you and your Hubby to plan yours. The coops section on BYC is a great reference.

Karen

 

[Lacy Blues]

Let's enjoy the warmth while it lasts, George. A flock of not so little birds tell me....cold snap again at the end of the month.

I would really like to know what behavior or whatever you see from your birds tells you such a thing. I'm not putting you down or anything like that, I'm genuinely curious and want to know. Would you share please?

 

[brahmabreeder]

I'm going to guess she's going off of fertility.

 

[hellbender]

I'm going to guess she's going off of fertility.

I'll guess molt to be high on the list of prospects.




EDIT: I might as well leave for Pittsburgh this evening and would if the helper hadn't been only able to come in tomorrow and stay 'til 6 PM, Feb. 19.

Little sleep for me unless I 'self-medicate' and if I were stupid enough to do that, my head would throb to the rythm of the road bumps, all the way to Morgantown!

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the forums and I have a lot of questions. My husband and I want to raise some free range chickens in our backyard. We have about an acre of land, and are located in southeastern Wisconsin. We would like to free-range them, but I have read you still need to feed them, so we would like to give them organic feed. We decided on getting Buckeyes, but I'm having trouble finding information on them. Sorry if this information is somewhere else, but it would be nice to have it all in the same place. So here are some of my questions:

What is a good site/book to explain how to raise chickens?
The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens and Other Fowl for Home and Market... by Harvey Ussery

Where is a good place to get organic starter and feed?
A local feed store/mill will probably offer some sorts of feed, though maybe not organic.

Where is a good place to get 6 Buckeye hens?
At this time of year, you are most likely to find chicks offered for sale. If you want hens, start reading the Buckeye thread now, and learn who has extra for sale this fall.

What, where, and how much do you feed them?
Feed in their pen(s), somewhere protected from rain/wind. I feed a non-GMO formulation made by a local mill here in central TX, plus non-GMO scratch grains, and the occasional table scraps.

What coop plans are good for Wisconsin and 6 Buckeyes?
I believe large fowl require 4 square feet/bird indoors, and at least 10 square feet/bird outdoors, though more space/light/fresh air is always better.

What supplies do I need, and where should I get them?
You need something to hold their water, and something to hold their feed. You need not purchase something chicken-specific, the chickens will not be prejudiced against eating from dog bowls, or pig feeders, or recycled PVC pipe, or recycled roof gutters, or whatever you find handy.

Your questions in bold, my answers in normal font.

 

[thedragonlady]

I would really like to know what behavior or whatever you see from your birds tells you such a thing. I'm not putting you down or anything like that, I'm genuinely curious and want to know. Would you share please?

I noticed odd, non breeding behavior in October. Normally, I breed in Dec. to have babies off Jan, 1st. Not this year. After talking to all my southern friends, I found out that my birds were not the exception. Birds were shedding feathers after Christmas, and very few, to no, fertile eggs were being produced. We had 65 degree days , and then 20 degree days. I'm a firm believer that Mother Nature sends a message to her critters, and most listen, except the very young and the stupid, who need weeding out anyway, if the species is to survive.

So... I listened to my birds. Wrapped up my covered runs in clear tarps, which I had never done before. Made a few more water heaters, and got in a load of straw, and feed.I'm very glad I did. The bottom dropped out in the South, as you all know. My birds were snug, as the tarps turned their covered runs into almost greenhouses during the day.

What do you know...The eggs collected DURING the snow/sleet are all fertile.Those eggs are due the 5th of March.NONE the week before were fertile, so I'm guessing that the last week in Feb will not be nice here.

This weather has not seemed to affect the Northern birds to this degree. This weather has been the exception for us in the South, thank heavens.Birds can get used to cold, but extremes of up and down temps sound a warning to them that their chicks would not survive. Yet all my girls laid like crazy through the extreme cold.

If anyone has a better explanation , I would love to hear it.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I noticed odd, non breeding behavior in October. Normally, I breed in Dec. to have babies off Jan, 1st. Not this year. After talking to all my southern friends, I found out that my birds were not the exception. Birds were shedding feathers after Christmas, and very few, to no, fertile eggs were being produced. We had 65 degree days , and then 20 degree days. I'm a firm believer that Mother Nature sends a message to her critters, and most listen, except the very young and the stupid, who need weeding out anyway, if the species is to survive.

So... I listened to my birds. Wrapped up my covered runs in clear tarps, which I had never done before. Made a few more water heaters, and got in a load of straw, and feed.I'm very glad I did. The bottom dropped out in the South, as you all know. My birds were snug, as the tarps turned their covered runs into almost greenhouses during the day.

What do you know...The eggs collected DURING the snow/sleet are all fertile.Those eggs are due the 5th of March.NONE the week before were fertile, so I'm guessing that the last week in Feb will not be nice here.

This weather has not seemed to affect the Northern birds to this degree. This weather has been the exception for us in the South, thank heavens.Birds can get used to cold, but extremes of up and down temps sound a warning to them that their chicks would not survive. Yet all my girls laid like crazy through the extreme cold.

If anyone has a better explanation , I would love to hear it.

You got your plastic up just before the snow storms hit, right? You don't think the fertile eggs are because of the warmer temps inside their "greenhouses?" Still, not challenging, just thinking out loud.