What a great site! I googled at what age a rooster becomes sexually 'able', and it brought me to a forum here! Lots of good info I see, to waste alot of time, lol. I actually should be in the barn right now!
I am from Hamilton, Ontario Canada! Any other Canadian members? That would come in handy, others dealing with our 'cold' climates, and birds.
I am married, and we have 5 kids between us. Some of his, mine, and ours deal. The two of 'ours' are still at home, a boy 22, and a girl 20.
We live on a 150 acre farm that has been in the same family now, for 9 generations. We also farm another 300 acres besides, growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. We also have a commercial 50 beef cow/calf/feedlot herd. We also have 4 horses, a dog, and various barn and house cats. Lots of dwarf rabbits also, that my daughter raises and sells for pets.
Then there are my 'girls'!! I have 15 brown layer hens... I am not sure just what they are crossed with, 2 leghorns from my last layer flock that were pickons.. and I threw them out of the coop, and they just 'run' wild, lol, and I also have another area in my barn with an assortment. For ever I have wanted Guinea fowl, and a friend surprized me one day when she showed up with a hen who hatched out 10 guinea chicks. Sadly after about 2.5 months... 5 of them started getting sick.. with what I figured was Marecks, and they died. I guess everything I had ever bought in the past had been vaccinated. These came from a backyard flock, not vaccinated. So, I still have their 'mother', and since then shes hatched out 4 chicks from eggs I got from a friend. 2 are hens and 2 are roosters (and are now causing havock), and they and their 'brother' guinea's are sparing as well. I want one of them to mate with the hen, as shes very broody, and raise more!! I also want her to hatch any guinea eggs I may get (I figure I have 2 hens and 3 males). I have so long wanted to get an incubator, but am scared to death I will find I will not look after them properly, after spending the money. We also hold 3 off farm jobs between us.. and I garden in the summer quite extensively, pickling and freezing stuff. I also put in broiler chicks and turkeys too, and we process them at home, not trusting the places we have sent them to in the past. 100 acres of hay means lots of time cutting/raking/baling/and stacking small square bales.. as we have many customers that can't handle big rounds (which we do for our cattle). Have I blathered on too much? I also want to get some heritage turkeys to wander around too. I am so looking forward to learning a TON here!! Thanks for letting me join!
I am from Hamilton, Ontario Canada! Any other Canadian members? That would come in handy, others dealing with our 'cold' climates, and birds.
I am married, and we have 5 kids between us. Some of his, mine, and ours deal. The two of 'ours' are still at home, a boy 22, and a girl 20.
We live on a 150 acre farm that has been in the same family now, for 9 generations. We also farm another 300 acres besides, growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. We also have a commercial 50 beef cow/calf/feedlot herd. We also have 4 horses, a dog, and various barn and house cats. Lots of dwarf rabbits also, that my daughter raises and sells for pets.
Then there are my 'girls'!! I have 15 brown layer hens... I am not sure just what they are crossed with, 2 leghorns from my last layer flock that were pickons.. and I threw them out of the coop, and they just 'run' wild, lol, and I also have another area in my barn with an assortment. For ever I have wanted Guinea fowl, and a friend surprized me one day when she showed up with a hen who hatched out 10 guinea chicks. Sadly after about 2.5 months... 5 of them started getting sick.. with what I figured was Marecks, and they died. I guess everything I had ever bought in the past had been vaccinated. These came from a backyard flock, not vaccinated. So, I still have their 'mother', and since then shes hatched out 4 chicks from eggs I got from a friend. 2 are hens and 2 are roosters (and are now causing havock), and they and their 'brother' guinea's are sparing as well. I want one of them to mate with the hen, as shes very broody, and raise more!! I also want her to hatch any guinea eggs I may get (I figure I have 2 hens and 3 males). I have so long wanted to get an incubator, but am scared to death I will find I will not look after them properly, after spending the money. We also hold 3 off farm jobs between us.. and I garden in the summer quite extensively, pickling and freezing stuff. I also put in broiler chicks and turkeys too, and we process them at home, not trusting the places we have sent them to in the past. 100 acres of hay means lots of time cutting/raking/baling/and stacking small square bales.. as we have many customers that can't handle big rounds (which we do for our cattle). Have I blathered on too much? I also want to get some heritage turkeys to wander around too. I am so looking forward to learning a TON here!! Thanks for letting me join!
