How is your flock today?

[416bigbore]

@Sally PB What do you know about the Blue Australorp Roosters temperament, do they make for a docile Rooster?

I have read that Brahma Roosters are to be a docile, since Chewy is not a pure 100% breed Brahma, that may be why he is the little Butthead he is. He is soon to be 8 months old and I am hoping after he is 12 months old and matured that he mellows out a bit or I will have to replace him also.

Chewy has absolutely no reason to jump at my hand with his hackles raised as I am putting their food dish down on the ground, but he does.

I understand, butchering is not for everyone. Home grown chicken is amazing over anything you will find in the store commercially processed. If you have any Amish in your area, they are a great source for fresh home grown processed chickens for sale.

 

[Sally PB]

@416bigbore, I have no experience with Blue Australorps other than drooling over the pictures I see posted here! I am getting them solely because I have Black Aussies and want more of the breed, so why not pretty ones?

The only roo I've had experience with is my BO. He was one of three straight runs I got a year ago, and they were all cockerels, surprise, surprise. (Well, it surprised me, but I didn't know anything back then.)

I had to cull two of them at 4 months when they became unruly due to hormones. This guy is the best of the three, by far.

I'm not looking to get into breeding, but would like to be able to replace my flock as needed. If the new ones are all pullets, that's ok. I'd like to see what BO over BA chicks would be like...

 

[416bigbore]

@Sally PB Yes I agree , very pretty birds for sure. I am not much for breeding either, but I would like to learn one day how the whole incubation process works. Then hopefully one day soon we will have a bigger place with more room to be able to grow our own flock with using our own healthy stock.

For the most part ours are all pets for now but I would like to get into New Hampshire's because they are a dual purpose bird over our Isa Browns.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BlueBaby How many eggs in the incubator this time around? Did you get a chance to candle them?

I candled my test hatch last night. All 4 of my red NN pullet's are fertile and the embroils are swimming around in the egg's. Of the 3 egg's that were from the NN Aloha's, 2 had blood ring's, but the 3rd one is swimming too. I'm thinking that the NN Aloha's weren't getting proper nutrition before I got them (maybe too much scratch)?

In case you are wondering what the blood ring's are about:

https://cluckin.net/blood-rings-in-incubated-eggs-and-how-to-avoid-them.html

 

[BlueBaby]

@Sally PB The Blue Australorp rooster that I had before was mean, but he tasted good!

 

[BlueBaby]

@Sally PB What do you know about the Blue Australorp Roosters temperament, do they make for a docile Rooster?

I have read that Brahma Roosters are to be a docile, since Chewy is not a pure 100% breed Brahma, that may be why he is the little Butthead he is. He is soon to be 8 months old and I am hoping after he is 12 months old and matured that he mellows out a bit or I will have to replace him also.

Chewy has absolutely no reason to jump at my hand with his hackles raised as I am putting their food dish down on the ground, but he does.

I understand, butchering is not for everyone. Home grown chicken is amazing over anything you will find in the store commercially processed. If you have any Amish in your area, they are a great source for fresh home grown processed chickens for sale.

Have you ever noticed that when 2 rooster's are about to go at each other they stretch the neck's out and lower them? Maybe that's what he think's that you are doing when you are putting the dish down?

 

[416bigbore]

Have you ever noticed that when 2 rooster's are about to go at each other they stretch the neck's out and lower them? Maybe that's what he think's that you are doing when you are putting the dish down?

Interesting. No I have never had two Roosters at once to notice that. I guess if Chewy don't get it figured out sooner over later, with his new replacement I will be able to see this behavior.

 

[416bigbore]

Hello, How is everyone and their flock this fine day? Nothing new with our flock, everyone seems to be doing fine.

I am very disgusted with myself, they say you shouldn't cry over spilt milk....... What about broken eggs?

I was coming out of the coop last night just after having changed out everyone's water and I had a plastic bowl in one hand as I was opening the coop door with the other and DANG if that plastic bowl didn't slip out of my hand! All twelve eggs hit the ground and it was all over but the crying.

Then of course the girls thought the broken eggs were for them so I didn't even bother trying to keep them out of the mess and from eating it, so I finished crushing up the larger pieces of egg shells and left it for them.

This morning the the egg mess was all cleaned up like nothing every happened. For all I know, I probably now have a flock full of egg eaters on my hands.

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, How is everyone and their flock this fine day? Nothing new with our flock, everyone seems to be doing fine.

I am very disgusted with myself, they say you shouldn't cry over spilt milk....... What about broken eggs?

I was coming out of the coop last night just after having changed out everyone's water and I had a plastic bowl in one hand as I was opening the coop door with the other and DANG if that plastic bowl didn't slip out of my hand! All twelve eggs hit the ground and it was all over but the crying.

Then of course the girls thought the broken eggs were for them so I didn't even bother trying to keep them out of the mess and from eating it, so I finished crushing up the larger pieces of egg shells and left it for them.

This morning the the egg mess was all cleaned up like nothing every happened. For all I know, I probably now have a flock full of egg eaters on my hands.

Yes, that would have been rough to loose a whole dozen like that. I sure hope that you won't have to deal with a flock of egg eater's now. That's one less dozen that could have gone in the freezer for later when the molting slows down the egg laying. I found this video yesterday.

 

[416bigbore]

@BlueBaby O wow interesting video, Thank you. If a person is going to freeze them like that, is it really necessary to peal them first? I would think the shell would help from freezer burn? Any kind of time on freezer life of the eggs like that ?