Illinois...

[CherokeeFlats]

quick question....

Does anyone in IL raise Light Brahmas??? I am looking to purchase a few birds.

Thanks
Crystal

 

[Faraday40]

This is great info, thanks!!
We are hiring someone to help us build our coop (somehow with my husband working 70 hours a week plus going to the city for his MBA plus me at home with our baby doesn't leave us a lot of time for construction projects ha!!). So we get the chance to build our custom coop with the help of an actual building expert

Let me ask you, does insulating the coop make sense for our weather? We won't have it hooked up to electricity so we won't be heating it in the winter.

I have insulation in mine. I know others that don't. The main thing is to protect against the wind, rain, snow, etc. and all the predators looking for a free meal. Definitely build bigger than you think you'll need. I'm grateful I got a coop to fit 12-15 chickens for my 6 original hens. I filled my coop & even added an extension to the run this year. (My daughter's 4H project involved hatching so we had many temporary chickens over the summer.)

 

[NotAFarm]

quick question....

Does anyone in IL raise Light Brahmas??? I am looking to purchase a few birds.

Thanks
Crystal

Crystal, I don't know of anyone offhand. I see in your signature that you list showing so I am assuming you aren't looking for hatchery birds. Here two APA shows that you may be able to find show quality light brahmas at.

There is a poultry show near you in Bloomington on June 13, 2015 at the Interstate Center. The show secretary is Kurt Gerdes. He may be able to tell you if there will be any brahma breeders showing there. Here is his contact info:

Kurt Gerdes
815-712-8625
[email protected]​

There is a poultry show near Rockford, IL in September of each year but the date is not listed on the site I went to. The show secretary info is below:

For more information, contact:
Ruth Ann Van Fleet
18763 Grade School Rd
Caledonia, IL 61011
(815) 814-9206
​

Many breeders that show will not sell eggs or ship chicks but Duane Urch in Minnesota does. He lists Dark Brahma but I don't see light ones. You may ask if he knows of someone that has them. Here is a link to his list and contact info.
http://standardbreedpoultry.com/breeder/Duane UrchUrch-Turnland poultry/190

 

[ducks4you]

To all of you who are new to BYC,

!
I got one chicken 10 years ago, a white Leghorn from my DD's HS, "dye the chick before hatching" experiment. She lived two years in an old rabbit hutch that I kept in my barn. The winter temperatures were no problem for her, but she never faced any winds. Since then I've gone through RIR's--too mean--and I now have 6 EE hens, down from nearly 60 three years ago when our incubation went very well. I replace my flock every year and I butcher birds, who, of course, go to "freezer camp."
There is NO THING as tasty as the birds that you raise and care for. Their feed is top notch compare to what commercial fowl eat, and they get fresh air, room and company, so they work those muscles.
This is the first year that I have birds outside of the barn. I took back the stall that I have kept chickens in for the last 4 winters, and gave it to my QH, "Buster Brown", who no longer has to spend the nights in the 16 x 19' adjacent to the barn, shelter. He is pleased as punch.
My hens have an ~4 x 4' building that we built for 3 turkeys, originally. I fixed the roof, put in a cut to fit, old 1/4" cattle rubber mat for the floor, added a front door with a 10 inch hole, entrance, and added the leftover rubber mat piece for their ramp. It sits over a cinder block. We've gotten down to -12 this winter, but, with the small roost, made from the handles of a broken wheelbarrow, and adding extra straw, my birds are happy, healthy and laying every day. I collected 4 eggs this morning.
If you haven't owned birds for a long time, you should realize that stressed hens will NOT lay for you, so it's an indication that they are comfortable.
Since they home is makeshift, I don't have a proper door to close, so when I think they'll get a draft I put a 1/2" 4 ft long piece of plywood to block it in front of their door.
The house is wired. I have a hanging, plastic "work light", similar to this one with an exterior 75 watt light bulb in it.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Designer...DgjTppsEVNx9W14CYxaEEaApw38P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
Birds will startle and fly up and I have had them break light bulbs, before. They can impale themselves on metal, so I was delighted to find this last year. I have it on an encase, exterior timer, like people buy for Christmas lights outside, except that mine is protected from the weather. I have a dog's heated water bowl plugged in. So far, this winter, it hasn't frozen, but it hasn't gotten down to -20...yet. When I break up my horse's water buckets I take ice pieces and put them in the chicken's water bowl to melt...for the birds.
My birds look like the description of a FUZZY BUTT!! They are so fluffed out. I do to them what I do to my horses, outside during the winter day when it's nice, with the option of running inside the shelter (chicken coop) when necessary.
As you "protect" your birds, keep checking how it feels in their coop. If it's at all damp, when it's dry outside, like today, open it up. I've kept horses for 30 years, and they need fresh air more than they need to be closed up in a stall. It's more so with chickens bc they breathe out higher humidity than mammals do. FRESH AIR WITH SHELTER and your birds will be fine.
I recommend that you consider putting down a layer of highly dried pine pellets, like "Equine Fresh", which I buy for $5.50/40 pounds, and often for less than that on sale. IGNORE the instructions that tell you to mist them with water. They do this bc "your horse will be uncomfortable laying on them", but I put them where my horse pees in his stall (always the same place), and he doesn't lay there, anyway! They also make you buy more of the products this way. =/
I use them in my coop to help keep it dry. You only remove them when soiled or, more importantly after they have both turned to dust and are wet, since they soak up urine, etc. twice. They are pine, just like shavings, and very safe for livestock. They also keep your coop smelling fresh.
I also use straw for the very cold times. Your bird will lay in it and it will radiate their heat back onto them.
I clean in the winter when it's cold enough for their poo to be frozen. SOOOO much easier to remove then.

 

[dave3]

I am going to get six laying hens this spring and I am wanting good production hens. Does anyone have a good choice for what I should get? Brown egg layers is what I want. I am new to this.

 

[ducks4you]

I get the same number of eggs from my Easter Eggers as I did from my RIR's.
The eggs are blue to light blue/olive.
ALL eggs taste the same, regardless of color,, but some of EE lays eggs that are too big for the plastic cartons.
RIR's are just down right mean, ESPECIALLY the roosters, and the RIR hens will peck you.
The EE's are better tempered.
Actually, I prefer mutts, myself--healthier.

 

[Faraday40]

I am going to get six laying hens this spring and I am wanting good production hens. Does anyone have a good choice for what I should get? Brown egg layers is what I want. I am new to this.

I've heard good things about Golden Sex Link (Cinnamon Queen, Red Star, Golden Comet, etc.) & Black sex link - also has a variety of names. They are hybrid hatchery birds, non-flighty & give almost an egg a day. On the down side, they're hatchery birds, so they may die from health issues after a few years. On paper the Black Australorp sounded perfect for me, but the only one I had was flighty & independent instead of docile & sweet. She gave an egg a day, but I never really bonded with her. Gave her away for more space in the coop. My Easter Eggers have quirky, endearing personalities, so I keep them around. Some EEs lay 5 eggs a week year-round, some 3-4 eggs per week & take Nov-mid Feb off.

For me it's more about personalities than eggs. My Lavender & Black Orpingtons (from breeder not hatchery) are total lap chickens, easily trained, & can be confined with a 3' fence. Definitely the easiest birds we own b/c they'll do anything for food. They're one of the few laying right now & each is giving 4-5 eggs per week. Cons: they're bigger (more food & poop) & slow to mature.

I find I also love my mutts. They are hardy & excellent layers. I suppose it depends on the mix, but I've always had good luck. (The "Barnyard mix" is also the least expensive or even free.)

 

[Gargoyle]

Gargoyle, Have you been to Garfield Farm Museum in LaFox? They have Javas and I wanted to know if they have them available all the time.

Driven by many times, still haven't made it there. The manager at Primrose, Kirk, used to work there, so the two places get along well.

I take it you're in the St Charles area??

Yup, I'm close by.

 

[kfacres]

quick question....

Does anyone in IL raise Light Brahmas??? I am looking to purchase a few birds.

Thanks
Crystal

I had a set of Blue Laced Red Brahmas that derived from a Brahma showring enthusiast in Ohio. I think he raises a couple SOP Brahams and a couple colores that he's developed. I basically donated mine to my parents barnyard flock. Got tired of having them around. Well, I still have two cockerels, unless they meet their maker one of these days.

Really big, elegant birds.

 

[rfreedlund]

Despite temperatures reaching as low as -15 F and rarely reaching much more than 20 F during her setting stage my girl was able to hatch 2 of the 9 eggs that I gave her. 4 eggs disappeared and three remained unhatched, but for a first time broody in the cold we have been having in Northern Illinois, I am pleased. She seems to be doing a good job keeping them warm and is very attentive. A terrible time of the year to go broody, but she did it!





"Mama" is an Austra-White (Black Australorp Rooster over White Leghorn Hen). The eggs I received from a neighbor who said that the layers were Wyandottes, but the rooster was a mix of who knows what.