I just got a line on a really nice looking BCM rooster that's said to be very calm & friendly;under a year old & proven. Chaos put me in touch with the lady, but, unfortunately, she's almost 3 hours north of me, in Patton, PA; not a trip I care to make this time of year. If anyone's interested, PM her...@Auroradream26
Well folks, it's time for me to call it a night. "It's a night". That wasn't so hard...
Busy day tomorrow, so need my shuteye. Will try to catch back up tomorrow. Until then, everyone have a great night, sleep well, and wake up alive (and well) tomorrow.
You worded it fine.
I QUOTED UR UR! Everyone that thinks I was admitting to wanting to kill myself, please know that I was joking about what he said!!
I have never, nor will I ever, tell you guys on here that I am feeling suicidal. Although now I know that you guys apparently want me to live. That is sweet, but I had no plans to kill myself last night.
I'll be glad when my layers get back to laying. Production is less than half what it was in the fall, but I know it'll pick up when the weather warms up. I'm getting one egg (most days) out of 4 mature hens, but on a good note, my 2 pullets have started laying. My red sexlink laid an egg yesterday and again today, and my brown leghorn mix laid her first today. Not sure how long it takes pullets to reach normal egg size, but their eggs are half as big as the older layers.
Production is primarily an issue of increasing vs. decreasing day length.
Temperature has little to do with it unless you get well below zero F. -20 F and lower may be enough stress to decrease ovulation. Now that winter solstice is passed, most will see an uptick in production.
That's the science but anecdotally, I've kept records of daily production on several flocks (half with added artificial light and half without) and corresponding high and low daily temperatures. There isn't any correlation between production and temperature. Whenever there is a severe cold snap, there isn't any decrease on subsequent days.
With the flocks that don't have added light, there is a steady increase at the latter half of January regardless of temperature.
We're getting our coldest weather of the season now and production is steadily increasing.
No, the RSL's are all I've ever had, except a few BR's several years ago. If you're looking for egg production, you'll be better off with the RSL than the RIR, or so I've read. I hear the RIR roosters tend toward aggressiveness with people. It's not at all uncommon for us to get an egg that prevents closing the top on a large carton.
Here's what I've learned (or claim to have learned) about RIR:
Most RIR on the market are production-type birds, with smaller bodies, higher egg production, and less feed consumption. The PRIR are excellent layers, but have lousy dispositions. The "heritage" RIR are much calmer, and while they may not lay quite as frequently as PRIR, they will lay years longer. They are also a much better choice for dual-purpose birds if eggs and meat is desired. If higher egg production is desirable, crossing an RIR rooster with an RIW (and a few other) hen produces RSL chicks. I can't explain why, but I've always been fascinated with Heritage RIR. There was a time when they were the most popular birds in America, and they are making a bit of a comeback. A purebred RIR isn't real flashy or colorful, and it's built a little differently than other birds... but you know exactly what it is the moment you lay eyes on it. They're similar to the short-backed, tail up at 45-90 degrees PRIR in that both types have feathers. I hope to let you know how they behave from personal experience later this year.
Thank you very much for that info! I figured they'd be comparable to RSL, since they both come from good laying hens. I really like the looks of the BSL, also. Shoot... if/when I get my HRIR, I may also get some RIW and make both RSL and BLS!!!
I have the Barred Rocks... so now all I lack is RIR and RIW.
You may already know this but just a note that RIRs and RIWs aren't 2 color varieties of the same breed but 2 distinct breeds.
RIRs were developed in the 1830s from several breeds including Malays, Cochins and Brown Leghorns.
RIWs were developed shortly after 1900 and made up from Partridge Cochins, White Wyandottes and Rose Comb White Leghorns.
They should have the same general body type.
Proper RIRs should lay around 250 eggs a year while RIWs range around 150-200.
The 2 can be crossed to create your own line of sex links.
I have 6 hens. They're all about 8-9 months old. They started laying for me around the end of December, right after I added my tom. He was thrilled to have ladies all to himself. Their first eggs are due to hatch next weekend
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In regards to shipping eggs if you are thinking about it.
Whites it's not that they can't read. No it's because they DON'T take the time to read. So to help them read PLEASE for your eggs sake stop into the PO the day before they are to arrive and let them know you are expecting the eggs. Have them hold them for you in the PO and give them your cell or best contact number you have. Be nice and polite it will get you everywhere.
It won't help the transit to the post office but you will greatly improve your odds of them hatching if you pick them up at your PO. The road between the PO and my house is literally a land mine.
When I had mine shipped the guy shipping them to me told me that even though he puts hold at post office on the box they were not doing that. When I asked at the PO why that was I was told that the delivery people only look for the address the special notes are not read. Once they knew I was expecting them they went out of their way to help me. Called me as soon as they arrived and asked me to bring in pictures of the chicks when they hatched. Which reminds me, pictures or it didn't happen. Lol
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And doing all this may not get you a great hatching rate on shipped eggs but it will give you a fighting change of getting some to survive after all 21+ days is worth some precautions.
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Agree 100%. I rarely have chicks shipped any more and rarely eggs but mostly shipping out rather than receiving.
Go to your PO a day or two ahead, talk to the postmaster personally and let them know what is coming. Ask politely for the direct number of the sorting room. That is not the same number as listed in the phone book. That number won't be answered till business hours. I have the sorting room # written on a feed bin in my brooder house. While setting up for the arrival of chicks in the morning, I call about 5AM to see if they arrived. I do the same for eggs, chicks and bees. They're happy to have them out of there. They know I'm on my way and I go around the back, knock on the dock door, show my ID and they give me the package.
Packages are rarely handled by a human except at the receiving office and the destination. Everything else is automated. Packages travel conveyors at high speed and sorted automatically at major sorting locations. Whether the eggs get overly jostled depends on if the collection bin at the end of the conveyor is near empty or near full.
I don't mark packages as containing eggs unless the customer requests, because as someone stated, there's always the opportunity of contact with a disgruntled employee.
Most are good people. I had a couple queen bees fry in my mailbox on a sunny day. My postman was off that day. He asked me to let him know in advance when something like that is coming and he'd make sure they found a safe shady place for them.
There appears to be a new service that not all employees are aware of. There is a surcharge for fragile now. They told me those packages get special handling but you have to pay for it.
Penmaster - I have heard the exact same thing from UPS people. I'm sure it's the same at all the delivery companies. Low paying, very boring, UNION jobs. There are good employees, but there are the few at each company that do the most damage. I just feel that the fragile markings make them a target.
I'm patiently waiting for day 10 to candle again. I'm hoping for the best!!!
I'm a lifelong proud UNION member.
'Right to Work' is a scam that they've been pushing through for 30 years. Missouri was the first state to successfully expose the lie and defeat it.
Just sayin'.
Hey guys! Aah I wish I had more time to be on but there all this scholarship and adult stuff to do ugh.
Anyway, quick question, I'm doing the test run for my incubator today, I'm hoping to set tomorrow. However I pulled my digital thermometers out of storage and they were half a degree to a degree off, is there a way to calibrate these and if so how?
I know northerners will laugh at this post, but the temp is supposed to get down to 18F here tonight, so I'll get to see if the FI C-50 deicer does it's job of keeping the water from freezing...
It's an optical illusion... it's not as big as it looks in the bucket.
Generally a good design and plan. I've used those birdbath heaters with success in buckets and pan waterers.
At 18 your nipples may freeze.
The same setup will work fine with horizontal nipples since the seal in inside the bucket rather than outside the bucket with vertical nipples . The difference is about 25F with the efficacy of the two for freeze resistance.
Sally, this is fertility test # 2. I'll know Wed if anything is happening. I'm doubtful. These are mixed chicks. Three cockerels and ten pullets are living together this winter.
Good afternoon all. Pics of the 3 Bielfelder cockerels and 2 Bielfelder/Red Orpinton mix pullets I picked up last weekend. They conveniently lined up to pose for me.
The pullets
couldn't resist posting chick adventure land on the heater
Kaycey
The kids today write the same way they speak. To them, it is just casual, everyday conversation.
To them we sound snobby, judgemental, formal, conservative...and worst of all...old fashioned and out of touch with the times. Ah, the good old days! lol
Quote: Ha ha! So true! A week ago I drove 2 1/2 hours to harrisburg for 3 silkie chicks. We just stopped at the farm show to make the trip look like I had a better reason for going lol.
We also have a PA chicken train when someone is traveling across the state, the stop and make pickups and deliveries for everyone
welcome over @Auroradream26 added you to our hatching list.... I will post it again soon!
@Sally Sunshine Sally!!!! Yay!!! Now what are your thoughts about the ducks? We are having some resistance from my Mom who doesn't want us to get any more birds. Anyway we're not sure if we can mix and match the duck breeds or if they are requiring a minimum order of 5 of each breed, plus they are straight run so idk what to do.
I just went to check on eggs and the incubator was really cold (60s). It looks like one of us was scrolling through the menu and didn't get all the way to save. We have a Brinsea Octo 20. Does anyone know if that means it's been cold since the last time we tried to adjust settings? I didn't realize my daughter wasn't checking the thermometer inside the incubator.
I just got in and haven't read back for the day. How's everything? @LittleLakePhil did you get home okay?
I sold 18 pigeons and a pheasant today. It was my mother's 77th birthday, so took dinner and a cheesecake to her house. She has the same cold that I have, so we didn't want to go out.
Here are pictures of MY baby pigeons!
Couldn't sell the pair that just had babies
, and I really don't want to give up ALL my pigeons, so I kept 8 of my favorites and their two new kids.
I hope most of you are getting your much needed sleep. Maybe I'll catch up to you by morning...
