INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Planning for next spring...


Assuming all my birds are still around, I feel like I really only have room for two more chickens. There are more I want, though!

If you could only have two, which would you get:


A marans (any kind of marans)
an olive egger
a salmon favorelle
a cochin (any kind of cochin)
a buff silkie (we love our silkies)

DH and son are pulling for a buff silkie, but I've read that SFs are friendly and sweet, too. I've read the same about cochins.


I am pulling for colorful eggs, myself.


Which would you pick, and why?

The breeds I like out if this group are OEs, salm favorolle , and Cochins. I really just don't care for the other two breeds. Since you are looking for colorful eggs I would go with an OE, but they often look like EEs (minus egg color), so you might want to go with marans for egg color. And then for more of a pet I would go with a bantam cochin. Salmon favorolles though sweet also tend to be timid (more towards other chickens than people). So they don't do very well in a mixed flock. Cochins are also very gentle and sweet and tend to be on the bottom of the pecking order. But they aren't as timid and do much better in a mixed flock IMO.

Now if it were my flock and I was getting two more and had these breeds to pick from I would get two bantam mottled Cochins. Because I don't "need" any of the other breeds, but I need more mottled Cochins

 

[leslea]

The breeds I like out if this group are OEs, salm favorolle , and Cochins. I really just don't care for the other two breeds. Since you are looking for colorful eggs I would go with an OE, but they often look like EEs (minus egg color), so you might want to go with marans for egg color. And then for more of a pet I would go with a bantam cochin. Salmon favorolles though sweet also tend to be timid (more towards other chickens than people). So they don't do very well in a mixed flock. Cochins are also very gentle and sweet and tend to be on the bottom of the pecking order. But they aren't as timid and do much better in a mixed flock IMO.

Now if it were my flock and I was getting two more and had these breeds to pick from I would get two bantam mottled Cochins. Because I don't "need" any of the other breeds, but I need more mottled Cochins

Thanks for weighing in!

Poor little SFs. They are so cute, I just want to pinch their cheeks.

 

[Rhandi74]

Here is a couple pics of the new ducklings. So far there is 6 hatched and all of them are black. I also included a pic of Jewel's stink eye, she does not want me messing with her babies

 

[leslea]

Here is a couple pics of the new ducklings. So far there is 6 hatched and all of them are black. I also included a pic of Jewel's stink eye, she does not want me messing with her babies

Aw...

 

[Candy442]

AHHHHHHHH......

what smart chickens do on a warm sunny fall afternoon

 

[Leahs Mom]

Makes me want to go lay out in the sun.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Thanks very much everyone for the birthday wishes

Productive day, got much farther on my Turkey house. have to pick up hardware for the egg doors, and then set posts and start painting. Hoping for a few more dry days. Will be enclosing the top, the hens are excellent fliers. My poults have me convinced that 2 of 3 are positively hen. The 3rd probably is, but am still doubting a little, just seems taller. I processed my first BR turkeys today, and was impressed at how easily an adult plucked. We went to 170 degrees on the water. dunking was faster, and it was a quick job. DH had to dunk the tom, he was pretty heavy! Have to take finished weights before I freeze.
I will be ordering BB turkeys this spring after all. DH asked me to get more, he really loved the turkey burgers and we are out of it in the freezer. So, anyone interested, I will easily make the minimum ourselves. The price drops with the more you order. The link to look at them is here:
https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=BBBTS
They also have the white variety. White do dress out more attractively, but most of ours will be for ground meat. I plan to order late January and will post again. I bought direct from a Rural King this spring and the poults did not thrive. I had others tell me this too! Last years were from Meyer, lost 2 the first day, and the rest (18) did fantastic. One is still here, she is 18 months old. Her name is "Puppy". She lays a nice large turkey egg almost daily. Seasonally, of course but is still laying. and often double yolkers. I free range our meat birds too, and Puppy is healthy and doing very well. She was so tiny, and friendly she stayed.
I prefer my heritage turkeys to keep year around. Once my flock grows more, I wont be buying the BB variety anymore. Turkeys are a longer commitment for turnaround to begin using them as a regular annual food source. I have finally got the line established I wanted, so now its just the matter of hatching. We are also adding Whilte Holland, and Mini whites this coming year.

I'm curious, which meat grinder do you use? You grind enough meat that I'm sure you have a good grinder.
@racinchickins I'm going to ask you too. What grinder do you use?

Do you both like your grinders or is there a different one out there I should look into getting?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm curious, which meat grinder do you use? You grind enough meat that I'm sure you have a good grinder.
@racinchickins I'm going to ask you too. What grinder do you use?

Do you both like your grinders or is there a different one out there I should look into getting?

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I have a pair of black ameraucanas for sale if anyone is interested. You can pm me for more info

 

[Rhandi74]

Well one of the 6 ducklings only has one eye. The other eye may be there but it is sealed shut and looks a little swollen. It can move around good and looks healthy otherwise. Anyone have any experience with this issue? Or have suggestions of things I should do to help?

This is the bad eye, sorry it is very hard to get good pics with such dark fuzz

This is the good eye

A different duckling