Ok, back - and is that boy BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
I tried putting him in the bachelor pen, but I guess there was too much testosterone flying around, so he is currently in with Rudy and his girls. Rudy isn't happy, but he also isn't overly aggressive - he has flown at him twice, but all it was is a fly by - no real fight.
Whereas the two spitzs and Hoss were ganging up on the poor guy. He was fighting back with the three boys, but he's letting Rudy bully him a bit - I think he feels more comfortable with one going after him than three. Did I mention he is three times as big as Rudy?
He is bigger than any of the other boys, too - but three on one means he can fight back, I guess.
I can't wait til these new chicks are big enough to go out with Speckles (what Layne named the Delaware roo) He looks like he's gonna make a good rooster for some girlies. I hope most of the orp eggs hatch and are hens, so he'll have himself a good harem to start my meaty flock with. I already have some of Shelley's chickens hatched to put in with him once they are bigger. That RIR mix I believe is a girl and she is a BIG girl - if it is a girl she gets to be a breeder.
I still want some white rocks to throw into the mix, too. I was cruising hatcheries yesterday (got bored) and was comparing prices and such. I'd rather by from a BYC member, though.
I'm thinking the spitzhaubens need to go - I simply don't have room to breed those. They're cool, but I still need hens, and all I have is two boys. I need the room for other chickens who are gonna pay their way. The spitzs are all healthy - they are in the clean coop - so if anyone wants to buy (or swap) a spitz roo, I got two. I'm open to trading, too - looking for hens for Speckles. I'd like some Plymouth Rocks (whites preferred, but not strict on that), or some Delaware hens, to throw into the pen with him.
Hey, Shelley, is your dad willing to sell or trade some of his rocks?
I figure if I don't build any more coops (and I really shouldn't - times are getting really tough money-wise for everyone) then I ought to limit myself to one or two "play" chicken types, to breed, and the rest need to be for meat or eggs or both. Got to make this farm start paying for itself, I think. The cochins are my faves for the play chickens, so they get to stay. Everything else (frivolous chickens, I mean) is gonna have to go.
My oldest just emailed me this morning asking for money to help pay his rent. I sent it to him, but he's gonna have to stick to his budget better, I told him that would have to be the last time - I need to put myself on a budget, too. His hours got cut at work, though, so I felt bad for him, it wasn't totally his fault - at least he still has a job, Michigan has 10% unemployment, he better try to stick with the one he has for now.
I think we finally have everything we need as far as farm equipment and the like. We still have to finish the lean-to and the pig gates, but otherwise, we're done building for awhile, too. Now I just need some more calves and some pigs - but those are good expenses, cause they'll pay for themselves, eventually - one way or another.
Moving down here to the farm with basically NO farm equipment really put the crunch on our money this last year. Time to put a lot of the extra junk I have stuffed in my closet on
ebay, I guess
Heck, I got lots of junk - I could make a killing, probably.
meri
