Leghorns -19 weeks to first eggs

[AllenK RGV]

Buy meat from a San Antonio game ranch about once a year. Almost cheaper than cow and infinitely better tasting and texture. Oryx is delicious. They compare with elk. Axis is right behind them. Whitetail, eh.

Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad you are OK.

I wonder if the Ngalli that this area is overrun with would compare to the above mentioned game species. I'll probably have to take a trip in secret to eat dinner at your place(and bring my culls I could tell my vegetarian wife they found a new home). Then stock photos should she wonder how they are doing now ;P. The accident really was a non issue for me and no police report was ever filed. My new Wrangler is intact and virtually blemish free left front mudflap?wheelwell?thingie? did get a scratch though its maybe 2 inches long. Even if it were worse there are soooooo many options for unbolting em and replacing them with a) something asthetic or b)armor that makes people avoid hitting you.

Sending you some pics of my birds I took this AM while we all foraged, the flock is resting here mostly as their crops are about to burst after eating all of those Army Moth caterpillars that are still around. Oh yeah these are 3 month olds born July 16.

Can you see the bearded lady with this funky little spider? It's web actually captured a 3 inch long mediterrean house gecko I was able to set free.

Here they all are resting with horrendously bloated crops. The rest of the photos are just me trying to catch their full coloration without the benefit of direct sunlight. Also, I am in love with those gamey looking legs.

 

[RUNuts]

Australorps? or that indian name? Serama? What breed are these? Very pretty!

Yes, I do have room for roosters in the freezer. Bit of a drive though.

I'll ask the ranch manager about the Nilgai. Huge animals. We haven't afforded one yet, but I think she said they were good. Twice the meat and thrice the price.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Australorps? or that indian name? Serama? What breed are these? Very pretty!

Yes, I do have room for roosters in the freezer. Bit of a drive though.

I'll ask the ranch manager about the Nilgai. Huge animals. We haven't afforded one yet, but I think she said they were good. Twice the meat and thrice the price.

Wow hard to believe as they are common as rats down here and especially on the King Ranch. Same with Javelina. Speaking of Javelina I can't tell you the number of times my dogs flushed those out of the brush, one night they ad a pack of at least 10 running in circles at McKelvey park. OMG too funny to watch! Anyhow King Ranch isn't much more than a 2 hour drive from San Antonio so wonder why they are so expensive. I have almost hit 2 now leaving Boca Chica State Park, SPI is closer but policed. I take my dogs out for a good run there, last time we were all there I kicked some kid's soccer ball back over the river to Mexico.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Australorps? or that indian name? Serama? What breed are these? Very pretty!

Yes, I do have room for roosters in the freezer. Bit of a drive though.

I'll ask the ranch manager about the Nilgai. Huge animals. We haven't afforded one yet, but I think she said they were good. Twice the meat and thrice the price.

These are 3 month old Black Sumatras. Photos were taken in the shade if you can get them in sunlight they really pop!

 

[Kiki]

My current flock of 8, all from Ideal, where hatched last year mid August.
All started to lay mid January.
All laid well until this silly molting crap started at the beginning of this month.

You will be getting 18 eggs a day soon!

 

[AllenK RGV]

These are 3 month old Black Sumatras. Photos were taken in the shade if you can get them in sunlight they really pop!

Australorps? or that indian name? Serama? What breed are these? Very pretty!

Yes, I do have room for roosters in the freezer. Bit of a drive though.

I'll ask the ranch manager about the Nilgai. Huge animals. We haven't afforded one yet, but I think she said they were good. Twice the meat and thrice the price.

My current flock of 8, all from Ideal, where hatched last year mid August.
All started to lay mid January.
All laid well until this silly molting crap started at the beginning of this month.

You will be getting 18 eggs a day soon!

I was under the impression Sumatra were very slow to mature something like 14-18 months until first egg, but we will see there is much misinformation out there on this breed perpetuated mainly by the commercial breeders.

 

[Kiki]

I was under the impression Sumatra were very slow to mature something like 14-18 months until first egg, but we will see there is much misinformation out there on this breed perpetuated mainly by the commercial breeders.

Sorry...I am not familiar with this breed.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Sorry...I am not familiar with this breed.

Ok I was looking and its 6-8 months for maturity, spur development, laying and crowing. Not that I was expecting eggs before March anyway going into winter. our days are getting close to being shorter than 12 hours soonish.

 

[Kiki]

Ok I was looking and its 6-8 months for maturity, spur development, laying and crowing. Not that I was expecting eggs before March anyway going into winter. our days are getting close to being shorter than 12 hours soonish.

I personally do not think the regular Winter 'stories' have anything to do with birds in our area.
I have another flock of Production Reds that lay year round.

 

[AllenK RGV]

@KikisGirls I also plan on making the journey north to Ideal in Feb to get some more pullets to see how close they are to the SOP. My meyers stock have really crummy feet and aren't as heat tolerant as they should be. I'm sure a Texas breeder would have heat tolerant birds at a minimum. Mine still spend the days hiding from the sun and its just in the mid-high 80's right now. They even hid from the sun when it was only 77 degrees after that last cold front. Which is kinda odd since my entire backyard is mostly overhung by mature Mesquite trees, so 50% shade when under those.