Leghorns -19 weeks to first eggs

[AllenK RGV]

I mean seriously I was driving back from the breakfast taco place today and saw two Harris Hawks working my birds. Those are the most dangerous ones as they pack hunt usually one distracts while the other strafes the flock. I'm really tired of winter in the RGV with all these predators.

 

[AllenK RGV]

So I am missing my butt nugget reporting, how many layers do you have and how many per week? Is your little sales lady doing her job and drumming up business?

My current plans are to get rid of my roos but I haven't shared that with my wife. They are simply too far off standard with their red not black wattle to even consider breeding them plus last summer they were the ones that sucked for heat tolerance. I am thinking I am going to replace them with 3 Malay pullets because the goal isn't to have eggs for me and the way they stand makes me laugh. I was thinking of Dorkins only because I like the name but they are prolific layers too and I don't need a fridge full of eggs.

If I decide I want to add a roo I suspect I am just going to pay for a show quality bird with all the right stuff.

 

[RUNuts]

Oh, the entire marketing department laid a rotten egg. A real stinker! I'm still looking.

Daughters have been eating lots of eggs. They love them! Clean the counter off when they leave. Got one person signed up for repeat business. One. A few potentials, but nothing in stone. Egg business sucks. I'm eating and enjoying them. Along with Crazy Lady and son. Dozen a day! Taste is incredible.

17 layers. Lost a Leghorn (the biggest as fate would have it) to egg bounding. Couldn't get her right, so away she went. Quick to end the pain. 7 Leghorns and 10 brown egg layers. No idea who is laying what. Bouncing between 11 and 15 for the last week. Usually half white and half brown. And they are getting bigger. Eggs, my precious! The white ones are noticeably larger.

Getting garden set and will set up a meat bird area for 2 months followed by Easter Eggers for colored eggs next winter. I think flock goal is 10 by November. But everything is variable.

Feed - I got the cheap(est) alfalfa in block form. I soak 2 handfuls for 24 hours and toss in the coop mixed with sunflower and grain (was wheat, now rice) and kitchen scraps. They are loving that and the feed is lasting a lot longer. With the days getting longer, I'll let them out after work for a bit. They are cleaning the backyard up. I think the alfalfa or sunflower made a taste difference. Yolks are thicker. Maybe the hens growing up. IDK. Original plan was alfalfa to supplement for winter. May keep this going. They denuded the run.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Wow a near dozen a day! You should just do a forced sell to the marketing department to change your business model and deduct it from her allowance all in hopes of increased productivity there.

I mean aren't you the CEO?

I would need to do more research on the alfalfa nutrient profile more to get on board there, why again are you so in love with it? Besides the reduced feed requirements?

I just bought 200 lbs of feed/BOSS/scratch this week so am set for a good while with my flock and I believe spring is set for next week. We should have all of our bugs back soon.

 

[RUNuts]

Not CEO. COO. My neighbor was instigator. He was going to get birds. I decided to do it also. He backed out when I ordered mine. Oops. So much for co-learning. He pushed me over the edge since my brother was doing it. No competition, mind you.

I ordered 25 intending to eat most. Neighbor and my Crazy Lady decided to intrude and attempted to make pets of the cute chicks. WE compromised on keeping 18 to start selling eggs. I'm happy to report production is up & running. Marketing flopped. BTW, I'm a production guy. Neighbor is sales. Guess who is doing maintenance. And now sales.

Alfalfa is high in protein. I wanted the greens for a deeper orange yolk and to provide supplement during winter since days are short and they aren't getting to forage. Most feed has some alfalfa in it.

Also, feed is either soy based or for non-GMO and soy free is peanut based. Alfalfa appears to be expensive for factory poultry feed but some is added. But so is non-GMO and soy free. Not feeding a lot. Just supplementing. After running the back yard, the girls go to the feeder and tank up on feed before hitting the coop for the night. Crops stuffed full with greens and bugs and they add feed on top. Hmm. I'm feeding the soy based chick grower at 18% protein.

Brother has one Buff Orpington that free ranges and he says her eggs are phenomenal. She barely hits the feeder at all. He wants her to train the new hens to do the same. The coons are winning. With support from owls.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Not CEO. COO. My neighbor was instigator. He was going to get birds. I decided to do it also. He backed out when I ordered mine. Oops. So much for co-learning. He pushed me over the edge since my brother was doing it. No competition, mind you.

I ordered 25 intending to eat most. Neighbor and my Crazy Lady decided to intrude and attempted to make pets of the cute chicks. WE compromised on keeping 18 to start selling eggs. I'm happy to report production is up & running. Marketing flopped. BTW, I'm a production guy. Neighbor is sales. Guess who is doing maintenance. And now sales.

Alfalfa is high in protein. I wanted the greens for a deeper orange yolk and to provide supplement during winter since days are short and they aren't getting to forage. Most feed has some alfalfa in it.

Also, feed is either soy based or for non-GMO and soy free is peanut based. Alfalfa appears to be expensive for factory poultry feed but some is added. But so is non-GMO and soy free. Not feeding a lot. Just supplementing. After running the back yard, the girls go to the feeder and tank up on feed before hitting the coop for the night. Crops stuffed full with greens and bugs and they add feed on top. Hmm. I'm feeding the soy based chick grower at 18% protein.

Brother has one Buff Orpington that free ranges and he says her eggs are phenomenal. She barely hits the feeder at all. He wants her to train the new hens to do the same. The coons are winning. With support from owls.

I missed you can we call it a bromance?

Man the hawks down here have been horrid over winter I see a minimum of two attempts per day. We finally put up an actual wild bird feeder and have attracted a Green Jay pair, but you knew that already, well they are still with us and you always know they are coming by their bird calls. I just can't wait for their offspring to imprint on this property.

I'm on the look out for a good chicken soup/stew recipe if you come across a "best" one as I still am watching one of my roos waiting for it to make a crockpot worthy mistake. I seem to have the roos trained but fully expect to get hit from behind again. I have totally set my wifes expectations that any further infractions will be eaten.

BTW have you looked at the malay inventory at ideal or google images? OMG they like totally stand up like people!

 

[RUNuts]

Malays?!? That, sir, is a roadrunner! You hear about the 3 legged chickens?

YES - chicken soup recipe! Google GUMBO! I like the sausage and chicken ones. And the seafood. MUST find a spicy sausage for proper flavor. MUST. The whole gumbo rests on the sausage flavor. Use the seasoned sausage grease for the rue. Lard works, but I find it bland. Bacon grease better. Seasoned sausage grease wonderful.

Allrecipes has a butternut and chicken soup recipe that I modified to taste. Meaning I seasoned the hell out of it. I like squash soup. Used Halloween pumpkins for the squash.

How did you convince the wife of the chicken fate? Back to nature and she realizes meat is good? I am curious.

I don't know how to respond to the bromance. Can we see other people? Tried the 1836 brew by Buffalo Bayou Brewery. Has potential. Try some if you get the chance.

 

[aart]

I don't know how to respond to the bromance. Can we see other people?

 

[AllenK RGV]

Malays?!? That, sir, is a roadrunner! You hear about the 3 legged chickens?

YES - chicken soup recipe! Google GUMBO! I like the sausage and chicken ones. And the seafood. MUST find a spicy sausage for proper flavor. MUST. The whole gumbo rests on the sausage flavor. Use the seasoned sausage grease for the rue. Lard works, but I find it bland. Bacon grease better. Seasoned sausage grease wonderful.

Allrecipes has a butternut and chicken soup recipe that I modified to taste. Meaning I seasoned the hell out of it. I like squash soup. Used Halloween pumpkins for the squash.

How did you convince the wife of the chicken fate? Back to nature and she realizes meat is good? I am curious.

I don't know how to respond to the bromance. Can we see other people? Tried the 1836 brew by Buffalo Bayou Brewery. Has potential. Try some if you get the chance.

You are a hoot! Should I ever see it I will, was that brew in your local HEB, or Wally World? Yep pretty much every recipe requires seasoning to taste drop or few of liquid smoke cumin then general taco seasoning mix is my go to, and for sure the HEB branded ground black pepper I stop adding that at first sneeze!

I am so happy that today the sun has finally come back and the whole state is going to get to the 80's(I think, don't care about more than the fact we will see em). How is Houston looking this morning?

As far as convincing my wife regarding his fate I just stated that he has no chances left, and almost on cue today I was watering outside and "Chowder" again dropped a wing I didn't notice him until he started shaking it to make sure I noticed..... I made a lunge for him and he got scarce. I appreciate your gumbo ideas but I'm wanting to make a nice hearty chowder out of him something guaranteed to clog a vital artery like this: https://damndelicious.net/2014/01/17/chicken-potato-chowder/

 

[RUNuts]

I'm not big on stew or chowders. Prefer soup cooked all day. With homemade bread. And butter slathered all over the bread. Then dipped into the soup. Nom.

Houston is a balmy 60°F with 90% humidity. Been doing yard stuff. Both my feeders have leaks, so dumped the remaining feed into the pan (bottom of the buckets on both) and will add silicone to both. Been sprinkling on me all mid morning.

With 18 birds, I'm supposed to be feeding 0.25#/bird/day. 4.5#/day so a bag every 11 days. I have a standing order at the feed spot for 50# every 2 weeks since he doesn't stock what I want. That alfalfa mix and scraps must have me off. I have a bag and a half in the garage and the 1/2 bag was a week late. Hmm. Having said that, the eggs are delicious and more viscous than before. No real complaint. Just thinking out loud.

@AllenK@new2this will you get Malays to go with the Sumatra? You will have a varied flock. Daughter liked the Malays. How fast can they run with those legs?

@aart Is it better to make a duel purpose garden shed coop or a moveable one to clean the garden and raise meaties? I'll be running a fence around the garden, but can't decide how to solve this one. Advantages to both.