Hi.
A couple years ago we moved to the farm I grew up on. I bought it from my siblings and am in the slow process of remodeling.
I am indulging the farm boy in me, after a long career that had nothing to do with farming.
I did try to own a farm 25 years ago ,but found it too demanding with my work, now I am a fulltime bird farmer and remodeling carpenter.
I was tired of waiting for livestock so I turned an old one car garage into a chicken coop, much to the chagrin of my wife.
I bought three turkeys this spring from craigslist. JJ, Ethel and Myrtle. Myrtle and Ethel laid lots of eggs, I tried to hatch them, and failed miserably.
Myrtle always seemed to breath hard and in gasps. Unfortunately she passed about 3 weeks ago. She was just over a year old. Myrtle was constantly broody and wanting to sit on the nest. I build two nests in the garage, but Ethel and Myrtle wanted the same nest. They would fight over whose turn it was to be on the nest.
I bought 4 chicks (of the chicken species) for Myrtle so she would stop brooding and let Ethel have the nest. She was delighted, until Ethel took the chicks away from her and the nest.
So I bought 4 more chicks for Myrtle. Ethel again lured them away from Myrtle. Ethel is a great mother! Myrtle may have died of heart break.
( side note, I am aware of the dangers of Black Head, and I know it is risky keeping chickens with turkeys. However, it has never been a problem on this farm. My parents kept them both for years.)
Myrtle died in the coop on a very stormy night, no idea why, no external marks, maybe the thunder scared her, she was very fidgety.
I bought 25 Cornish cross broilers and 85 heavy dual purpose chicks on June 2nd, they were a package of various breeds from the hatchery. Since then I have bought 8 poults,(blue slate) all still alive, 10 keets of which 6 are left alive. Ending with 6 geese, which are a pain in the rear.
I have been lurking here and reading forum posts to try and become educated on birds.....
I learned today butchering a chicken and eating it immediately will result in the tough piece of meat that you can chew for hours.
This humbled me enough, I decided to join.
If you cannot tell, I tend to get wordy. Sorry.
A couple years ago we moved to the farm I grew up on. I bought it from my siblings and am in the slow process of remodeling.
I am indulging the farm boy in me, after a long career that had nothing to do with farming.
I did try to own a farm 25 years ago ,but found it too demanding with my work, now I am a fulltime bird farmer and remodeling carpenter.
I was tired of waiting for livestock so I turned an old one car garage into a chicken coop, much to the chagrin of my wife.
I bought three turkeys this spring from craigslist. JJ, Ethel and Myrtle. Myrtle and Ethel laid lots of eggs, I tried to hatch them, and failed miserably.
Myrtle always seemed to breath hard and in gasps. Unfortunately she passed about 3 weeks ago. She was just over a year old. Myrtle was constantly broody and wanting to sit on the nest. I build two nests in the garage, but Ethel and Myrtle wanted the same nest. They would fight over whose turn it was to be on the nest.
I bought 4 chicks (of the chicken species) for Myrtle so she would stop brooding and let Ethel have the nest. She was delighted, until Ethel took the chicks away from her and the nest.
So I bought 4 more chicks for Myrtle. Ethel again lured them away from Myrtle. Ethel is a great mother! Myrtle may have died of heart break.
( side note, I am aware of the dangers of Black Head, and I know it is risky keeping chickens with turkeys. However, it has never been a problem on this farm. My parents kept them both for years.)
Myrtle died in the coop on a very stormy night, no idea why, no external marks, maybe the thunder scared her, she was very fidgety.
I bought 25 Cornish cross broilers and 85 heavy dual purpose chicks on June 2nd, they were a package of various breeds from the hatchery. Since then I have bought 8 poults,(blue slate) all still alive, 10 keets of which 6 are left alive. Ending with 6 geese, which are a pain in the rear.
I have been lurking here and reading forum posts to try and become educated on birds.....
I learned today butchering a chicken and eating it immediately will result in the tough piece of meat that you can chew for hours.
This humbled me enough, I decided to join.
If you cannot tell, I tend to get wordy. Sorry.
and Welcome To BYC!
In our flock, we have no pecking order!
