Maine

[lazy gardener]

Went to the quail thread for a quick intro to "all things quail". Very interesting. Sounds like it might be a viable option to supplementing the diet with home raised meat. For now, I'll stick to chickens... but in the future, who knows?? Thanks for the info.

 

[quailtrail]

Went to the quail thread for a quick intro to "all things quail".  Very interesting.  Sounds like it might be a viable option to supplementing the diet with home raised meat.  For now, I'll stick to chickens... but in the future, who knows??  Thanks for the info.

Thanks here as well!

 

[Widget]

I have had button quail and coturnix in the past. Wouldn't mind having a go with quail again at some point. The buttons were in the large flight cage with my parakeets. Really cute little birds but not useful for meat or eggs. The coturnix were a bit larger and from what I read were good to eat. More of an appetizer than anything else but still tasty. Never had a chance to try them since the lab I was fostering knocked their cage over and had his own snack.

 

[ashandvine]

Hi everybody! !!! Just found you guys

Happy to be a part of this thread and keep learning and sharing!!

 

[Widget]

I let the birds out this morning before I went to run some errands. They were thrilled to get out and roam. When I came home all the birds were back in the pen with the door closed. So either my neighbor herded them back to protect them from a coyote that has been hanging around our yards or the birds put themselves back in due to a predator sighting. The door wasn't latched and it has been very windy today so they birds could have gone back in on their own for the shade.

But when doing a head count to make sure all were safe I had one extra duck. Or in this case duckling. There was a newly hatched duckling struggling at the front of the shelter. I went in and rescued the little guy. He is now sitting in a berry container next to the kitchen sink. He did take some water when I offered it and he perked right up. No idea if he will make it but I don't want to put him back in with momma just yet. She is still sitting on some eggs and as far as I can tell there are no other babies. She isn't too cooperative when it comes to letting me look.

The broody hen who hatched out five last week is down to three. She free ranges them during the day and leads them back to the pen at night. She gets out on her own and the babies can fit through the chain link. The other hen is now sitting on her own stash of eggs. I know those won't hatch since the rooster has been gone way too long for the eggs to be fertile. Of course now I am not getting any eggs for me. Neither hen is laying and the ducks lay but with the heat of the past week they went on strike.

 

[pellepeterson]

nice but is that an "easy bake" roof?

Hey hoppy, not an easy bake roof LOL!

It is white PVC roofing, used it on the roof of the layer coop, cheap and works great...very easy to work with too!!

 

[Widget]

Schoep has passed away.

I have been following him on Facebook since last summer. His is a touching story about the bond between human and animal.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3623615.html

For those who have never heard of Schoep he was a 20 year old Shepard mix from Wisconsin who passed away this week. Schoep and his owner John Unger were made famous last year when a photographer took a photo of John holding Schoep in Lake Superior. He would regularly take Schoep into the water because it was great therapy to help the dog with arthritis.

 

[buckabucka]

Love the meat bird tractor.
Sorry to hear your rooster did not make it, Hoppy.

I am eagerly awaiting the change in air that is supposed to occur tonight. It is too hot for me, although I did get a few chores done. We are frustrated by the loss of power. It went off at 10 pm last night and is still not back on 20 hours later. We have a propane generator, but we are low on propane, so we are running it just occasionally in hopes of saving all the meat in the freezer. I am writing this from a restaurant with free WIFI.

 

[Widget]

Beautiful. I am looking for a friendly, healthy rooster but I'm not sure my two girls would accept such a small one.

I still have some Olandsk Dwarf roosters (free) if anyone is interested. They free range all day, return to their tractor at night. They're friendly, full grown, and healthy.

 

[dowgirl71]

Hi everybody! !!! Just found you guys

Am new to chickens here. We started with quails in March. Hatched from eggs. It was our starting point. Now we are sooo excited to venture out. We will be getting a couple of SLW soon!!! Thanks to Mike aka. Hoppy. Right from the beginning have had my heart set on SLW and Buff Orps.

Happy to be a part of this thread and keep learning and sharing!!

Hi quailtrail-welcome! I started with 6 Barred Rock chickens, last spring, but this year, got my first SLW and 2 Buff Orpingtons. The Buffs are so sweet! They are fast becoming a favorite of mine. I also got a Black Australorp and she is very sweet and friendly, too. Now, I just hope they are all good layers.