Minnesota!

[AvianEgo]

Oh. Gotcha

 

[destiny_56085]

I've had hatchery stock polish before and they were the craziest birds ever. I don't know if dingy and flighty even began to describe their behavior. Last year I got into the exhibition caliber polish. I got 7 of the standard buff laced and 19 of the bantams in WC black, blue, cuckoo and some buff laced. Some of the bantams are frizzled too. The difference between the hatchery and exhibition stock is like night and day. These birds are as sweet as can be, not at all flighty. As far as handling the MN winters, I learned a hard lesson and lost a few of them once the first hard freeze hit. It wasn't the cold that hit them but the fact that their crests dipped in the water when they drank and they were freezing. I talked to a few old-timers in the poultry club and they came over and showed me how to cut the crests off enough to keep them alive. It might make a difference if you have a completely heated barn.... Now I do let the standards out to free range once they were done in the breeding pens. They seem to get along fine even with the other large fowl. The bantams, for me anyways, got picked on and have to be penned up separate. I brood the chicks only with other bantam (and very mellow) breeds like silkies and faverolles.

 

[ejb3810]

As relates to wintering birds in Minnesota, those without large combs are the way to go. In my experience, Marans and Chanteclers are both docile breeds and good layers of large eggs in good quantity. The Chanteclers have the advantage of cushion combs, but if you only keep hens the Marans should do well in any reasonably built coop. If you can keep the eggs from freezing in your coop then the Marans hens should not have a problem with combs freezing?

 

[bantiesrule]

Anyone make it to Forest Lake yesterday? Or did it get rained out?

 

[destiny_56085]

Made it to New Ulm yesterday and probably less than 100 people there. Had the coliseum since it was raining pretty hard at 7am.

 

[MNwaterfowler]

Triplell, where can a person best see a summary of what is required/involved as relates to NPIP?  Is there a directory to where to find a certified tester in one's area?
Are you planning to offer testing services to others, or have you simply become certified to facilitate your own poultry flock?

 

I am also a RWB certified tester, I am located near Mora.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Docile and good layers are what I'm going for! No roosters allowed in Burnsville. License is $50 for two years, then you have to renew. They gave me bands to put on the hen's legs. I wonder how that's going to work.

Some other good breeds to look at for their personalities are the Welsummers and Buckeyes. I have Orpingtons also who aren't too bad.

And someone mentioned Cochins being broody? I have 4 of them gone broody right now. I may let them all hatch a clutch and raise them for me so I can shut off the incubators. Or maybe give them my Call duck eggs to brood.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

For great temperament we love our Rhode Island Red. She is so sweet. Our Easter Eggers although they still greet us, are probably a little more flighty but I'm okay with that as they free range here and we're in the woods of northern MN a bit. (predators) I've also heard the barred rocks are charming...

I can't get over these license fees to keep chickens in town. ugh. I feel very fortunate right now. It ticks me off a bit too as it totally is a deterrant to not raise your own food. I totally see politics behind it. If you're raising your own...then your not buying it from their meat or egg industry lobbyist buddies...right? Jerks.

Alright...now you all know my politics now....

Sorry if I went off...

 

[AvianEgo]

Yes. I know they don't technically want us having chickens and the fee is a deterrent. my neighbors are retired farmers who sill work on the family farm time to time. I'm sure they will be understanding about my future flock. If they do not care i see no reason to apply for a permit unless i am given the option of getting rid of them

 

[sn0wwhite]

I guess I'd rather get the license and be legal than to be in a city where you have to have your coop 50 feet from any property line but lots aren't 100 feet wide or worse yet not allowed at all!