Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

Minniechickiemama, I followed your advice and contacted fowlman01. He agrees with the turkey droppings and also said that the usda advises against mareks vaccinations in small flocks! And it wasn't because I didn't believe you.....

Duluthralphie, I'm going to pm you.


And about roosters: I had this rooster who suddenly took a severe dislike to hens with crests. He was raised with chicks, some of whom had crests (sulmtalers) and when he got about 5 mo old, he started chasing them and trouncing the crap out of them. Not mating, he was doing that just fine with other birds. I culled him, and now have one of his offspring, who last night....took off after two pullets with crests. I mean, beating them up with his wings, etc.

What is it with roosters and crested birds? I think I am having Rooster Corfu for supper this weekend.

The 5-months or so stage of cockerels is the stupidest. They go after hens and pullets with no respect and are just horrible with them. Not to sound vulgar, but they are like a 15-year old trying to have sex the first time and have no clue what they are doing or how to do it, so they are overly aggressive and cause damage.
I learned the first year I owned chickens that if you wanted to keep crests on birds, keep the crested breeds away from everyone else. I have Silkies and they no longer get mixed with any other breeds after about a month in the brooder.


lala- I am not offended in the least you checked out what I said. I think everyone should double check any information they a read. The internet is full of misinformation on poultry and the only way to truly find answers is through research and finding reliable sources and professionals or educational facilities with the educated answers.

 

[FoxyChicken]

For next season I will have Buckeyes, New Hampshires, Welsummers, BBS Cochins, Easter Eggers and MAYBE Black Ameraucanas and a very few Black Orpingtons. I also have bantam Salmon Faverolles and Silkies in White and BBS (Blue/Black/Splash)

Oh man, maybe I just need to build a bigger coop. I would like to have several of those breeds! Darn chicken math....

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I started out with one coop. Now I'm up to 10 coops. It's that darn chicken math.

 

[Minniechickmama]

What was supposed to be our one hen house is now the brooder house and I have a few coops and tractors and hutches. I kind of went crazy at first with about 23 breeds with 30 varieties, but chose about 15 and have cut down even more from there so I can concentrate on breeding them well. There are some others I would love to have, but for now, I will do my best to breed fun Easter Eggers and keep the ones I have going toward the Standard.

 

[cmom]

I had to many breeds too. I have cut down. My DH was getting very upset with me and my birds and I did have way too many of different breeds.

 

[FoxyChicken]

I started out with one coop. Now I'm up to 10 coops. It's that darn chicken math.

10 COOPS??!!

I see you're in Florida though, that must make it a little easier. I feel like you'd almost have to have power run to every coop up here just to keep water liquid in the winter and to have light to do chores by when it's dark for 16 hours a day.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I was born in northern Michigan but we moved to Florida when I was young. I live in north central Florida. We can get pretty chilly in the winter but I know nothing like what you get. My brother did move back to northern Michigan many years ago because he married a gal from there and she wanted to be closer to her family. Here are some of his birds. They have moved since this picture was taken. I'm an old fart now. I retired several years ago so my chickens are my therapy. I do have power to my coops and my birds all have night lights. All of the coops have auto waterers. I don't think my old body could deal with the cold any more.

 

[Minniechickmama]

You mean for times when the snow looks like this? There were chickens in this tractor, but this happened to be last year on May 2nd when we got 17" of slush dumped on us.

 

[cmom]

You mean for times when the snow looks like this? There were chickens in this tractor, but this happened to be last year on May 2nd when we got 17" of slush dumped on us.

WOW...

When I was a kid the latest I remember seeing a snow storm was on May 6th but we didn't get that much. I only remember that because it was on my mothers birthday.

 

[Minniechickmama]

cmom, that was a freakish storm that dropped 17+" at our house of wet slush. It was a mess! It melted quickly but it took a while to dry out. It couldn't be blown either because it was so wet.