Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

FYI this was posted at our general store. Washington County fairgrounds. I think I'll go just to wander and see what they do with the event and who and what shows up if I can make it! @Minniechickmama maybe someone would take all those cockeral wellies that are hatching out!

Where is the Washington county fairgrounds?


I may not be getting an CX-Dixie rainbow crosses. Bert seems to have a swollen foot. He is favoring it and not walking. I know with a CX that is a bad sign.

Any suggestions?

Maybe the genetics are just so poor on CX's they cannot be kept to reproduce.... I am bummed by this...

 

[Minniechickmama]

FYI this was posted at our general store. Washington County fairgrounds. I think I'll go just to wander and see what they do with the event and who and what shows up if I can make it! @Minniechickmama maybe someone would take all those cockeral wellies that are hatching out!

It says Saturday, May 2nd in Stillwater. 8am. [email protected] for questions. On site testing $1 per bird.

They generally want them big enough to butcher. I may be hitting a couple of swaps later this Spring and Summer though.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have sold my birds to Asians and Indians ( Asian sub-continent not native Americans) they both like the skinny wiry roosters that are free ranged over the plump fat CX's (Bert's relatives). from the twin cities area.

They have all contacted me wanting more birds and saying how much they like the ones they got. A couple have told me they will take as many as I can raise. Of course, they always ask about Muscovy ducks too. I plan to save as many roosters as I can this year for them. Even the age does not matter, The woman that took nameless was extremely happy with him and he was 10 months old.

The nice thing about them as customers to me, is they do not care if the black pin feathers are there or not. It makes no difference. When I sell to those of us of European descent they whine and complain about the dark pin feathers.

You hit that nail on the head. I have now decided that when they want to talk me down on the price I say, "But look at the flavor you're getting at that price!" I hear how much people get at some of the swaps for 5+month old cockerels and my head spins. I can barely get $7 on a good meaty one ready for roasting.

 

[duluthralphie]

Minnie a hatching question for you.

I got that cheapy still air incubator at runnings to use as a hatcher. I am moving the diamond encrusted creamette eggs tonight or tomorrow to it.

I am hoping the still air will give the chicks a chance to dry slower and slow down some of the heat shrinking....

The thermometer on the incubator seems to be off by about 4-5 degrees. I use the old indoor/outdoor thermometers with probes on a wire, I put the wire at about eggs height to get a more accurate reading. I can also move the probes between incubators to check the accuracy of the thermometers. I did that and found the incubator off.
By turning the incubator down to 97 I am getting a 102 on my hatcher. Is that where I want to be?

Do you think I should disregard the one on the incubator?


Now the biggie.

When I last candled some of the eggs had air sacs on the side, should I lay them air sac up on the side for hatching? I have lots of room as I only have 7 eggs hatching sunday/Monday.


Thanks in advance..






As far as Bert goes, I looked at his feet, the left pad maybe a tad swollen hard to tell, He fought me the whole time I had him upside down. He is not waking much, but seem ok and he was crowing a fair amount after I checked him.

I could not see a broken leg, but have no idea if I would see it. He walks/waddles with a limp is all.

I raised the food up in the air so the turkeys and hens can reach it easily but he needs to stand on tippy toes or be happy with scratch and the stuff the others drop. That will at least keep him from sitting a pigging out at the feeder.


If he does die, I have a plan, it may not be a good one, but it is a plan. I will keep the Dixie chicks in the pen for 3 weeks and collect and hatch their eggs, hoping they are Berts babies. After 3 weeks, Ed will move into there with the Dixie Chicks. Ed is the partridge Chanticler I got from EJB. He is a big bird with huge long drumsticks. His only problem is his attitude. With the Dixie chicks, as long as he does not hurt them, he can be the biggest AAAAAAA ( sorry I dare not say the word) he wants, he will not hurt my Ole and Ernie.

Eventually Ernie will be going into a pen with just BA hens so I can raise them.

I am actually thinking of moving slowly towards a few breeds I keep "pure".
BA
Dominiques
and the Creamettes to start with.

 

[aussiegal318]

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping ship without notice, but Hubby decided to go visit the ER & take a hospital vaca. Kidneys this time. I'm still hoping for a get together. I know that everyone is getting busy with the spring/summer stuff.

I had ordered chicks from Stromberg's this year to see how they are. After a month of not hearing anything I called them now that we are back only to find that the 'Ameracuanas' are holding up the order. They figured it would be a June 1 delivery. I told them to just take them off ( I don't want Oct layers). Now it will be an end of Apr delivery. I had to make sure they had the correct address because I never received the letter they said they sent. Probably my mail carrier, I get mail for my neighbors all the time.

 

[AmericanKraut]

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping ship without notice, but Hubby decided to go visit the ER & take a hospital vaca. Kidneys this time. I'm still hoping for a get together. I know that everyone is getting busy with the spring/summer stuff.

I had ordered chicks from Stromberg's this year to see how they are. After a month of not hearing anything I called them now that we are back only to find that the 'Ameracuanas' are holding up the order. They figured it would be a June 1 delivery. I told them to just take them off ( I don't want Oct layers). Now it will be an end of Apr delivery. I had to make sure they had the correct address because I never received the letter they said they sent. Probably my mail carrier, I get mail for my neighbors all the time.

I hope everything heals up ok. So sorry about the chicks, too!

DuluthRalphie, the Washington County Fairgrounds is off I-35 and 94 I believe.

 

[AmericanKraut]

You hit that nail on the head. I have now decided that when they want to talk me down on the price I say, "But look at the flavor you're getting at that price!" I hear how much people get at some of the swaps for 5+month old cockerels and my head spins. I can barely get $7 on a good meaty one ready for roasting.

Minnie, my husband drives his route all down University Ave through Frogtown, St Paul and the thriving Asian communities and then through Seward/Riverside, and Central Ave/Ne Minneapolis a lot of the Indian sub-continent, African, and mid-Eastern communities and is always in the little mom and pop restaurants and delis. He could post fliers...or just leave a few roos loose on his bus.

 

[Cyrus83]

Well I turned the pullets loose with the grown hens today and all is going well. I had them in my homemade little confinement in the run all day yesterday. after looking at the new ones a bit closer I think I ended up with 1 blue copper, and 1 black copper cockerel. and 6 hens. 3 black, 2 blue and 1 splash marans.

 

[Rhetts]

The chicks will be 7 weeks tomorrow. DD saw one of the Welsummers trying to crow today. Is that normal for that breed to mature so young? Also wondering if comb development on wyandottes is normal at this age? This is our first go round with the rose comb type so I am not sure how quickly the pullets come in versus the cockerels.

Also my brother in law candled the duck and goose eggs he has in the incubator. He wasn't too sure but thinks there is development. However, he found the incubator to be 6 degrees too hot! He doesn't know for how long it was like that. He constantly checks it since it is a new bator. Well, all we can do is wait and see I guess.

For any home schoolers out there,anyone going to MACHE this weekend? I WISH I were but alas DH work schedule doesn't work out for me to go. I was completely bummed.

 

[duluthralphie]

Well I turned the pullets loose with the grown hens today and all is going well. I had them in my homemade little confinement in the run all day yesterday. after looking at the new ones a bit closer I think I ended up with 1 blue copper, and 1 black copper cockerel. and 6 hens. 3 black, 2 blue and 1 splash marans.

COOL!!! And I am a tad jealous, I need a maran or two for their egg color..

The chicks will be 7 weeks tomorrow. DD saw one of the Welsummers trying to crow today. Is that normal for that breed to mature so young? Also wondering if comb development on wyandottes is normal at this age? This is our first go round with the rose comb type so I am not sure how quickly the pullets come in versus the cockerels.

Also my brother in law candled the duck and goose eggs he has in the incubator. He wasn't too sure but thinks there is development. However, he found the incubator to be 6 degrees too hot! He doesn't know for how long it was like that. He constantly checks it since it is a new bator. Well, all we can do is wait and see I guess.

For any home schoolers out there,anyone going to MACHE this weekend? I WISH I were but alas DH work schedule doesn't work out for me to go. I was completely bummed.

I had some last year try to crow young. I love the sound of a baby crow, it is so cute, they also have their baby rooster fights at that age, which are cute too.


sorry about the incubator temps, that can be so disheartening. I found trouble with mine last year and found I need to run a second thermometer. The ones on the incubators just do not seem to work well. As I said in my last post, the one I got the other day is 5 degrees off.