Been reading posts for a few days, belong to the Family Cow forum also, this is very informative with chickens.
I've had chickens for about 6 years and turkeys. Right now we have about 30 Americauna chickens and 10 Buff Orfingtons. I have one rooster in charge of the ladies and he is a gentlemen. We usually sell eggs and during the summer sell broilers to a few customers and our family. Kids are spoiled because they are used to boneless chicken breasts so getting them to take free chicken is not that easy. One does take it often and two don't. We also raise pastured turkey's for Thanksgiving.
We have had predator problems especially with the turkey's (lost 10 in one night) and think it was either a mink, weasel or racoon. They just ate the heads and nothing else.
We also had muscovy ducks which a fox got.
Our problem is our neighbor, he has a broiler house but when he loses any broilers he doesn't bury them or burn them, he throws them in his field which boarders our property and likes to watch the fox, and turkey vultures. Well if he doesn't have any broilers they come to my place for the buffet.
:/ They are Amish, we are surrounded by Amish.
We also have three heifers, Molly a brown swiss, Sadie a holstein, and Iris a herford. Three steers, two brown swiss, Norman and Walter and a Jersey steer Norman. I had a Jersey milk cow Betty but she kept getting milk fever with each birth and I sold her to someone with more experience than me with cows. She was a gentle girl and I hand milked her. In the spring we will get some pigs and raise them until late fall.
I've had chickens for about 6 years and turkeys. Right now we have about 30 Americauna chickens and 10 Buff Orfingtons. I have one rooster in charge of the ladies and he is a gentlemen. We usually sell eggs and during the summer sell broilers to a few customers and our family. Kids are spoiled because they are used to boneless chicken breasts so getting them to take free chicken is not that easy. One does take it often and two don't. We also raise pastured turkey's for Thanksgiving.
We have had predator problems especially with the turkey's (lost 10 in one night) and think it was either a mink, weasel or racoon. They just ate the heads and nothing else.
We also had muscovy ducks which a fox got.
Our problem is our neighbor, he has a broiler house but when he loses any broilers he doesn't bury them or burn them, he throws them in his field which boarders our property and likes to watch the fox, and turkey vultures. Well if he doesn't have any broilers they come to my place for the buffet.
We also have three heifers, Molly a brown swiss, Sadie a holstein, and Iris a herford. Three steers, two brown swiss, Norman and Walter and a Jersey steer Norman. I had a Jersey milk cow Betty but she kept getting milk fever with each birth and I sold her to someone with more experience than me with cows. She was a gentle girl and I hand milked her. In the spring we will get some pigs and raise them until late fall.
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neighbor
