NY chicken lover!!!!

[Glasshen]

I know that J&J orders the chicks and they come by mail, I was there last year when Jen was leaving to pick some up from the PO. But there is a woman in the local area who has Speckled Sussex, and they are really big glossy, sweet birds. I can't speak to the fine points of conformation, since I don't know them, but really nice birds. J&J just refers people to her.

 

[mderby48]

Rancher Hicks I would love to get more Black Orphs from you if you have more hatch please let know I believe the one I got from you is a roo which is fine I'll just need some hens to go with him!

 

[County Boy]

Just thought you might like to see the local eagles!!

 

[Lynzi777]

Just thought you might like to see the local eagles!!

OMG that is awesome!!! You know I could have SWORN I saw eagles while I was sitting at the bus stop of our apt complex last year in Albany but I was like no way are those bald eagles. Thanks for reassuring me that they were in fact eagles!! LOL

 

[County Boy]

OMG that is awesome!!! You know I could have SWORN I saw eagles while I was sitting at the bus stop of our apt complex last year in Albany but I was like no way are those bald eagles. Thanks for reassuring me that they were in fact eagles!! LOL

I think they have been there for 4 years now. Every winter you can see them in there nest when the leaves are off.

 

[Coupe]

We have a pair here where i live..we live right on the hudson. Its so awesome to watch them catch fish!! Beautiful birds.

 

[JayinCohoes]

yup, dinner! Eating one shortly! Delicious!

I totally understand not wanting to buy chicks from a hatchery for many reasons but they're having to dispose of male chicks is really not that different from me having to cull roosters because they are not allowed in my city. Let's face it roosters even as babies get the short end of the stick and I don't know anyone who would keep 50% hens and 50% roosters. So this means that someone has to kill all these guys. Someone might think their saving a rooster by giving it to someone else but there's no way that all of those roosters remain alive. So to me a kill is a kill. killing a rooster is just procrastinating the killing of a male chick. When I was looking for chicks last year I hated the idea that I would have to get attached to them for a few months and then have to get rid of the roosters. So I took the easy way out and got my pullets at TSC where I was assured that most if not all of my chicks would be girls.

I would much rather have a day old chick killed rather than have it go to a poultry factory and spend its entire life in a battery cage. I think Stony has the more realistic way of looking at it. If I eat chicken I'd feel better knowing that chicken had a great life regardless if it was a rooster or a hen. Stony, I'm giving you all of my roosters if I accidentally get any.

 

[Lynzi777]

I think they have been there for 4 years now. Every winter you can see them in there nest when the leaves are off.

Well it definitely would have been around the same time last year that I saw them flying above the the trees on the mountains. I dont think I would have been able to see them as easily if all the foliage was blooming. Great pictures! Are those by your house or were you out and about when you captured those?

 

[featherz]

I give my excess roos away to people who will most likely have them as dinner guests eventually HOWEVER those roos live a decent life before having that 'one bad day'. I decided that was better than being thrown in a grinder at birth. Kind of a hard decision, tho. As a vegetarian, I'd rather if someone is going to eat chicken that they eat decently treated and raised chicken rather than a frankenchicken from the store.

.02

 

[rancher hicks]

so what do you do with all of your extra roosters when you hatch your own? I can't see people keeping 50% roosters.

If you follow CL and eat roosters many times they are free and to me it's free food. It would be better if you knew the person giving them away. Contrary to some op's rooster can be kept together if there is enough space.

In my case if I add a young rooster to a flock before he starts crowing them seem to assimilate just fine. Recently I added an older Amer Rooster to a flock of young pullets and a young Del rooster. He fit in fine.

Point being if you hatch your own and can afford to feed them there is no problem keeping a coop of roosters.