NY chicken lover!!!!

[shodack]

I'm guessing what you're seeing is A. people with certain ordinances in their cities (or close neighbors, or rental terms), B. people who are strictly getting them for the eggs, or C. people who don't want to deal with the chick situation, period.

I'm all three for the moment, and we try to keep things symbiotic (AKA we give 'em a safe place and feed 'em nice things, they give us eggs and lend a beak with the garden), but when we finally can move out to the country we'll be much better equipped to home multiple roosters. And actually, breeding back the ability to coexist reliably with other roosters throughout various heritages is one of our future goals so that mass cockerel culling isn't a necessity - I know someone on Craig's List has Barnevelders already maintaining that ability.

Different folks, different strokes.

Yep, no roosters allowed where I live. I'd love one, but I know I couldn't get away with it. Some day when I move to the country... in many years.

 

[myfivegirls]

Not many eggs here a day - 12 to 20 & that's from mostly this year's pullets. Some have molted & some still in the process. The largest group with ages ranging from 4 months to 4 years is on McDowell & Walker's broiler grower/finisher that's 18% protein as their regular chick grower is less protein. The three other groups are on 16% p. layer mash from Lutz, a local feed mill. Mostly adults with some pullets not laying yet, so not many eggs from those ~18 birds, not including the roosters. Previous years kept light on timer for 16 hrs but this year it's 12 hrs or less, keeping it closer to the natural daylight cycle. Part of the reason is they'd lay great all winter then stop in the summer to rest ! I'd rather have the extra eggs in warm weather for hatching.
I have bought feed from TSC but they're more $$ than the two local feed mill/stores. Mostly just get their BOSS when it's on sale and other non- feed items.

Need to process the extra ducks but now it's supposed to be colder & they're a pain to skin. Checked with local processor & they don't do ducks. Had a buyer for them but they never set up a time & didn't respond to my last email. The hard part is 4 of them are females but I already have too many female ducks.
Ended up getting a 2nd turkey young hen & the jakes are very happy now! They were displaying to the jennys but they were not impressed.

 

[Johnny311]

Does anyone know if its OK to mix flocks. I know of someone who is going to let ten four month old chics loose , I have plenty of room to adopt. But is it OK?

 

[tao chick]

Does anyone know if its OK to mix flocks. I know of someone who is going to let ten four month old chics loose , I have plenty of room to adopt. But is it OK?

It's ok, but I'm always cautious. Do you have separate living arrangements for the new birds? First and foremost for the health of your flock. You don't want disease to spread.
Also, the birds will Integrate much better if there is a barrier between them for some amount of time.
When you finally put them together watch closely. Single birds might get picked on.

 

[tao chick]

Breed and size make a difference too. Bantams sometimes don't do well with large birds.

 

[tao chick]

Pyxis, how are your two survivors of the USPS ordeal? They should be very strong chicks after all they went through.
My Morehens Disease is starting to flare up again. If I get around to processing cockerels I may end up doing some chicken math. I'm loving the Brabanters size and look. They aren't dual purpose, but I think I can deal with that. I want more already.

 

[boskelli1571]

Breed and size make a difference too. Bantams sometimes don't do well with large birds.

I have a few bantams - the roosters are funny! I have 3 roosters to 4 bantam girls, however, the boys are totally undaunted by size and have decided all the girls are fair game, no matter how big they are! So they chaperone the girls all over the place - it's cute to watch!

 

[Beer can]

Does anyone know if its OK to mix flocks. I know of someone who is going to let ten four month old chics loose , I have plenty of room to adopt. But is it OK?

Every situation is different. Some chickens will pick and pick on until one they don't like is dead. I've had good luck adding young silkies (mine are oversized TSC ones) to my flock of b leghorns, easter eggers, polish, mixed flock of adults. I watched them for awhile, they actually stayed segregated pretty much, in their own groups. They now share nest boxes for laying, no real problems. They have their 'pecking' order and do get pecked on occasion but that happens with all chickens, they learn their place, who to stay away from.
I added a bunch of young giants and sussex and one langshan next after a hawk attack in their run, main coop had covered run. No problems. Having lots of room helps. When the giants and sussex got big I decided room was a factor, or going to be one with so many young cockerels coming of age so I built another smaller coop and large run for the giants and sussex and put some in the freezer/grill.
I just added three welsummer EE crosses we hatched, they were rather small yet to the main coop, no problems.
The silkie rooster six pounds+ rules the coop, even though I still have a giant and a langshan cockerels who are twice his size in with them. I need to cull them soon before they become a problem, they are docile at the moment, but someday I know they are going to challenge the silkie roo, and I'm keeping him. Turns out one of the wellie EE crosses is a cockerel also, he must go, help on keeping plenty of room and feed costs down.

 

[Beer can]

Pyxis, how are your two survivors of the USPS ordeal? They should be very strong chicks after all they went through.
My Morehens Disease is starting to flare up again. If I get around to processing cockerels I may end up doing some chicken math. I'm loving the Brabanters size and look. They aren't dual purpose, but I think I can deal with that. I want more already.

X2?

'Morehens Disease'? Had to read that twice before I got it, first I heard it, Lol
I've been getting a lot of heat for feed costs, we are still getting plenty of eggs, enough for our family of seven to eat all we want, but feed costs are too much. I need to get rid of all cockerels I do not plan on using for breeding. I told the wife I only want to keep the silkies, sussex and giants, feed costs will go down if we get rid of the rest of our laying hens. I planned on doing that as soon as the sussex and giants start laying. Wife says we are NOT getting rid of 'house chickens' the wellie EE crosses, can't get rid of our one girls polish, or the other girls EE broodie.....Well then, don't complain about the feed....

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Not crazy about frizzle, but wouldn't turn one down if it was an EE or OE.

I'll plan for nonfrizzle.