NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

I have a thermometer in the coop and with out insulation it's been in the mid 20's. I do intend to insulate this summer though. Ventilation is a concern there. Right now there is a 12' soffit that is opened for that. I have two red heat lights inside but not sure they do much good.

Still my leghorns are in a crate/coop inside the backroom off the garage. Their nails are extremely long. I just have the pair for now. They lay a small egg but nice sized for a bantam, but then I expect they all do. Maybe not since they have weight and size limits.

 

[tgrlily]

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Have you tried filing their nails? I use a very coarse file like they use for acrylic nails in the salon. The silkies like getting a pedi!

 

[marquisella]

I have chicks....2 Wheaten ameraucana cockerels about 4 months ol-free, 2, 1 week old wheaten ameraucana cockerels, -$5.00 each, a lot of black copper Marans chicks 3 to 1 week old-$8 each un sexed. I've only been setting eggs that are at least 5+ ON THE marans color chart.

Email me at: [email protected], if interested. I prefer to not go through byc pms....

Sue

 

[rancher hicks]

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Have you tried filing their nails? I use a very coarse file like they use for acrylic nails in the salon. The silkies like getting a pedi!

I have but I used to have dogs and I can't tell you the number of times I've cut to deep. The only problem with these guys is the nails collect stuff and I have to make sure they stay clean. Something I learned the hard way. I didn't intend to keep them but I'm getting to like them. Also they don't seem to like confinement real well. They need a larger space than some of my bigger girls. That mean another darn coop. Lord have mercy!

BTW, you talked about ordering from Greenfire? Do you know anyone who has? DW would kill me if I do. Well if she finds out.

Course if I did who in this cheap state would pay the price for a chick? How many would I have to sell to recoup $459.00
Take care

Rancher

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Have you tried filing their nails? I use a very coarse file like they use for acrylic nails in the salon. The silkies like getting a pedi!

I have but I used to have dogs and I can't tell you the number of times I've cut to deep. The only problem with these guys is the nails collect stuff and I have to make sure they stay clean. Something I learned the hard way. I didn't intend to keep them but I'm getting to like them. Also they don't seem to like confinement real well. They need a larger space than some of my bigger girls. That mean another darn coop. Lord have mercy!

BTW, you talked about ordering from Greenfire? Do you know anyone who has? DW would kill me if I do. Well if she finds out.

Course if I did who in this cheap state would pay the price for a chick? How many would I have to sell to recoup $459.00
Take care

Rancher

There are many who bought from Greenfire that are selling those offspring for much less money. Like everything else, after enough people have them, the price goes down because there are so many selling the same thing.

Sue

 

[rancher hicks]

Well I do remember the BCM's they had and how expensive they were.

Who do you know who is buying the Jubilee orps or others and how can one make up $459? What would you pay for a chick?

 

[tgrlily]

I wouldn't make up for the initial expense all at once... we would call that an investment. Just like building a new coop or an expensive incubator doesn't pay for itself, you hope that eventually you'll cover it.

In my search of people who will be offering them in the states, so far Greenfire has the lowest price. There are people all over the country who want chocolate orps. I would imagine most sales would not be local & that's ok with me. The choc gene doesn't exist here exept as a rare mutation. I can think of a few breeding projects using the choc gene right in my own flock that might interest people.


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[rancher hicks]

From what I can see the Jubilee looks a great deal like the Speckled Sussex and I wonder if that's where it all started. However I won't be ordering any until I get some other projects taken care of first. New roof , furnace and you know that kind of stuff. Also not until I have a designated coop away from other less expensive birds. Maybe by then they'll be cheaper.

Now let me know what you've got going in the chocolate area. Frankly I have a hen that insists on going broody and I'd like to buy a couple of egg to stick under her. I've tried everything to break her and she just goes right back into the nest. Until I can get rid of some of these Del roos in with Sissy (lav amer roo) I can't put any hens in there. I have one who is laying a nice blue egg and perhaps a CM or two for olive eggs. I have one who lays an olive egg just not very dark.

Oh and I've been contacting folks over in the UK and Is. but none ship to the U. S. So it looks like GreenFire is the only place I'll get what I want.

Anyone besides me who likes the Swedish Flower Hens? $1000.00 a pair oh my!

Take care, places to go, people to annoy

Rancher

 

[tgrlily]

Please do let me know if you're planning on getting chocolate orps. There are other projects I can work on instead.

The Jubilee color in Orps is derived from Speckled Sussex. Once the color is established, you breed back to Orp for type. After several generations, they're not a "project" anymore. Just like the lavenders. I'm doing one more breeding back to pure blacks with English body type because I prefer the English type. My pure lavs are stunning as they are, but I'm still continuing to improve them.

Right now I have nothing going on with chocolate. I've just fired up the third bator to keep up with the eggs. Gotta sell another few dozen eggs to help pay for a bigger bator...lol.

I may decide to concentrate on my Dorkings & maybe add cuckoo Dorkings to our flock. There are so few lines of Dorkings in the US that the breed really needs new blood. Trying to figure out a good & cost effective way to do this is tricky. I'm hesitant to cross to another breed, so we've been debating whether we should import. Unfortunately, most breeders in England don't export & it is expensive to quarantine birds if we find someone to work with. We also don't know how much interest there is, other than knowing how hard they are to find here. I already have a small waiting list for them.


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[rancher hicks]

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Ok please clarify for me. You have found someone to import eggs from in the UK? You have all the contacts in NYC to quarantine? I would be interested in the Scots Dumpy. You know what it will cost?

I have been trying to connect with someone over there but can not find anyone. My SIL is from there and has family and does make a trip or two. I may go myself if I can afford it and do the transport but most likely could connect with my SIL's Aunt and Uncle. Though I expect Greenfire to be cheaper if I wait for the Jubilee's. I'm not sure I want Chocolate orps if they are bantams.

I have friends going to Ireland and maybe I can tag along with them and bring something back to drop for quarantine in NYC if I can make the right connections. Sometimes going with a tour group is cheaper. That's how I went to Greece and Isreal. When I went to Greece one of the guys brought back a tortoise and had to go through customs.

Take care
Tim