***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[artsyrobin]

Catdance and Porto are names I know--good breeders. Morris I don't know. Gray usually is an older (but good) standard color, though most of the "grays" seen now are actually silver partridge. Sounds like you're getting good eggs. I've had several bantam breeds, starting with cochins. I liked all of them, but ended up happiest with silkies, and my flock usually ranges about 75-80 birds (including youngsters and chicks--also including 6 guine fowl and 3 OEGBs).

Silkies are a bit bigger than most bantams, and their eggs get larger as they mature; about a "small" in the supermarket. They are very sweet-natured and tame easily, even if not formerly handled. They are generally very docile birds, even most of the roosters. They are a good bird for kids.

Of course they can't fly because of the structure of their feathers, and must be kept in safe quarters with protection from above.

what she ISN'T telling you is they cant fly but they can HOP real high.

..a couple of mine are that way, they are wonderful birds!!



@Ksane what i do with the chicks the first week is either grind the food, so its almost a powder, or dampen it, and add a little to the water too so they get vitamins and nutrition that way- this is the chick of my pair you got for me last July-



i never weighed the little one, and that first 2 weeks she was downright vicious- she may be small but she can draw blood!

hes about a week old in this shot

 

[lonnyandrinda]

91?? 2000 chickens??? Man, do I feel like a slacker :-O

Rinda, that is a cool Spitz. I miss the Quad and hope they're doing well.

They are, thank you very much! Did you see my Heart Attack picture on facebook of their pen? LOL! Molting is in full force around here!




Had an "odd" chick hatch last weekend, somehow I didn't notice until TODAY that one of the chicks from the hatch had NO EYES. Bizarre. I went ahead and put her down, even though she was a female cream legbar. I just do not have the time it would require to teach a totally blind chick how to eat and drink, and build special accommodations for her. Breaks my heart.

 

[greenacregirl]

Thanks to the generosity of a fellow BYC'er, I have been blessed with a few new, beautiful birds, of a unique breed. I already had a beautiful Basque Hen, named Leah. Yesterday, I acquired two more Basque hens, and two simply gorgeous roosters. All I was told was when she wanted some more Basques, she'd come see me. Fair enough. I never planned to be a breeder, when I first got into this, but I have been toying with the idea,
Obviously, I'm not going to just toss them into the main coop, with my other two roosters and 24 hens & pullets, who are in that main coop. I have them sequestered/quarantined, in two large brooder boxes. But, I don't currently have another coop, and Tuesday, I begin the process of caponizing, about 35 boys. I'm hoping to get 5-7 done, per day (I hope). But, I'm now rethinking my flock, entirely.
I already had two simply gorgeous roosters, Bob (Black Australorp) & Rudy (Rose Comb RIR). Bob is a good boy, to the hens, but not very nice to Rudy. You'd think that with 24 hens, and nearly grown pullets, Bob, would let Rudy have a little fun, with some of the girls. But, that is not happening. Bob wants them all, to himself.
So, my rethinking is this. I have the following grown roos:
Australorp
RIR
2-Basques
And, the following corresponding, purebred hens:
2-Australorps
3-RIR's
3-Basques

So, since I have nearly 30 other hens and pullets (mostly red and black sex links, Delawares and Jersey Giants-some still very young and small) for general purpose egg laying, and 30 meat birds, that will, once they are all laying, provide all the eggs I need for our family and friends, I'm thinking of building 4 small tractor coops, to allow for proper fertilization, of good purebreds, for hatchlings, down the road.
I figure I need to make them each big enough for 4 birds (1-Roo & 3-Hens, each, to allow room to add more Basque and an Australorp hen).
I also have several EE (3-True Ameracaunas, 2-EE's) roosters, and all but one are to be caponized, in the very near future, to keep them from fighting. I'll likely build another tractor coop for the one whom I plan for him to keep his manhood, as I get some Ameracauna hens/pullets.
And, I have 2-Blue Andalusian and 2-Cream Legbar pullets, that are likely to get similar digs, as time goes by, and I get roos, to breed them with.
But, I might be thinking wrongly, so, I thought I'd just put it out there and get some input, from y'all. Thoughts?

I am wanting Basques so bad. I am glad to know they made it to Oklahoma. I am hoping to get some in early spring as well as Blue Isbars

 

[Kyzmette]

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He's gorgeous! How old was he in the Before picture? This one is probably 1/3 that size. I sure hope mine does that well.
I keep warming him up mushy mash and he has crumbles scattered in his box but he doesn't really eat. His mouth is just too tiny to even pry open and try to feed him. I just keep dipping his beak in the wet food. I'm too scared to try him under the mama. One of the hens I let hatch a litter this year scalped her baby in a matter of minutes. After she rejected the egg I just don't trust her. He does love being held all the time, going to get him a feather duster tomorrow.

A coffee grinder would be perfect for this, and they're pretty cheap. One pulse would probably be perfect, to make it mostly fine with some texture to it. And I know you already know this, but put the food on the floor and tap it... it stimulates a baby's pecking instinct. I love teaching chicks how to eat! It brings out that maternal d'awwwww in me.

 

[Kyzmette]

Had an "odd" chick hatch last weekend, somehow I didn't notice until TODAY that one of the chicks from the hatch had NO EYES.  Bizarre.  I went ahead and put her down, even though she was a female cream legbar.    I just do not have the time it would require to teach a totally blind chick how to eat and drink, and build special accommodations for her.  Breaks my heart.

Butbutbutbut.... I would have put her in with Juliette.

And look! Coral, you"ll appreciate this. I kept Phtheven isolated for a week then put him in the Litttles pen yesterday. He went right back to his best friend!

 

[HeyBigRhondaq]

@BetsyOK I don't know how I missed your post, but thanks to you and everyone else who gave info on the silkies. I'm excited to get them (early this week), hope I can get a couple to hatch. They sound fun! My main coop should be great for them.

So, I've got 7 Olive Eggers in one mini. I'll cram the silkies into my other mini. When those hatch, my Tolbunt Polish should be on their way. Then, I'm done hatching until my Barnevelders are ready...unless my Jubilees start to lay...or I find some other cool eggs to hatch...or I get a bigger incubator for Christmas...or...or...or.

 

[countryhen]

I need to sell some roosters all nice breeds are there any sales I can take them to near Idabel Oklahoma or is someone looking for new rooster for breeding these where all hatched Feb. 2014 I can put pics on if Want to see them

 

[SharkmanDan]

I am wanting Basques so bad. I am glad to know they made it to Oklahoma. I am hoping to get some in early spring as well as Blue Isbars

I'm still not able to buy an incubator. And if I want any kind of good production, I know I will need one. Hopefully, money will be better, soon, and it is one of the first "chicken/poultry" things to buy, when money gets better. Once I am set to do so, I'll let everyone here know. I know of several, already, who want chicks.

 

[SharkmanDan]

I need to sell some roosters all nice breeds are there any sales I can take them to near Idabel Oklahoma or is someone looking for new rooster for breeding these where all hatched Feb. 2014 I can put pics on if Want to see them

I wish that I'd seen your post earlier. Not very close to Idabel, but there is one going on, today. CherokeeBirds Fall swap. On Hey 100, just east of the split with Hwy 82, next to the Illinois River, near Cookson, OK.
Always a great time there, I hear. I've only been there, once, and got my first Polish and Frizzles there, along with several show quality Brown Leghorns.

 

[countryhen]

How can I find out when and where sales are ??