***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[greenbeetle]

I have a broody silkie hen. I am wanting to give her some eggs to hatch. How many eggs can a silkie usually cover. Thanks

 

[NanaKat]

I got some chicks at tractor supply they were supposed to be buckeyes but they are not black and white they are mostly solid black with a little gold lace around the neck any ideas

Buckeye are a mahogany red when mature. The chicks are a golden buff as chicks. Their fluff changes to a black and gold lacing as juveniles and then morph into the mahogany as they get their adult feathers.

 

[NanaKat]

We ran all the quail thru freezer camp today...all 57 of them. Took just under 4 hours with Roger and his brother skinning them and then handing them off to me to gut them. Ended up with 1.25 pounds of livers and hearts. Decided not to clean the nickel sized gizzards...just froze them for fishing bait. The free range flock was there for any tidbits that fell or ere tossed to them...egg yolks and testes were real favorites.
It then took me 3 hours to detail clean, double rinse and package the 3 a 4 ounce birds. Five in each bag.

 

[TipihlowLadies]

Looks good

We ran all the quail thru freezer camp today...all 57 of them. Took just under 4 hours with Roger and his brother skinning them and then handing them off to me to gut them. Ended up with 1.25 pounds of livers and hearts. Decided not to clean the nickel sized gizzards...just froze them for fishing bait. The free range flock was there for any tidbits that fell or ere tossed to them...egg yolks and testes were real favorites.
It then took me 3 hours to detail clean, double rinse and package the 3 a 4 ounce birds. Five in each bag.

I can eat 5 easy.

 

[TipihlowLadies]

Buckeye are a mahogany red when mature. The chicks are a golden buff as chicks. Their fluff changes to a black and gold lacing as juveniles and then morph into the mahogany as they get their adult feathers.

my chicks were black with a silver dot on the breast,black legs,now they are black incandescent green and blue and gold lace on neck

 

[cscigu]

Can someone identify these? Each stalk has thorny stickers along its length. Little pink and purple puffs are blooming all over the pasture. The yellow on the tips nearly glows, making them look like tiny fiber optic cables light them. The free-range birds ignored them. Usually, new flowers are taste tested.

We've got some of those, too. My wife and I have been talking about how this is just about the most beautiful spring we can ever remember. (at least up till now) The weather has been unusually calm, and temperate, and its been a stupendous year for wildflowers. Only one I haven't seen a lot of is crimson clover. It was everywhere last year, maybe its biennial.

I sprayed my hayfield yesterday, and one other grazing area, because I feel I just need to for the cattle. However, I try to leave some big areas completely native, and never spray them to keep the wildflowers, and try to provide some habitat for the poor quail. I'm between OKC and Tulsa. When I was a kid, quail were common, but hardly seen now. Same with meadowlarks. Quail are need weeds and seed to live, and don't get it from bermuda pastures. Add the growth of coyotes and bobcats, and they've almost disappeared around here.

I've seen a few, and hear them more the last few years. Same with meadowlarks. It you are a landowner, this is good to read:

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/quail.htm

 

[Poco Pollo]

The sale in Coweta was good last night. The best part, always, is visiting with Okie friends. One of these days Robert's going to stop auctioning and say, "Would you ladies keep it down, please? We're trying to have an auction there."

 

[cscigu]

I got some chicks at tractor supply they were supposed to be buckeyes but they are not black and white they are mostly solid black with a little gold lace around the neck any ideas

Were they straight run or pullets? Got any pics? They sound interesting in your "grown up" description. I read up about the Buckeyes. According to Wiki they are Barred Rock/ Buff Cochin , and red game cross. Look just like NanaKat described. Maybe they'll still turn out?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckeye_chicken

If they were from TSC, I guess they might have got mixed up with some form of black sex link, simply because those are so widely produced, cheap, reliable, etc. This black sex link has some gold on it

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/black-sex-links.html

Kinda surprised its a Rhode Island -- Barred Rock mix, and looks that way. Don't know if that is the typical crossbreeding way to get the black sex link....

 

[cscigu]

Gentle showers today....
Chickens are all staying inside.
Babies are hatching under two hens and in the incubator.

We have kept up first time heifers and 2nd time cows in the lot to watch for problems with calving. We have two in the lot now. One had her calf on 5/7 and the other lost a calf on 5/9. Both cows had to have help birthing. The one with the live calf (317) is a first time mom and has yet to let the calf suckle unless she is in the squeeze chute. The cow that had the dead calf (384) has been in the squeeze chute to let the calf suckle also. The cow 384 has raised one calf and has now been licking the calf and also stands still for the calf to nurse. We had been alternating the cows in the chute until one of them accepted the calf.
Now that 384 is accepting the calf, we have milked out 317 and have been saving the milk for the freezer until needed by another baby. She has a lot of cream in her milk so we wash her bag each time and I've reserved some of the milk for the kitchen. Yesterday I made butter from the cream from the milk from the day before and last night, I made 4 quarts of yogurt from the milk. There is a full gallon of milk separating in the fridge from last evening's milking. One of the benefits from having a good milk producing line of cows.
We will reduce the amount of milk retrieved over the next several days to allow 317's bag to reduce the milk production and put her in the new calf pasture. We doubt she will allow any of these babies to suckle.

Do you know anyone with a Jersey cow selling milk?

 

[greenbeetle]

I have a broody silkie hen. I am wanting to give her some eggs to hatch. How many eggs can a silkie usually cover. Thanks